Schooled in Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

drained away into nothingness. Tears prickled at her eyes, but she wiped them away impatiently. There would be more wonders to come.
    The serving girl led her the rest of the way into the dining hall. Void’s hall was large enough to seat a small army, but there was only one table, set up in front of a roaring fire that flickered with eerie green and blue lights. The sorcerer himself was seated at one end of the table, devouring a plate of sausages and bread. A pair of serving girls stood behind him, silently waiting for his orders. There was only one other seat at the table.
    “Come in,” Void called.
    Emily hesitated. Something about the sheer size of the hall stuck her as faintly ridiculous. She’d certainly never had the impression that Void liked to entertain outsiders in his hall ... she stopped and laughed inwardly at herself. Since she had only known Void for less than a day, how could she claim to be an authority on him?
    She walked over to the table and sat down facing him. “The kitchen staff was quite pleased to hear that you were staying with us,” Void said. “They want to cook something a little different from time to time, but I’m rather set in my ways. I don’t want anything more than meat and bread for breakfast.”
    He smiled, as if he expected her to share in a joke. Emily, who normally ate only corn flakes and coffee for breakfast, didn’t understand it. Her parents might like the thought of devouring eggs and bacon for breakfast, but she had never been able to endure eating a large breakfast–it always left her feeling slightly unwell.
    One of the serving girls placed a jug of water beside Emily, while another gave her a mug of hot black liquid that smelled faintly of ground earth and sand. Emily hesitated, before picking it up and taking a sip. It managed to taste almost, but not completely unlike coffee. On the other hand, it seemed to contain enough caffeine to give her system a morning jolt.
    “The water was safely boiled by my staff,” Void assured her, as she eyed the jug doubtfully. “Anywhere else, ask them if the water has been boiled. Some of the common folk don’t believe in the invisible devils in the liquid.”
    Of course, Emily told herself; humans hadn’t always known that water had to be boiled to ensure that it was safe to drink. Her reading had told her that unsafe water had been the cause of countless epidemics throughout history. Invisible devils was as good a way as any to describe germs, even if it wasn’t very scientific. But to a world built on magic rather than science, it might make perfect sense. Hell, the germs might be real devils.
    “Thank you,” she said, as she poured a glass and took a sip. The water tasted sweet to her lips. “What are we going to do today?”
    Void lifted a hand. “Wait until you’ve eaten,” he said, firmly. The serving girl returned and placed a platter of meat, eggs and bread in front of Emily. “A good meal will make it much easier for us to talk properly.”
    Emily had no idea how he expected her to eat so much, but as she dug into the meal she found that she was far hungrier than she had realized. The meat tasted a little like beef, yet there was something in the taste that she didn’t recognize. And, of course, she had no idea what kind of creature had laid the eggs. Only the bread tasted remotely familiar, rather like the bread they had cooked in home economics class. But it tasted much better than the bread thirty schoolchildren had produced while they were watched by a nervous teacher worried about what might happen to her career if her students poisoned themselves. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the food seemed healthier than anything she’d eaten back home.
    “I have been summoning Beings and making enquiries,” Void informed her as the serving girl removed the platter after Emily had finished. “It seems that you have been the victim of ... imprecise specifications.”
    He’d said much the same thing