The Canard Case (The Artifactor Series Book 4)

by Honor Raconteur

  “And having that safeguard in place will give you the breathing room you need to think about how to solve everything else,” Aran stated knowingly.

  Sevana sighed agreement. “That too. I just hope and pray there is a solution. Because right now I’m not seeing one.”

  Master had not been idle while she was placing the markers. He had the main pedestal built with the spells inscribed into the stone, ready to place. Three boosters were formed, although the spells were not drawn on yet, and Cheng-Huang was busy producing more stone so that Master had the materials he needed to keep producing booster pedestals.

  Greeting her absently, Master pointed to the side table near the door. “There’s dinner there.”

  Her nose had informed her of such and Sevana snagged a rice bowl of fish and vegetables, wolfing it down even as she asked, “How goes it?”

  “Well. Cheng-Huang is invaluable during this part of the process. He can make the stones in exactly the shape I need, which speeds things along. We’re having strange issues in the inscriptions, though.” Master frowned as the line of power he was drawing with fizzled out with a small pop. “Like that.”

  Attention riveted, she took a step in closer, staring hard at the point of his wand. “How very strange. That’s been happening to me as well.”

  Master’s brows arched. “Since when?”

  She was so tired it was hard to think. “Since my arrival here? No, it did happen once before I came as well. I thought it was just me, and my magic being more of a pain than usual, but…”

  “That can’t be the case, not if it’s affecting my magic as well.” Master sat back and looked around him with a slow pan of the head, eyebrows drawn together in thought. “I wonder. Here we have natural energy being disrupted, godly energy being thrown about, and human magical energy in the mix. The magical fabric of the world must be in an eddy of confusion.”

  Perhaps that was the case. It might even explain why she had seen the same thing happen at Stillwater. With that much running water, coursing freely, it would have an impact on her spells and equipment. Magic wasn’t a stagnant thing—it flowed and reformed depending on its environment. It could be recycled as well, depending on what was going on in that immediate area.

  Master’s explanation was certainly plausible, but Sevana wasn’t sold on it. If that was the case, shouldn’t she have seen problems before, on other jobs? This wasn’t her first time mixing human magic into an area chock full of other energies. She’d never had a problem before, so why now?

  No one had the time to sit around debating magical theory so Master shrugged it off, gave his wand a shake, and re-ignited the spell. This time it functioned properly and he was able to pick up where he had left off.

  “Were you able to reach your friend?” she asked in between bites.

  “Not as yet, but I’ll keep trying. I didn’t expect to reach him today anyway.”

  Hopefully he would succeed tomorrow. Sevana ate quickly and then tried to join in. She was extremely cautious about drawing out a spell insignia on the pedestals, which was just as well, as her first attempt melted the stone. Cheng-Huang had to fix it for her, which he was not pleased to do. After that, Sevana kept her hands off the creation process. She turned in early, woke up with the morning sun, and focused on doing something else to support them.

  Several boosters had been created while she slept, so Sevana instead grabbed each one as it was completed and immediately put it into place. That she could do without magic.

  Starting with the land markers first, she placed each one and then took a break and ate a late lunch, giving the crafters time to finish more boosters. Since she would have to borrow help from the Unda again to place the boosters, it would behoove her to take more than one in a trip. Although, truthfully, she couldn’t manage more than two, as each booster was three feet tall and, even with lightening spells, heavy. As heavy as a full bag of soil would be. If not for Aran’s help, Sevana would not have been able to lug these things around quite so easily.

  Two were done by the time she finished eating, so Sevana grabbed them and headed for the shoreline. To her lack of surprise, a selkie lounged there, waiting on her. It looked just like Risdon, but Sevana had limited experience with seals and wasn’t sure if that was a safe assumption to make. So she settled for a more neutral greeting. “Hello. Waiting on us?”

  The seal skin melted away and revealed a woman that could have been Risdon’s twin. Same long dark hair, pale skin, penetrating blue eyes set in a heart shaped face. She was not at all petite, having a long and willowy frame and a high nose.

  “I am Sosha. You are Sellion and Arandur from South Woods?”

  “We are,” Aran confirmed with a slight bow. “Well met, Sosha.”

  “Well met,” she returned with a warm smile. “My queen, Nia Reign, sends greetings and salutations to you both.”

  Greetings and salutations sounded good. Sevana gave her a relieved smile. “I thank her for them. She has been informed of our full plans?”

  “She has, and has no issue with them. She offers Her aide as you need it.”

  Whoa! That was not an offer Sevana had expected. While help would be wonderful, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it, either. “Your help today in placing these boosters will be very beneficial.”

  Aran cleared his throat slightly. “Perhaps, Sellion, they could help us with the other problem we’ve been pondering?”

  Other problem? There were so many that Sevana couldn’t begin to figure out what he was referring to.

  “There are two we face,” Aran continued when she didn’t respond. “Sosha, we are concerned for all of the creatures that live near the isle. Even with the barrier in place, the water will get very hot here. Perhaps your queen can influence them to move further away until it safe again to return?”

  “She has already sent out word to do so,” Sosha assured him. The request had been very well received, judging by that beaming smile on her face. “We thank you for your kindness and worry for them.”

  “Our other concern is that we might lack the power we need to contain the volcano,” Aran continued. “We are trying to consult with those who are experts in these matters, but they are proving hard to reach. If needed, may we call upon the Unda?”

  Sosha blinked as if taken by surprise that he was even asking. “Of course you may. Nia Reign expects you to do so. We are protecting our home after all.”

  Sevana let out a breath, feeling like two different weights had fallen off her shoulders. Bless Aran for thinking of this. She hadn’t dared, as encroaching Unda territory on a regular basis was scary enough. “Sosha, we are very glad to hear this. Know that as soon as we have an idea of how to solve the problem, we will inform Nia Reign. We will be very glad for her help.”

  Sosha ducked her head, accepting this. “We will wait. For now, I will guide you,” Sosha promised. “Let’s place your…boosters? That is the word?”

  “Boosters,” Aran confirmed. “We will work our way around the vents, placing the boosters in a circular pattern around the volcano.”

  “Then let us begin.”

  Sevana worked well into the night to get all of the boosters in place. Sosha charmed a school of glowing fish into swimming around them, lighting up their path so they could continue to work even after the light had failed. Only for that reason was Sevana able to finish that day.

  After heartfelt thanks for all of the help—she seriously would have been lost without it—Sevana dragged herself back into the village and rolled into the bed. Her head didn’t even hit the pillow before she was out like a light.

  She was scared into wakefulness by a rolling of power so strong that it felt like the earth shook under her. It was akin to an earthquake, but on a magical level that left her nerves singing and a fine shiver along the skin. Sevana was up and moving before her eyes were even all the way open. What was going on? Even birds weren’t awake at this hour! She ran out of the house without even pausing to put her boots
on, looking around frantically in all directions for the source of the disturbance.

  Standing on the shoreline were Cheng-Huang, Chi-Lin, and Da-Yu, all arguing vehemently with a brightly glowing woman, sparks of power all around her. In her hands she held a pair of mirrors, both clutched tightly at her side. She was unmistakably a deity of this pantheon with the silk dress she wore and her dark hair elaborately done up on top of her head. She was pretty, like all the gods were, with her oval-shaped face and dark slanted eyes, skin pale and delicate. She’d look like a doll if not for the way that she was throwing power around.

  Sevana swore, dove back into the house long enough to yank on clothes, then ran outside again. She had a feeling this argument would only escalate, leading to more work for her, and she’d be running around like a madwoman the rest of the day. She refused to do all of that in pajamas.

  Master came running down the street from his guest quarters as she exited, demanding wildly, “What? What’s going on?”

  “We have an upset visitor,” Sevana responded curtly even as she ran toward them. She was halfway there when Aran caught up, easily keeping pace with her, and looking unfairly awake.

  For the first time ever, Da-Yu appeared glad to see her and he stopped mid-sentence to greet them. “Artifactors. Arandur. Please, come and speak with us.”

  The woman turned, pale skin flushed with an angry blush, literally crackling with energy that felt like miniature lightning bolts going off. “Who is this?”

  “Artifactor Sevana Warren,” she responded promptly before gesturing toward the other men. “My master, Tashjian Joles, and my brother Fae, Arandur. Who are you?”

  “I am Tian-Mu.”

  That did and didn’t answer the question.

  Da-Yu sidled up closer to them and whispered behind his hand, “She is the wife of Lei-Gong, the one that Feng-Huang flirted with.”

  Ohhh. Oh this was so not going to be good.

  “You!” Tian-Mu stabbed an outraged finger in her direction. “You are the one that says that woman must be removed from the mountain?”

  Sevana prayed for patience. “I am.”

  “This will not happen,” Tian-Mu snarled, slashing her hand through the air in a downward arc.

  “She’s either removed or the people that worship you, this whole isle, is destroyed in one fell swoop,” Sevana growled back. Nope, when this rudely awakened at the break of dawn, she had no patience. Praying for it had not helped. “Not to mention you severely damage the sea around this area and create mortal enemies with the Unda for your carelessness. They are aware of who is responsible for this whole debacle, you know.”

  That made all four deities blanch, as well it should, as no one sane messed with the Unda.

  “You told them?” Cheng-Huang demanded in a strangled whisper.

  Sevana gave him a look of considerable asperity. “Now how do you think I’m able to traipse around under the water so easily? Hmmm? Not to mention, making changes in their territory without their permission would be akin to suicide. Of course I talked to them first.”

  No one had a good response to that. Sevana decided to forge on. “Tian-Mu, this is not a matter of ‘that woman needs to be punished’ and we’ll leave her there. Her presence is causing considerable danger. We need to take her out.”

  “Her punishment has not been met!” Tian-Mu argued, the air around her charging even hotter, the mirrors glowing white.

  “Then figure out how to lock her up somewhere else,” Master suggested, tone and manner soothing. “We’re not suggesting you permanently free her, we’re just saying that we can’t leave her sealed in there. The volcano is the issue. We’ll remove her, then hand her over to you, and you can revisit her punishment.”

  “If she is released now, then the Jade Emperor’s seal will be broken, and she’ll flee!” Tian-Mu became increasingly more agitated as she spoke, the power around her flaring whiter and hotter so that it felt similar to standing next to a lightning bolt.

  Sevana’s survival instincts screamed at her to back away, that she would get burned if she didn’t. She shifted a half foot back, skin feeling tight and scorched even though she knew that she had not actually been touched. She almost leapt out of her skin when she felt a hand settle at the small of her back. Head snapping around, she realized that Aran had put himself squarely within her personal space and was using his proximity to shield her from the worst of the divine magic flaring out.

  Her heart warmed that even in this tense atmosphere, he had realized what was going on and silently moved to help her. Really, what had she done to deserve this man?

  Because of her preoccupation, she missed the first part of Master’s response. “—keep her here until someone can reach the Jade Emperor?”

  “NO ONE HAS THE POWER OR AUTHORITY TO KEEP HER IMPRISONED HERE!” Tian-Mu screamed. There was outrage, venom, and pain in her voice as her power exploded out of control.

  Sevana swore, automatically ducking, trying to avoid the worst of it by hitting the ground. Aran caught her before she went more than a foot and turned both of them so that it was his body in between both women, shielding Sevana completely. Her own magic, already out of control, reverberated under the magical out-lash and she swore again as she fought to keep it from breaking free. If not for Aran’s quick actions, she likely would have been burned and adding to the magical fury surrounding them.

  There was a great deal of screaming back and forth, mostly cries of alarms, and then the conflagration was abruptly gone.

  She didn’t need to turn her head to see. Anyone with even a thimble of magical ability would be able to feel such an intense burning of power with their eyes closed.

  Tian-Mu was heading straight for the volcano.

  Sevana nearly wrenched her spine out of place, she turned that fast. Still half in Aran’s arms, she whispered, “Please tell me she’s not going to do what I think she’s going to do.”

  “I’m afraid she is,” Aran groaned. “None of us are fast enough to stop her.”

  “But it’s not necessary, is it?” Da-Yu asked, although his eyes belied his doubt. “Tian-Mu is not more powerful than we are, so—”

  Shaking her head roughly, Sevana corrected, “It’s not a matter of power levels at this point. Tian-Mu’s power is fire-based, like everything else around Feng-Huang. More fire added into the mix will be like adding fire to an open flame. The situation over there is already unbalanced—add any more power into the mix, the seal will easily break.” Even as she spoke, Sevana frantically tried to think. Could no one catch up with her, stop her? In a flash she remembered that there was one person that might be able to get to her fast enough. “Chi-Lin! What are you waiting for, chase her!”

  The unicorn picked himself off the ground, gave himself a shake, and then he was off in a thundering cacophony of hooves as he tore the ground up, moving as fast as physically possible. At some point his power engaged and he took to the air, his speed not dropping.

  Even as he ran, Sevana’s mind rationally knew that Chi-Lin wouldn’t be able to catch her, not fast enough to prevent the disaster looming in front of them. Her mind whirled, settled on a course of action, and she spun again. “Master!”

  Master hadn’t waited on her or any other person to give direction. He was already running, as fast as he could, snapping out orders over his shoulder as he moved. “I need everyone at the main pedestal, NOW!”

  The barrier. They had to get the barrier up. That was the only prayer of keeping the village intact, the isle from being utterly destroyed, the sea in this area from becoming a boiling cauldron of acid. Sevana would be of no use to them at the pedestal—her power wasn’t part of it anyway—and she grabbed Aran’s arms urgently. “The Unda. Notify the Unda!”

  He spun like a dancer and was off like a shot, sprinting the short distance to the shoreline. Aran slid to a stop on his knees, thrusting his arm into the water, and even from here it was obvious that the power he radiated was like an urgent beacon.

&
nbsp; Sevana danced in place behind him, impatient and not knowing what else to do. No, wait, there was something else she could do. Turning, she frantically looked toward the village. People had been hiding in their homes and who was to blame them? Four deities having an explosive argument on the shore would make any mere mortal tremble and look for a bolt hole. But now there were a few brave souls sticking their heads out of windows or doors, wondering what was going on and if it was safe to come out.

  They’d lose everyone here if they didn’t act quickly. “Da-Chin!” she called as she raced up the narrow, steep path. “DA-CHIN!”

  The elderly village leader stepped out timidly from his house. “Artifactor, is it sa—”

  “It’s not safe, it’s going to be very dangerous in a moment, get everyone moving,” she rattled out, words nearly tripping over each other. “I need them on the flying ship NOW.”

  Alarmed but understanding, Da-Chin started doling out orders, and the word spread from him. Sevana hoped that it spread correctly; things that were repeated often changed from one listener to the next, but all she could do was pray and correct them as she moved.

  Darting into her temporary workspace, she grabbed up some of the smaller, portable shields they had been experimenting with. There wouldn’t be enough, so she grabbed her wand and a few elements as well, said a quick prayer that her magic would behave today, at least for the next hour, and then ran outside again.

  Two steps outside the door and the ground rolled and pitched under her feet. The volcano gave a loud groan and crack as if something had impacted it hard and was trying to tear it in half. Likely the case—an angry goddess was intent on getting to the center of it.

  Sevana swore aloud but regained her balance and kept moving. She had only as much time as it took for Tian-Mu to get that phoenix out of the mountain and no more. As soon as the phoenix’s seal was breached, the volcano would lose its semi-dormant status and become active and volatile.