Magic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us. The Relic Guild is the award nominated first book in The Relic Guild trilogy.
It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless...
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The man did not truly stand in the street; he did not stand anywhere. He was the voice in Van Bam's head, the ghost that haunted the corridors of the Nightshade, the spirit who had at one time had been the Resident of Labrys Town. He was forever remembered as Gideon the Selfless, and he appeared to Van Bam exactly as he had the night he had been killed, forty years before.
'Why didn't you tell Captain Jeter the truth?' the ghost of Gideon demanded. 'Why not tell him that a Genii has returned?'
'You know why,' Van Bam replied. 'The very mention of Fabian Moor would send the denizens into a panic.'
'And rightly so.' Gideon watched as two nurses emerged from the hospital, ending their shifts for the night. They walked through Gideon, briefly disturbing his image, and he turned to watch them leave, unashamedly admiring their figures.
He turned back to Van Bam with lust in his eyes. 'But I think inducing panic will soon be the least of everyone's worries, don't you, my idiot?' He chuckled unkindly.
For forty years Van Bam had tolerated Gideon's voice in his head, and the ghost rarely made his point quickly. It was far easier to accept his incongruous manner than to battle against it.
He sighed and took a few steps closer to the former Resident. 'Gideon, there is something I do not understand.'
'Oh?'
'Fabian Moor is a Genii, a creature of higher magic – what possible use could he have for a magicker? Why did he abduct Marney instead of killing her?'
Gideon shrugged as if he didn't much care. 'Your guess, I suspect, is as useless as mine. Though we have always had our theories about Moor.'
Van Bam nodded. 'Let us hope that Charlie Hemlock will provide some definite answers.'
'If he's still alive.' A look of dark mirth came over Gideon's sharp features. 'Oh, by the way, I like Clara. She's a little ugly for my tastes, but when a whore earns the name of Peppercorn ...' His grin was unfriendly.
Van Bam held in check a sudden and unexpected need to protect the changeling.
Gideon said, 'Do you think she is up to the task, my idiot?'
This gave Van Bam pause to consider. He exhaled heavily. 'Clara is strong, and we can be thankful that Marney has helped her to accept her predicament.'
'What, with a kiss?' Gideon snorted. 'Marney never did anything without reason – you know that, my idiot. Who can say what she did to the whore out in the Great Labyrinth tonight.'
'Regardless,' Van Bam said testily, 'Clara will have to learn fast, but at least she is in good hands.'
'Good hands?' Gideon's laughter was scornful. 'Are you really so sure?'
With that the ghost disappeared, and Van Bam felt a dizzying lurch as he was swept away from the hospital where an old friend had once worked, and his journey across Labrys Town was resumed.
