Swordplay

Part 41

A hand landed on her shoulder carrying an acerbic smell. "He did it for us," Aparta said, "and for Druidus."

Moira didn't hear the words, but the smell tugged at her memory. It irritated her so much she lifted her head to smell it more easily.

Aparta walked to the recording box and examined it. "How do we turn it off? Surely, we don't need it any more."

Moira was close to answering when she remembered where she had noticed the after-shave like perfume the last time. Frisian acerbic with a hint of ocean.

"You are behind all this." She threw herself on Aparta and punched her with both fists. She only hit glittering air. "You recognized my father when we tried to buy the antiques. That's why you ran away."

"Don't make a fool of yourself." With an outstretched hand, Aparta stabilized the shield that held Moira at a distance. "How could I get antiques to sell?"

Moira stopped. With her fists clenched, she stood in front of Aparta. Her brain worked at full speed. Finally, all details fit into the bigger picture. "From Bastide. He was a partner at the burglary of the museum, and he knew you from Excelsior's surveillance assignment. His files prove that."

Aparta's face contorted. "The little bastard tried to blackmail me. He meant to tell my husband about Sabio and me if I didn't sell his damned weapons." She stapled her fingers, and a fireball grew around them. With a fluid movement, she flung it. Moira evaded it at the last possible moment. The shelf behind her splintered.

"The sword was the only interesting bit in the whole collection. It was an exhilarating pleasure to watch it kill the smoothie Lif." Aparta flung a second and third fireball, and Moira evaded them with great difficulty. She hid behind a couple of metal shelves.

I need a shield right now. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the tingling in the tips of her fingers. It was there, weak but clear enough for Moira to feel it.

One of the shelves burst into flame. Moira ran down the corridor deeper into the labyrinth of evidence and files. Aparta's flames followed relentlessly. Moira pressed as much Unified Magic into the tips of her fingers as she could and held them over her head like a roof. Flames surrounded her, and countless screams of death faded when a shelf with ancient files charred. She stopped and turned.

Aparta stepped into the corridor. The recording box hovered behind her. Another fireball raced toward Moira, but it scattered on her shield. "Very well done. It seems you have some small magic after all. What a surprise."

Moira breathed hard. "You locked up Pete Huudien and forced him to murder the homeless."

"The sword and I were a great team."

Boiling hot rage swept through Moira. With the anger, the waves of her Wild Magic churned higher and higher. If I have to keep up the shield for much longer, it'll break free and tear me apart. I have to distract Aparta. She bent forward. "How could you allow the sword to force Druidus to kill his own father?"

Aparta finally lost control. "My son. My sweet, little baby." Screaming, she jumped Moira and clawed her face with her fingernails. Struggling, Moira protected her eyes.

Crazed, Aparta fought. "It's all your fault. Every idiot knows that it's the aspirant's duty to take the evidence down to Excelsior's archive. But you had to use my Druidus."

I was supposed to murder Excelsior? Surprised, Moira lowered her hands and stared at Aparta open mouthed. She could hardly believe it, and felt nailed to the spot.

Aparta stepped back and threw a silver ball that slammed into Moira's chest and burst. The stasis spell activated, and in a split second, Moira couldn't move any more.