Necropolis (Royal Sorceress Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

anything, not even the penny whistle Dave had given her as a joke. But then, the whistle hadn’t lasted any longer than the short time it had taken Lady Mary to realise she had it and confiscate it, despite their joint complaints. Anyone would have thought she considered whistle-playing undignified for a young lady.
    Gwen smiled at the thought, then walked out of the door and onto the grass. Ahead of her, there was a forest. It was nowhere near deep and dark enough to hide someone indefinitely, Gwen noted, but a child might not realise that. Gwen felt a moment of envy – she would have loved to run through the woods as a little girl – and kept walking until she was at the very edge of the forest. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her magic, trying to feel out where the children might be hiding. But there was so much life running through the woods that it was impossible to detect them ... if, of course, they hadn’t run further. Gwen silently prayed they hadn’t as she opened her eyes and walked into the woods. A great many things could happen to children in the countryside, few of them good.
    She smiled again, feeling an odd sense of relaxation as she strode deeper and deeper into the small forest. Birds sang in the trees overhead, reminding her just how much she enjoyed her few excursions out of London. A sudden bitter pang tore at her heart as she recalled that Olivia had loved those excursions too, the chance to be alone together. But Gwen’s work didn’t allow her much time to merely enjoy herself.
    I’ll find you , she promised silently. And whoever took you will not live to regret it .
    She paused as she heard the sounds of birds flapping away from a distant corner of the forest. Something had scared them ... and birds in the countryside were smart enough to be afraid of humans. Hunting was a common pastime, even for the poorest in the land; a bird could feed a family if it was caught in a trap or even shot down with a shotgun. She turned and walked towards the sound, not bothering to conceal her approach. If the children tried to run, she could catch them with her magic. And besides, they would probably react better if she was clearly not trying to sneak up on them.
    There was a sudden sound ahead of her, followed by a shape darting from a hiding place and running away from her. Gwen reached out with her magic and caught at the figure, then felt a sudden surge of resistance; frighteningly powerful, but utterly unfocused. Susan had no real training, Gwen noted, as she lost her grip on the girl. And then a burst of magic flashed out of a bush and over Gwen’s head. She ducked, almost a moment too late, as part of the mystery unravelled itself in front of her. There were two children and both of them had magic.
    “Enough,” she called, putting as much command into her tone as she could. Her mother had taught her how to issue commands to children and inferiors, after all, warning the young Gwen never to even hint that she thought they might not obey. Weakness invited challenges and attacks. “We need to talk.”
    There was another burst of magic, stronger this time. Gwen caught it on her own magic and watched as the flash of light broke up harmlessly. She gritted her teeth, then pushed as much Charm into her voice as she could. If her growing suspicions were correct, neither of the girls would have any real defence against blunt Charm.
    “Come here,” she ordered, feeling the magic rippling through the air. “Now.”
    There was a long pause, then two young girls appeared from the undergrowth, staggering towards her as if they were trying to resist her command. One of them was wearing a fine dress that looked as though it had seen better days; it was muddy, torn and ripped ... and probably completely beyond repair. Gwen shuddered to think of what Lady Mary would have said if she’d ruined a dress that cost upwards of twenty pounds. She looked enough like Lady Fanny that Gwen had no hesitation in placing