“This is why the Council thinks you’re dangerous, youknow.”
“I beg your pardon?” Angelique barely kept the squeak of surprise out of hervoice.
Melody gestured back to the palace. “You’re not wrong about King Torgen, but there are things we can and cannot do as mages. You insist on working outside those boundaries—something the rest of us cannot afford todo.”
“Everymage can afford to help those who need it,” Angelique fiercelysaid.
“We have a duty to protect everyone from dark magic,” Melody said. “But we cannot recklessly aid royalty as you have, or soon they will begin thinking of us as allies, andwewill be pulled into a power struggle, too. And that would be ourend.”
“If we stop helping people,thatwill be ourend.”
Melody merely shook her head. “I will inform the Veneno Conclave of the events oftoday.”
Angelique shrugged. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, and I have nothing to hide,either.”
“Yes, perhaps.” Melody narrowed her eyes. “Where will you gonext?”
I can’t tell her I plan to break into Zancara—that would make even the calmest mage flip a table. But I need a reason to be there if other mages happen to find me.“I’m going to Kozlovka,” Angelique vaguely said. “Perhaps I’ll swing down into Farset to see if there is any news of theelves.”
Melody’s gaze softened minutely. “You continue to search for Lord EnchanterEvariste?”
“Er, you have heard that Iam?”
“Rumor has it that youare.”
I don’t want to admit to it—because it will make everyone fussy given that there’s an official committee that’s supposed to find him—but what other believable response is there? Though I suppose it’s better they think I’m obsessed with finding Evariste than cavorting with Prince Severin and Princess Elle in an effort to track this widespread enemy we’reencountering.
“I do use the occasional tracking spell to search for him during my travels.” Inspiration struck, and Angelique added, “I was hoping to set one off near Zancara—I’m curious to see if the wall affects the spell atall.”
Melody nodded slowly, her eyes sweeping up and down Angelique. “I don’t like you,” she said bluntly. “And I don’t believe you should be allowed to keep your magic. But I wish you luck on your search for Evariste all thesame.”
“…Thank you?” Angelique was more than a little confused what the expected response would be. (She had received far more scorn from other mages before, so being told to her face she was disliked was hardly anything new. But the well wisheswere.)
Angelique watched Melody retreat back into the darkness. She slightly shook her head in disbelief before tottering over to the fabric tent flap. She shoved it aside and slipped into Stil’sparlor.
She was immensely relieved to find that Gemma and Stil were seated on a settee together—snuggled up like sleepy kittens—but they werenot, thankfully, in the process ofkissing.
“Good evening,” Angeliquesaid.
The strange white dog was sitting at Gemma’s feet, but at Angelique’s entrance, it stood up, stretched, then trotted over to her, making a sniffing inspection of herskirts.
Stil didn’t move from the settee and gave Angelique the cockiest and most smug smile she had ever seen. Gemma, on the other hand, blushed bright red when Angelique wriggled her eyebrows at thepair.
“I’m glad to see I haven’t stumbled onto anything untoward,” Angelique laughed. “It seems as though congratulations are inorder?”
A slight smile transformed Gemma’s usually grave expression into something warm and light. “Itseems.”
“It seems? Itseems?” Stil scoffed. “We have exchanged confessions of love—the world is nowperfect!”
“You overly estimate the weight of our relationship on the destiny of the world,” Gemmasaid.
Angelique chuckled and drifted farther into the room. “I’m glad you two reached an understanding. Truly, all my well wishes and congratulations areyours.”
Stil’s eyes practically glowed with happiness as he and Gemma stood. “Thank you,Angelique.”
Angelique hugged them both—first Stil, thenGemma.
The seamstress’ face was a soft shade of pink, but she surprised Angelique by squeezing her tightly during theirembrace.
