Read The Mage in Black for Free Online Page A

I gasped. “Nasty!”
    Murmurs of disapproval echoed through the room. Next to me, Adam cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. I ignored all of this in favor of rubbing at my tongue with my palm, hoping to relieve some of the hellfire.
    Adam nudged me. “Stop that.”
    “My uvula is on fire!” I whisper-yelled.
    By then, the cayenne had started to wear off, but not the nausea. I swallowed against the hot spit pooling in my mouth. “I don’t feel so good.”
    “You have to keep the potion down,” said Rhea. “It must have time to work through your system.”
    Maisie was looking at me like I’d let her down. Like I’d failed some kind of test. “You’ll be fine.”
    I glared at Adam with a look that clearly said, “What the hell did you get me into?”
    He wouldn’t meet my eyes. Ass.
    Orpheus looked from Maisie to me. “Shall we continue?”
    Maisie nodded resolutely. “Yes.”
    Casting one last anxious look in my direction, Orpheus cleared his throat. “Moving on. As you all know, the council is still considering a proposal to declare war on the Dominae.”
    Both cheers and boos met this announcement. Despite my discomfort, I forced myself to pay attention.
    Orpheus slammed a gavel on the table. “In light of the divisive nature of this issue, we have delayed a vote until all parties can make their cases.” A few in the crowd grumbled their impatience over the delay, but the members of the council all nodded. “High Priestess Maisie? Do you have anything to add?”
    Maisie rose from her seat to Orpheus’s right. Adam had said Maisie was the leader of the council, but from what I’d seen, Orpheus was in charge. I made a note to ask Adam about her role later.
    “Thank you, Councilman Orpheus. I would like to report to the council that I had a troubling vision last night. In it, Sabina was standing in the Sacred Grove at the Crossroads. Shadows closed in from all sides while drums beat in the distance.”
    A shiver passed down my spine, and I struggled not to shift under the curious glances coming my way. Worried murmurs spread through the room. Members of the council shot me speculative looks ranging from curious to downright antagonistic. Orpheus raised his hands for silence. “What is your interpretation of this vision?” he asked Maisie.
    Maisie looked at me, her expression closed. “Obviously, the shadows represent our enemies and the drums are the drums of war. As for Sabina’s role? That is harder to decipher. However, I believe it means she will be instrumental in whatever’s coming.”
    A male mage in the audience jumped up. “The vision is a clear sign we must declare war now!”
    “The vision is a warning against war!” A female this time.
    Suddenly the room was filled with heated shouts for and against declaring war. I looked at Adam, whose jaw was tight. He’d told me the council was on the verge of declaring war before we left California. Either he’d exaggerated to get me to come with him, or things had gotten complicated after he left to come back for Vinca’s funeral. I wasn’t in favor of a war, but I was even less in favor of getting involved in politics, so I kept my mouth shut.
    Orpheus banged the gavel like he was hammering a stubborn nail. “Silence! Fighting among ourselves will not solve this problem. You must allow the council you elected to debate the issue and figure out what is best for all magekind.”
    The audience quieted like a group of admonished schoolchildren.
    A growl ripped through the room like an angry demon. I looked down and realized it came from my stomach.
    “Are you okay?” Adam whispered.
    The growl came again, this time even louder, drawing the eyes of the council. Lightning knifed through my midsection. I doubled over, clutching my stomach with both arms.
    Cold sweat bloomed on my forehead, my chest. Searing pain tore through my intestines. I fell to my knees, groaning. Adam knelt next to me, his face a mask of worry. A circle formed