Giselle sighed. She swiveled to Dominic. “Tell us everything you know about Celeste’s role in the rebellion.”
Dominic’s jaw fell open. I half-expected him to start warbling like a lark, but his voice was unchanged. “She joined the rebellion because of her spite for other witches. She spent months weaseling her way into the cause and making a name for herself as a singer. I didn’t know how she did it. But after doing favors for several rioters, she eventually gained their acceptance.”
Maddox leaned forward. “What kind of favors?”
“She would incite conflict between humans and witches. Convince traders that witch-made items are superior while on the other side complain about traders favoring magic. It fueled the existing tension, which gave rioters all the more reason to rebel,” Dominic said, staring blankly into the wall. “She also would give us various magical comforts no one dared to get themselves.”
That explained the luxurious meeting places and Dominic’s magic double. I held Misty closer to me. “And what about her removing witch magic?”
“That was not part of our plan until the tour began. You and the crown prince were dousing the flames she was fanning. After the failure of the winter solstice attack and the fire at Vandil’s Witch Market, Celeste decided to take more drastic measures. The other rioters don’t know about her plan of taking witches’ magic, though I suspect they’ll approve. It’ll rid the problem from its source.”
Giselle gripped her seat. “This is ridiculous. Witches will notice their magic being taken away. Charms like that leave a trace, and it’ll all lead to her.”
“She said she perfected the enchantment. It’ll be undetectable,” Dominic said.
Giselle rolled her eyes. “Her ego is a big as ever,” she muttered. “But that doesn’t explain how she expects to get away with this.”
A bit of drool ran down Dominic’s chin, which his limp arms didn’t deign to wipe. “Celeste established herself as a popular human singer sympathetic to witchkind. King Maximus does not trust witches as much as the princes do. He will have no reason to believe the witches over her, especially when he is trying to appease human civilians.”
The plan was full of flaws, especially since the royals had a witch committee who answered directly to them like trusted advisors. Though from the way King Maximus was behaving lately, Celeste had a good chance of getting away with her schemes.
“How do your plans intersect with this?” I couldn’t help but ask, especially when I knew they involved me.
“Once Celeste uses that potion on the audience tomorrow night, I’m going to take you away on one of my father’s ships after I report our elopement to Sister Scarlett. Your union to the crown prince will be broken and the royals will be humiliated across the columns.”
I clenched my jaw. So that was why Dominic had called Sister Scarlett to Alevine. It wasn’t for the rebellion, but for his own vanity. If he knew me as well as he claimed, he would’ve known I would have never agreed to it.
Giselle made a noise of disgust. “Forget that. How is Celeste using the sickleweed potion?” she demanded.
“Her throat spray,” Dominic said, pointing a floppy finger at the spray bottle in her hand. “When she sings it disperses...or whatever. I don’t know. Some voodoo and whatnot.”
It was a confirmation of our suspicions, though certainly not an eloquent one. The seamstress rolled her eyes. “How is she containing witch magic?”
“And is there a way to return it?” I asked. Misty buried her face into the crook of my arm. I cradled her head.
“She has this giant...crystal container,” Dominic said, coughing up a few drops of spittle. “She never opens it. I assume it’ll release whatever it’s holding once opened.”
“So sheisusing an enchanted object,” Giselle said.
Maddox curled his lip at Dominic’s drool-soaked collar.
Giselle uncrossed her arms, studying the amethyst spray bottle. “Enchanted objects are made to contain very strong magic and are notoriously difficult to break,” she murmured. “Then again, Iaman accomplished charmwitch.”
“Isthere a charm that can break them?” I asked, hopeful.
“There’s something similar. One to reduce the capacity of magic an enchanted object can hold. I’ll have to rework it tonight,” Giselle said, sitting up. “If she’s using an object, there’s a good chance her enchantment won’t work without it. Enchantments are a mesh of interwoven parts. If something isn’t right, the whole thing will collapse.”
The confidence in her voice reassured me. Giselle knew what she was doing. Her gaze softened. “Don’t worry, Narcissa. You’ll be back to normal soon.”
I hoped as I had never dared to before. Misty meowed, eyes wide and shining. Pippin stuck his head under my other arm. I drew both of them close. “Then we’re all ready for tomorrow night?”
“More than ever, now that we have all this information,” Maddox said, unsheathing his dagger. He examined the edge. “I should probably sharpen this.”
“Be sure you do,” I said. We had discussed our plans earlier. Everything counted on how well Maddox’s dagger performed.
“And I’ll work on my charm. But first...” Giselle said, rummaging through her satchel. She pulled out a coil of rope and a wad of fabric, offering them to me. “Would you like to do the honors?”
I took them. “Gladly.”
