The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [139]
Giogi cracked Dorath across the face with the back of his hand, sending her sprawling across the room. Cat gasped. Giogi looked to the door and spotted the mage. "Catling," he said. "How convenient. Come hold this brat, and I'll take us all home."
Amber began bawling louder, and her face turned bright red.
"No," Cat whispered in horror. "That's not Giogi," she said to Sudacar. "It's Flattery. You must stop him."
Sudacar gave a sharp glance at the woman now standing beside him. Her face was familiar somehow. That wasn't a sufficient reason to believe her-he didn't even know who this Flattery was supposed to be-but when it was combined with the display of violence he'd just witnessed, the Lord of Immersea was inclined to take the woman's word for it. "Put the baby down," Sudacar ordered, drawing his sword, "whoever you are."
The would-be Giogi snorted. He dropped the baby in the cradle. Then he whirled on Sudacar with his hands extended, saying, "Flame spears." Cat dodged out of the doorway just before jets of fire shot out from the wizard's fingertips. Caught unprepared, Sudacar took the full brunt of the magic, his face and hands turned red from the heat, and his shirt and hair burst into flame. He collapsed in the doorway with a groan.
Cat threw her cape over his back and head to extinguish the flames. Then she drew the fur back from his head so he could breathe.
"Catling, get in here!" Flattery shouted with Giogi's voice.
Cat dodged out of the doorway again and cowered in the corridor, not wanting to obey, too frightened to run.
"Now, Catling, or I'll hurt the brat," the wizard threatened. Amber gave an especially loud shriek, as if she'd been pinched or worse.
Cat fought back her terror. It's Gaylyn's baby, she told herself. You can't let him hurt Gaylyn's baby.
When Cat appeared in the doorway, Flattery held the baby again. Amber was sobbing and hiccuping at the same time. Flattery sneered at her. It was awful seeing Giogi's face twisted in such a look of hatred, but Cat stepped over Sudacar's body and walked toward her master, holding out her arms to take Gaylyn's screaming infant.
Flattery gave the mage a suspicious glance. "No. Maybe I'd better hold onto her," he said, pulling the baby closer to his chest. "Take that scroll of paper out from my belt and put it in the cradle."
"What is it?" Cat asked, pulling out the scroll.
"My terms, you witch. This is all your fault. If you'd brought me the spur, I wouldn't need to be wasting my time here."
In the corner of the room, Dorath was struggling to her feet. "Give me my Amber!" she screamed.
With a huff of annoyance, Flattery turned toward the old Wyvernspur dame. Cat pointed a finger at the wizard's back and muttered the words, "Soul daggers."
Three shimmering daggers of light shot from her hand and buried themselves in Flattery's back.
The wizard cried out in pain and surprise. He whirled around, his eyes burning with fury. "You want combat, woman? I'll show you combat," he screamed, pulling out a crystal cone. "Death ice!" he growled.
A freezing blast of cold covered the female mage from head to toe. Her skin felt as if it were on fire and her lungs and heart ached as if she'd been stabbed. Unable to breathe, she collapsed to the floor.
Flattery stepped up to her and slammed his foot into her stomach. "I should kill you," he snarled. He kicked her again.
"Stop that!" Dorath screamed, slamming a porcelain water pitcher over the wizard's head.
Flattery spun to face his new challenger. The quarters were too close to cast one of his offensive spells at her. Besides, he was forced to clench his hands tightly around the baby to keep the old woman from pulling her away from him.
Frefford appeared in the doorway. "What in nine hells is going on here?" he asked. "Giogi! What are you doing with Amber?"
"Frefford, stop him!" Dorath hollered.
Flattery released one hand from the baby and grabbed Dorath's wrist. "Silver path, castle keep," he whispered.
Before Lord Frefford's astonished eyes, his cousin, his grand-aunt and his