She sighed and considered her magic some more.I really can’t see where I went wrong. Maybe I should release it and see whathappens?
Another moment of table drumming, and she nodded.Yes. Let’s try it. The library is spelled against damage anyway. It should befine.
Angelique studied her magic, took a breath, and spoke the releaseword.
Her magic glowed fiercely, the symbols in it starting tomove.
It’sworking!
The spell slowly crawled forward, then abruptly shot in herdirection.
It collided with her, zapping her with a surge of power that sent her tumbling to the floor. She hit her elbow on a chair on the way down and smacked the floor with athump.
“Ow!” She scowled as she stood up, glaring at the wisps of her magic that floated around her. “That hurt.” She got back on her feet and brushed her dress off, then studied the book again.Though at least now I have a hunch where I went wrong—ah-hah!
Angelique exhaled a wheezing breath and hunched over the table. “Of course! I reversed the sender and searcher positions. I should have put myself on this end and Evariste here, but instead, I tried to fill the spell out as if Evariste was searching for me. That was thefirst partof the wholespell!”
She groaned but straightened and suspiciously swiveled when she heard a door open. There were footsteps, so Angelique darted behind a bookshelf—abandoning the book on the table—and watched through narrowedeyes.
“Lady Enchantress?” Severin called in his easily recognizable voice—for it was rather deep and still a bitgrowly.
Angelique fitted her mask of elegance on her face as she minced out from behind the shelf. “Prince Severin, it is good to see you again.” She smiled at the tall prince, though her gaze drifted to the young lady walking arm-in-arm with him. “And you must beElle.”
Elle was a beautiful girl—not in the classical sense or the breathtaking way Puss’s Gabrielle was, but rather the way fire wasbeautiful.
Her ink-black hair was soft and shiny, her eyes bright, but her smile was big and had more than a hint of mischief. With her expressive face and eyes that seemed like they didn’t miss much, Angelique could see how the girl was a good match for the taciturn prince. She’d force color and humor into hislife.
“And you are Lady Enchantress Angelique,” Elle said. “I have heard much about you fromOliver.”
Angelique chuckled. “Evidently, however, he failed to tell you I am only an Enchantress-in-Training. Regardless, I am glad I finally have this opportunity to meet you, Elle, and I am happy to see you are in goodhealth.”
“Thank you for bringing Oliver back here, to Noyers,” Elle said, “and for explaining the curse to Severinagain.”
Angelique winced as guilt pricked her conscious. “Yes, I fear it was my incompetence that started the misunderstanding. I apologize—I did not mean to cause so muchpain.”
Elle snorted. “Nonsense. Severin is the commanding general—he should have asked for a clearer description. Besides, you saved his life—something no one else could havedone.”
Severin nodded gravely. “I rather agree with Elle. You should not blame yourself, Enchantress Angelique. Without you, I fear I wouldn’t be heretoday.”
Angelique’s smile returned. “I am glad I happened to be on-hand tohelp.”
“Yes, I imagine it was particularly good fortune, as it likely took a lot of power to modify such a spell,” Ellesaid
“It would require a mage to possess either a certain type of rare magic or an enchanter or enchantress with the power to weave his or her powers into different magic, yes,” Angelique said.Elle is a sharp girl. I can see why she worked as a Ranger—but for Severin to love her, I suppose she’d have to be incrediblyclever.
Elle disengaged her arm from Severin’s so she could clasp her hands together. “I wanted to ask you: arealltraces of Severin’s curse trulygone?”
“There is nothing to fear, Elle. His curse has been completely destroyed,” Angelique assuredher.
She expected Elle to brighten or perhaps smile, but strangely, she sighed, and her shoulders drooped a little. “Oh, I see…” Her grin was back and just as mischievous as ever when she winked at Angelique. “I was rather hoping it wasn’tcompletelygone because I really miss his cat ears, youknow?”
Severin groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Elle…”
“I don’t suppose you could give those back to him?” Elle rushed tosay.
“ELLE!” Severinroared.
Elle was not at all intimidated; instead, she chortled and unapologetically clapped her hands in glee. She wriggled her eyebrows at the prince, then fake-whispered to Angelique, “I wasgravelydisappointed that when he was cursed, he didn’t have atail.”
