“Of course it is,” Alise breathed with dawning understanding.“Underwater.Makes sense.”
“But we don’t know exactly, of course,” Han continued, “nor how they access it or any of the tricks.”
“Tricks?”Cillian asked, mostly of Alise.
“Does House Harahel not have an arcanium?”she asked him in return.
“No.”He shook his head, thought.Shook his head again.“Not unless it’s so closely guarded a secret that I don’t even know about its existence, which I suppose is possible, but… In general, you know, library magic doesn’t require the kind of power arcaniums are used to store and amplify.”
Alise nodded thoughtfully.“Well, I don’t know about the House Phel arcanium—the houses go to great pains to keep information about their arcaniums unknown to anyone but the heads and their heirs—but I think it’s fair to assume they have certain commonalities.Access to the arcanium is disguised, but then there are various enchantments along the way that only someone highly skilled in the house’s magic can dispel or solve.”
“So, access to the House Phel arcanium will require water and moon magic, along with specialized knowledge.”
“That would be my assumption.”
“We need to send a message to Nic and Gabriel,” Cillian said.“I hate to disturb them while they’re still closeted with newborn Bria, but this shouldn’t be asking too much.We have to get them to look in—”
“Eep,” Iliana said, tentatively holding up a hand, like a student in class with what she’s afraid will be a silly question.
Han wrapped his hand around hers and lowered it.“We probably forgot to mention that part.Nic and Gabriel are at Convocation Academy.”
“They’re where?”Alise gasped.
Cillian’s head throbbed.“Of course they are.Why would they be at home where it would be convenient?”
“They came to House Harahel, looking for you, Cillian,” Han explained.“They were trying to find a way to rescue Alise without risking going to Elal.”
“Just like Jadren and Seliah were,” Alise said on a sigh.“I feel really bad that everyone was worried about me.”
“Don’t,” Cillian said, more sharply than he meant to, then sighed and took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.He caught and held her black gaze.“It’s all right that people love you and want to help you.”
She softened.“I know.I’m just not used to it.”
“I know.”He felt he wanted to say so much more, but they had an audience.
“I love you, too,” she said quietly, with a smile that said she had followed his thought and didn’t care.
Iliana squealed and clapped her hands together.“You finally admitted it!”Han raised his eyes to the sky and shook his head in exasperation.
Alise transferred her smile to Iliana.Though she was blushing faintly, Alise seemed otherwise unembarrassed.“Some of us take longer than others to recognize the obvious.”
Cillian squeezed Alise’s hand, overwhelmed with love for her.“So, what do we do—go to House Phel?”
“It’s not going to do much good for us to go there,” Alise pointed out.“Even if we could find the Phel arcanium, we can’t open it—and I wouldn’t want to violate their trust that way, regardless.”
“Besides,” Han said, “we are under strict orders to bring you two to Convocation Academy.”
“Yes.”Iliana pretended to shudder, though it might not have been entirely a pretense.“Provost Uriel is not someone I want to cross.Again.”
“You weren’t frightened of her last year when you decided we should escape,” Han teased her.
“I was motivated by true love,” she replied with dignity.
“And now?”he asked, raising his pale brows.
“Now I’m motivated by the desire tokeepmy true love and have a good life with him.”
He kissed her nose.“Admirable.”
