Abaddon's Gift

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Graydon had been on his way to Theon's study to ask about Naena's absence from class when the building shook rather violently. As Theon was the only mage in that part of the building, Graydon ran to his study and kicked the door open, expecting the worst.

A gray haze hung in the air.

Theon and Naena stood over a shattered table, scorched and blasted to bits. Naena clung to a book, which was pressed open against her chest. Her eyes were wide as Theon turned slowly to Graydon, his hair smoking, features blackened as if someone threw ashes into his face.

As Graydon took in the sight and pushed the door closed behind him quickly, something oozed from the ceiling between the pair. Something grey-green and speckled with black.

"What the—" Graydon swore at Theon. "Magic in your study? Use a workroom!"

"It was a simple spell," Theon protested.

"That was not a simple spell," Naena said. "Clearly not a simple spell."

"What was it?" Graydon demanded.

To which both, at the same time, said, "boundary."

They said it too quickly and far too loudly. The problem was, he doubted they had practiced that or consulted ahead of time. He looked between the two of them as the smoke began settling on the floor.

With it came a bit of paper floating from the ceiling.

He stepped forward and grabbed the paper as Theon's eyes went wide.

The paper contained the spell Graydon had drawn out the night before. He looked over the paper, then up at Naena. She blushed and looked away. When he looked at Theon, the mask of calm had come down. He wasn't able to read Theon's expression to figure out if he had been given a backstory to that spell.

"This is what you made?" Graydon asked.

"Yes," Naena said.

Her tone challenged him to say something about it. Graydon looked at the paper again, frowning as he looked it over. He took his time looking it over because he had to make certain.

"This shouldn't have changed anything," he said.

"We used a book," Theon said.

"Really shouldn't have changed anything," Graydon muttered. "Who made it, and who launched it?"

"I did," Theon said. "As if I'd let her do it right off?"

Graydon made a little sound.

"Naena, go fetch a maid to clean this up, would you?"

"Shouldn't we clean it?" Naena countered.

"Go," Theon said.

"Fine," she snapped at him.

Naena walked past Graydon, glowering at him as she all but hit him with the book on her way out. He grabbed the book from her but didn't let her see him flinch as the door slammed shut behind her.

When he turned to Theon, he prepared himself both for the blistering lecture and to give one of his own.

"Well, what did she need to leave the room for?" Theon asked.

"First a check," Graydon said.

"She won't talk to me, and I'm handling her the best I can. I'm not good with people who are grieving."

"It's her first death, the tears could come at any moment," he warned. "Aside from that, uh, I have to ask, you know, when was the last time you, uh..."