Page 32
Story: Shield of Fire
“And the harpe? What is it exactly?”
“Traditionally, it’s a sword with a sickle protrusion along one edge near the tip of the blade. From the little I managed to uncover, Ninkil’s Harpe gives the user control over life and death.”
“Not something we’d want out there in the general population, then.”
“No, though the text did say only Ninkil’s fiercest warriors can wield it.”
Something I could check when I next visited the Codex’s library. “Did Nialle’s note mention why he wanted to talk to Kaitlyn about either?”
“No. And according to Kaitlyn, he did not ask her anything about them.”
“She would say that. Aside from the fact she has no reason to trust you, she’s as shady as fuck.”
He smiled. “You forget I’m a man of hidden talents.”
And one of those talents was the capacity to “read” people. It wasn’t telepathy as such; he couldn’t hear or see direct thoughts or memories, and the accuracy of any reading very much depended on who was being read and whether it was done casually during a conversation or via direct touch. It was simply a general insight—a glimpse into someone’s past, their dreams, character, and their motivations.
His reading of me had certainly proven rather accurate.
I raised my eyebrows, a smile twitching my lips. “And did said talent reveal anything worthwhile?”
“That Kaitlyn hungers for what she will never achieve—to be an accepted part of elf society.”
“She’s half elf. She has to be aware that will never happen.”
“Being aware and accepting it are two very different things.” He shrugged and draped his arm around my shoulder, his fingers pressing lightly against the side of my right breast. My nipples instantly hardened, and desire surged, his and mine. It was a heady heat that warmed me deep inside. “But that is not all I saw.”
“She knows where the harpe is?”
It came out slightly husky. His clever fingers were causing all sorts of inner havoc, even though he wasn’t doing all that much.
A knowing smile teased his lips. “No.”
I took a hasty gulp of my whiskey, but it did nothing to ease the increasing ferocity of the inner fires. “When I was talking to her, she denied knowing the shield’s location—does that mean she lied?”
I’d had no sense of it, but my inability to use my pixie wiles against her meant she could take me in as easy as anyone else.
“In that, she spoke the truth. However, she did sell an ancient text that mentioned it to one Loudon Fitzgerald.” He paused. “I’ve arranged a meeting with him tomorrow evening and would like you to accompany me.”
My heart began beating a whole lot faster. “Are you aware the council have made finding the shield their latest priority?”
“No, nor would I really expect to know. I work for the museum, not the council.”
“Sadly, I do work for them.”
His clever fingers briefly stilled. “Since when?”
“Since about a week ago. It’s a long, rather involved story, but basically, I deep-magicked a cousin and my punishment is becoming the council’s beck-and-call girl when it comes to anything relic related.”
“This has to do with the missing hoard, I take it?”
“Lugh told you?”
“To explain Rogan’s disappearance.”
“Well, they want me to help them find it.”
“With Lugh’s assistance? Because that would certainly explain his absences of late.”
“Traditionally, it’s a sword with a sickle protrusion along one edge near the tip of the blade. From the little I managed to uncover, Ninkil’s Harpe gives the user control over life and death.”
“Not something we’d want out there in the general population, then.”
“No, though the text did say only Ninkil’s fiercest warriors can wield it.”
Something I could check when I next visited the Codex’s library. “Did Nialle’s note mention why he wanted to talk to Kaitlyn about either?”
“No. And according to Kaitlyn, he did not ask her anything about them.”
“She would say that. Aside from the fact she has no reason to trust you, she’s as shady as fuck.”
He smiled. “You forget I’m a man of hidden talents.”
And one of those talents was the capacity to “read” people. It wasn’t telepathy as such; he couldn’t hear or see direct thoughts or memories, and the accuracy of any reading very much depended on who was being read and whether it was done casually during a conversation or via direct touch. It was simply a general insight—a glimpse into someone’s past, their dreams, character, and their motivations.
His reading of me had certainly proven rather accurate.
I raised my eyebrows, a smile twitching my lips. “And did said talent reveal anything worthwhile?”
“That Kaitlyn hungers for what she will never achieve—to be an accepted part of elf society.”
“She’s half elf. She has to be aware that will never happen.”
“Being aware and accepting it are two very different things.” He shrugged and draped his arm around my shoulder, his fingers pressing lightly against the side of my right breast. My nipples instantly hardened, and desire surged, his and mine. It was a heady heat that warmed me deep inside. “But that is not all I saw.”
“She knows where the harpe is?”
It came out slightly husky. His clever fingers were causing all sorts of inner havoc, even though he wasn’t doing all that much.
A knowing smile teased his lips. “No.”
I took a hasty gulp of my whiskey, but it did nothing to ease the increasing ferocity of the inner fires. “When I was talking to her, she denied knowing the shield’s location—does that mean she lied?”
I’d had no sense of it, but my inability to use my pixie wiles against her meant she could take me in as easy as anyone else.
“In that, she spoke the truth. However, she did sell an ancient text that mentioned it to one Loudon Fitzgerald.” He paused. “I’ve arranged a meeting with him tomorrow evening and would like you to accompany me.”
My heart began beating a whole lot faster. “Are you aware the council have made finding the shield their latest priority?”
“No, nor would I really expect to know. I work for the museum, not the council.”
“Sadly, I do work for them.”
His clever fingers briefly stilled. “Since when?”
“Since about a week ago. It’s a long, rather involved story, but basically, I deep-magicked a cousin and my punishment is becoming the council’s beck-and-call girl when it comes to anything relic related.”
“This has to do with the missing hoard, I take it?”
“Lugh told you?”
“To explain Rogan’s disappearance.”
“Well, they want me to help them find it.”
“With Lugh’s assistance? Because that would certainly explain his absences of late.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119