Stones Unbound (The Magestone Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

brown hair fell from the
hood of her cloak, her bangs framing the alabaster skin of her face.  High
cheek bones resided below large, brown, doe-like eyes; ruby lips completed her
beauty.
     “I returned your purse to you, admittedly lighter than when
you lost it, but it was not me who took those coins.  I am tempted to leave it
three Marks lighter still, just to prove a point to you about paying attention
in this city, but I have enough here of my own,” He held up the guard’s coin
purse he had just palmed.
    “Leave me alone!” the woman demanded, and started past Hoyle
who grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the alley.
    The woman staggered in the mud and filth littering the
narrow chasm between buildings, but then recovered and took two backwards
strides.  “ Cravash!” she intoned, flinging her hands out in front of her
body, fingers rigid and pointing at Hoyle.  Small marbles of light appeared
suddenly and shot towards Hoyle’s chest so quickly he didn’t have a chance to
flinch.  As they hit his chest, they dissolved into a light mist and
dissipated.  He could feel his firebird earring grow warm, but other than that,
the spell had no other apparent effect.  Hoyle looked up from his chest to see
the woman’s stunned look.
    “You stole the quafa'shilaar,” she whispered just loud
enough for him to hear.
     

Chapter 4
     
    Celia was stunned.  It all fit together in her mind.  The
thief must have had some immunity to magic, which is why the magic wards she
had cast on the vault hadn’t incapacitated them, and why the magic alarms
hadn’t notified her.  Here was a thief who had her coin pouch and had quite obviously,
based on her failed spell, some immunity to her magic.  But why then did her
trace spell lead her to this tower, and not to him?
    She took a closer look at him as he was touching something
by his left ear, or possibly brushing his hair back.   He was as tall as her,
his eyes at the same level as hers, and he wore fine, though drab, clothing; a
dark jacket and trousers under a greyish-green cloak finished with dark leather
boots.  His face was average, with dark brown eyes, narrow nose, with dark hair
dropping down in front to slightly cover his eyes.  Completing his look was a
neatly trimmed goatee.  His only piece of jewelry was an earring in his left
ear that was barely visible under the hood of his cloak – a small silver
firebird.  She could swear that its eyes had just been glowing.
    “What? What makes you say that?” the man asked warily,
clearly caught off guard.
    Celia shook herself.  “It only makes sense,” she stated
matter-of-fact.  “You are obviously a thief, and you are apparently immune to
magic.  Only someone with both these traits could steal from the Dar'Shilaar
embassy.”
    “Someone stole from the Dar'Shilaar embassy?!” the man
sounded shocked.  “They stole magestones?!”
    “Only the thief would know that.  Further proof,” she
accused.
    “I beg to differ, but I believe that you just accused me of
stealing magestones,” the man retorted nonchalantly, “right after I saved you
from what that guard was planning to do...”
    Celia grasped her amulet through her robe. She ignored the
man’s comment. “The more important question is, if I am correct and you are the
thief, then why are the quafa'shilaar in that tower, and not with you?” 
    She saw him scowl briefly out of the corner of her eye, but
it was gone just as fast as it had appeared.  Perhaps she had only imagined it.
    “Fine, if you’re not going to thank me, then you’re
welcome!  I’ll be off now.”  The man turned and disappeared out of the alley
into the dark.
    Celia looked around the dark alley skittishly and hurried
after him.
    ---o---
     
    The man was striding quickly down the narrow side street,
away from the tower when she caught up with him, her long strides matching
his.  He glanced at her sideways, but did not change his gait.  She was not
sure where he