“Let me try.” I jumped into the brazier and awkwardly accepted a scroll from Isa, pulling it with me into the node. Nothing.
I let go of the scroll and stuck my head out of the flames so I could see Isa clearly. “You’d think that if the node reads a book as being signed by the author, it could also read a contract created through its own power.”
“It must be the same as why you can’t summon the scrolls. The magic interferes with other spells.”
“It was a good idea, at least. Too bad we can’t find the curse this way.”
“Not necessarily. We can still map out the archives and narrow the area we need to search.”
“How?”
“Even though I don’t hear bells when I listen to the magic on the scrolls, I still get a sense of how true they are. My interpretations might not be perfect, but if we both try, we can probably get a general sense of which sections are full of the most or least truthful scrolls. If we can also cross reference our guesses with any scrolls you’ve witnessed, we ought to be able to make a fairly accurate map.”
“Even assuming we can stumble across scrolls I passed through the node, do you honestly expect me to remember what colors I saw when I witnessed them?”
“You remember what color you saw when Cecily cursed you.”
“The curse sticks in my mind a little differently than routine contracts,” I said dryly.
“Well, we can still make a rough map.”
“I defer to your expertise.”
Isa gave me a look. She probably thought I was humoring her, but she was the expert. And while I couldn’t feign enthusiasm for the project, I didn’t mind that it would require spending a few hours wandering the archives with her.
“What do you think Marc is doing now?” I asked as we trekked back downstairs.
“He’s probably halfway to Haiwella. He seems like the type to want more than a provincial life.”
“Leort isn’t a small town.”
“But it is very isolated and offers limited opportunities for social advancement.”
“What makes you think Marc cares about that?”
She gave me another look, this one a mix of pity and incredulity.
I laughed. “I’m not saying I don’t agree, but I want to hear your reasoning.”
“Why?”
“Because the way your mind works fascinates me.”
“I’m not sure if that is supposed to be a compliment or not.”
“Take it how you will; it is the truth.”
She smiled. “Fine, I’ll tell you my impression of Marc if you, in turn, tell me what you saw in Lady Cecily.”
“You are making an assumption there.”
“It was just her physical appeal, then? There had to have been some reason for you to sleep with her.”
I sighed. “The physical was in her favor, but mostly it was because she was a temporary visitor. Sleeping with a member of my staff is asking for trouble, and very few unattached and interested women make their way through my doors. You read the heir’s contract; I can’t just leave the castle on a whim, either.”
“You could visit Leort without needing a proxy. A night in town is doable.”
“Yes, if there was anyone in town I wanted to spend that night with.” Perhaps, if we broke the curse, I would have that chance. Even if Isa slammed the door in my face before I got three wordsout, that would still be two words she would hear. Eventually, I might finish an entire sentence. Though, knowing Isa, she wouldn’t wait for me to even open my mouth if she didn’t want to hear what I had to say.
