“I assume you’re talking about your traveling companion? A beautifulgirl—”
“Yes, where is she?” Roland tried to claw his way into a standing position, but Angelique firmly held himdown.
“I left her in the village of Jagst. She’s fine—she was more concerned about you. You were horribly injured. I had to ride north to Mullberg to get out of the no-magic zone of Arcainia so I could heal you.” Angelique tickled Roland under his chin, making himrelax.
“Gabrielle was uninjured?” he asked, his voice soft and so very un-Roland-like in itsworry.
What has happened to him since he left our home?Angelique smiled. “She looked a little rough but was uninjured as far as I couldtell.”
Roland nodded once, then looked up at her again. “…Angelique?” herepeated.
She smiled. “Hello, old friend. How are you feeling?” She nudged her magic, doing a final check for any injuries or bruising she might havemissed.
Roland purred as he leaned into her hand. “Stiff, but otherwise acceptable. I’m glad to seeyou.”
“And I, you. I tried looking for you. I used a magic mirror and saw you made it to Baris, but I couldn’t find you after that.” Finished with her healing magic, Angelique let her hand fall to herlap.
Roland stood so he could stretch, then turned around once and settled down again, nestling against her stomach. “You’realone.”
“Yes,” Angelique saidquietly.
“So the blackguards really took Evariste, did they?” heasked.
Angelique cleared her throat and tried to ignore the stinging sensation of tears in her eyes. “I was hoping you might be able to tellme.”
Roland sighed. “I’m afraid I don’t know much. I saw Enchanter Evariste push you through the gateway to Verglas. After he shut it, they jumped him. The magic that hit him after he got you through—whatever it was, it was bad. It pained him so much he wasn’t able to fight back.” He hesitated. “I tried to help him. I clawed the face of one of the black mages, but he threw me into a wall, and I fell unconscious. I’msorry.”
Angelique shut her eyes in disappointment.So, I still have no new leads, no new clues to track down.She pressed her lips together.But Roland is alive. He’s my friend, and he made it through the encounter. I am so very thankful forthat.
She glanced down at the cat, who was studiously peering at his white paws. The angle of his black ears spoke of misery—he wasn’t even sinking his dratted claws into herdress.
It was obvious that he felt he had failed her—andEvariste.
I might be disappointed, but none of this is Roland’sfault.
Angelique carefully slipped her hands under Roland’s belly and picked him up. She held him against her chest and waited for him to look up at her with his bright eyes. “Thank you, Roland, for trying to help him. Thank you for risking yourself on our behalf. But I am so happy to find you well and alive. When I came home and couldn’t findyou…”
“When I woke up, I waited in the house for several days,” Roland said. “I hid in your bedroom before I finally decided I should leave and try to find help—see if I could encounter a mage orsomething.”
Angelique adjusted her hold on him. “How did you end up inArcainia?”
“I meant to gradually travel north, to the Veneno Conclave,” Puss said. “I hoped and thought it was likely that I would encounter a mage along the way.” He flicked his tail in irritation. “Unfortunately, I found not a single magic user. By the time I reached Loire, though, it felt as though I was beingfollowed.”
Angelique frowned. “By who—orwhat?”
Roland licked a paw and violently scrubbed at his face. “I’m not sure. It was just a feeling. But it was why I stayed in the border town where Gabrielle is from for some weeks instead of continuing north to Mullberg. I was trying to see if my hunch was correct.” He sighed. “I never did confirm it. As much as I am loathe to admit it, it is possible I was overly paranoid after experiencing the attack upon you andEvariste.”
“Perhaps.” Angelique was not so quick to brush off his suspicions.If the mages were initially unaware of what he truly was, they might have sent someone after him with the intension of cleaning up looseends.
Puss growled low in his throat. “I should have gone to Sole to track down that fire mage and war mage you and Evariste sent to guard Princess Rosalinda. They would have at least recognized me and freed me from thatwretchedcollar.”
Angelique winced. “I apologize for putting it onyou.”
“You should,” Roland sniffed. “Do you have any idea howterribleit is to be mistaken for a normal cat? Why, when Gabrielle first met me, shemanhandledme and inspected my backside!Inexcusable!”
Angelique couldn’t help the snort that broke through the cloud of hermisery.
Roland glared up at her with narrowed eyes. “Did you justlaugh?”
