“Erm.” Angelique didn’t quite know what to say to that, so she chose to avoid it entirely. “He gave me a bundle of invitations. I was hoping you might help me decide whom to invite…and thatyouwould be willing to send theinvitations.”
Sybilla peeled her gaze from the pair of degenerates. “You’re afraid no one would come if you sent the invite,” she said, seeing straight through Angelique asusual.
Angelique pressed her lips together and slowlynodded.
Sybilla sighed. “Some days I have half a mind to track down your instructors and give them a good thump for the anguish they have inflicted on you. But I suppose, when you do come into your own, you are going to be a force to reckonwith.”
Angelique blinked. “Is that a yes or ano?”
“Oh, I’ll help you, indeed,” Sybilla returned her gaze to the traders. “The magical community has let you carry the bulk of this burden for far too long. Yes, I know a good number of mages we can invite whowillbe interested in helping—and will act on it, too.” The older woman abruptly stiffened. “I think this isit.”
Angelique peered through the bush and saw the man and woman make an exchange. The woman handed over a pouch to the man. He opened it, and there was the faint twinkle of gleaming gold in the last few rays of the sun—the magiclamp.
He passed a satchel to the woman, who crouched down and twitched the flapopen.
Angelique only briefly saw the coins mounded in the satchel before the woman nodded andstood.
“That was the exchange, and so here we go!” Sybilla smiled cheerfully at Angelique, but when she stood and marched around the bush, her expression turned stormy. “By order of the Veneno Conclave, you are under arrest for the illegal sale of stolen magicalartifacts!”
“What?” the manyelped.
The woman threw something at them—which turned into roaring flames shaped to resemble apanther.
Angelique lunged out from behind the bush and threw her arms up, raising an iridescent shield over herself andSybilla.
The flames slammed into the shield, pushing Angelique back a step and baking her face with the heat of the spell. But when Angelique pushed back, the flames were snuffed out, leaving a wisp of smokebehind.
“Ho-ho, good catch!” Sybilla chortled. “You really have improved over these past few years—and you were already quite talented to beginwith!”
“Thank you.” Angelique readied another spell as she eyed the illegaltraders.
The man gaped at them—his eyes bulging like a fish out of water—but the woman turned on her heels and triedrunning.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Sybilla grumbled as she pushed up the sleeves of her robe. “Betortoises!”
Puffs of oddly colored smoke obscured both traders, and a bang popped loud enough to echo across thelake.
Angelique dropped her upturned hands. “You turned them intoanimals?”
Sybilla swung around long enough to grin. “What, you think it’sinhumane?”
“No.” Angelique peered at the ground, spying the charred charm the woman had thrown at them. She tested it to make certain it had used all the magic it was charged with before carefully picking it up. “It’s just…it takes a lot of skill and power to turn humans intoanimals.”
Sybilla laughed loudly. “When you get to be my age, boldness gives you a power you never knew youhad!”
I highly doubt that is the single reason she can manage such a transformation. It was impressive when she turned Duchess Cinderella’s animals into humans for an evening, but this is an even trickier—and more dangerous process. I didn’t know that anyone less than an enchanter or enchantress could even do such a thing unless they had shape-shifting magic, and I thought Sybilla was most gifted with alterationmagic…
Angelique trotted after Sybilla, who was still marching ahead, her robes fluttering with her confidentstrides.
Angelique caught up with her by the time they reached the spot where the man had stood. Sitting in the grass was a tortoise small enough to fit on her palm. Next to him, tossed heedlessly on the ground, was the magic lamp half poking out of itssack.
The tortoise (man?) was in shock, apparently. He didn’t move until Sybilla scooped him up. Then he started to wiggle, his limbs paddling theair.
“You’ll face a trial, of course, once I get you back to the Veneno Conclave.” Sybilla placed the tortoise in a mesh sack, then very carefully picked up the magic lamp and squinted atit.
Angelique tried to get a read on the lamp, but while she could detect the trace of magic threaded through the object, she couldn’t tell much more than that. Sybilla, however, had no suchproblem.
“Yep, as I thought.” Sybilla held out the sack so Angelique could toss the used charm inside it, then carefully knotted the mouth shut. “Cursed.” She ambled over to the woman-turned-tortoise, who was still attempting a getaway—though her new body didn’t seem to listen to her very well; she tilted from side to side and seemed unable to walk in a straightline.
