Page 29 of Truth's Blade

She nodded, suddenly counting out loud, and as she hit six hundred, it vanished in his hands.

Theo glanced at her. “How did you know?”

“The rope vanished while I was using it to climb down. Fortunately, I didn’t have far to fall.”

Theo studied her. “Was that the first thing you drew?”

She gave a wry smile. “I drew a key to unlock my door,” she said. “It didn’t fit. I think it would have to have been an exact replica of the actual key, and I didn’t know what it looked like.”

“So if we come to a locked door, you can’t just draw a key that will magically work,” Jacinta said.

“No. That’s why I’ve done this demonstration. To show you what it can do, but to also let you know what it can’t do. It’s useful, but it has its limitations.”

“Still, it’s a lot better than nothing,” Caro mused. “I can see uses for it.”

“And you’re sure it isn’t somehow linked to the spell caster?” Theo looked at the box as he spoke. “It can’t be turned on us, somehow?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “I don’t think so. I think it’s neutral, and something he acquired.”

The others had obviously not even thought of that possibility, and they were looking at the paints a little more warily.

“Can any of you draw?” she asked, to break the moment. “Would you like to give it a go?”

Gallain stood. “I’m not bad,” he admitted. “But I usually draw landscapes.”

“We don’t want to waste paint.” Theo took the box from her and studied it. “Some colors are half-used up.”

“We need to think of things that are useful, but that we only need for a short time,” Melodie said.

“My horse picked up a stone during the ride,” Caro said. “I tried to get it out, but it’s lodged in too tightly.”

“I know what you need.” Melodie took the paints and the paper back, and quickly painted one of the tools her father used all the time. Theo leaned a little closer to look.

“I’ve seen that before. You know your farrier’s tools.”

“My father was a blacksmith.” She held the paper out, close to the fire, and between one moment and the next, it appeared on top of the page.

“I was watching that, and it was suddenly there, faster than a blink.” Ivan took it off the paper, weighed it in his hand.

“Use it quickly, or it’ll disappear,” Theo warned them, and Ivan and Caro moved to the horses at a fast clip.

“That’s why you’re a silver and goldsmith?” Gallain asked. “Because your father was a blacksmith?”

Melodie nodded. “It was a trade I knew, and my father organized an apprenticeship with Lorn Vinest. He died a few weeks after I started there, and Vinest took me in to live with him.”

“He never tried to keep you locked in before?” Theo was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, his head turned toward her.

The firelight played on his face and made his hair gleam, and for a moment she couldn’t think.

She managed to shake her head, and then forced herself to look into the fire. “I did what he wanted until yesterday, so he had no reason to. But I’ve been unhappy there for a while.”

“And you’re sure he doesn’t know?” Theo asked. “That you can see spell work?”

She shook her head again. “I never told him. My father died trying to make sure no one ever knew.” She raised her head and caught Gallain and Jacinta’s eyes. “I have to trust you will keep my secret.”

“We don’t take your trust lightly.” Gallain was the one who spoke. “You are helping us get our children back.”

Jacinta murmured her assent, and then Ivan and Caro returned.

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