Abaddon's Call

Chapter Thirty-Five

"Dimensional magic is when you wrap one spell into, through, or around another," his father explained through a mouthful of food. "We should have expected it. She brought a button to be destroyed, and it was an artifact. That would have involved dimensional magic. It's a highly complicated casting type because if you pull on the door, for example, it can't stop until the air spell, as Naena calls it, is snuffed out. But the air spell can't be properly snuffed short of complete obliteration without the door closing of its own accord."

Theon walked over, towelling his hair as he cast Gray a wary look.

"Door stays open until the target is removed or if the original caster closes it," Theon said. "We've made this four times—"

"Please not again," Naena said as she gagged a little, then bent her head into the bucket she cradled.

"You'll make it again if Lord Pan commands it," Theon spat at her.

Gray raised his hand. Theon flinched, then slid behind his sword. The brothers stared at one another. Graydon watched the exchange but couldn't tell what it was about. Theon stared nervously at the back of Luk's head as if begging Luk to side with him.

"He's not wrong," were the murmured words that made Gray lower his hand. "She could still make it twice more, I think. Bring me someone who can purposefully use liquid magic and has slept in the last day."

"Why?" Graydon asked. "The protection spell isn't important right now."

"Unless you plan on stepping into it, being killed in the process and upsetting your sleep-deprived mother to release Nillon—"

"We're not releasing him!" he roared as he came to his feet. "It is contained. Releasing him means bringing him back."

Luk's hands moved away, plate in one hand, fork in the other, as he made an expectant motion and shook his head. Graydon's cheeks turned red at the silent admonishment.

He knew he shouldn't have lashed out at his father. He always got a bit short-tempered when tired. His father did as well, but Lord Pan wasn't shouting at them. He was sitting quietly, eating a meal.

It had been a long night watching Naena as she became drained but still forced into motion.

"I want it gone, no matter how it's made gone," his father said. "That is what I said. As Lord Pan."

His father stared at him expectantly. Graydon just stared back, furious and not wanting to give in.

"If you kill her in the process, there's a chance it'll never go away," Gray said to the awkwardly still room.

"But I won't feel sick anymore," Naena said. "I vote for that."

Graydon saw the scarlet rage that crept up Theon's neck and across his face.

It was the first time Naena had been held over in service.

His father had warned him the first periods of service would be rough. They would almost entirely result in the shield being disciplined and broken in to Seven rules.

If Theon had done that to his grandfather, the man would have tied Theon up and forced him to watch while Graydon's father was picked apart. The act was something Graydon had thought he dreamed until he began quietly investigating his grandfather as he might have a mage.

Graydon knew where Theon's fury came from, having felt that same fury when Tipher got away with something he had been beaten for. The pair's relationship might have kept Theon from immediately lashing out, but Graydon braced himself for the attack he was certain was coming.