I half-rose from my seat, then suddenly found myself unable to move. Sweat trickled down my temples as I fought back against the magical presence that had so easily invaded my mind and that now was not only reading my thoughts, but directing my actions. With a supreme effort I was able to glance over at Rafael, only to see that he was sitting rigidly in place, staring straight ahead with a glassy expression on his face. I knew it wasn’t the pulque—the two glasses he’d drunk wouldn’t even have given the big guy a buzz yet. He too was a victim of a spell. And that scared me even more. A mage who was able to mind-probe one target and control the actions of another so effectively and completely at once? This was one fragger who could pump mondo mana.