Sam already waited in the room when I reached it, inspecting the bookshelf placed between two large windows. He set the volume hehad pulled out aside and crossed the room to wrap me in a warm hug. “Mina, how are you doing?”
I hugged him back. “That depends on what news you have for me.”
He stepped back and gestured at the nearest divan, the low seat made of cherry wood and forest green velvet. I sat next to him and clasped my hands tightly in my lap. That he wanted me to sit down before he spoke was not a good sign.
“Let me start by saying things in Skorsa have been in a bit of an uproar since you left. Between the revelation of your identity and news about what Powell had done, there has been more excitement in the village than we usually see in a decade.”
“Just tell me, Sam.”
“I will, but I think you need to hear all this.” He reached out and patted my hands. “Between a few of the more sensible members of the council and the magistrate you sent from Haiwella, logic prevailed enough that no one wanted to claim that Alan couldn’t serve as the primary blacksmith for Skorsa. After her interviews with the villagers, the magistrate actually sent for a smith from Haiwella to come out and certify Alan’s mastery.”
“So quickly?” There was no doubt in my mind that Alan deserved the title, but I thought craftsmen refused to certify anyone unless they observed their work for months, if not years.
Sam nodded. “Magistrate Leland pulled dozens of examples of Alan’s work from the past few months, including the necklace you gave Ma, for the smith to look over. Then he spent three days with Alan in the forge, declared that there was no doubt in his mind that Alan had made those items, and signed his certificate of mastery.”
“That’s wonderful. So, what is the bad news you are so reluctant to tell me, Sam?” As if I didn’t know. If Alan had forgiven me, if he planned to come to the palace, Sam wouldn’t have hesitated.
“Not bad,” Sam said in a rush. He paused. “Well, not the bad you are thinking. It’s about Powell.”
A chill went through me. “What about Powell?”
I had alerted local authorities about Powell’s use of an illegal charm and the fact that he had fled Skorsa—though by rights it was Sam’s father’s place to share that information as the magistrate for Skorsa and the nearby villages. Conrad had sent word, but my interest in the case encouraged the Haiwellan constables to look a little harder for the maker of the charm and the fleeing smith. The last I had heard, they had made no progress locating either.
“He returned to Skorsa a few days after Magistrate Leland and the master smith left. He had another charm. He went directly to Pa and accused Alan of stealing the gold pieces he used to keep locked in that cabinet in the shop.” Sam paused and chuckled softly. “It was funny to watch, actually. Powell was ranting and raving, and Pa was nearly as worked up thanks to the charm, but the accusation didn’t make any sense. It didn’t matter what emotion the charm was stirring up; it couldn’t stop Pa from realizing Powell was up to no good. But since the charm was affecting him, he ended up yelling and calling Powell a bunch of unflattering names. You would have enjoyed it.”
“I would prefer to know that Powell has been brought to justice, but I don’t think that is where your story is going.”
Sam’s shoulders slumped. “No. I ran to Pa’s office when I heard the shouting, and Powell must have realized that his charm wasn’t having the intended effect when I punched him.”
“You what?”
Sam’s dark cheeks gained a rosy undertone. “I punched him right in the gut. I was so angry, and even though I was supposed to be angry at Alan, Powell was there, and I was naturally angry with him, and the emotions got mixed together. Between my reactions and Pa’s, Powell realized his charm wasn’t working, and he fled.”
“Wait, I want to hear more about you punching him.”
Sam’s blush grew more pronounced. “It wasn’t a very good punch, sadly. I think I hurt my fist more than him.”
That was unfortunate. “If Powell’s charm didn’t work as intended, and you punched him—no matter how effectively—why areyou acting like this is all bad news? I know it would have been better if Powell had been held for a trial, but the incident didn’t leave things worse than before he returned.” I looked a little closer at Sam. “Did it?”
“He didn’t flee Skorsa entirely at first.”
Somehow I managed to squeeze my fingers together tighter, not wanting to hear what came next, but also desperate to know. “Sam.”
“He went to the forge. Two farmers were there, placing an order with Alan. They hadn’t spent the last couple of weeks looking closely at what Powell had done, so when the charm impacted them...”
“They reacted as intended, getting angry at Alan.”
Sam nodded. “There was a fight. Powell used it as a distraction and slipped away, but he left the charm behind. And because the fight got so out of control, no one noticed. So, it was still there when Alan returned to the forge after he healed.”
My hands sprang apart, and I gripped Sam’s bicep tight enough that he winced. “Alan was hurt?”
“Broken arm. But Cole rode into Haiwella and bought a healing charm, then rode back through the night to get it to Alan as quickly as possible. He said he even saw Powell on the way, but couldn’t do anything about it, since he was in a hurry. The broken bone wasn’t the real problem.”
“The charm,” I whispered, finally releasing Sam’s arm.
“Exactly. The charm was still in the forge, so a few days later, another customer nearly came to blows with Alan. This time, though, Alan thought to look for the charm and smashed it before things got too bad.”
“Who was the customer? And the farmers from the first fight?”
