ARC: Assassin Queen Read Online Free PDF Page A

possible, the affected person would likely emanate Kaddim-like power. ” She glanced at Kara.
    Magister Egey Bashi nodded thoughtfully. “ You may be more right than you know, my lady. The Kaddim leaders are capable of what ’ s known as a mind link – a very difficult form of magic to master. ” He turned to Kara. “ Try to remember. During your last fight, did any of them touch you? ”
    “ Other than when trying to kill her, you mean? ” Mai asked.
    The Keeper frowned. “ I believe the touch I am speaking about should be memorable in a different way. Wasn ’ t it? ”
    Memorable in a different way. Images flowed through her mind, their intensity making her gasp. The Kaddim Brothers, surrounding her in a tight ring as they tried to pull her into their vortex. Sabers, dancing around her in terrifying unity, preventing her escape. Mai, breaking through their line and pulling her out at the very last moment. Fingers brushing over her arm… The touch. “I… I believe so, yes. ”
    The Keeper ’ s lips briefly pressed into a stern line. “ I feared this. ”
    Kara glanced around, feeling like a trapped animal at the end of a hunt. It was all her fault. The Kaddim had been aware that both men leading the attack, Kyth and Mai, were in love with her. Targeting her made perfect sense.
    “ The Kaddim ’ s mind control doesn ’ t work on me, Magister, ” she said. “ Remember? ”
    “True,” Egey Bashi said. “ But the mind link is different. Even with your ability to resist their regular power, it would be impossible to block off the link. It ’ s at a much higher level of magic. To my knowledge, even among the Kaddim leaders only a few would be able to make full use of it. Unfortunately, there is at least one whose power is definitely strong enough. Kaddim Nimos. ”
    Nimos. Kara swallowed. Nimos ’ s scheming had nearly cost her and Mai their lives. She hoped they were rid of him, at least for a while. But if he was the one behind the link …
    “ What can this mind link do, exactly? ” she asked.
    Egey Bashi sighed. “ What Lady Celana just mentioned is correct. Their goal is to gain control over you. ”
    “ Control ?”
    “ Yes. To take over your will, so that they can use your knowledge, and your abilities, to their end. ”
    “ My abilities? ” Dear Shal Addim. My fighting skill. They can’t touch that, can they?
    “I ’ m afraid so. ”
    “ How? ”
    The Keeper threw an uneasy glance at Mai. “ The man who placed the link will work to develop it over time, to achieve a … a closeness with you. It ’ s much like an emotional attachment between two people, ” he looked at Mai again, “ but all induced entirely by magic. ”
    Kara ’ s lips twitched. The explanation seemed ridiculous. “ They hope to make me feel emotionally attached to one of them? ”
    Egey Bashi shrugged. “ Given your resistance to the Kaddim ’ s magic in the first place, I am not certain what will happen in your case. But yes, if they get their chance to explore the link to the full, this would likely happen, at least in some form. ”
    “ Can this link be removed? ” Mai asked.
    “ To the best of my knowledge, Aghat Mai, only death can sever this link. ”
    “ Death. ” For a brief moment Mai ’ s face contorted into a frightening mask.
    “Yes.”
    “ Then, ” Mai said, “ I see no choice but to speed up our plans. We must find the Kaddim ’ s hidden fortress and destroy the man who did this – along with the rest of them – once and for all. ”
    He spoke calmly, as if discussing a regular matter. It took close knowledge to detect the edge behind the calmness, the one that made Mai such a dangerous man to cross. Emotionally attached. She felt nauseated at the thought.
    “ I must assume, ” she said, “ that if they indeed have this kind of a power over me, the last thing you want is to keep me around the council chamber where you ’ ve all gathered to discuss battle plans. ”
    Egey Bashi shook