Magic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us. The Relic Guild is the award nominated first book in The Relic Guild trilogy.
It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless...
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In a musty and cluttered living room, a middle-aged man sat in an armchair. At first Marney thought he was dead. But in the glow of Silver Moon that shone through a window, she could see his chest rising and falling in slow, sleeping breaths. His unshaven face was pale and coated with a sheen of sweat. His features twitched as though his dreams were bad. At his feet was a leather satchel. The flap was open and it was filled with Labyrinth pounds.
Marney and Denton kept a safe distance as Samuel passed the satchel back to them. Then he stood before the sleeping man, aiming his rifle at his face.
'Wake up,' he demanded, kicking the man's foot.
The man flinched and snorted, blinked open his eyes, and frowned at the barrel hovering before his face.
'Are you Chaney?' Samuel asked.
The man's gaze found the three people behind the rifle and he nodded vacantly.
Marney sensed emotions within the tavern landlord, but they were so vague it was almost as if they were fading in and out of existence. He smelt bad, too, with a hint of rotting vegetables.
She frowned at Denton beside her. Even though the old empath kept his troubled gaze firmly on Chaney, the sound of his voice filled her head.
Don't be alarmed, he said, I can sense it, too.
What does it mean, Denton?
I don't know yet, but while his emotions are phasing like this, we can't control him. Stay focused. Keep your distance.
'I know who you are,' Chaney said. His throat sounded dry. 'I suppose you had to come.' Denton spoke next and his voice was kind. 'Tell us what happened here, Chaney.'
The landlord gave a hoarse chuckle that ended in a coughing fit. 'This happened,' he said, tapping a terracotta jar that sat on a table beside the armchair.
He didn't try to prevent Denton stepping forwards and taking the jar. The old empath stepped back to Marney's side, and she leant in for a look as he studied the artefact.
It was a simple looking thing, around the same size and shape as those used for jams and marmalades. It was empty, though evidence of a wax seal remained around the lip. It was plain and undecorated, but Marney didn't get much more of a look before Denton slipped the terracotta jar into his coat pocket.
Chaney took a shuddering breath. 'I didn't ask any questions. Carrick said he had some big sale going on and he'd make it worth my while if he could use my cellar as a meeting place. I don't know what was in the jar, but it's put a curse on me. I'm sick.'
His words were slightly slurred and he fought to keep his eyes open. Marney felt his emotions pulsing weakly, like a heart struggling to beat.
'Tell us what you know and we'll do all we can to help you,' Denton said, but Marney knew it was a lie.
