"Maria V. Snyder - Yelena 02 - Magic Study" - читать интересную книгу автора (Snyder Maria V)

seven and thirteen, they had been separated from their families for only a few years. Physical
resemblances, ages, and even names had made it easy to place them. Now, we were down to four. The
identical twins, Gracena and Nickeely were thirteen. May was the youngest at twelve, and I was the
oldest of the group at twenty.

According to Irys, the Zaltanas had lost a six-year-old girl over fourteen years prior. That was a long
time to be away. I was no longer a child.

Yet I was the oldest one who had survived BrazellтАЩs plans and remained whole. When the other
kidnapped children reach maturity, those who had developed magical powers had been tortured until
they surrendered their souls to Mogkan and Reyad. Mogkan had then used the magic of these now
mindless captives to enhance his own, making the children nothing more than living bodies without souls.

Irys bore the burden of informing the families of these children, but I felt some guilt by being the only one
to survive MogkanтАЩs efforts to capture my soul. The effort, though, cost me a great deal.

Thinking about my struggles in Ixia led to thoughts of Valek. An ache for him chewed at my heart.
Hooking an arm around the ladder, I fingered the butterfly pendant he had carved for me. Perhaps I
could devise a way to return to Ixia. After all, the magic in my body no longer flared out of control, and I
would much rather be with him than among these strange southerners who lived in the trees. Even the
name of the south, Sitia, felt thick as rancid syrup in my mouth.

тАЬYelena, come on,тАЭ Irys called down to me. тАЬWeтАЩre waiting.тАЭ
I swallowed hard and ran a hand over my long braid, smoothing my black hair and pulling out the few
viney tendrils that clung to it. Despite the long trek through the jungle, I wasnтАЩt too tired. While shorter
than most Ixians at five feet four inches, my body had transformed from emaciated to muscular during my
last year in Ixia. The difference had been in my living arrangements. From starving in the dungeon to
tasting food for Commander Ambrose, my situation had improved for my physical well-being, but I
couldnтАЩt say the same for my mental well-being during that time.

I shook my head, banishing those thoughts and concentrating on my immediate circumstances. Climbing
up the rest of the ladder, I expected it to end at a wide branch or a platform in the tree like a landing on a
staircase. Instead, I entered a room.

I looked around in amazement. The walls and ceiling of the room were formed by branches and limbs
that had been roped together. Sunlight leaked in between the gaps. Bundled sticks had been worked into
chairs that had cushions made of leaves. The small room held only four seats.

тАЬIs this her?тАЭ a tall man asked Irys. His cotton tunic and short pants were the color of the treeтАЩs leaves.
Green gel had been combed into his hair and smeared over all his exposed skin. A bow and a quiver of
arrows hung over his shoulder. I guessed he was the guard. Why, though, would he need a weapon if he
were the magician who had frozen us? Then again, Irys had deflected that spell with ease. Could she turn
aside an arrow as well?

тАЬYes,тАЭ Irys said to the man.

тАЬWeтАЩve heard rumors at the market, and wondered if you would pay us a visit, Fourth Magician. Please,
stay here,тАЭ he said. тАЬIтАЩll get the Elder.тАЭ

Irys sank into one of the chairs, and the girls explored the room, exclaiming over the view from the single