She’d never believe him. She’d never forgive him. She’d view him with suspicion again, the same way she looked at all other mages, because in acting on his feelings, she would carry the burden. She’d be the one the Council punished. And he’d lose what relationship he’d managed to forge with her, and he’d be alone.Again.
Didn’t that get darkfast?
His smile transformed into a frown, but he’d use the moment as amotivator.
With his eyes shut, Evariste again mentally plunged into the internal well from which his magicflowed.
The numb, sinking feeling of the curse greeted him instead. Despite the numb feeling, Evariste tried to pull on hispower.
Though he had tried for hours and days before, he tested it again and again, never givingup.
If even a drop of my magic could seep through a crack in the spell, I could escape.He had hopes that if he just kept pulling, maybe the spell wouldweaken.
So he kept pulling until the numb feeling sank through his entire body, and he almost choked as he finally let go and took in several heaving gulps ofair.
Nothing.Again.
He groaned and threw his arms wide.Why hasn’t the Veneno Conclave been able to find me? It’s been solong…
Evariste heard footsteps echo outside the mirrorsurface.
He cracked his eyes open and, staying on the ground—or rather what he thought of as the ground—slithered his way over to the mirror, keeping himself as flat aspossible.
Liliane—in a dress of pale purple—smiled adoringly at her son as he carried a white canvas and an easel. “Thank you, Acri. If you’d set it up righthere.”
Acri did as he was told, his expression lacking the warmth of his mother’s, though he didn’t seem irritated. “Will this chamber be largeenough?”
“Yes, unfortunately. The Marquise of Carabas killed most of the goblins before I even knew what happened. I won’t be summoning many, for there weren’t many who escaped. But it cannot be helped.” Liliane sighed and waited for Acri to pull a stool from the wall for her and set it in front of the canvas. “After so many years of being left alone, we assumed Carabas was permanently taken, even if the ogre was not strictly one of ours. But it matters not. Our plan for Arcainia is already inmotion.”
Evariste frowned and squinted into theroom.
It was plain, empty, and dark. (They’d taken him out of what he suspected was a treasure room several weeks ago when he’d startled Suzu one evening by abruptly roaring so she dropped a glass artifact, which shattered. The satisfaction over that had been rather short-lived, given that now besides the grayness of the mirror, the only thing he could look at was the blackness of the empty cavechamber.)
Acri adjusted the two torches posted on either side of the cavern entrance. “I’ll go prepare,” hesaid.
“Yes, do, please. Thank you, dear!” Liliane called after herson.
Acri nodded, then disappeared through the darkeneddoorway.
Evariste watched as Liliane set up what looked like dabs of paint and began painting thecanvas.
What is she painting in this empty room?Evariste narrowed his eyes and saw the mint-green flicker of her magic as she started to make the black outline of what resembled agoblin.
As it had become his policy to be as annoying as possible to his captors, Evariste silently swiveled so his feet were closest to the mirror. He lined himself up, then waited just until Liliane started to make another mark on the canvas andkicked.
Though the glass held, the frame rattled and made a loudthud.
Liliane jumped mid-stroke, her paintbrush making an unsightly streak. She sighed at her canvas. “I see you are still as lively as ever, EnchanterEvariste.”
Evariste stood and brushed off his clothes, then leaned against the glassy surface. “What are youdoing?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” Liliane brightly said. “I’m using my coremagic.”
Core magic…that implies she’s stronger than a regular mage and is on the level of anenchantress.
“You’ve been captured for almost a year now, you know.” Liliane spoke conversationally, as if they were holding a discussion overtea.
Evariste rubbed his face. “I thought you said it was your policy to behonest.”
