Page 64 of The Study of Magic
The man’s eyes flew open. “What the…” He glanced at the open window in confusion and pushed up to his elbow. “Is someone there?”
Magic brushed over Valek. The man struggled to sit up, but then the sleeping potion worked its magic, and he slumped over. Valek opened the door to the common room and then the one to the corridor. He returned to the bedroom and pulled the sleeping man over his shoulder and carried him to the west entrance.
Ari and Janco materialized from the shadows.
“Here.” Valek transferred the magician to Ari. “Take him to the holding cells in the castle and come back here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What about me?” Janco asked.
“You wait here, and I’ll bring you a present.”
“Oh goody.”
General Chenzo’s three advisers had sorted themselves into two sleeping in one bedroom and the magician in the other. He had also erected a magical barrier, but Valek repeated his actions without altering anyone. He carried the man to Janco and reiterated his instructions.
“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
Rasmussen also brought three advisers and Valek carried the third man to Ari, who had returned. Tesso’s advisers slept two to a room. The magician hadn’t put a protection on the door, but she’d erected a bubble around her bed.
She woke when the dart encountered her magic. It stopped in mid-air and then dropped to the ground with a plink. Sitting up, she glanced at her roommate, who was still asleep. Her magic brushed over Valek but didn’t pause.
“Light,” she said. The lantern blazed to life.
Thank fate her gaze was on the dart on the floor. Having no choice, he rushed her and jammed a dart into her neck. She struggled and various objects pelted his back before the potion took over and she fell asleep. It was only then that her roommate roused. Valek blew out the lantern before the woman could open her eyes.
“Farren? That you?” her roommate asked sleepily.
“Yeah, sorry,” Valek said in a falsetto.
“S’okay.” The roommate rolled over.
Valek sagged in relief, but still waited fifteen minutes before moving. He replaced the brush, book, and boot that the magician had thrown at him. Then he carried Farren to the west entrance.
Ari and Janco both waited for him.
Janco took the woman. “She’s a little thing. Weighs almost nothing.”
“She’s powerful, though, and the last one,” Valek said. “It’s too dangerous to capture the others. Let’s go back to the castle.”
“That leaves four,” Ari said as they walked through the shadows. “Three advisers and Alea. Can you handle them? Especially when they wake up and realize their accomplices are gone?”
“Yeah, how are you going to explain that?” Janco asked.
“I’m going to inform Major Granten they visited the infirmary in the middle of the night with a stomach bug and are still there recovering.” Valektsked. “Bad luck to have been served spoiled meat. It happens.”
“Don’t I know it. One time, I had this rancid meat pie and?—”
“Janco,” Ari interrupted. “Valek doesn’t want to hear about your projectile vomiting.”
Valek gave Ari a grateful smile.
They arrived at the castle’s holding cells. Mostly used for temporary prisoners or for those waiting to be interrogated, as going through all the dungeon security was a lengthy process.
Each of the three magicians had their own cell. Janco laid the woman on the cot in the last one. Valek handed a bunch of darts to Ari and Janco.
“This is sleeping potion. I want you to prick our guests every six hours. Do not let them wake up. Understand?”
