Decker pressed the pages flat to peer at the drawing. “And who conducted this diagnostic for you? Someone of merit?”
“Yes ma’am. Willorunia Victor signed off on it.”
“I don’t see her signature here,” Decker said.
“That’s because the original was lost. Can’t you analyze the copy and take my word as an officer?”
“No. If this sigil is false, we’d be giving you a writ based on bad evidence. This is why magic is unreliable. You can’t trust any mage,” Decker said, sliding the journal back to me.
I retrieved my journal from her desk, not believing my own ears. “You’re not allowing me a writ because you don’t trust magic?”
“That’s right, and neither should you,” Decker said, picking up the paper she had been examining. “Do you need anything else?”
“I came all the way back to Ladiall forthis?” I asked.
“It appears so,” she said without looking up from the paper. “Goodbye, Officer Thorndrop. Come back when the case is solved.”
I led Jasmine back outside, silent until we stepped into the street. “Sorry, Jasmine. It looks like we won’t be able to investigate Ezzila after all.”
“What can we do?”
I sighed. “It’s a bit too late in the day to visit the legalers, but we can talk to them tomorrow. Let’s take a break for now.”
I brought Jasmine to my small house on the edge of town, where I could finally retrieve my money pouch, which I had stupidly left on the dining table before leaving for Fibbersnap Inn. I gave the entire pouch to Jasmine, worried I would forget it again before we returned. She accepted it with gratitude. It was a relief to finally pay them.
“Cassian studied here in Ladiall, didn’t he?” I asked after handing over the money.
“He did. Why?” Jasmine asked.
“When I met him, he mentioned it could be someone from Ladiall who cursed the inn. Do you know who that might have been?” I asked.
Her eyes widened. “Sterling, you don’t think his mentor would have…?”
“His mentor…” I muttered. I don’t know how I hadn’t considered that. She was a witch who had reason to be upset at Cassian leaving. If the business failed, she would get her apprentice back. “Do you know her name?”
“Gertrude,” Jasmine said. “I think her last name was… Foxglove? Something like that?”
I nodded. “Good thinking. We’ll talk to her tomorrow.” As promising as it felt, I wasn’t excited about this lead. Cassian spoke highly of his mentor, and I could imagine the way he might argue with me if he knew I was questioning her.
If Gertrude had cursed the inn, Cassian would never forgive me.
Chapter Ten
CASSIAN
The inn felt dead without Sterling and Jasmine.
There was nothing to do without customers. Olive read a book by the fire while Griffin organized the pub for the hundredth time. I still needed to move the rune stone, so I slipped my cloak on while thinking about how close Sterling had come to finding it the night before. The stone hung heavy in my cloak pocket as I headed for the front door, hoping Willorunia was right.
I trudged through the thick, snowed-over trail out front that went entirely unused this last week, kicking the snow out of my way while searching for a good place for the rune stone. Using my gloved hands, I dug snow off the large boulder near the gate’s entryway. If part of Faian magic was to hide from prying eyes, perhaps the stone would hide itself. Testing my theory, I pressed the flat stone against the boulder and waited.
I felt stupid as the seconds stretched, but just before I gave up, the boulder began to absorb it. My jaw dropped as the stone disappeared into its side, leaving only a faint trace of the engraving. After a few seconds, even that was gone.
If Willorunia had lied to me, I was so screwed.
If she hadn’t, we’d be getting business soon.
When I came back inside, I tucked the donation box beneath the counter and waited.
