Abaddon's Call

Chapter Thirty

Theon dithered. He had incorrectly called it tithering in front of the children. It would have added to his horror at the whole situation if the children hadn't thought it a code word for dragging one's feet before chores or work.

He stayed the night, and then Luk asked to keep him in service, so he stayed four days more. Service was a wonderful comfort, but it kept them close in case trouble started. With no incidents, his service was restricted to sitting with Luk. They read, played cards, and spent time with the children when their lessons were done.

Mander Salord had been executed by Trild Kaulu, who presented himself the following day to his healers, having survived the lacing green spell that had killed all but four of those brave enough to test Seven blood against Salord magic.

Salord magic always won.

Most of the time.

Because Trild had accomplished the task under an executioner write, no one was permitted to ask him how he did it. Trild might write it down for them. Some executioners did just that for more prominent or tricky assignments, but the document would then be sealed until Trild's death.

None of them would ever know how Trild did it.

Luk kept Theon over, hoping the pair of them could figure out what had happened at the Salord estate, but also in case Jasor used his new title to start something. Theon accepted both excuses, though they never pursued either.

The other option was to send Maeno and Nendan, or Shorel and his sword, against Jasor. Theon didn't believe either pairing could confront Jasor with any amount of success.

Theon didn't question the excuses because he wasn't much in the mood for anything.

He had his words with Lord Lugh. The man had easily agreed to hear Theon out, and Theon learned why the other lords feared Lugh. Luk explained it by calling it true speak. Something any Lugh could do to some degree, but the drake at the head of the family could always wield with devastating effects.

In the past that had been used to put a mage in his place without drawing blood. It was used to teach the Seven how to call the dragons—for those who didn't take to it naturally.

In more recent generations, they had turned true speak inward. They used it for self-reflection and guiding others to... something. Lord Lugh had used it to strip Theon bare, make him feel weak and helpless, then blame him for his own predicament.

Too much of a coward to say three little words!

Theon shuddered and adjusted as the teleporter took a hesitant step away from him.

"I'm fine, thank you," he muttered to the air before him.

Ulter was at the teleporter's office, waiting for him. Theon sighed into the air and turned slightly toward Ulter. The war mage who sat the coven could give commands to any war mage at the university. Ren had tried it often but always failed. Ulter had yet to make a demand, but Theon knew any man's patience would be wearing thin by then, given his constant absences from class.

Theon hadn't butted heads with Ulter yet and had no idea how devastating the man's commands could be.

"If I'm being frank, I thought you fell off your wagon," Ulter said as he stepped forward. "I've put the boys on locating me, so I thought I'd visit my wife for lunch to give them a challenge. You're coming along. Would you be a dear, Critch? She said she made scones this morning."

The teleporter happily took them to Ulter's back patio, a thing which the teleporter should not have done. The man received two scones and a little jar of blueberry jam from Ulter's wife to take back with him. No coin exchanged hands, which meant there would be no reporting of the trip.