Temple of the Dragonslayer Read Online Free Page A

through her fingers. It was the same sensation she’d experienced in the clearing when she’d been about to be devoured by Slean. She sensed that whatever this feeling might be, it could allow her to help Sindri somehow. And if that was the case, perhaps she shouldn’t fight it.
    Sindri made a quick motion with his hand and the minotaur’s steel vanished back into his cape. His nimble kender fingers moved with a speed and grace that a human could never copy.
    Sindri struck a pose, feet planted well apart, hands lifted into the air.
    “I wish I didn’t have to do this,” Sindri said to the minotaur, “but you leave me no choice. I’m going to have to cast a spell on you.”
    The red-haired warrior sighed. “Please don’t do this, Sindri.”
    “Hush, Catriona. I need complete silence so I can concentrate.”
    The tingling in Nearra’s hands increased until the sensation was almost painful. She shouldn’t have let this, this … whatever it was go this far. She felt pressure building inside her skull, as if a crushing headache was coming on. She thought she might faint.
    Davyn looked at her with concern and grabbed her hand. Nearra squinted as an intense ray of sunlight reflected off his silver ring. The tingling ceased.
    Sindri muttered a few words and threw his hands out in a flourish. The minotaur grunted in surprise as his axe pulled free of his hand and hovered in the air in front of him. As surprised as the man-bull looked, Catriona seemed absolutely shocked. Sindri himself stared at the floating axe as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
    The battle-axe hung motionless in the air for another moment. Then the weapon turned upside down so that the bottom of the handle was pointed directly at the spot between the minotaur’s widened eyes.
    The axe shot forward and the handle slammed against the minotaur’s head. A soft moan escaped his lips, along with a thin line of drool. His eyes rolled back in his head and his body went slack. The minotaur collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
    A moment later, the axe fell to the dirt a foot away from the minotaur’s head, the blade sinking into the ground with a soft
chuk!
    Nearra, Davyn, Sindri, and Catriona stood in silence for a long moment as they tried to understand the event that had justtaken place. At last, Sindri gave out a whoop and jumped into the air, on his face an expression of pure delight.
    “Did you see that, Catriona? I told you I was a great wizard, didn’t I?”
    Catriona gaped in astonishment. Nearra turned to Davyn. His brow was covered with sweat, and his lips formed a small, almost unnoticeable smile.

 
    I t shouldn’t be much longer now,” Sindri said. “Bramble Street is just around the corner.”
    “That’s what you said about the last corner we came to,” Catriona said.
    The kender was unruffled by the warrior’s comment. “Well, this time it is.”
    Catriona shook her head. “I should have known better than to take my eyes off you for so much as an instant. If I’d been watching you more closely, you wouldn’t have gotten mixed up with that minotaur.”
    “It was just a simple misunderstanding,” Sindri said. “Luckily, my magic was able to get us out of trouble.”
    Nearra was glad that Sindri and Catriona had decided to come along with them to make sure they reached the healer safely. Walking with the two of them—and with Davyn—felt right somehow, as if the four were meant to be together.
    Davyn had persuaded Sindri to leave the minotaur’s money pouch behind when they’d left the unconscious creature. Well,
left
was too mild a word.
Fled
before the man-bull could wake up and come after them was more accurate.
    Now Sindri was leading them to the healer, and though Nearra knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up, she couldn’t helpherself. If the healer could restore her memories, then she’d know more than just her name. She’d know where she came from, if she had a mother or father, brothers or