“Golem,” I said. “But why didn’t a normal fire kill it?”

“Not a golem,” said Oreg. “At first I thought so, too, but it breathed—did you notice? A golem is, by definition, nonliving. It was a geas.”

“A geas that could cause a man to walk all the way from Estian and cast aside barred doors in the process?” said Charva the wizard. He sounded tired and I realized that some of the power Oreg had fed me had been Charva’s. “He sounded like Jakoven. Geas doesn’t provide for that.”

Oreg smiled, “If you’ll excuse me for disagreeing with you—I’ll tell you that geas can do all of this, if there is sufficient power behind the spell. And right now, Jakoven has sufficient power to lay waste to cities if he chooses.”

So Jakoven has managed to activate the Bane,I thought, chills shaking down my spine.

“So you say,” said Porshall, a western landholder I didn’t know well. He seldom came to Councils, as his lands were in disputed territory and he needed to protect them. “I say that the timing of this attack was interesting.”

“Are you accusing my nephew of this?” said Duraugh with icy politeness.

Porshall held his hands out as if to forestall offense. “I merely observe that as your nephew has so clearly demonstrated, he is a wizard. And that, if any Shavigman here was harboring thoughts of supporting Jakoven, this demonstration would cement their support of Kellen.”

Orvidin, still playing with his pike, let out a bellow of laughter before saying, “Only someone who didn’t know Ward could even think that. Half the problem we’ve had with the pup in the Council is that he’s too honest . . . No, that’s not quite the word.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Too honorable. He’ll lie if it furthers his aim, but his aim,and his means, never lie in foul waters. He might create an illusion of a dragon, but you’d not catch this pup hurting an innocent man.”

Porshall abruptly shook his head. “I still say—”

“Enough,” said Charva. “This was no magic of Ward’s. Those of you without magic will have to take my word that Ward’s magic has an unmistakable signature—and this was done by someone else. Jakoven is the most likely source.” The wizard looked around the room. “I’d pay attention to this, all of you. If we don’t stop Jakoven, the stable master’s fate might be kinder than anything we face.”

13
WARDWICK

Action is the best cure for despair.

“ITHOUGHT YOU SWORE YOU’D NEVER FIGHT ANOTHERwar, Orvidin,” said someone just beyond my view.