“All mages are thoroughly schooled in it—though we lost many of our records of her when the Veneno Conclave Library burned down long ago,” Angeliquesaid.
Elle waved to the soldiers—who bowed in return—and led the way to a delicate glass door. “Lucien read that journal Stil brought back from Verglas. It describes the Chosen and how they were united under a magic user named Tenebris Malus—although then they called themselves the Allegiance of the Chosen. Those with magic were badly persecuted back then, so he promised his followers safety—and that they would conquer a country to call their own, which would be a place where no one could hurtthem.”
Severin held the door open, allowing Elle and Angelique inside first. “In reality, he was using them to target and attack Verglas,” he said. “An evil and powerful mirror was hidden in the mountains of northern Verglas for centuries before Tenebris walked the earth. He meant to find it and use it to take over the continent and destroy those who had nomagic.”
Angelique glanced at their new location—a salon bedecked in gold. There was gold molding on the windows, gold-gilded frames containing paintings of horses, gold damask wallpaper, an ornate harpsichord, and a giant gold harp that was almost as tall as Elle. (Strung behind the large harp were a number of small lap harps—equally as golden, beautiful, and expensive. Angelique would bet Elle had a hand in arranging the harps, for the way they were spaced made them look rather like a mother goose with her goslings trailing behindher.)
“This room is…” Angelique hesitated, trying to find a nice way to phraseit.
“Lucien’s work.” Elle rolled her eyes and plopped down in a chaise lounge, draping her legs and skirts over the elongated loungechair.
“I see.” Angelique took a seat in a padded armchair (gold cushions, of course) that was so wide, it could have seated two people. “But to continue our conversation, the mirror is mentioned in academic research,” she confirmed. “Particularly that the Snow Queen practically dropped a mountain on it, forever sealing it from the clutches ofevil.”
“The book confirms those details,” Severin said. “But given that the Chosen are still alive—and actively seeking destruction—we’ve decided to make it a priority to confirm that the mirror is still in northernVerglas.”
Angelique shifted, trying to find a spot in the cushion of the armchair so she didn’t sag on one side. “It would have to be,” she said. “The Snow Queen’s magic covers the mountains. There’s no possible way for the Chosen to reach it. The magic would stop them—or possibly killthem.”
“I would have said it wasn’t possible for them to kidnap a Lord Enchanter widely heralded as a genius,” Severin grimly said, “but they have done exactlythat.”
Angelique stiffened, her posture turning unnaturallystraight.
Elle frowned and shook her head at her husband, then turned her attention back to Angelique. “Queen Linnea is preparing a search party to enter the mountains. She has requested aid of the magical sort—specificallyyours.”
“Because she knows I’m a pushover?” Angelique flatly asked, her browarched.
“Because shetrustsyou,” Severin said. “You helped Stil save Gemma—whom the queen considers her dearest friend. Moreover, she said she admired that you were the only mage to volunteer to go toKozlovka.”
Angelique leaned back in her chair and inhaled deeply. “I can’t keep going at this pace,” she said finally. “I know you are asking for the good of the continent, but Icannotkeep this up muchlonger.”
“I know we have asked much of you, Angelique,” Severin said. “I dearly wish it was not so. But the Chosen is our enemy. We cannot afford to let news of our suspicions leak, and you are the mage whom we trustmost.”
Angelique closed her eyes.My whole life, I’ve wanted to be found trustworthy despite my magic. I’ve worked toward this since I was an apprentice, and I’ve gotten here because of all that Evariste taught me. And if I don’t agree to it…who will help? Odile needs Sybilla. Clovicus might be able to help, but he hasn’t spoken with Severin, much less Queen Linnea.She let her shoulders droop minutely.This is what I wanted. Though I do wish I knew in advance how tiring it would be. I would have made it a point to sleep more as astudent.
She sighed. “Queen Linnea’s request is a logical one. I don’t know that they would be able to get far into the northern mountains without a weather mage or an enchantress orenchanter.”
“Then you’ll go?” Elleasked.
“I’ll go,” Angeliqueconfirmed.
“You don’t have to go alone,” Severin said. “If there is someone you want to accompany you, we trust whomever you deem worthy ofit.”
Angelique nodded. “In that case, I’d like to inform Enchanter Clovicus, given that Sybilla will be unavailable and must remain in Kozlovka with Odile. I’ll request that he send several trustworthy weather mages to Verglas for the occasion.”Maybe Blanche and Rein would be willing to help again. They’re Master Weather Mages, and certainly capable.She paused, thinking.But perhaps I could save myself some time…“Though there is a team of…people…I would like to request support from. I’ll need funds to pay them,though.”
“Of course,” Elle said. “We’ll provide whatever you need. It is the least we cando.”
Severin scratched his chin. “We should have been providing funds to you before this, given all you have done on ourbehalf.”
“Thank you.” Angelique kept her expression open and innocent. (There was no way she was going to tell Severin she was planning to hire smugglers. She wasn’t sureanyonewould support the idea, but with their swan forms, the Black Swan Smugglers would easily be able to scout ahead and perform flyovers, giving them another set of eyes on what practically amounted to a goosechase.)
“I wish I could go as well.” Severin frowned deeply. “But wemustattend the wedding in Ringsted so we can keep our alliesinformed.”
Elle nodded. “We were supposed to have left already, but we needed to prioritize speaking withyou.”
“The expedition likely won’t be ready to enter the mountains until closer to mid-summer,” Severin continued. “But after the wedding, I am sailing to Erlauf to organize the troops I’m sending there to support Colonel Friedrich, and to witness some of the goblin activity to help me construct a newstrategy.”
“King Toril and Queen Linnea won’t be attending the wedding so they may oversee the preparations for the expedition,” Elle said. “But we’re trying to move as carefully as possible. We don’t want to tip off the Chosen that we’re onto them, and if they’re as enmeshed in society as they seem to be, we need to give every possible appearance ofnormalcy.”
“If they don’t intend to enter the mountains for some weeks, I assume that would mean my presence is not immediately required?” Angeliqueasked.
