“I find things.”
It was a simple answer, with big implications.
Her mind reeled at the revelation. So that was how the French kept finding the Royal Mages, no matter where they went. There were no British mages with that kind of ability, though she had read about it in some of her father’s texts. In the old texts, those mages were called Scryers. But their role tended more towards seeing the past or the future. The ability to scry was lost in the mists of time. No one knew how to do it anymore.
“You look into a mirror? Or is it water?”
“Neither. I do use mirrors, but not for that purpose. I do notseewhat I am looking for. I sniff it. It is like the skill of hound. You could call it – smelling the scent of a signature.”
“You must be very valuable to the French, then, unless there are others?”
“There are no others,” he said.
“So without you, the French cannot find us?”
“There are— other ways, but they are not as efficient.”
“Would you have told any of this to the other mages, if they had spoken to you?”
“No.”
“Why are you telling me, then?”
“I am not entirely sure. Perhaps I have grown soft after spending so much time in isolation. Or I crave company, and you would not speak to me otherwise. Or perhaps because you carried me to safety, and I no longer am compelled to serve my master. There are a few reasons. They may all be true, or none of them may be. I cannot say. What I can say is that I have been fortunate your enemies brought you here. It is a unique opportunity to encounter such a powerful mage. I would like to study you. Your magic is like a hummingbird. It goes in all directions.”
Elizabeth was startled. How did he know that her magic was different from that of the others?
If he could sense her magic, then she should be able to sense his. She reached out with a few tendrils, but slammed straight into a brick wall.
“You may think it selfish of me,” said de Riquer, “but I have dampened your magic. I would like to bask in your presence a little longer. Even with the barriers around you, I can feel your magic. It is beautiful and true as you are, madam.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I do not believe a word you say, sir.”
“That is your prerogative, Mrs. Darcy, but I am telling the truth as I see it.”
“If you are able to wield magic even in here, why have you not escaped?”
“What reason do I have to escape? I have everything I need here. Good French food, a few bottles of wine, books – what else can a gentleman wish for?”
“A great deal, I would think. The sun. The sky. The stars at night. That is what I would miss first if I were locked in here.”
“Alas, I will not get those. I try not to ask for the impossible. Your Council will not give me a window, because they are afraid I may identify some landmarks and smuggle a message out.”
“You claim you could have walked out any time you wished.”
“I do not make false claims.”
“How?”
He gestured towards a mirror in the corner of the room.
“So you can walk through the mirror, and go anywhere you wish?”
“No. As with all magic, it has its limits. I can move anywhere inside this house, but I cannot go outside. To do so would require a second mirror.”
“Then how were you able to see Founder’s Hall?”
“I did notseeit. I am like a scent hound. I hunt for magic signatures. That is a different skill.”
