Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 58: The Hidden Trump Card

Kommora pressed the rune against the soldier's chest. It glowed indigo. The paper dissolved, leaving just the outline of the rune over his dark green uniform. The colour spread along his body and then sank into the flesh. His eyes glowed the same indigo before returning to their natural brown. His body shuddered all over.

"My apologies, Sergeant Loughty," she said under her breath, knitting her brows together to reinforce the influence of the indigo runes over his mind. "But you'll thank me for this later."

The shuddering stopped. The man blinked and took in a breath, looking dazed. Kommora slipped a violet rune with an eavesdropping symbol into his hand, which he nimbly tucked up his sleeve. She checked her surrounding monitoring runes; there was nobody about and no rune magic in action aside from her own. With a curt nod, she dismissed him from her office.

She eased out a breath as his footsteps disappeared down the corridor. It wasn't easy tracking down a soldier who worked directly for the king's mages. It was just as well Liore and Ash were both well-respected and could pull weight amongst their peers. She would uncover Pollin and his mages' secrets. With Acrise being threatened, Karma would be readying her retaliation. Zor Jarsdel and Rinoa Gruger had only returned from Patrixbourne earlier that day, having attended in the king's name the inauguration of the new students enrolled at King's Academy of Magic. Tonight was the first night all the king's mages were gathered in Benover. They might be able to silence Loren and think they could frighten Kommora from advancing further with that move, but they underestimated her. Loren's death would not be in vain.

She rubbed her temples with a sigh. She owed it to the Rummages. It was just as well chaos magic died with Loren. Nobody else could be entrusted to use it for good. She looked at the hanging paper dove chandelier in the corner, behind the bookcase where nobody could see it but her. The enchanted wings used to flutter as the birds chased each other in their little paper cage. Now they lay as crumpled pieces of paper at the bottom of the cage. Loren made them to celebrate Kommora's fortieth birthday a few years ago when she'd created fold magic. Kommora would never voice it, but it did alleviate some stress seeing the magical creatures dance around, their paper wings crackling. Five years, and the magic still hadn't worn off. Until she died.

Her communication rune flashed. That was Liore's signal. The Sergeant had entered the king's mages' den. Kommora drew her receiving rune closer and checked her security runes before sitting at her desk. Nobody was around. Nobody would be able to walk in on her. Good.

She breathed, laying her hand flat on the violet-indigo rune on her table. The magic engulfed her and activated.

When she opened her eyes, she saw through the eyes of Sergeant Loughty, standing guard outside the king's mages' committee room on the second floor of the west wing at the Council of Mages. She could feel the man's subconsciousness: his job was to maintain vigilance for the next three hours of watch. No sound emanated from the door; she was not surprised. No doubt the room was runed to prevent eavesdroppers -- not that it was a hurdle for her. She made Loughty apply the rune and wave at it. The glow became suppressed by one of the sigils and the voices came through, slightly muffled due to the clashing effect of their silencing rune and hers. And as long as Loughty kept in contact with the rune and the rune with the wall, Kommora could hear everything.

"The opportune moment is drawing near."

"There's just one hitch. The girl." Karis Bonneville. Kommora could almost hear the clink of her jewellery as she paced the room.

"You know our orders are not to touch her." Domic Butterworth's voice made Kommora taste bile.

"I won't." Bonneville gave a dry laugh. "She made me pay the price for that already, Domic. I don't forget."