Free By Blood Betrayed (The Kingsblood Chronicles) by David Houpt

representing a bas relief of the decoy fountain outside. The focal point of the room, at the center, was a marble throne before which sat the largest, clearest crystal ball that Lian had ever seen. Upon the throne perched a small jade cat, approximately the size of his thumb. Directly opposite the door was a chair, placed before a table and facing the outer wall. To either side of the throne was another chair, each stationed in front of its own table. Each inset table was carved from the wall, and each had a selection of instruments upon it. The first table to his right contained an inset collection of crystal spheres. Lian assumed that those were additional crystal balls. “Why would any one desire more than one crystal ball?” he asked Gem aloud.
    She replied aloud as well. “It is my understanding that they don’t all necessarily perform the same function. Elowyn warned me to suggest you leave them alone.”
    Lian realized that he didn’t possess adequate magical power to safely use such a device, as the effort could deplete even the most accomplished mages. Attempting to perform magic without adequate energy resources was a good way to get dead.
    The station opposite the door consisted of a flat table, with pigeonholes cut into the wall in front of it. The holes contained an esoteric collection of divining paraphernalia. There were decks of cards, bowls full of rune-carved bones, and envelopes of what Lian assumed were rare herbs, preserved with magic. There was even an ancient human skull in one of the niches, blackened by some process to a dull unrelieved hue. Lian possessed a little more talent for divining than for magic, but he recognized few of the components contained here. He left this area untouched. However, he found the skull strangely compelling and broke his gaze away from it only with difficulty.
    The final chair was situated before a complex array of levers, wheels, and lenses. The latter represented a multitude of colors and shapes, though all appeared opaque.
    “Oh, gods,” Lian whispered sibilantly. He had a love of things mechanical, and had been anticipating the wonders of this room ever since his elven tutor had described it to him.
    “Be careful, son,” Gem admonished. She didn’t share Lian’s absolute trust in his teacher, though she rarely expressed her concerns to her charge. Adrienne had filled her in on certain aspects of the assassin’s history, in warning, and she’d never forgotten nor disregarded the queen’s words.
    He acknowledged her caution absent-mindedly, muttering to himself in wonderment about the complexity of the device. Gem, too, was begrudgingly impressed with the workmanship. After all, Firavon had been the Artificer-King, the only artificer in the entire history of the Theocracy to rise to the status of ruler.
    Lian reluctantly directed his attention to the center throne and the small jade cat. He recalled that Elowyn had been fond of small animal charms. His magical talents were unusually weak for an elf, and he’d therefore utilized ritual magic to imbue his creations with enchantments that could be released when needed. The cat was typical of Elowyn’s work.
    “That cat looks familiar to me for some reason,” he said, touching his chin with a gesture that his father Evan had often demonstrated when he was thinking. Gem was struck with the similarities between the two men, and felt a momentary pang of loss for the man who was, in a manner of speaking, her husband. The blade, sharing so much of Adrienne’s nature, shared in her love for Evan.
    “If I remember correctly, I believe that Elowyn showed it to you a couple of years ago. He explained that he had created it for a rainy day, then put it in his pocket. He didn’t tell you what it did,” Gem said. Lian knew she remembered accurately, for she had an excellent memory, a trait she’d inherited from his mother.
    “I’m going to take it, then,” Lian decided. “He must have left it for me.”
    “Or