Gabriel took it from him. “It’s a machete, commonly used for clearing foliage, a perennial chore in Meresin.”

“Looks good for clearing enemies, too,” Jadren noted with a jaunty grin.

“I’m fairly certain these are condensed from moonlight,” Gabriel said, not responding to that comment, indicating the weapons he’d brought out of the arcanium. “And these are other weapons made with varying degrees of silver, plus alloys to strengthen them, but I don’t know that we can make any of these work on the hunters. When I made the blade that did work, I used a silver alloy dagger I liked and infused it with moonlight over the course of months. We don’t have time for that. Is there a shortcut?”

“Shortcuts and wizardry don’t mix well,” Jadren mused, sounding as if he quoted someone. He examined a small dagger. “Do you know why that enchanted blade worked against the hunters?”

“No, tell me.”

Jadren gave him an exasperated look. “I’m asking you. You made the cursed, illegal thing. Why did it melt the hunters?”

“I don’t know. I just happened to use it and it did.”

Jadren tossed the blade down and leaned both hands on the workbench, frowning fiercely at Gabriel. “Think, man. Wizardry is about intention as much as anything. What was your intention when you bathed the blade under the light of the full moon as you danced naked around it, painting it with the blood of virgins?”

“Remind me that I never want a tour of House El-Adrel’s manufacturing facilities,” Gabriel noted dourly.

Jadren grinned. “Wise.”

Gabriel thought back to that younger, far more naïve self. He’d been curious if the spell he’d found in the moldering House Phel library would work, especially as he’d found little use for moon magic compared to water magic. He’d also been freshly returned from Convocation Center, more than a little concerned about the powerful wizards he’d encountered there, uncertain in his own skills. The elitists there had made their contempt for his ignorance and lack of education clear. He’d come back to Meresin relieved to be away from that suffocating atmosphere and determined to improve himself. Most of all, he’d wanted to be able to protect his people.

“I wanted… a weapon that could destroy any enemy,” he said slowly.

“There you are, then.” Jadren looked thoughtful, scratching his short auburn beard. “Should’ve been too nebulous to work well, but clearly it did. You’re just not the typical wizard.”

“Thank you, I think,” Gabriel said drily. A spirit popped up beside him, taking the form of a ticking clock. “Apparently, our runaways will be here in about four hours. We need to be ready.”

“All right, then.” Jadren clapped his hands together, rubbing them briskly. With his feral grin showing white in the sleek frame of his dark red beard, he looked like the evil villain from one of Nic’s novels. “Let’s see if I can take your moon magic via my ability to embed enchantments into artifacts and recreate your kill-any-enemy blade, skipping the months of naked dancing and virginal bloodletting.”