CHAPTER27
“Again,” Aodhan said.
Hidden in darkness, Cathy held perfectly still, watching. Through a tiny gap in the curtains that divided the bedchamber from the sitting room, she saw Kevin’s narrow shoulders rise, then fall, as though he was steeling himself.
Oh, my baby.More than anything, she wanted to gather her son into her arms, and never let go. She tightened her lips, not allowing any sound to betray her presence.
Kevin stepped into the chalked circle, lifting his feet to avoid knocking over any of the candles around the perimeter. He folded himself into an awkward kneeling position, all gangly limbs and elbows. Taking another deep breath, he straightened his spine, eyes closing.
“Let’s hope that twenty-eighth time’s the charm.” Aodhan leaned over, marking Kevin’s forehead with pungent herbal oil, followed by a smear of coarse rock salt. “Ready?”
Kevin nodded without opening his eyes. “Ready.”
Aodhan pulled out his wand. Noodle was already sitting in a matching circle a little way off, poised and alert, rock salt glittering in his fluffy black fur. Murmuring words of magic, Aodhan traced a line across the tiled floor, joining the two circles.
The candles flared. Light ran down the chalked lines, encircling first Kevin, then Noodle. As the glowing arcs met, Kevin flinched. His hands clenched in his lap.
Cathy’s own knuckles were white where she clutched the curtain. She bit her lip, holding her breath.
No longer chanting, Aodhan circled the boy and the dog. The mage’s face was ashen with exhaustion, but his blue eyes were as fierce and clear as ever as he lifted his wand. With the care of a surgeon, he placed the glowing tip first on Noodle’s forehead, then Kevin’s.
When he spoke, his voice was low and calm. “What is the dog’s name?”
“It’s… it’s…” Kevin started to shake. Cathy could see the fine, wispy ends of his hair trembling in the candlelight. He bared his teeth. “I don’t know!”
“You do.” Aodhan moved his wand from Kevin’s forehead to the center of the boy’s chest, over his heart. “Focus, Kevin. There is power in you, though you have forgotten you possess it. Reach for that strength. Find your center, your true self. What is the dog’s name?”
“Nnngh.” Kevin made a strangled, inarticulate sound. “Nnn… Nnn… no!”
He doubled over, hiding his face in his hands. Despite herself, Cathy clenched her fist in the curtain, ready to tear it aside—but Aodhan was already in motion. With a curt gesture of his wand, he killed the magic, dousing every candle and glowing line in an instant.
Kevin sighed in relief, the shudders wracking his body easing. Nonetheless, when he uncurled, his face was still contorted; not with pain now, but frustration.
“This is pointless.” He scrubbed at the salt smeared across his forehead. “I’m never going to be able to do this.”
“We just need further practice.” Aodhan moved around the circle, breaking the chalked lines at the cardinal points with swift, precise strokes of his wand. “You did very well, Kevin. I’m proud of you.”
“No you’re not,” Kevin said sullenly. “I failed. Again.”
“I’m a mage. Saying things I didn’t mean would be an excellent way to rapidly become a corpse. This is not an easy task, yet you’ve made an extraordinary amount of progress in just one week. We almost had it that time.”
Noodle crept to press against Kevin’s side, whining in concern. Kevin sniffed, swiping the heel of one hand across his eyes before patting the puppy.
“I’m okay,” he told the dog. He looked back at Aodhan. “I don’t know if I can do any better, though. I felt like I was trying to push my brain through a wire mesh fence. It hurt too much keep going.”
“Which indicates that I need to make some adjustments to the spell,” Aodhan replied. “You don’t have to endure in stoic solitude, Kevin. We’re all in this together. I’ll work on the ritual. Now, you should get down to the training yard. It’s time for your combat lesson with Ferghal.”
Kevin made a face, looking more himself again. “I’d rather practice magic. Sword drills are boring.”
“I quite agree.” Aodhan motioned Kevin out of the circle and started to erase the rest of the runes. “Unfortunately, our oblivious host does not, and he expects you to share his inexplicable enthusiasm for sharp lengths of metal. It is in all our interests to keep him happy, remember.”
Kevin pulled an even more expressive face. “Ferghal’s a butt.”
“If you find it difficult to maintain a pleasant smile in his presence, I recommend dwelling on the delightful mental image of planting a solid kick square in his groin. That’s what I do.” Aodhan began gathering up candles. “You’d better hurry, before Ferghal gets impatient and starts yelling at some poor servant.”
With a resigned sigh, Kevin got to his feet. “Can I come back and see you later?”
“Not until our next scheduled session. We don’t want Ferghal wondering why you’re so eager to spend time here. I need some time to plan our next ritual attempt, anyway.” Aodhan paused, shooting Kevin a sidelong glance. “Though on the subject of magic, I discovered a rather fine illustrated edition of Dalaimar’s Fundamentals of Warding in the library. No doubt Ferghal would strictly forbid you from reading it, since it contains simple step-by-step instructions on how to shield one’s mind from further unwanted intrusion. I have thus filed it safely away where I am certain no enterprising boy would ever think to look, at the left-hand side of the lowest shelf in the third bookcase to the right of the door.”