The Currents of Magic

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It didn't take long to cut west across the woods. The trees were widely spaced so that broad streaks of sunlight shone through the canopy of leaves above, and the undergrowth was minimal. Meyer glanced around, thinking uneasily of Trant, who might still be lurking in the woods, but mostly his thoughts were fixed on the task of acquiring an anti-enchantment belt. If the guardhouse was half as well protected as Ander warned, stealing a belt would be a daunting challenge. Still, a visceral determination drove him forward, steadying his doubtful mind.

When they reached a narrow forest trail, Meyer moved to the front of his friends, displacing Ander from his place in the lead. He struck up a brisk pace, and soon was walking so quickly along the winding path that when he looked back, Damian was jogging every few strides to keep up. When the Lampern Road came into view, he stopped.

"Do you have a plan?" whispered Cade.

Meyer shook his head. "I'll figure it out," he said. "You stay here." He turned to continue towards the Lampern Road, but Ander grabbed his arm.

"For someone great at magic, you really are a fool. You should at least reach the guardhouse unseen before you go prancing out into the open!" Ander stepped off the trail, and started south, parallel to the Lampern Road. "Follow me," he hissed.

Meyer followed, Cade and Damian trailing behind him. They had hardly walked two minutes when the Lampern Road opened up into a broad clearing, a stone hut abbuting the path. Just past the building, two men flanked the path, tall spears in their hands. They faced towards Lampern, their backs towards Meyer and his friends.

"Drasda," whispered Cade, casting a sound absorbing charm.

"Good thinking," said Ander, drawing back several paces, so the road was no longer in view. "They keep the anti-enchantment belts in there," he continued, turning towards Meyer. "I can't be sure, but there will probably be at least two more guards inside. I could try to cause a diversion, but they're not stupid. Drawing them out will only increase their alert."

"No diversion," said Meyer, an idea forming in his mind. "Do you think there are defense enchantments cast on the guardhouse?"

"Probably not," said Cade. "I'd guess their focus is on threats from outside the Dale. If an attacker had already broken through the enchantment shield, the anti-enchantment belts wouldn't be particularly valuable."

"What are you going to do?" said Ander.

"Cut through the roof of the building," said Meyer.

Ander raised an eyebrow.

"Then what?" said Cade.

"Levitate the belt out."

"The guards will notice," said Ander.

"Not if I cast an invisibility charm on the belt."

Ander snorted.

"You can do that?" said Damian.

"We'll find out," said Meyer.

"But if you're channeling the invisibility charm, how will you also use a levitation charm?" said Cade.

"I'll cast both at once," said Meyer, trying to sound confident. Because while he had managed to channel two spells at once, they had always been very basic charms—nothing like an invisibility charm, a spell he had only successfully cast once, and for all of two seconds.

"Where'd you even learn an invisibility charm?" said Damian, still agape.

"Spell in a Pinch," said Meyer.