by K. M. Shea
Thinking over her past conversations with Quinn, Angelique trudged ahead. “You’ve said something similar before: that as a soldier, you may have to shed blood to protect innocents.”
“It’s the truth,” Quinn said. “It’s why I’m willing to face down bandits who steal from our most vulnerable on roads. It’s why I went troll hunting and wraith hunting when Farset was being plagued. And it’s why I fought my own squad—my closest companions—to protect the elves.”
And that’s why you broke the elves’ curse.
Angelique mashed her lips together as she thought. I told the Veneno Conclave I didn’t care what they thought anymore because I wasn’t going to answer their summons and waste time. But I never really adopted that attitude fully…I think I was terrified I’d be wholly alone against the Chosen.
Angelique glanced at Quinn, who was peering across the sweeping plains.
But I’m not alone anymore.
“You know,” Quinn said, her voice serious. “I think I might have found the fatal flaw in our plan: we are looking for black animals in the middle of the night.”
Angelique blinked at the unexpected observation.
“I thought we’d be able to find them because they’d stick out on the snow,” Quinn continued. “But I don’t see anything besides snow.”
“That’s easily solved.” Angelique whistled sharply. “Pegasus!”
A thunder clap rolled across the land, and the ground shook as Pegasus streaked towards them, coming from a far-off hill that probably would have taken an hour for them to hike out to.
Quinn clapped in admiration. “I’m still very impressed you can summon Pegasus with a whistle—like a dog.”
“It only works when he’s already on the continent. When he’s in the sky I have a little phrase I have to say. Why?”
“Emerys told me a little about him before we left. The fact that a constellation dotes on you so much is probably the greatest boast you could ever parade before anyone.”
Angelique awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. “I try not to think of it too much, to be honest. It makes my head hurt.”
“Understandably. Ahh—I see a dark shape behind Pegasus. It appears Fluffy heard your summons and chose to come with him.”
“Great.” Angelique ruffled her cloak and locked her knees so she’d stand her ground as Pegasus thundered closer and closer with no signs of slowing down. “Since our mounts can see better in the dark than we can, we should be able to get some good traveling done tonight.”
Angelique squeezed one eye shut and braced herself as Pegasus was nearly on her.
About two horse lengths away from her, he abruptly locked his knees and dug his hooves into the ground. He skidded the remaining distance, his hooves digging deep trenches in the icy ground, which hissed and steamed from the heat his hooves produced.
He stopped just when he was close enough to bump his muzzle into Angelique’s chest. He inhaled deeply, then snorted sparks that glowed in the night air.
Angelique had to snuff out a spark that settled on a fold of her cloak and seemed to contemplate turning into an actual flame, then she threw her arms around Pegasus. “I’m happy to see you, too!”
Pegasus tried to shake her off, but she stubbornly clung to him, greedily sucking up the warmth he shed.
Eyeing his bare back, Angelique shimmied up his shoulder—climbing him like a wall. “I’m so glad you didn’t put a saddle on—your warmth is all mine.” Angelique greedily draped her cloak around her and leaned over Pegasus’ neck. “I’d forgotten just how terrible the cold is.”
Quinn laughed as she patted Fluffy—who was saddled and had Angelique’s magical satchel secured to his back. “We’ve used our heat charms so much, I suspect the spell may need renewing.” She swung up onto Fluffy’s back, then turned him so his nose pointed west. “Shall we?”
Angelique grudgingly sat up enough to ride without risk of slipping over Pegasus’ shoulder. “Yes.”
The mounts settled into a swift trot that wasn’t fast enough to make it freezing, but would still cover a good amount of distance even if they only rode for an hour or two.
As it was, they pressed on through the night, their unnatural stamina carrying them on as the eastern horizon behind them turned pale gold and the sun considered rising.
Angelique peered up at the sky, her breath turning into a cloudy mist that shone gold in the morning light.
We’re getting closer to finding Evariste. I know it. If I were any less jaded, maybe I’d even think about everything we have to talk about when we free him.
There were the obvious things he needed to hear about—the state of the continent and the failure of the Conclave. But she couldn’t wait to talk to him about her magic and how she’d improved her control over her core magic, or about all the things he’d inspired her to do.
Eventually, I’d ask him about my dreams-that-weren’t-dreams…
That was the promise she’d made to herself—that she wouldn’t think about her dreams until she could directly ask Evariste.
She’d tried for weeks to puzzle through how they’d connected, but concluded it must have been something specifically from Evariste—because she certainly hadn’t done anything to mentally reach out to him.
She’d passed along what details she remembered—except for the kiss.
Rather than torture herself over that baffling moment, Angelique resolved that she was better off focusing all her mental efforts on finding Evariste. That way, once he was freed, he could explain it himself.
Angelique was quite proud of herself for the compromise—it saved her a great deal of mental anguish. Besides, I’m certain there’s a reasonable explanation for his conduct. He’ll explain it, and then I’ll feel silly for all my foolish worrying.
Something white stirred among the clouds, catching her attention.
She threaded her fingers through Pegasus’ flame-like mane and turned to call out to Quinn, when the blob of white that had been overhead dropped from the sky like a rock.
It was briefly wrapped in brilliant light, and the tolling of invisible bells sounded before the thing struck the ground with a deep thud that sent sprays of loose snowflakes into air.
“Angelique?” Quinn’s voice was pinched with concern.
Angelique tried to blink the stars out of her vision from the bright lights. “I’m good. You?”
“I’m fine,” Quinn said.
“That hurt!” A female voice groaned. “I always think snow will be a softer landing—but it never is! It’s just cold!”
Angelique blinked the last of the fuzziness from her eyes just in time to see Odette—the leader of the Black Swan Smugglers—yanking cloth shoes out of a tiny pouch that was surely too small to hold them.
“Odette?”
The smuggler looked up, sending her beautiful blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. “Hello, Angelique.” She grinned but then shivered as she danced from bare foot to bare foot, standing in the snow. “Just a moment.”
Odette yanked the cloth slippers on, then sighed in contentment. “Much better. I’ve been flying in Erlauf too much with their bare dustings of snow. I forgot what real winters are like up north!” She opened her tiny pouch again and pulled out a ruby cut in the shape of a bird, then murmured to it—most likely activating the heat charm.
“Quinn, please allow me to introduce you to Odette. She is the leader of the Black Swan Smugglers in Kozlovka and is the future bride of Prince Alexsei.”
Odette rubbed her arms before she bowed. “I’m happy to make your acquaintance, Quinn—of Midnight Lake?”
Quinn broadly smiled. “Yes. I’m from Farset.”
Odette brushed snow off her black trousers and white tunic. “Yes, Prince Severin—and that fiancé of yours—told me about you.”
Quinn eagerly leaned forward in her saddle. “You’ve seen Emerys?”
“Seen is a weak word for it. More like he never stopped gabbing at me about you once Severin
told him he was sending me to talk to you two.”
“You have a message for us?” Angelique asked.
Odette nodded. “Information for you. Since Prince Severin said your defenses block all incoming methods of contact on your mirror, he opted to send me.” She frowned as she looked from mount to mount. “I’d ask for a ride so we could keep moving, but frankly both options seem terrifying.”
Angelique leaned over and offered her a hand. “You know Pegasus. He likes you.”
Odette warily studied the constellation. “I don’t know that he likes anyone—except you.”
She humphed when Angelique grabbed her hand and dragged her up but settled easily enough into place.
“What news do you have to share?” Quinn asked once she was settled.
“Big news—though I’m afraid it’s not good.”
Angelique cringed. “Oh?”
“Indeed.” Odette snaked one arm around Angelique’s waist and clutched her heat charm with her other hand. “Prince Severin has instructed me to tell you that the mirror—the one the Snow Queen attempted to bury under a mountain in Verglas that we were sent to retrieve over the summer and found it gone?”
The icy chill of dread settled in Angelique’s stomach. “Yes?”
“It’s in Mullberg.”
“What?”
“He’s got a slew of proof,” Odette said. “Princess Elle’s raid on that Nefari’s shop was so successful, Prince Severin was able to uncover several additional fortifications—including one in Erlauf. They found notes that mentioned the spells used to safely transport the mirror to Mullberg.”
“Did it say where in Mullberg it is?”
“No. Just that it had been transported there for the sake of a goal,” Odette said. “It’s possible it’s been moved since then—the entry was years old. But Prince Severin wanted you to know.”
“Did the entry record anything about where the mirror was being shipped from?” Quinn asked.
“No,” Odette said. “Prince Severin said he wasn’t even sure if the mirror passed through Erlauf, or if the recorder had merely seen it while traveling. The entry that mentioned the mirror was more focused on the spells than the mirror itself.”
“But it could still be in Mullberg,” Angelique said.
“Maybe,” Odette stressed.
Quinn shook her head. “It’s likely. From all of our searching, we know there’s no way they have sent it out on a ship—isn’t that mirror large?”
“It’s enormous,” Angelique confirmed. “But we also didn’t find mention of any mirror in all our digging. If the mirror was sent to Mullberg for a ‘mission,’ none of the locations we’ve infiltrated are at all involved. Which seems odd for a mission so important they’d send such a vile and ancient artifact.”
“The entry was old enough that they could have used the mirror and then immediately taken it elsewhere,” Odette said.
“True, but has anything truly calamitous happened in Mullberg?” Quinn asked.
“King Matvey died nearly six years ago,” Angelique said.
“Didn’t Queen Ingrid of Arcainia pass away roughly around then as well?” Odette asked. “Could have been the mirror’s work.”
“Maybe…” Angelique frowned, disturbed despite the beautiful streaks of peachy-orange and pink the sun cast on the sky as it struggled to rise above the horizon. “But given the legends of the mirror’s power, it seems odd that they would use it like an assassin when there are easier methods.”
Odette shrugged. “I don’t pretend to know how the Chosen work—that’s for the likes of Prince Severin and Prince Lucien. But I have delivered the message.”
“Thank you for coming all this way to bring us this news,” Quinn said.
“Yes, thank you, Odette,” Angelique added.
“That was the main reason I came,” Odette said. “But I also have some new heat charms for you from Stil. He sent a dozen or so odd charms he thought might be useful.” Odette rattled the pouch that hung from a ribbon on her neck for emphasis. “And I thought you might like to hear how Odile is getting along.”
Angelique straightened. “Odile? How is she?”
Odile was the daughter of the Chosen sorceress Suzu and Sorcerer Rothbart. Rothbart was a bit of a strange case as he had refused to join the Chosen or the resistance. Instead, he had engineered his own death in an event that cast his daughter—incredibly skilled with a magic that allowed her to tame animals—as an innocent so she would not be punished for her parents’ actions.
Having met Odile—who was sweet, unselfish, and gentle to the point of strength given what she’d been through—Angelique hadn’t wanted to inflict Luxi-Domus on the girl, fearing Odile would have an experience more similar to Angelique’s than one of the academy’s star pupils, like Stil.
Thus, Angelique had suggested fairy Godmother Sybilla visit Odile and tutor the girl for a time.
It unfortunately meant Sybilla was occupied and unable to aid Angelique, but Odile needed magical allies, and Angelique wasn’t going to begrudge her that help.
Odette shifted behind Angelique, adjusting her arm threaded around Angelique’s waist. “Sybilla says Odile has learned shockingly fast. She’s now strong enough that if any more wyverns were to pop up, she’d be able to tame them all—even if multiple were released at once,” Odette reported. “Which is precisely why Sybilla says she’s not telling the Veneno Conclave.”
“Good,” Angelique said with great fire.
“Sybilla is sending reports about Odile, but she’s just wasting time as she’s trying to look for a loophole that could graduate Odile without needing to spend any time at Luxi-Domus. She’s been able to get her magic under control fast enough that it shouldn’t be necessary.”
“And what does Odile think of this?” Angelique asked.
“Oh, she’s deliriously happy. I’ve never seen her smile half as much as she does now,” Odette said. “She’s been interacting a lot more with the Kozlovka royal family, too. Stupid Yakov seems to get along well with her—I haven’t a clue how. He is such an idiot.” Odette made a disgruntled hum, but the relaxed muscles of her arm made Angelique suspect she didn’t mind her future brother-in-law quite as much as she pretended.
“I’m glad,” Angelique said. “I wanted her to get through this…”
“Unscathed?” Odette suggested when Angelique trailed off.
“Yes,” Angelique agreed.
Odette patted Angelique’s side in a strange sort of side-hug. “Thank you for everything you did to help her.”
“I’m glad I could.”
“So that’s about it—as far as news goes,” Odette finished.
“Do you have to fly out immediately, or will you stay with us for a time?” Quinn asked.
She’ll obviously fly out—
“I thought I’d hang around for a day or two and see if there’s anything I can help you with.”
“Really?” Angelique couldn’t stop the word before it tumbled from her lips.
“Yes. I don’t know what I could do—except maybe infiltrate a stronghold as a swan? That might be suspicious given I don’t think swans hang around Mullberg in the winter. But I do have a few contacts here in Mullberg, and I might be able to get some information for you, Angelique.”
“I’d appreciate that. Thank you, Odette.” Angelique hesitated, wondering if she should ask if the smuggler expected to be paid for her work—and rightfully so—but Odette answered the question herself.
“Of course. I’m always grateful for a chance to repay a friend.” She said it so casually, Angelique was glad Odette rode behind her so she didn’t see the way Angelique had to blink back the sudden swell of emotion that made her mute.
We’re friends. I mean, I’ve always liked her. But I didn’t want to presume…
Odette glanced at Quinn. “And I have a sonnet King Themerysaldi wanted me to recite to you. I refuse to speak it, but I got a written copy if you want to see it.”
“It app
ears he has too much time on his hands if he’s concerned about writing sonnets.” Despite her words, Quinn’s smile was warm and generous.
“He also asked me to remind you that Alastryn is quite concerned about table settings? He said you’d know what that means.”
The sound of Quinn’s laughter was as crisp and lovely as the bright morning. “It means he’s getting sick of Alastryn sending him questions about our wedding banquet. He’ll be fine. It’s only a month or so until spring.”
“Just about,” Angelique agreed, her attention drifting.
I’ve got one month to search with Quinn. And then I’ll either need to go help Severin, or maybe—just maybe—I’ll be able to find Evariste…
One day turned into two, two into three, and a week passed while Odette remained with Angelique and Quinn.
During this time, the determined smuggler contacted two information brokers, but both had been unable to tell her anything about the Chosen at all.
Odette had insisted on talking to her last contact, who lived in a small village at the base of the mountains just southwest of Juwel, before finally leaving.
So, on a morning that was mercifully free of wind (though it was so cold, frost formed on Angelique’s eyelashes), Angelique and Quinn stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching Odette converse with her contact.
He was a unique individual with a full white beard, a thick fern-green scarf he wound around his head and neck, a waterproof similar to one a ship’s captain would wear, and a distinct lack of teeth. All of this was complemented by the fact that he had insisted on carrying out the conversation in a rowboat precariously perched on top of a large rock.
Angelique had seen too much to be bothered by his preferences. She wasn’t even curious about the presence of the boat, even though they weren’t at all near to any body of water. But that wasn’t to say she wasn’t entirely untouched by the unique presentation.