In the end he decided it was not his decision to make. He would take the information to his uncle, and the Master Mage would make the decision.
He hurried back to the Great Hall, moving as quickly as possible. As he neared the entrance, he turned a corner and ran smack into Riquer, who was uncloaked now.
If Riquer knew Darcy had heard him, and he was a traitor, there was no chance he would allow Darcy to return to the Hall and report what he had just witnessed.
Darcy spun around and prepared to fight for his life.
Chapter 2
Riquer winced and raised his hands in a dramatic gesture of surrender. "I would rather you did not kill me," he said wryly.
Darcy did not drop his Ward. He regarded Riquer coldly. "Then you had better have a good explanation. What were you doing? Why are you out here, sneaking around in the dark?"
"I could ask the same of you." The light from the candles outside the door lit up Riquer’s face. He was grinning.
This was no laughing matter, confound it! "I am not using a mirror to communicate with an adversary." Darcy's patience was stretched to the limits.
Riquer's nostrils flared. "You have never liked me, have you? Unlike your admirable wife, you have been suspicious of me from the very beginning." There was no humor on his face now. "May I remind you that my purpose in being admitted to the Royal Mages is precisely that — to spy on Napoleon's mages? How do you expect me to do so from here? Conjure up a few Imperial mages in the air?"
Darcy examined Riquer, trying to assess the situation. If he lowered his Wards, would Riquer attack? There was nothing in Riquer's manner that suggested it. He considered what Riquer had said. His words were logical. It did not mean they were true.
He thought of Elizabeth. She worked with Riquer day after day. Could he trust her judgment?
The two men eyed each other. It was a stalemate.
Riquer spoke up. "Darcy. Consider this. I detected your signature the moment I came out of the Hall. I could have attacked you any time. I knew you were listening." He gave a gallic shrug. "Why would I have waited until you were close to the door, if I intended to get rid of you? You could have raised the alarm by shouting. It would have been far easier when I was hidden by the trees."
It was a perfectly reasonable argument. Darcy had not hidden his signature. In retrospect, it had been foolish. He sighed. Very cautiously, he lowered the Wards around him, watching Riquer intently.
Riquer nodded. "Wise decision. I do not wish to fight you. And I suspect Mrs. Darcy would not have liked it." Again he smiled ruefully. "If you wanted to know what I was doing, you could have just asked me."
"Do you really expect me to take your word for it?"
"I know you do not like me nor trust me, Darcy. I do not blame you. I would feel the same in your position. What will it take to believe in my good intentions?”
Darcy considered the man's statement.Nothing. “Unfortunately, only time will tell.”
Perhaps he was being too harsh. There must be a reason Elizabeth trusted him. “The fact is, I hardly know you. Unlike Elizabeth, I have spent very little time with you."
"Then perhaps we should set aside some time — work together, perhaps. I could teach you Mirror magic."
If Riquer thought he could charm Darcy into believing that he was harmless, he would discover it was not quite so easy. Darcy still intended to report what had happened to his uncle. They could not afford to risk the Prince Regent or the Hall.
“Perhaps,” said Darcy, vaguely. He hated subterfuge, but with a spy in their midst, it was necessary. “Now, if you will excuse me, I need to return inside.”
“Of course,” said Riquer. “I will remain here for a few minutes longer.”
“Suit yourself.”
Darcy strode back to the Great Hall and looked towards his uncle. Lord Matlock was preoccupied with the Prince Regent. He could not approach him without disrupting the exhibition.
Darcy considered his options, looking around for a solution. His gaze fell on his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard was a military man, trained in this kind of situation. Richard could tell if they were facing a threat, and he would be impartial. Darcy could count on his cousin to assess all aspects of the situation and give him an honest answer.
Darcy just had to hope it would not be too late.
As the other exhibitions were about to begin, the apprentices surrounding Elizabeth scattered to their seats. Now that no one was talking to her, the fatigue she was holding at bay hit her with full force. A wave of dizziness seized her, and she swayed on her feet.
A touch on her elbow steadied her as Mary took her arm and led her to the closest empty chair.
