She banged into Evariste’s room, not at all shy about entering his personal quarters—she was beyond all causal cares and regards bynow.
The portal to the Veneno Conclave glowed, framed by goldwork and foreign scripts. Angelique staggered through it—grateful this method of traveling did not make her stomach churn—and walked out of Evariste’s bedroom and straight into his solid wooden desk in his office, painfully banging hershins.
“Enchanter Clovicus!” Angelique shouted. Her voice was so hoarse and crackling, she sounded more like a wounded animal than ahuman.
She threw the door open and blinked as she tried to place her location, but her thoughts slipped through her grasp like water. “EnchanterClovicus!”
“Angelique?”
Angelique turned around and had to blink a few times before she could make out Clovicus’features.
“You look terrible,” he paused and furrowed his brow. “Is Evaristehurt?”
Angelique’s legs collapsed under her, and she slumped down, tears leaking out of her eyes. “I don’t know,” shewhispered.
Chapter 31
After tellingClovicus everything she could, the Lord Enchanter guided Angelique to his office and left her in a comfortable chair, ordering her torest.
She awoke when rays of sunshine pierced through the glass windows, and Enchanter Clovicus set a breakfast tray on hisdesk.
“Did you find Evariste?” Angelique groggilyasked.
“Eat, Angelique.” Enchanter Clovicus beckoned her to a wooden chair pulled in front of his desk and nudged thetray.
He didn’t say “yes.” That can’t be a good sign.Angelique stood stiffly, her body protesting every move she made. She hunched her shoulders up and down a few times in an effort to loosen them up, then sat down in thechair.
The tray was piled with rye bread rolls, little pots of strawberry and cherry jelly, smoked fish, cheese, and boiledeggs.
Angelique’s traitorous stomach growled, and it felt like a creature clawed inside her belly, but Angelique forced herself to meet Enchanter Clovicus’ gaze. “Did you find Evariste?” sherepeated.
“No.” Enchanter Clovicus sighed and sat on the edge of his desk, reminding Angelique of Evariste. “But I’m not going to say anything more until you start eating,” hesaid.
Woodenly, Angelique selected a roll and started nibbling on it. Though she couldn’t attest to the taste, by the time she had finished it, she felt marginally better. The pounding in her head was far more subdued, and her entire body seemed toease.
She hesitated, then picked up a boiled egg. “I’m eating,” she reminded the LordEnchanter.
Clovicus nodded and slammed his hands on his thighs. “Right.” He hesitated, then began. “After I raised the alarm last night, a squadron of mages was sent to your home using the portal in Evariste’s office. They searched the house and grounds and can say with almost certainty that Evariste was forcefully removed from thepremise.”
So, he’s not dead.The assurance eased more of the pressure pounding in Angelique’stemple.
“But,” Clovicus continued, “They couldn’t decipher where Evariste was taken or even what was done to disable him. Between your testimony and the damage done to the home, the leader of the squadron said Evariste was likely taken captive by a verypowerfulgroup of black magicusers.”
“How do they know?” Angeliqueasked.
“The spell you described that hit him as he shoved you through the portal.” Clovicus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a known spell of black magic. It debilitates the target so they are no longer in control of themselves, and it requires a lot of magical ability to cast. Perhaps even the same amount of power as anenchanter.”
Angelique set the last bit of her boiled egg down as a metallic taste coated her mouth. “What does thatmean?”
“That it’s going to be wretched hard to get Evariste back,” Clovicus said bluntly. “The defense spells and precautions Evariste cast on the house were disabled—not many have the power to do such a thing. Moreover, they left no magical trail. It’s possible they may have forced Evariste to use his magic and then ported out, but we have no way of knowing forcertain.”
Angelique ran a hand through her tangled hair. “How could this have happened? The Veneno Conclave exists toprotectus from things like this! There are supposed to be safeguards in place! Isn’t that why everyone watches me with a suspiciouseye?”
“I am just as shocked as you are, Angelique,” Enchanter Clovicus said in a firm but kind voice. “Fairy godmothers and godfathers search the continent for children with magic to eliminate the possibility of anyone using them for dark purposes, and while there has been an increase in mages who have been sealed from their magic and exiled from the Conclave, there are none capable ofthis.”
I know all of this!Angelique longed to scream, but she kept her mouth shut and stared blankly at the tray offood.
“As part of the investigation, I was informed of some confidential information,” he continued. “It seems likely that the twelve magic users you saw are the only perpetrators. They are a small sect of black mages. Though the Conclave has been trying to track and capture them for a decade or two, it was never thought they were capable of something likethis.”
