100

You’ve heard of people like this—people who, instead of considering magically gifted slaves a risk, see them as a value proposition. You would have been perfectly happy to go the rest of your life without actually meeting one, though.

Your little group readies its swords and spells, but everything you have is useless from inside the cage. It deflects both magical and physical attacks back on you, a fact Tarquin verifies by smacking the lightning with his sword, earning himself little more than a numb shoulder for his efforts.

The mage slaver’s harsh laugh echoes as he collapses the cage down around you, shrinking it to the point where it presses you against one another and effectively immobilizes you.

But, even unable to move, you can hear Neve whispering to Dorian. “I’ve got an idea,” she says, “but it’s a bit of a risky one.”

“How did you know that was my favorite kind?” he replies in a tone gleeful enough to seriously worry you.

• To try Neve’s idea, turn to page 101.
• To steer clear of risky ideas, turn to page 102.