War of Power (The Trouble with Magic Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

creatures can be incapacitated or destroyed?”
    Symon gave a vigorous nod. “Oh! Indeed there is, not merely a theory but apparently proven. There are also a lot of traditional and totally misinformed ones, such as touching it with silver or dousing it in sea-water.”
    Karryl gave a wry grin. “I doubt if anybody would live long enough to see the outcome if they managed to get close enough to do either of those. Anyway, just to be on the safe side I’ve decided to come with you to the tower. If there is any trace, maybe two heads will be better than one.”
    Symon pushed his empty plate to one side and set about the business of pouring tea. “I won’t argue. I also have something else hidden away somewhere which is reputed to act as a defence against creatures of this ilk. When we’ve drunk our tea you can help me search for it.”
    His fellow magician’s eyes lit up with interest. “What are we looking for exactly?”
    Symon placed a mug of tea in front of him. “An amulet. Actually, two amulets. Very ancient, but hopefully still powerful. You’ll know what they are when you find them.”
    With all the paraphernalia of breakfast cleared away, the two magicians headed for their store-room, a short walk back along the corridor which led to their apartment. Symon’s staff topped with its intricate silver ball, made sharp tapping sounds on the blue slate floor. A moment or two of delving in the deep pocket of his robe produced a large key, which he handed to Karryl. He then removed the ornately wrought silver ball from the top of his staff and quietly murmured a short cantrip. After removing a complex warding, Karryl unlocked the door and pushed it open. Symon replaced the now glowing ball on the top of his staff, ushered Karryl into the room, and wedged his staff securely through the handle of an old travelling trunk.
    Karryl stared round in disbelief. “Gods! How did we manage to accumulate this lot? We’ll be here all day!”
    The smile on Symon’s round face was almost beatific as his gaze took in the dozens of boxes and chests covering almost every available inch of floor space. Patting his palms together he gave Karryl a knowing wink. “I don’t think it will take us that long.”
    He bent to pick up a box off the floor and piled it on top of another one, repeating the process until he had cleared a narrow pathway into the centre of the room.
    He gestured towards the little sea of boxes which lay between himself and the far wall. “The amulets will more than likely be in one of those as they’re the oldest. I’ll take the ones on the right.”
    The search began. Stacked three and four high in places, the wooden boxes varied in size from small ones a few inches square to very large ones almost as large as travelling trunks, and each one required a spell of opening. Karryl had checked three before he decided to speed up the process. Drawing in a little power, he cast a simultaneous opening spell. Hearing a “Hmmph!” from behind him, he looked round.
    Fists jammed into his waist, Symon stood surveying the open boxes. “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
    Karryl chuckled and bent to examine the contents of a fourth box. It was while he was gazing ruefully at the jumbled miscellany of objects inside that Symon gave an “Aha!” of discovery. With a private sigh of relief Karryl picked his way round to join the little magician just as he was lifting a small leather pouch from the jumbled contents of a large and battered looking trunk. The moment the cord around its neck was unwound and the pouch pulled open, Karryl could sense that whatever it contained was still potent.
    Holding the drab and wrinkled pouch upside down, Symon emptied its contents into his hand. Lying across his palm were two curved and pointed yellowish-white objects each about two inches long. About as thick as Karryl’s little finger at their base, they had been set into narrow gold caps. Attached to these were a small gold link and