Spellbound by Blake Charlton Read Free Book Online

happening?” She looked down at the infirmary roof. The Savanna Walker’s cloud of blindness now hung over the minaret to which their kite was tethered.
    Deirdre swore. “He’s pulling us in!”
    â€œHe’s pulling you in,” the air warden called. “I can’t take your passenger if the tower is hauling you down.”
    Another jerk pulled their kite down ten more feet. “The Walker’s figured out which chain connects to our kite,” Deirdre said.
    Again they sank with sickening speed. The air warden lowered his kite to keep company. Francesca asked, “What happens if the Savanna Walker pulls us in?”
    â€œThe Walker devours you, the demon enslaves me forever, Nicodemus walks into his trap, and the dread god Los is reborn.”
    â€œCan we fight?”
    The avatar shook her head. “Not a chance. I’m too near being possessed again, and I don’t know the Walker’s name. You must go now. Here’s my message to Nicodemus about the trap. Are you listening?”
    She nodded.
    â€œTell him there are two dragons.”
    â€œTwo WHAT? You’re—”
    Deirdre cut her off. “The demon said your function will be to keep Nicodemus alive during his forced conversion. I think the demon means to wound Nico in some way that only you can cure.”
    â€œI don’t know—”
    â€œTyphon has been holding something back. Over the years, pretending to work as his Regent of Spies, I went through his letters. I learned that Typhon started to make the Savanna Walker into the first dragon, but then the power of the emerald wore out. So the Walker is stuck as a half monster, half dragon.”
    â€œA God-of-gods damned dragon? With scales and wings and fiery breath?”
    Deirdre shook her head. “They look that way only under certain conditions. Dragons are more like potentials or forces. And the Walker is now something grotesque and incomprehensible.”

    Abruptly, Deirdre shuddered. Then she squeezed her eyes shut as if in concentration. “Listen, in one of the demon’s letters you are named as the only one who can stop the second dragon from destroying Nicodemus. I don’t know any more than that. As the Regent of Spies, I had some of my agents magically wound me when the lycanthropes attacked so that I would be taken to you in the infirmary. I had to put you into play.”
    â€œWhat the hell do you mean by that?”
    â€œWhen I broke your anklet, I broke his hold on you. You can leave the city now without his knowing. You have to stop the second dragon.”
    â€œBut why me?” Francesca squawked. “And what in burning heaven do I know about demons or dragons?”
    Deirdre shook her head. “No time. Go!”
    â€œGo where, damn it?”
    Instead of answering, the other woman turned to face the air warden and bellowed, “FALLING PILOT!”
    Francesca turned to see which hierophant had fallen from a lofting kite. But as she did so, Deirdre reached up and—as easily as if she were snapping threads—broke the straps of Francesca’s harness.
    With a scream, Francesca threw her arms around Deirdre.
    But the immortal woman grabbed hold of Francesca’s shoulders and, with inhuman strength, shoved her into the churning air.

CHAPTER Seven
    The warkite was written on an eight-foot-long strip of white sailcloth. It possessed a small pair of triangular forewings and a larger pair of aft wings. Occasionally these flapped to provide direction or thrust, but mostly the construct moved by undulation. Though it flew through the air, the spell reminded Shannon of a shark swimming through the sea.
    Originally, warkites had been written for battle, but since the Spirish Civil War, their only official function had been to guard Spirish holy places. Judging by its velocity, this particular warkite had identified Shannon-the-ghost as a foreign spell threatening the sanctuary.
    With a lash of