He started to chuckle but quickly cut it off with a cough. He busied himself looking at some papers on his desk while Angelique peeled her attention off her work long enough to suspiciously eyehim.
Only when she again went back to her magic work—this time adjusting the colored flags hanging from the rigging of the ship, did he look back ather.
What is perhaps even stranger is that there is something endearingabout it. And it is fun to tease her with it and use what she perceives as my obliviousness to say things I normally wouldn’tdare.
Feeling a little devious, Evariste announced, “You have worked so hard today, Angel. We should take the afternoon off. If it weren’t for the short notice, I should consider taking you to meet King Channing and Queen Lisheva of Torrens to show youoff.”
A muscle twitched in Angelique’s cheek before she said in her overly sweet voice, “Master Evariste, I’m afraid you cannot show me off until I have enough magic skills to warrant such a thing.” She ended with a sweet laugh, but Evariste suspected she was privately thinking he was halfmad.
“I’m not convinced,” Evariste said. “But as I said, it is too short of notice. There’s a good chance the queen is riding abroad and hunting thieves or something similar. She’d be disappointed to hear she missed meeting you, so we will have towait.”
“How wise of a plan,” Angelique ‘marveled’ with a smile. When she returned her gaze to her book, she scowledbriefly.
Evariste held in a snort.One day she’ll realize the act isn’t necessary and that she’s safe with me. But in the meantime, this is ratherenjoyable.
Chapter 5
By the secondmonth of her tutelage, Evariste started to introduce Angelique to some of the more unusual aspects of his magic: namely, hisvisitors.
“It’s important to understand there is more to core magic—allcore magic—than would first appear. Weather mages control the weather, which might seem obvious, but it also gives them some piece of power over crops, trade—as they can make the roads passable or a mess—sea navigation, andmore.”
“Yes, Master Evariste,” Angelique said in a sing-song voice.I really, really hope he does not mean for this to be a lecture about embracing my core magic. I’ll prance stark naked through the Conclave before thathappens.
“My core magic is much the same way. In particular, the portals my magic forges have additional advantages,” Evariste continued, taking a surprising veer in the conversation. “They can actually cut through to other realms in thisworld.”
Angelique’s eyes popped. “I beg your pardon?” she asked politely, even though she wanted togape.
Evariste laughed and nodded. “That is correct, Apprentice. There are other lands in our world besides our continent. The elves came from one, but theirs is not the onlyone.”
I knew there were other lands, but I didn’t know it was possible to reach them with magic. Travel between them was rare. I don’t think we’ve had anyone from the other lands come to our continent in at least four or fivedecades.
“I don’t open portals to those places often—and usually it is only at the behest of the Council,” Evariste continued. “But because of the nature of my magic, I tend to attract…visitors.”
Heaven save me. If he’s constantly playing diplomat to foreign powers, I am going to get us accidentally killed, I just know it.Angelique had to stiffen her spine to keep from sucking her head into hershoulders.
“Like this fellow, for instance.” Evariste stepped into the unlit fireplace, stuck his head up the empty chimney, and grabbedsomething.
When he emerged, not a speck of soot dirtied his blonde hair or his clothes, and he held out a beautiful crimson red bird that was approximately the size of acabbage.
The bird arched its long, graceful neck. Its tail feathers seemed excessively long given its small stature, but it made a pretty crooning noise as it settled on Evariste’shand.
“Is that a-aphoenix?” Angeliquestammered.
“Indeed, it is. A young one—that’s why he is quite small for one of his kind.” Evariste extended his arm so Angelique could get a betterlook.
Under her attention, the phoenix sang a little trill and half extended his wings, which burst into tiny flickering flames. The fire did not burn the bird, even as it crawled across his back and down his tailfeathers.
“I’m not sure if they can smell the other realms on me or just sense it, but I usually have a few visitors in my house, and if there are any in the lands I travel through, they come find me,” Evariste continued. “They’re quite useful—they can give me power to boost a spell, among otherthings.”
“That is quite a delightful side-effect,” Angelique said, careful to keep her intonationpleasant.
She’d never be so greedy as to want Evariste’s rare magic, but seeing thisdidfeel a bit like a slug to her gut.There’s no positive or unexpected benefits to wielding weapons besides killing. If only I hadany othertype ofmagic!
“Do you want to hold him?” Evariste asked after several moments of silence. “His flames won’t burn you—not when they’re this color,anyway.”
“Yes, please!” Angelique almost wiggled in place withexcitement.
“Hold out yourhand.”
