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MAGESMITH, BO & EG BOOK

3 A NDY C OOMBS

ISBN 978-91-47-15850-8

Text- och datautvinning ej tillåten.

Title of the original Work

Magesmith, Bo and Eg, Book Three

REDAKTION Maria Jones

FORMGIVARE Ingela Jönsson

ILLUSTRATION OCH OMSLAG Sarah Scho

PROJEKTLEDARE Emilie Szakàl

Första upplagan

REPRO Repro 8 AB, Stockholm

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43. Harvest 7

44. Into the depths 9 45. A change of clothes 12 46. Hertha 17 47. Naiads 20

48. Through the seas 25

49. Stone circle 29

50. Another meal 33

51. Bodin and Hertha 39

52. Bodin and Niam 42

53. A moonlit walk 46 54. Dawn 51

55. The Big Spell 58 56. An end 64

Dawn 65

Prologue

Bodin turned slowly and, looking back saw the small, bright white ﬁgure of Balendin standing at the edge of the camp. He screamed again and started to run at them.

Bodin said to the cook and Egil. “You two go. I mean it. I can stop him.”

She clenched her ﬁsts and looked at the growing ﬁgure of Balendin as he rushed at them. Bodin stood facing him, her legs apart. Her head bowed but her eyes locked to the growing blur of white. She dug her nails deep into her palms. In a low dangerous voice, she said,

“All right Balendin, if you want a fight, then I’ll give you a fight.” She took a step towards the bright figure.

“No!” shouted Egil. “Bodin, let’s just get away. We go together. We always go together. We need to … what?”

The surprise in his voice made Bodin turn. The river was swirling around, faster and faster. The waters seemed to be swelling, rising towards them. Rain lashed the water’s surface – thunder crashed, and blue gold lightning ripped across the sky. Bodin could see strange pale green shapes moving through the water; quickly and sinuously. And then a gray head with pointed ears broke the surface – white froth boiling. Niam.

Get in the water. You will be safe. I have found friends.

Bodin laughed triumphantly.

The cook was frozen, mouth open. Bodin pushed her hard in the back. The old woman tumbled silently into the waters.

Grabbing Egil’s arm, Bodin gave one last look at the white ﬁgure, running with dizzying speed towards them.

“You will pay, Balendin!” she shouted. “But thanks for the food, you lying monster!”

Bodin, holding tightly to Egil’s arm, leaped into the river. Dark waters covered her eyes. Someone – something – took hold of her ankles and pulled her down. She sank fast, still holding onto Egil’s arm.

Balendin sent sheets of ﬂame down at the river. The ﬁres sizzled to steam.

Naiads! And he couldn’t be sure, but he thought he glimpsed the gargoyle in the waters too.

The air still crackled with energy as he walked slowly back through the rain.

The magic that tore through his camp had paralyzed him in his tent – his armor held him securely to the bed until he had used all his skills to free himself. Such power! The sky itself had been split and a chaos released that shook the earth.

The only time he had come close to power like that had been when he was freed from the Trapping Tree. The Big Spell! It must have been. But why here? Why now? It had to be the Eldsten brat! Her connection to the Spell must be even deeper than he realized.

Balendin stopped and frowned. He looked at the falling rain sending up little plumes from the mud. What went wrong? He had convinced her – he knew it! He saw in her eyes that she trusted him.

Balendin’s ﬁsts clenched as he resumed walking. A vein throbbed dully in his neck. He had to follow her. He stopped again. There was a problem. To follow the Naiads under the water was impossible – unless he made his powers greater. But to do that –he would have to feed. He would have to feed well. Where could he ﬁnd the life Stoft he needed?

“My Lord, what happened?”

The Spell was over and his wet men, shivering and wide-eyed, were coming to greet him.

Balendin ignored them. What use were they, anyway? They couldn’t even control two children!

“My Lord?” said another of the men. All of his soldiers were looking at him They looked pathetic and scared – half dressed and sodden.

Balendin shook his head and ran his hand though his wet hair. He had to build his powers! And here were Life Stoft – weak, but plenty.

“My Lord?” repeated the ﬁrst man.

“What is wrong?” asked another.

Balendin started to strip the white armor from his body –dropping gloves, chest plate and helmet to the mud.

“Mmmmmy Lord?” stammered the ﬁrst man again and took a small step backwards, “How can we help you?”

Balendin licked his full red lips. “I’ll show you.”

And, baring sharp white teeth, Balendin ﬂew into the soldiers. It was harvest time.

44 Into the depths

They were moving through the dark waters at an incredible speed. In front of her, Bodin could see a green shape whirling through the darkness. To one side, she could just make out the powerful back legs of Niam moving like a ﬁsh tail. She couldn’t see Egil or the cook. She felt a pressure on her body and face so great that it forced her eyes closed. And then a familiar shift in her mind. A Moment. She just had time to beg, please, be kind. … and then Bodin was …

Looking into the eyes of a man. The same man as before. Vidar.

Vidar put his arms around her and held her. “I should have been here more. I will be soon. Our plan is nearly complete. Niam and I will trap Balendin in the Trapping Tree and then I can be here with you and our child.”

Vidar pulled back and looked at her stomach. Bodin slid her hands over her belly. It was full and round. She was heavily pregnant.

“I love you Eldrid!” he said. Eldrid! Bodin was in her mother’s body!

MAGESMITH, BO AND EG

BOOK 3: THE STONE CIRCLE

Hot magic. The source of creation. The source of power.

“Outside of Time and Space, I exist. Some call me Spell. Others call me Law.”

With the help of mysterious Naiads, Bodin and Egil travel to the Island of Angels. Here they will face their greatest threat, and unlock one of the universe’s most powerful secrets.

Book 3 in the Magesmith series