Free Dawnbringer: A Forgotten Realms Novel by Samantha Henderson Page B

pulse jumped. There the light touch of the fingers paused.
    She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.
    No. Her eyes snapped open. Something was wrong. She shouldn’t feel like this.
    Confused, she tried to shake off the feeling of contentment. Her life was in danger. She must fight for it.
    Sharp teeth sank into her neck.

     
    Gareth was within sight of the fire pit, a brace of quail on his belt, when he heard Ivor cry out. He ran. The limp birds, still warm, bounced against his hip.
    In the gathering twilight his friend kneeled in front of the old oak, clutching something in his arms. The donkey stood a little way off, a load of firewood bound on its back. It stamped its front hoof and whickered.
    Gareth stared at Ivor’s burden in confusion. Ivor was holding Jandi to his breast, and the mage was looking straight back at Gareth, her eyes wide and unblinking.
    What was the matter with her? Gareth took a step forward, then another. He saw that Jandi’s eyes were bulging slightly and that her lips were blue.
    “No,” he said, and took another step. “She’s not …”
    Ivor looked up at him with red, streaming eyes. The horror of the moment flooded him. In an instant he was on his knees beside them.
    “She’s gone,” said Ivor, looking into the mage’s dead face. “I came back and thought she was sleeping. I was going to rouse her, tease her about taking a nap all alone, but …”
    He turned on Gareth with a snarl. “It was too much for her, all that mucking about with that key or bracelet or whatever that cursed thing is you brought from the
Orcsblood
. It wore her out, broke her mind. If you hadn’t made her do it …”
    “I didn’t
make
her do anything,” retorted Gareth, stunned. “This is horrible, but don’t look to me for the blame.”
    He studied the body, trying to avoid eye contact. It was terrible to look into Jandi’s eyes when there was nothing, no soul or spirit, behind them. There was no blood, no sign of a wound. The he saw a bruise on her throat, under the curve of her jaw.
    “See—look at her neck.”
    Gently Ivor tilted her head back so she gazed at the sky. To Gareth’s great relief, he passed his hand over her eyes, closing them. With her throat exposed, they could clearly see the mark encircling it, where some sort of cord had bit deep.
    Gareth touched her chill skin, hoping against hope to find a pulse. There was nothing. She was as dead as the quail he’d trapped.
    “Resurrection,” gasped Ivor. “If we can reach Berendel’s people … If they have a priestess …”
    Gareth shook his head. “It’s too late. She’s already cold. Even if they had someone powerful enough, or willing, by the time we got there …”
    “I know,” said Ivor.
    Gareth sat back on his heels. “Who could have done this, Ivor?” He glanced around them at the silent trees. “Could they still be here?”
    “Look no farther than there.” Ivor pointed at Jandi’s arm.
    Confused, Gareth looked past Ivor’s shaking finger. The sleeve of the mage’s robe had fallen away, revealing the pale skin of the inner arm, branched with blue veins.Coiled around her arm was a length of dull metal links. A red stone peered out from between the arm and the grass like a tiny bloodshot eye.
    “That
thing
,” sputtered Ivor. “That cursed, unnatural
thing
. It wrought that creature’s doom on the
Starbound
, and now it’s taken Jandi. Strangled her.”
    “No,” said Gareth, shaking his head. “It’s not possible.”
    “It crawled around her neck, like it did to you on the
Starbound
. You were lucky then, or maybe it realized it could use you. You’ve served its ends ever since.”
    Ivor gestured at the Fist.
    “Safe haven,” he said, mockingly. “That’s all you’ve talked about for the past year, all you’ve sought. I was along for the adventure and the hope of profit someday, and Jandi—” His voice broke. “She wanted out of Mulmaster. She wanted to test her skills. I didn’t