Divided against Yourselves (Spell Weaver) Read Online Free PDF Page B

mass, making him much more effective in combat. Of course, the fact that Stan also had a brilliant mind didn’t hurt either. Given the chance, he could out-think most opponents, even a good many of the supernatural ones.
    So why was I worrying? Surely the five of them could stop Morgan in her tracks. Yeah, surely. But I still shuddered at the thought. I had underestimated opponents before, and I had the horrible feeling that Morgan had at least one other surprise in reserve.
    Suddenly a tremor ran through my whole body. Nurse Florence was trying to break the spell, but it was fighting back with unusual intensity. It felt like a thorn-bush inside of me, with a thorn digging into each cell, as Nurse Florence fought to extract it. I had to clench my teeth to keep from screaming as it writhed within me, tearing into anything it could in an effort to stay put.
    Nurse Florence looked into my eyes. “Tal, I’m sorry this hurts so much, but I don’t know how else to do this. Morgan evidently spent a lot of time crafting this…thing. It is every bit as determined as she is to get what it wants. It does seem dependent on whatever substance Morgan got into your arm wound, though, and that will dissipate eventually. We could wait until it runs its course…”
    I wanted to shout “NO!” I wanted at least to shake my head vigorously. All I could manage was the slightest side-to-side motion, but Nurse Florence knew me too well not to know what I wanted.
    “All right, Tal. Hang on. This will take a few more minutes, but those minutes will feel like hours. Since the pain is magical, deadening your normal pain responses won’t stop it.” With that, Nurse Florence went back to trying to pull the spell out by its roots, and I went back to gritting my teeth.
    After what seemed a piercing red eternity, I felt the last of the thing’s thorny branches wither away. Despite myself, I gasped audibly, but now at least my muscles started responding again, and I was able to sit up. I glanced over at Nurse Florence, who looked back at me wearily.
    “I’m surprised you kept from screaming.”
    “The one advantage of the paralysis,” I replied, trying, but not quite succeeding, to give her a facetious smile. “Am I good to go?”
    “Tal, you are going to be weak for a while. After all of that struggling, I don’t have enough energy myself to lend very much to you. However, if you take it easy—”
    “Yeah, that’ll happen,” I quipped, attempting to jump to my feet—“attempting” being the operative word. Oh, I managed to get to my feet, but very slowly and very shakily.
    “You aren’t really combat-ready, and you don’t have White Hilt.”
    “I’m going in anyway,” I replied, not quite managing the self-confident tone I wanted but at least not sounding as if I were going to faint at any moment.
    Nurse Florence, though pretty worn-out herself, took charge of weaving a concealment charm around us, and then we moved into the hospital, more slowly than I would have liked, but as fast as I was able.
    The security guard at the front desk was slouched back in his chair, eyes shut, snoring loudly. Morgan’s work no doubt. Somehow he must have noticed her coming in. Perhaps the door opening gave her away. I’d seen that guy before, and I had noticed he seemed very alert for someone whose job was, for the most part, routine.
    The good news was that no nurses were running for the exits and screaming in terror. The bad news was that the place was as silent as death, aside from the occasional monitor beep. I wasn’t sure whether not being able to hear the guys was good news or bad news. The lack of swords clanging in the distance suggested no ongoing battle—but did that mean the guys hadn’t been able to find Morgan or that the battle was already over? If it were the latter, the silence betrayed no hint about who had won.
    Both Nurse Florence and I let our minds reach out. Morgan could probably conceal herself from me, especially