Abaddon's Gift

Chapter Forty-Eight

Theon walked into the main hall and over the graven faces of Amos Coven. Luren took his place with his coven and turned to Luk with a grave look.

"Let's have it," Luk said as someone leaned forward and began whispering in his ear.

The coven knew to respond while this person whispered in the ear of Lord Pan. One learned how to take two reports at once when one was Lord of the Seven. Theon could do something similar, though his version was to listen to the conversation before him as he took in what was happening around him as well.

"At no point did any of us have any inkling that this would happen," Trathor said.

Luk made a sound and turned to his coven, those representatives of the Seven who lived on university grounds to answer all smaller questions a mage might have.

In truth, few mages had much to do with the lords and heirs unless they took classes with them or were having a final meeting. Naena's presence had drawn Luk into the student lives more and more. A demon, however, would have called for the Lord of Seven to rise from his bed no matter who was involved.

Nillon and some other boy of Ren's walked in grunting with the bound bag between them. They dropped it at Luk's feet.

Theon was the one who stepped forward and flipped the laces loose, pulling the bag open, so it settled on the floor and revealed Piffy's head. A grotesque stench, like decomposition but much worse, rose as the bag opened. He grimaced and took a step back.

The students left as soon as they dropped the bag. If either knew what was good for them, they would return to their dorm rooms. At no point would either of them admit to having been there that night.

Not if they wanted to live.

"Smell is strong," Luk said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to cover his nose as he took a step back.

The handkerchief covered the fact that Luk couldn't smell the creature. It covered the lack of emotion on his face as he stepped back. The sense came and went after years of spells and caustic scents.

Then Luk realized what was in the bag, and the handkerchief lowered as his features fell.

"Is that--?"

"The head of Piffy," Theon said. "We need to do extensive research, but I believe he's been killed."

"As in dead?" Luk demanded. "Theon, you've outdone yourself this time, good work, man."

"This was not done by a man," Luren said, producing the blessed blade. "But a woman wielding this, which I believe she told your son is hers now."

"Naena did this?" Luk asked, motioning to the head with the handkerchief. His voice had dropped an octave as he asked the question, his disbelief clear. "Gentlemen, surely you are confused. She's a regular mage, just a woman. You're seeing unicorns when what you've got is a bull with one horn."

"Who would you like to debrief first?" Luren asked.

"Who arrived first?"

"Graydon and Naena," Theon said. "Then myself and then Nendan. AfPan arrived, and Graydon sent him to the infirmary. Uncertain of when."

"Nendan?" Luk called out.

The Lugh heir appeared as he was called. Lugh was good like that, appearing and disappearing when they were needed or no longer wanted. The young man stepped into the little circle they had formed in the main hall. He recounted what he witnessed and what he saw as he looked away from the work area.