Evariste offered another bow of his head. “Take care, Your Majesty. We’ll be intouch.”
King Solon nodded, then ambled over to a stack of scrolls as Evariste and Angelique went back down the path they had comefrom.
“It seems you’ll be getting an eyeful of Fillia, Angel,” Evariste said in a happy tone, as if this was a welcome excursion and not direnews.
“Yes,” Angelique agreed. “I hope we can find what weneed.”
* * *
Evariste rentedrooms for them at The Sesame Seed Inn, but it wasn’t until the following morning that Angelique got her first good look at Fillia and its famousmarketplaces.
“According to the reports, they had a stall in Lampros Marketplace, which they used to re-route potential customers to a basement shop,” Angelique reported—having carefully poured over the papers the nightbefore.
“We’ll head to Lampros Market, then,” Evariste said. “But along the way, we’ll conduct a bit of a cultural lesson—orreview.”
“Very well.” Angelique handed the scroll off to Evariste, then fell into step with him when he started down astreet.
“Baris is a mixing pot of sorts—with Fillia in particular serving as the epicenter,” Evariste began. “Baris has its own unique culture, but it’s one of the most open countries in our continent, so you’ll see echoes of Ringsted, Torrens, every country on our Continent, really,andour island country neighbors, and perhaps even occasional glimpses of countries beyond. Its long coastline is partially responsible for themixture.”
Angelique nodded as she tried to process all the bright colors and foreign smells at once. Birds crowed, and goats baaed as they passed by a store that only sold olive oil—from the olive groves planted at thecoast.
Evariste grinned at Angelique and said leadingly, “And towardsmagic…?”
“Baris has historically had the most welcoming attitude—until the Snow Queen founded the early predecessor of the Veneno Conclave in Verglas,” Angelique dutifully recited. “Before the Snow Queen, it was theonlycountry in which those with magic were not persecuted or disdained or sold asslaves.”
“Precisely,” Evariste agreed. “Though the Veneno Conclave is now the cradle of magic so to speak, you’ll find lots of charms, artifacts, and books on magic for sale inBaris.”
“Is that why I can feel magic?” Angeliqueasked.
Since they had stepped outside, she kept feeling faint brushes of magic. Sometimes it was cold and icy, other times warm and welcoming, and occasionally zingy and electrifying. But there were so many whiffs and hints of it, she couldn’t track it to any single spot—particularly when combined with all the new sights andsmells.
“Yes,” Evariste agreed. “There is latent magic all over Baris—butespeciallyinFillia.”
Angelique nodded.I guess this is a hint that I should be working more on my magic sensitivity. I’ve always been rotten at it, but with so many magic sensations, it dampens my awareness and is a bitoverwhelming.
“Unfortunately, all that magic can make a perfect screen for black and rogue magic users. Their magic would stick out like a sore thumb in other countries, but they can hide their magical signature—so to speak—more easily in Baris,” Evaristeexplained.
“Do you think that is why the black mages tried to set up shophere?”
Evariste smiled wryly. “I think they were mistaken in thinking they could. Though magic is embraced in Baris, onlygoodmagic is accepted. Anyone who uses magic for dark purposes in Baris would likely never be seenagain.”
“Well, that’s…comforting?” Angeliquesaid.
Evariste grinned and gently tugged Angelique out of the path of a prancing chestnut horse and its rider. “Thisway.”
They threaded through an enclosed alleyway that was crammed with stalls. Its roof was arched and painted a mustard yellow with dark blue tiles and paints creating swirlingpatterns.
“Governmentally speaking, there isn’t another country like Baris,” Evariste continued as they passed a stall draped with paper lanterns. “King Solon is the ruler, but his brothers and sisters each rule over the largest cities in Baris—for the most part—and are considered sovereigns there, though they pledge their loyalty to Solon, who is considered the King of princes, so tospeak.”
They exited the alleyway, emerging by an aqua blue pool—one of the oases the city was builtaround.
Angelique admired the beautiful color of the water as Evariste frowned and looked behind him. “Is something wrong, Master Evariste?” sheasked.
“I don’t know.” Evariste frowned slightly. “I thought I felt something. But it seems I waswrong.”
He walked parallel with the water, and Angelique trailed behindhim.
She lurched to a stop, however, when her magic abruptly roared to life. It almost slipped from her grasp, and in that moment, she felt a foreign magic slither past. Though Angelique could not pinpoint its location, she felt the foreign magic’s deep thirst forblood.
