Her magic sang like a blade slicing through the air, and Angelique cracked an eye open to peer at the bracelet. The mist surrounding it had become more of a cloud, and some of the magic of the spell now flowed around the bracelet, circling itendlessly.
Her magic powering the spell sputtered for a moment, then roared back to life, pushingthrough.
Angelique again shut her eyes, concentrating on herspell.
It wassupposedto give her a mental image of where Evariste was, but there was onlygray.
Angelique scowled—shefeltthe spell still running its course…so what was the problem? Had it not yet reachedEvariste?
“What a hack of a spell,” Angelique grumbled to herself. “I’ve wasted how many hours on this blasted thing? That’s it: I’m setting this book onfireif this doesn’twork!”
She pursed her lips but still felt onlyemptiness.
Until…
* * *
Evariste trod back and forth,pacing in front of the glass of the mirror as he tried not to go mad. He stretched his arms above his head, then paused when he heard ashout.
“What isthat?”
“Stop it! Don’t let it getthrough!”
Curious, Evariste peered down the hallway. A silvery spell charged into the chamber. The script used to construct it churned for a second before it veered in Evariste’s direction and struck themirror.
Even with his powers walled off, Evariste would have recognized the cool and unfathomable depth of thismagic.
His ears rang, and his heart nearly burst out of hischest.
It’s her. But how? This isn’t a spell I know. Is it atrap?
For a moment, Evariste’s color-starved mind staggered. He had been double-guessing every bit of information Liliane and her cronies deigned to feed him; he could hardly believe this wasreal.
He took a shuddering breath and cautiously pressed his palm at the spot where the spell was attempting to push through themirror.
“Angelique?”
* * *
Angelique cautiously opened her eyes,but the workshop was still. The bracelet was growing even brighter, but that wouldn’t have made a voice in her head.But that was Evariste’s voice. I heard it as clearly as if he were standing next tome.
She felt for the spell and tugged on it. It whirled, but it didn’t feel like it wasmovingany more, even though it was still consuming power, gnawing at what she had drawn on for thespell.
“What’s happening?” shemurmured.
* * *
Hope beat painfullyin Evariste’s heart as he stared at the spell. She had reached him—Angelique had foundhim!
She’d make sure the Conclave came for him, and he’d leave this terriblegrayness!
Acri sprinted into the room, black daggers in hand. “It’s here for Evariste!” he shouted. “It’s still active—can we traceit?”
Evariste ignored the dark-haired spawn and pressed harder against the glass, as if he could forcibly push his hand through the mirror so he could touch the spell and tell Angelique hislocation.
Suzu swirled into the room, Funus on her heels. “Do it!” Suzu snapped. “Whatever mage is strong enough to get through needs to be takenout!”
Evariste’s world froze for a moment.No.
