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

Chapter 59: The Crimes of Rowan Woodbead

"Well there's nothing wrong with the runes themselves," said Maura, analysing the rhythm from her reader rune. They stood about five storeys beneath the top of the wall, within one of the corridors that ran along the side overlooking Hanna. The violet rune Maura plastered on the stone surface pulsed outwards and, when they hit the anti-climbing runes embedded in the stone walls, made them visible for a fleeting moment before they vanished. "They're intact and just as intricate as they've always been. Your mother created them, you know?"

Seiren made a non-committal sound, squinting upwards against the glare of the sun that slipped between the tiny slits between slabs.

Mother's runes were always beautiful.

Each perfect rune with their proportionate locking circles, eight sigils, and intricate designs was breathtaking. Seiren was reminded of her childhood when she and Madeleine would sneak into their mother's study and leaf through her textbooks, poring over her latest designs and experimentations. They'd covered the basics and made imitation circles of their own by the time they were six years old. By eight they could copy common runes perfectly and by ten they had ideas of their own in creating runes. It was just as well Seiren was so well-versed in rummaging through their mother's numerous tomes, or Madeleine would not be here now.

"Harred's runes are practically infallible. And even after last night's attacks they remain intact. So it wasn't the runes' failure that allowed those demons to climb."

"'Practically'?"

"When she died, the security runes to the Council of Mages were breached. Kommora Haigh fixed it, but that was the only time Harred's runes were ever compromised. Until now."

"But that would mean the Hannans had some way to negate her runes here. Something stronger."

Maura turned, her eyebrows raised. "Surprising... so you can think outside the box."

"You don't think much of me." Seiren scowled. "Is this because I've done something to offend you or is it because I'm Rowan's probationary mage?"

"You're quite keen to bring up my brother, aren't you? What's the problem? Got a crush on him?"

Seiren reddened. "Absolutely not. I just don't see why someone who puts themselves out there for their own underlings would be hated by his family. And I certainly don't see how whatever the reason is has anything to do with my performance."

Maura took her hand off the wall. Her analysing rune continued to pulse. She surveyed Seiren. It was then Seiren realised Maura's eyes were slightly more blue than Rowan's, and instead of the usual apathy there was slight curiosity.

"You're awfully loyal to him, Nithercott." She raised a suggestive eyebrow. "If you're referring to his spectacular failure in his first mission as a registered mage -- that was not the first time my brother messed up but it's the one everyone heard about. The first time was when he'd killed his superior."

Seiren felt the air leave her lungs.

"He killed...?"

"Well, that's a bit of an over-dramatisation. But it was his failure that killed his superior."

Seiren opened and shut her mouth, wordless. Without further elaboration, Maura turned and took out more paper, sketching reinforcement runes and applying them along the walls.

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me more?"

"Why? So you can have a little heart-to-heart with my brother? There's nothing to tell. If you're so curious, you can ask him."

"It's obvious it's something if he's shamed the whole of the prestigious Woodbead family from the sycophancy you spoke about."

Maura stiffened. When she turned around, Seiren felt like she was in the presence of a feral predator rather than a thirty-something-year-old woman half a head shorter than her.