Chapter 24: Stealing a baby

I grinned as we walked back from the mage hall. Melody and the other children taking classes had put on a demonstration. I frowned when we reached the house and saw the guards. A lieutenant moved towards us with a set look, “Sinclair you are under arrest.”

I blinked as I handed my son William to Gloria, “For?”

The other guards surrounded us and the lieutenant glaring at me, “Taking the king’s son.”

I looked at Jasmine before looking at him, “Someone took the prince?”

He frowned and looked at the others before looking at me, “Where have you been?”

I gestured to Melody who was hugging Princess, “My daughter had a class demonstration at the mage hall.”

He looked at her and then growled but I shifted and gestured to Jasmine and the house, “Go to the house and I will go find out what happened.”

She nodded and gestured and the guards stumbled out of the way. I watched them before turning and starting to walk. The lieutenant yelled and ran to catch me and I caught one hand and twisted before yanking. I grabbed his throat, “I am going to see the king. Get in my way and I will not be gentle.”

I shoved him away and started walking away from them. The Keep was full of nobles and guards when I reached it and shoved through. I pushed guards and attendants out of my way as I headed to the king’s private rooms. The door was wide open with people in the halls and doorway.

I shoved through them, “Go away now.”

I grabbed a guard, “Clear this hall.”

He blinked as he looked at me and I slapped his face before he jerked as if waking, “What?”

I pushed him towards the people, “Clear this hall.”

I turned and moved into the room and started pushing people towards the door, “Get out.”

I finally reached the king and his crying wife. Edmond and his wife were beside them looking grim. I touched Edmond’s shoulder, “You are leaking magic and it is affecting people.”

He looked at me before giving himself a shake. I touched the king, “What happened?”

He looked at me blankly before growling, “Someone stole my son.”

I sighed and shook his shoulder, “More information less emotion. Where was he? Who was with him? How did they take him? Did they leave anything?”

He looked at me and then at Edmond, “He was in his nursery and his nanny was with him.”

I waited and sighed again, “Where were his guards? What happened to them?”

He looked at the door where several guards stood, “They were killed like the nanny.”

I glanced at Edmond, “I need to see the room.”

He nodded and gestured to a guard, “Take him and give him whatever he wants.”

I followed a guard out and next door where I saw blood on the hall floor. I stopped the guard from opening the door as I looked at the strands of magic in and around the blood. I squatted down to look at them and Jewel dropped to the floor and moved to the edge of the blood.

She seemed to sniff and then sneezed and I reached out to pick her up, “Do not touch the blood.”

I looked at the guard, “Send a runner to the mage hall. We need Silver and the mage guild master.”

He nodded and turned to gesture to another guard. I stood and moved around the blood with the strands of magic running through it. I opened the door and blinked when I saw the bodies. I looked at the guards before carefully stepping into the room. I knelt beside the first body and used a slim silver pen knife to move the clothing.

I looked at the wound in the guard’s chest and shook my head. It was not from a dagger, it was star shaped. I checked the other guard and then crossed the room to the nanny who was crumpled in a rocker. Unlike the guards who each had one blow to the heart the nanny had over a dozen. Most were in the pelvis and then there was one last jagged rip across her throat.

The spell strands glowed a sickly yellow and almost seemed angry. I stood and moved to the crib and saw a few tangle strands of magic. I turned to look out the window as I tried to remember one of the many books I had read. I turned when I heard someone out in the hall and crossed to the doorway.

I nodded to Silver and the white bearded mage with him. I pointed to the blood, “It has trace strands of magic but they are fading.”

Silver looked at the blood but the guild master knelt and narrowed his eyes, “A paralysis spell and not one I recognize.”

I gestured, “Come in but do not step in the blood.”

I returned to the nanny and looked at the guild master, “This was more than removing someone protecting the prince.”

He nodded and bent to see her eyes, “She knew and felt everything they did.”

I looked at Silver, “I remember reading a story from your library. It told of a stolen prince that started a war.”

He frowned, “And...”

I looked out the window, “And the baby was sacrificed by a cult called Sept of Pontiff. The notes said the sept was killed to the last man.”

The guild master sighed, “That is not true. The Sept of Pontiff has survived many purges.”

I glanced at the bodies, “Can you remove the spells on the blood, bodies and in the crib?”

They nodded and I started for the door. I was walking quickly, if this sept did as they had in the story I only had until midnight. I walked into the shop and ignored the guards as they moved towards me. Calvin was looking at something a thin pock mark man held. I growled and snatched a guard’s hand and twisted before yanking him around and letting go.