The Outcast (Summoner #4)(19)

“Calm down, Kali, you’d think she’s never seen a Canid before,” Scipio laughed as the Felid arched its back, snarling at Sacharissa. “You’ll have to forgive her, Arcturus. She’s a bit afraid of them.”

Scipio winked conspiratorially at Arcturus. As if she understood him, the Felid froze, then sat back on her haunches. She proceeded to lick her paw, completely ignoring Sacharissa.

Scipio walked over and held his hand out for Sacharissa to smell. She gave it a cursory sniff, then licked it once with her pink tongue to show her approval.

“Canids and Felids, there’s always been a bit of a rivalry there. Must be something to do with competing for food sources in the ether.”

“The ether?” Arcturus asked, his curiosity piqued.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Scipio said, looking behind Arcturus at the others. They had been watching their exchange with interest.

“Make room for Arcturus, ladies and gentlemen. He shouldn’t have to crane over young Elaine’s head. Charles, Damian, there seems to be some room in between you. Budge up,” Scipio ordered, shooing them with his hands.

The two boys stared daggers at Arcturus, who shuffled forward and wedged himself between them. They leaned in, digging their shoulders uncomfortably into his own.

“For the benefit of Elaine and Arcturus, I shall run through what we are going to learn here over the course of this year. It will act as a good refresher for those of you who have neglected your studies since last we met.”

There was an audible groan from the others and Arcturus frowned apologetically. Edmund mouthed, “It’s fine,” at Arcturus and gave him a smile.

“Now, this stone in the center is the largest scrying stone ever discovered, otherwise known as the Oculus. Are you aware of what a scrying stone does?” Scipio asked, pushing between the Queensouth twins and pointing at the stone.

“Yes, sir, when a demon touches it, the stone will show everything that a demon sees,” Arcturus said, remembering his brief lesson with Obadiah Forsyth. Elaine nodded in agreement.

“Very good. It will keep showing it until the summoner breaks the connection, or until the scrying stone is touched once again. Now, Kali here will demonst—”

Before he could finish speaking, a draft ruffled the hair on Arcturus’s nape as the Felid soared over him. It landed with its paws around the stone before nudging it gently with its nose.

“Ahem … yes … well done, Kali,” Scipio said as the stone flickered with color. A moment later Arcturus was staring at a close-up of Charles’s face, for that was where Kali was looking. The detail was incredible. Arcturus could even see the pores in the boy’s nose. It was not a pretty sight.

“Felids have better eyesight than others. Most summoners prefer to use a Mite to scout the ether first, but Kali is quick enough to jump back through if there’s any trouble.”

Arcturus’s curiosity quickened as the ether was mentioned again. Jump back through what?

“And, do you know what infusion is?” Scipio asked.

“Yes, sir,” Arcturus said, still mesmerized by the image as Kali switched her gaze from one face to another.

“Good. I shall teach you how to infuse a demon next week perhaps; your demon seems well behaved enough to not distract you in lessons.”

“Thank you, sir,” Arcturus said. He felt far safer with Sacharissa by his side, and knew that if he were taught to infuse her, she would not be allowed out for most of the day. Still, he was curious about what it felt like to have the demon within him. He almost didn’t believe it was possible.

“Now, I shall use one of the keyed pentacles on the floor beside us. Who can tell me what a keyed pentacle is?”

“A keyed pentacle has a symbol on each corner of the star. They act as coordinates that will open a portal to the ether,” Baybars Saladin replied.

“Good. I shall now do so. Pay attention, everyone,” Scipio said, kneeling on the ground. He laid his hands on the floorboards, then grunted as his fingertips began to glow blue. There was a low hum in the room, and slowly but surely the lines of the pentacle Scipio was facing shone with the same electric light. The symbols on each corner pulsed. A pinprick appeared in the air, expanding slowly into a spinning orb the size of a man’s head. Still, it grew, doubling in size over and over, until it was larger than the table they stood around.

Scipio’s face was red with effort, the veins on his neck bulging. He lifted one hand, causing the pentacle to crackle, before removing a wooden spike attached to a roll of leather from his back pocket. He rammed it into the floorboards, then stood, panting, the leather strap gripped firmly in his hand. His fingertips remained blue, and Arcturus could tell he was powering the pentacle through the connection.

“There’s got to be a better way of doing this,” Scipio muttered, stepping back into his place at the table. “Kali! You know what to do.”

The Felid yowled with excitement before leaping over their heads once again. Kali landed in a crouch, then leaped into the orb, disappearing as swiftly as a disturbed wyrdlight. But Arcturus’s attention did not remain on the orb for long. The image on the stone had changed. Scipio smiled at him as his mouth dropped open.

“Welcome … to the ether.”





CHAPTER

11

ARCTURUS HAD NEVER SEEN so much green. The ground was coated in thick, sage-colored grass, with mossy tree trunks all around them. Hundreds of feet above, viridescent foliage filtered light from the sky, dappling the shadows with green-tinged radiance.