Veilspeaker (Pharim War Book 2) by Gama Ray Martinez Read Free Book Online Page A

have to go there regularly to pour power into it.”
    “His quarters, then.”
    “Don’t you think that would be a little obvious?”
    “If, as you say, he didn’t have a lot of time to set
up this ritual, he wouldn’t have had very many options.”
    “That’s true, I guess.”
    “Let’s go then. Where are his quarters?”
    Sharim raised his hands and started shaking his head.
“Now, just a second. I didn’t say I would help you.”
    Jez stood up. “Fine. I’ll find out myself. Thank you
for the information.”
    Jez turned but he hadn’t made it to the door before he
heard the chair scraping across the ground. He turned and saw Sharim walking
toward him.
    “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you either.” Sharim
paused and took a deep breath. “Villia told me about the runes they found in
Dusan’s lair.” Jez’s jaw dropped, but Sharim shook his head. “Nothing specific,
but she said that from what she could tell, he was trying to summon a great
evil. She was scared. I’ve never seen her like that. If Varin is trying to do
the same thing, he has to be stopped.”

CHAPTER 13
    Varin’s chambers were in the north
wing of the keep. Sharim put illusions on them to hide but as soon as they
neared, the illusion fell. They exchanged glances, but Jez shrugged. Certain
parts of the Academy were warded against illusions as well. There was probably
some way to get around that or else Lina would never be able to maintain her
disguise. Such a thing was normally done with a command word or talisman, but
figuring that out was more trouble than it was worth. A pair of guards in the
livery of Lord Varin stood at the door to the chambers. They stiffened as Jez
and Sharim approached.
    “I have a message from Mage Villia for Lord Varin,”
Jez said.
    One of the guards snorted. “Is the baron reduced to
being a messenger boy now?”
    Jez tried to look embarrassed. “Look, just let me in.”
    The other guard let out a nervous laugh. He brought
his hand up and absently ran his fingers across his mail shirt. No doubt he’d
heard about the incident in the throne room. Jez briefly considered moving them
out of the way but decided against it. The second guard cleared his throat.
    “Lord Varin is still in conference with the king.”
    Jez pulled a folded sheet of paper out of his doublet.
“I need to leave this for him.” The guard reached for it, but Jez pulled back.
“Mage Villia put a ward on it to guard against any hand but Varin’s. I’m not
sure what will happen if you touch it.”
    The guard pulled back as if he’d touched a flame. His gaze
was locked on the sheet of paper with wide eyes. The other took a step back and
didn’t seem to realize it until he backed up against the wall.
    “Just let me in,” Jez said. “You can watch me leave
it.”
    The guards exchanged glances. One gave a slight nod
and the other pushed open the door. Varin’s sitting room was even bigger than
Jez’s. It looked like it could hold a hundred people. A long table sat in the
middle of the room with a dozen chairs on each side. A massive window was
covered by velvet curtains, and a map of Ashtar hung from one wall. Jez’s eyes
instinctively sought out the Barony of Korand and his own hometown of Randak. A
massive picture of Lord Varin himself stared down at Jez as he walked in. Jez
extended his senses, trying to find any signs of a ward, but there was nothing.
    “Do you sense anything?”
    “I think so,” Sharim said. “There’s something hidden
by an illusion. Give me a second and I can take it down.” Suddenly, he spun and
stared into a corner.
    “What is it?” Jez asked.
    “Sorry, I thought there was someone there. It’s
nothing. Give me a second.”
    Jez walked to the table slowly and placed the paper on
it. There was nothing written on it, and Varin would probably be upset when he
found out Jez had been in his quarters, but as low as Jez’s status already was
at court, he doubted anything worse could happen. He felt a