Bookworm II: The Very Ugly Duckling Read Online Free PDF

Elaine, if she had no time to prepare. The magic crackling around her figure was a warning to would-be challengers. This was the magician who was considered the most powerful in the world.
    She was taller than Elaine, her features hidden behind a black veil that concealed everything apart from her eyes. Elaine was one of the very few people who knew what lurked behind the veil – and of the terrible price Light Spinner had paid for her mastery of magic. If others knew ... some would be impressed, Elaine suspected, and others would call for her immediate execution. Elaine had a feeling that Light Spinner’s own experience had helped her acceptance of Elaine’s warped eyes.
    “You missed the meeting,” Light Spinner said, as she waved a hand in the air. A comfortable chair materialised in front of the Grand Sorceress’s desk, waiting for Elaine. “I could have done with another voice.”
    Elaine felt herself flush, even though there was droll amusement rather than condemnation in Light Spinner’s voice. No matter how important or powerful she had become, she would never feel at ease addressing the great and powerful. There were times when she found it hard to talk to Dread, even though they were friends ... or as close as an Inquisitor could become to being friends with anyone.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, bowing her head. “I ...”
    Light Spinner snorted. “I shouldn’t worry too much about it,” she said. “There were complaints about the Levellers and complaints about Hawthorne. I found the latter to be far more serious.”
    “I know,” Elaine said. “Is there still no trace of him?”
    Light Spinner’s head moved, slightly. “The Inquisitors are still searching for him,” she said. “They have found nothing.”
    Elaine wasn’t surprised. Hawthorne was a Dark Wizard, a rogue who had set himself up as the ruler of a handful of villages nearly a thousand miles from the Golden City. The Inquisitors had captured him and liberated his territory, dragging him back in chains to face the previous Grand Sorcerer, but he had died before Hawthorne could stand trial. And then, in the chaos caused by Kane’s offensive, Hawthorne had managed to escape and flee into the countryside. There were rumours of his presence everywhere, but no hard information.
    It only added to the unease spreading through the Empire, she knew. No one apart from Light Spinner knew just how many Inquisitors there were, but everyone knew that the Inquisitors had taken heavy losses in the battle with Kane. Right now, there were a hundred problem cases that had to be stamped on before they got out of hand, but Light Spinner barely had the manpower to deal with half of them. And the longer they were allowed to fester, the harder it would be to deal with them.
    “I’ve had to pull the Inquisitors out of Ida,” Light Spinner added. “They found nothing there too.”
    Elaine hesitated, trying to think of the words that would convince Light Spinner to change her mind. But she knew that it would be futile. Unravelling the mysteries surrounding Ida was important – it might lead them to the Witch-King – yet keeping the Empire intact was also important. Chaos would provide an opportunity for him to keep manipulating events until the entire web simply fell apart.
    She gritted her teeth in frustration. Just how did one fight an opponent like that?
    “I did send Princess Sacharissa back to take the throne,” Light Spinner reminded her. “With her father in chains, I’m sure we can rely on her to obey.”
    “Out of gratitude, not fear,” Elaine commented. Princess Sacharissa had been her father’s tool rather than his daughter, destined to be married off to enhance her father’s status among the other kings and princes of the realm. There had been no love lost between father and daughter, Elaine knew, even before it had become clear that the girl’s brother and half-brother were part of the Witch-King’s web. “But I think she will miss