“Goodbye—and…well,” Angelique finished lamely when he ducked through the portal. It closed seconds later, leaving Angeliquealone.
“That went terribly,” she said reflectively. “Maybe next time I should just add insult to injury and tell him I think he’s a maniac for agreeing to take me on as an apprentice.” She shook her head as she ambled back towards the house. “I made a mistake. Instead of trying to be the sweet sort of enchantress everyone seems to expect, I should have cursed myself and sealed myvoice!”
* * *
Evariste stalkedthrough the halls of Luxi-Domus, his icy rage slipping through the cracks of hiscontrol.
She was scared to use her coremagic.
Angelique, whose valor was bone deep, was terrified to let even a wisp of her war magicloose.
It was one thing to be reluctant after she had accidentally hurt Evariste when they fought the troll near Alabaster Forest. But that single incident could not make her hate her magic so passionately. That incident could not make her want to divorce something that was so deeply a part ofher.
I knew she was handled roughly at the Academy. I did not know they did their best to ruinher!
Evariste found the office he was looking for and flung the door open. It hit something with an ominous crunch, but he ignored it and prowledinside.
Madam Quarrellous sat behind her desk. She blinked owlishly at his entrance. “Lord Enchanter Evariste,” she said. “What a pleasantsurprise—”
Evariste set his hands on her desk and leaned in. He let little sparks of his magic slip his control so they glittered around him—small reminders of how powerful he was. “Whatdid you do to her?” hegrowled.
Quarrellous sank down in her seat. “I’m a-afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said in a squeakyvoice.
“Angelique.” His smile was of ice and rage, and he was pleased when Quarrellous gulped.Good. She should be afraid, after all she has done.“You have made her terrified of her own magic—not reluctant to use it, not wary, but petrified and hating that part ofherself.”
“W-with her core magic, sheshouldbe reserved in using it,” Quarrelloussaid.
“She is not reserved; she is panicked at the verythoughtof touching it!” Evariste shouted, his voice filling the tiny office, making the teacher cringe. “Why would you do that to her? Any idiot can see she’snevergoing to go rogue. She might be sly, but she would die before she let her soul turnblack.”
Quarrellous swallowed. “Herpower.”
Evariste glared at her.If I didn’t think Angel would somehow get the blame, I would freeze Quarrellous in an ice block right now.“Whocaresif she’s the first War Mage to make Enchantress ever? We should be in awe that sheexists!”
“She’s a danger!” Quarrellousinsisted.
Evariste snarled and considered building a gate to Verglas so he could kick her through and watch her blunder about in the Snow Queen’s domain for abit.
The instructor must have realized that her argument was not particularly convincing, for she added in a panicked voice, “The Headmaster told me himself! At first I was like you—intrigued by the girl and the depth of her powers. But after the results of her tests came back, and it was discovered she was capable of making enchantress, the Headmaster himself pulled me to his office and told me to be extra diligent withAngelique.”
The Headmaster?Evariste’s glare lessened to a frown as he recalled the headmaster—a portly, jolly fellow with a deep laugh and a penchant for books.Why would the Headmaster say such athing?
“What else did he say?” Evaristeasked.
“He and several other instructors said we had to be cautious because she might hurt someone. Because she would have power over life and death, and there would be very few who could stop her should she ever falter from the path of good,” Quarrellous continued. “He asked that I keep a careful watch ofher.”
Evariste rubbed his eyes. “And none of you stopped tothinkwhat the constant disapproval might do toher?”
“The Headmaster had good intensions,” Quarrellousargued.
“Yes, and now my apprentice is a stunted shadow of what sheshouldbe because of his ‘good intentions,’” Evaristesnarled.
Quarrellous’ lower lip trembled,briefly.
Enough scaring her. She named the Headmaster, and it doesn’t seem she would have done this without hisinstruction.
Evariste again leaned across the desk, making sure he loomed over her. “I never want to see you near my student again,” he growled. “If the Council requests another in-person report, you hadbettermake certain you are not sent. I don’t want you talking to her again, and if youevercome to my home, I will escort you through a portal that will drop you in the middle of the Baris desert. Do youunderstand?”
“Yes,” Quarrelloussqueaked.
