Chapter 35: Chapter 35: A Strained Breakfast

Lady Togair bid Saoirse attend breakfast. “It is time to put this dreadful witch behind us. We must resume our normal lives.”

“Normal lives?” Saoirse followed her gorgeous mother down the long hallway. “Do you even care that he's dead?”

“Of course, I care. It's just that we don't want his kind here.”

“His kind?”

“Magiced.”

Saoirse fingers curved into twin fists. She felt the magic bubbling up into her mouth, threatening to burst out. As she entered the great hall, she swallowed, feeling the magic slide like a large uncomfortable lump of food down her esophagus and into her stomach where it bubbled and churned.

When breakfast was served, Saoirse found herself starving. She ladled the entire dish of eggs onto her plate. Barely chewing, she stuffed mouthfuls of the soft, pliant food between her lips as fast as she could swallow. When the plate was clean, she reached for the toasted bread and jam. When she'd finished off four pieces, she paused her rapid feeding to speak.

Her forceful tone surprised even herself. “Did the Captain finish questioning the last two archers, the ones who were supposedly in the village when the attack occurred?”

With a wave of his hand, Lord Togair dismissed her question. “Leave these matters to me.”

She closed her eyes, momentarily shutting out the annoying brightness of his aura. Sucking in a breath, she jerked her head back around, her voice low, like a man's. “The defense of the castle was left in your hands. And now, Seer Murtagh is dead.”

Her mother gasped and the taffy colors of her aura swirled in confusion. Saoirse rolled her eyes. “Really, Mother. Even now, when Seer Murtagh has been murdered, you sit across from me, thinking of balls and gowns and other such trivial nonsense.”

Taken aback, her mother protested, “I can think about gowns.” She cast a confused look at Lord Togair. “What's wrong with thinking about gowns?”

Saoirse gulped down another hog-sized bite of toast and fixed Lord Togair with a piercing gaze remarkably like the one he used when negotiating with enemies. “The most logical assumption is that the assassin was hiding here in plain sight. We have excellent archers, and that arrow was loosed by a castle-trained man.”

Lord Togair dropped his knife, splattering jam. “Oh, is that what you think?”

She watched his arrogant aura blaze even brighter. Could he think of nothing but his own position? “Father, surely you know never was there a witch where there wasn't a dragon.”

He sighed in exasperation. At least now his aura was no longer purple. Now it was orange-brown—the color of baby poop. His words were filled with loathing, “So tell me, dear daughter, how do I fight a dragon?”

You are reading story The Death of Magic at novel35.com

She shook with anger, her hands tight fists. Standing, she brought them down hard on the table, clanking the dishes, water sloshing from her goblet onto the lace tablecloth. “Tell me. What are you doing to find the archer?”

His aura shifted back to purple, hideous, gaudy purple. “Do you think you could run this castle better than I?”

“Stop being so arrogant. This isn't about your authority. People are going to die.”

His aura darkened. Bong, bong, bong. The color sound reverberated like she was standing inside the tower bell.

“Did the Captain question the last two archers?” she asked.

Her father calmly sipped his water.

“Answer me!”

Slowly, Lord Togair rose, until he was towering above her, the full weight of his authority in his regal stare. “Go to your room.”

She leaned toward him, toward the threads of red rage winding through the haughty purple. “Did you even think to ask yourself: why would a witch come here?”

His voice was almost as quiet as Murtagh's had been when he died. “Go to your room!”

“Perhaps,” her voice was filled with mockery, “the witch truly wanted to help us. Maybe she's a saint witch.”

“OUT!”

She picked up her water and threw it in his face. “Wake up! A dragon is coming!”

Roughly, he grabbed her arm, dragged her across the hall and threw her out of the room.

 

You can find story with these keywords: The Death of Magic, Read The Death of Magic, The Death of Magic novel, The Death of Magic book, The Death of Magic story, The Death of Magic full, The Death of Magic Latest Chapter