Abaddon's Call

Chapter Thirty-Four

"So, if I were to become executioner, I could use Hell magic all I pleased?" Theon asked.

Over the previous four hours, he had asked the same question in various forms. Luk had, for the most part, ignored him.

They had retreated to the shield workroom under the Pan estate. It was a place that had gone relatively unused over the previous decade. Most issues could be sorted in the field, and once the estate had been freed of Grayson, they no longer rushed straight to the workroom.

Theon already knew he could never speak of the recipe with anyone but Naena, Graydon, or Luk. He also understood he was to deny that Luk ever looked at the book, but he knew if they had any chance of making sense of the magic, Luk needed to read it.

"We're playing nice," Luk muttered, peering at the recipe book through a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses. "First and foremost, everything is good because of the protection spell. If not for that, I would have nipped them when they asked to test it. I thought it was regarding her second project."

"First and foremost?" Theon asked. "I'm not your boy, Luk. Why are you lecturing me like I am?"

"It is a learning experience."

"Hell magic."

"She pissed herself," Luk said as he turned the book's page.

Theon stared at Luk, waiting for something else to be said. When nothing came, Theon grunted, aware that Luk wanted to discuss it. He wanted no part in the discussion because that would mean Naena would broach the subject. She would want to talk about how he had frightened her and would, invariably, conclude that he was a threat to her.

That meant she would leave him.

Theon would have preferred swapping spots with Nillon.

"She's human, congratulations," Theon muttered in annoyance before returning to his book.

"She did it—"

"I know why she did it," Theon snapped, furious that Luk would think him too stupid to put it together. "She did it because they used Hell magic, and we responded the way we have responded since our forging. She pissed herself because she thought we were coming for her. You don't kick a hunting dog when it brings you a dragon instead of a bird."

"No, you don't kick a hunting dog for being terrified of a bear the first time he lays eyes on it," Luk responded. "Though... you also don't kick the dog that brings a dragon instead of a bird. That's quite a mighty dog." He sighed heavily. "There is the protection spell, a suffocation spell, and a door spell. This is... this shouldn't have worked. How did it work?"

"She told the door to open to Hell."

"She spelled it in common," Luk protested, motioning to the book. "If anything, as soon as the door opened as it was meant to throw Nillon into Hell, it should have killed him then and there. Either by making him explode or implode, I can't figure out which. Graydon would have read this the same. That would be why he allowed it to happen."

Theon grunted and continued reading.

As he read, Tipher entered with a tray of tea. The boy served Theon tea while wearing a messenger token. Theon's eyes hesitated on the token, then flickered to Luk in annoyance. Luk glanced at Theon through his glasses, then the lord lowered his nose a little to peer over them at Tipher's token. The head lifted and tilted back a little.

"Well?" Luk asked.

"The coven is about as expected," Tipher said. "Except Arcdon, he just sent a slip of paper with his name on it."