“Yes,Master.”
* * *
When Evariste mentioned a new dress…Ipictured a sensible gown, not a piece of art.Angelique wondered if she dared to shift her weight as she waited for Evariste—who was fussing in bidding a small water dragon farewell as he closed up thehouse.
Her new “dress”—if it could be called that—featured enough layers of silk and satin to provide for at least three of her old schooldresses.
It was snow white, though the top layer of fabric was a transparent layer of pinkish gauze that settled over her skirts and the short sleeves of her arms. The dress wassoftand almost cloud-like in the comfy way it wrapped aroundher.
She wore her silver bracelet from Evariste, but he had also given her a silver necklace with a pink gem and elaborate, pink satinshoes.
A woven strand of flowers stretched across her forehead like a tiara, and Angelique tried to hide a scowl as a butterfly passed by her.I feelridiculous.
In school, she had mostly dealt with spears, sabers, and arrows. Now she was wearing…flowers?
Granted, most enchanters and enchantresses were swell dressers. But Angelique had never seen anapprenticeso well dressed before. Even just guessing at the cost made her feel ill. If she ever damagedit…
She pressed her lips together and brushed imaginary dirt off asleeve.
I’m not sure if I’m more disgruntled about the cost of this getup or the fact that it actually feels comfortable despite the puffyskirts.
“Angelique.” Evariste strode across the brick bridge and joined her in the front yard. “Judging by your expression, it seems that I failed to mention all of your new clothes are spelled for comfort. They also are resistant to tears anddirt.”
Angelique brightened. “Really?”
Evariste chuckled slightly and adjusted her flower tiara. “Exactly so, my diligent student. I cast enchantments—or have a craft mage do so on my behalf—on all my clothes. With my propensity to attract little friends, I’ve found it’s the sensible thing to do. Naturally, I will do the same to yourclothes.”
“Thank you, Master Evariste,” Angelique said with realrelief.
Evariste nodded. “Of course. Besides, as enchanters it is our duty to be among the people and help them. To worry about our clothes at such a time would be silly. Are youready?”
“Yes. Can I hold your satchel for you?” Angeliqueasked.
Evariste shook his head. “It’s no trouble. It only has our clothes, and it’s spelled so it’s not heavy atall.”
Although Angelique nodded, she couldn’t help the pesky feeling that her apprenticeship with Evariste wasverydifferent from what a usual enchanter or enchantress-in-training would encounter—and that wasn’t just because most mages, enchanter or otherwise, did not call the Elf King of Alabaster Forest theirfriend.
“It will only take me a moment to create the portal,” Evariste explained as he rolled up the sleeves of his snugly fitting jacket—a creation of dark blue cloth with decorative white feathers sewn on its sleeves. “I most often travel back and forth between my home and the Veneno Conclave, but the Alabaster Forest is the place I travel to most often after that, to seeEmerys.”
Evariste turned away from Angelique and—as he had for the portal he had made from the Conclave to his house—murmured a few words under his breath. This time, however, he made a beckoning motion, as if urging something to comecloser.
As his blue magic swirled, thickening the air with his power, trees—saplings, really, that only looked a few years old—sprouted up from the ground, bearing fragrant white buds and dark greenleaves.
The trees’ lower branches intertwined, and white fire blazed between their trunks, shooting up to thebranches.
Evariste’s blue magic encircled the door, and the white fire flickered, then faded, leaving behind a portal that led to another forest—though even through the doorway Angelique could see how the trees stretched much higher and were far larger. Many of them seemed to sport leaves nearly the size of herhead.
Evariste smiled as he held his arm out in front of him. “After you,Apprentice.”
Angelique smiled shakily, then stepped into the portal. The strange sensation of thick water embraced her for a moment until she popped out on the otherside.
There she felt a different sort of magic—a zingy, strong flavor of power that could only belong to theelves.
“Alabaster Forest,” Evariste said as he joined her on the other side of the portal. “Out of respect, I never walk directly into their lands through a portal and instead set it up just outside the border of their woods. But it will only be a short walk to Sideralis—the city of theelves.”
Evariste collapsed the portal with a meaningful nod in its direction, then strode through the trees. “Come, Apprentice,” he called over his shoulder. “If we hurry, we’ll make it forlunch.”
Angelique started after him, then paused when the feeling of elf magic thickened. “Is it really all right to go walking in?” She dug a slipper into a bit of moss. “I thought they required escorts for any humans entering AlabasterForest.”
