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

difficult for pursuers to locate and capture you.
    “Now, any door will open for you, as long as you carry the Key regardless of whether you have any of my magical power left to you or not; however, should you misplace it you will be trapped inside the Tower, along with anyone else who had penetrated the outer doors. You may find it profitable to swallow it, therefore,” he said, and appeared to smile at Lian’s expression of distaste, as if he knew what his student’s reaction would be. “It’s just a suggestion.
    “I am honored to have taught you. Your presence here, however, implies that my service to your father has failed, and that these are desperate times. I fervently hope that you remember your lessons and that you manage to escape. You have my prayers, Lian Evanson. Gods go with you,” the image finished as it vanished into green mist. The vapor swirled gently for a moment, and then suddenly leapt toward Lian’s face.
    Before the prince could so much as gasp, it pierced his flesh. His skin began to crawl with thousands of tiny pinpricks, and he became aware of something just beyond the edge of perception for each of his five senses. It was as if every object, sound, and sensation had another dimension that he’d never perceived before.
    “Heh,” said Gem, for she could perceive magical talent. Her tone was a mixture of surprise and humor. “The pointy-eared bastard did it. Congratulations, my boy, you’re a mage.
    “Now pick up that Key and let’s get moving.”
    Resisting the urge to experiment with the great scrying sphere, he tentatively touched it. He perceived its awareness of his presence, but could recognize no sentience within it. He intuited that it was awaiting instructions, so he dispatched a mental command: Shrink .
    There was no acknowledgment of his order, but the orb quickly shrank to the size of a marble. The stand upon which the crystal ball had been mounted also shapeshifted, transforming into a pedestal upon which the tiny ball sat.
    “Gods,” whispered Lian in amazement, and plucked the ball from its support. When he did so, the pedestal seemed to liquefy and flow down into the flagstones, before it rose back up in the form of a dragon’s claw grasping what appeared to be a huge, lidded eye. The eye was nearly three feet in diameter. Lian drew well back.
    “Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” commented Gem.
    “What is that?” Lian asked, fighting the temptation to reach out and touch it. Remembering Elowyn’s instructions, he transmitted the thought, Lock , to the now marble-sized sphere. Beyond the soundproofed walls of the scrying chamber, he could hear and feel a large concussion coming from all directions. He carefully placed the Key in his pouch, fumbling one-handed with the closure.
    “What in the gods’ names?” Gem exclaimed.
    “I think that was the main gate closing, along with every other door in the Tower. I gave the command to lock,” Lian said. “Now, what’s that?” He pointed at the eye.
    “That’s the eye of a dragon, Lian,” Gem replied, still startled. “A pretty damned big one, by the size of the eye. I don’t know why there’d be such a thing in a scrying chamber.”
    “That’s because you aren’t terribly well educated,” announced a dry voice from the northern end of the chamber.
    Lian drew and leveled Gem, but there was nothing to be seen but the table, the shelves, and their contents.
    “ You said that?” Lian asked incredulously, looking directly at the skull.
    “I did. You possess the Key and I am ready to depart. Let us be gone from this place,” the voice pronounced. The skull made no movement as it spoke.
    “I’m not so certain we should take it with us, Lian,” said Gem. “You heard what Elowyn said about possession.”
    He nodded. “I know, Gem,” he spoke as he sheathed her. It was harder to sheath a sword one-handed than to draw it, but he managed it as he had done with the shortsword in his vision