Blood of Half Gods: Kallen's Tale by Bonnie Lamer Read Free Book Online Page A

shouting now, but still no response.  I am even rougher when I shake her this time.  “Let it go!  You have taken control of the carriage!”  I am yelling directly into her ear now and it is as if I have said nothing.
     
    The sound of someone falling in the hallway as the carriage lurches again turns my head towards the doorway that is still missing a door.  A loud oath is uttered and then a hand grabs hold of the sill.  My uncle’s body follows a moment after.
     
    “What the hell is going on?” he demands when he has forced his way through the magic into the room, but he is still pressed against the door frame.
     
    I shrug.  “I have no idea.  She is sleeping.  She must be having some sort of nightmare.”  I shake my head wonderment.  “How can she be doing this in her sleep?”
     
    Disbelief rings clear in his voice.  “It is impossible.  She must be awake.  Shake her; shout in her ear.”
     
    “I have done that,” I say dryly. 
     
    “I will wake her up,” Dagda says as he slowly crosses the room to the bed, stumbling once.  I have heard the expression ‘a sea of magic’ but I never thought I would experience one.
     
    Dagda shakes Xandra and shouts her name over and over.  He pulls her into a sitting position and the sight of her head lolling onto her chest is truly frightening.  Is she in a coma?  Can she not awaken?  Dagda lays her back down and looks to me, my own fears are mirrored in his eyes.
     
    “Has she had anything to eat or drink in the short time we have been travelling?” he asks, suggesting poison could be behind this.
     
    I shake my head.  “She has not had anything today other than Tabitha’s breakfast.  There would certainly be no poisoning from that.  She was feeling queasy so Alita went to make her some mint tea, but she never had a chance to drink it.”
     
    “Who has been close to her?” he asks.
     
    “Myself, Kegan, Alita and Radella.”
     
    Dagda’s eyes cloud with fury.  “Did Radella come near her?”
     
    I shake my head.  “She was in the room but she did not touch Xandra, nor do I believe she has the magic to put her into a coma.”  I said the word out loud and now I am even more terrified that is what has happened.
     
    “Go and get Alita.  She will be able to tell if black magic has been used, but she will not be able to push through Xandra’s magic on her own.”
     
    I nod and struggle to my feet.  The carriage seems to have found a clear path again, so no lurching affects my progress, but we are clearly not heading towards Giant territory anymore.  I make my way to the door and out into the hall.  I can see Radella at the top of the spiral staircase clinging to the handrail, her ability to come any closer checked by Xandra’s magic. 
     
    “What is happening?” she shouts. 
     
    I ignore her as I make my way the short distance to Kegan’s door.  The magic wants to push me past it, but I hold onto the frame.  Kegan has managed to get the door open but is having trouble entering the hallway.  I can see past him into the room where Alita is sitting in a wingback chair looking frightened.  “We need to get Alita into Xandra’s room!” I shout to Kegan because the magic is making it difficult to hear.  It feels as if my ears need to pop from all the pressure of the it pushing against my eardrums.  Kegan nods and stumbles back into the room without question.
     
    It takes the two of us grasping her arms and pulling to even get her out of the chair.  It seems to take forever to get her to the door and managing the hallway has us close to giving up.  Poor Alita must feel as if she is being torn from limb to limb.  Finally, after a good ten minutes, we arrive at Xandra’s and my bedroom door.  With a last big push, the three of us tumble into the room.
     
    Without formality, Dagda shouts, “Is there black magic?”
     
    Alita shakes her head.  “I cannot feel anything except Xandra’s magic.  If anything