Lost Magic (The Swift Codex Book 3)

by Nicolette Jinks

  Words stuck in my throat at the compliment. I scrambled to say something, anything at all.

  “I mentioned you in the letter. And Julius Septimus.” What made me say that, I didn't know, but it made Valerin lift his head in a hurry.

  “Did you? That will be an indicator of how serious he is.”

  An annoyed groan broke from my throat. “Tell me this is not going to become a testosterone competition.”

  “I never thought I would be going neck to neck with the heir to Kragdomen.” Valerin looked very pleased with himself. “Particularly not for a mate.”

  “That's because you're not.” I glanced at a thriving lavender bush growing in a ceramic pot by the doorway, wishing I could escape this conversation.

  Valerin stood up and offered his hand. “Would you like a tour of the Settlement?”

  “Sure.” Anything was better than having this conversation, but I did not take his hand when I rose to my feet.

  The floor felt strange and slippery beneath my feet. These small slippers were little better than a layer of fabric, really just an ornamental way to be barefoot. We passed under the arch of the door, went by a series of potted lavenders, and were out in the open. The slight chill of the evening made me shiver as we walked along the hard, polished paths of Selestiani. A compromise between vegetative paradise and marbled civilization, that's what this place made me think of. A place where the wild and humanity had agreed to coexist.

  It was dusk, and a very stunning sunset at that, when we walked around the quiet streets of the Settlement with its tantalizing scents of cooking in the air. A rumbling stomach prompted us to venture into the nightlife, an out-of-doors tavern with sage-scented tiki torches and a pitcher of sweet mead. Dinner was roast beef served with a rice pilaf and buttered white rice rolls.

  “Have you never had mead before?”

  I shook my head, wondering how a pint of mead could make me this dizzy when I was accustomed to Barnes' brandy. And they say that alcohol is alcohol, hard or soft, it doesn't matter. Bullshit.

  Valerin laughed. “What about cider? You'd enjoy a nice perry, I'm thinking.”

  I knew I was already buzzing. Another drink and I'd really be drunk. “Nah, I've had enough. But what is a perry?”

  “Pear cider.”

  “As compared with...?”

  “Apple is the traditional fruit. Here, we'll do the samples, those should be small enough.”

  People had been listening in to our conversation, and as soon as Valerin had gone to get the samples, an inquisitive woman scooted closer and started asking the usual questions. Who I was, where I was from, what I thought of Selestiani so far. Josephina seemed to be a taboo topic, for which I was grateful. And then came the sly wink.

  “You're a beautiful woman, well-spoken. Valerin is a very good young man.”

  “I'm sure he is,” I said, “but I'm engaged.”

  The woman squeezed her husband's hand. “So was I, when I met Gereint.”

  “Umm.” I didn't know what else to say.

  “Trust me. The two biggest decisions you make in your life are what you do, and who you marry.” Then she went back to eating with her husband as if she hadn't made me feel like I was a cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater.

  If there was one thing Valerin was good at, it was sensing when I was uncomfortable and then putting me at ease. I didn't know how he did it. It was like magic, only without using any actual magic. Not even Mordon could play me like that. No one I'd ever met before had this way of getting me to try what I wasn't sure about. It was sort of liberating and I wished I didn't like it.

  By the end of the night, I'd had both the apple and pear ciders and tried a bit of a heather-lavender ale which I didn't care for. In a bit of a haze, Valerin had shown me the sights by moonlight: the market where people traded with other settlements during the day, the Japanese gardens with their manicured sand and boulder arrangement, the ponds with koi, and finally a lookout point with its canopied bench.

  “We're in the clouds!” I couldn't stop staring at the landscape below. Selestiani was located just above a tall mountain range, overlooking a massive lake and woodlands. The idea occurred to me that we might be within the confines of the Wildwoods, but unless I went into the woods themselves I couldn't know for certain.

  “They thought it was the safest place against uninvited guests. And so it has proven to be,” Valerin said.

  “The clouds are a million little mirrors reflecting back all the things they see, so always remember that they're watching everything you do. Nobody is privacy.”

  Valerin grinned. “Nobody is privacy. I'm going to remember to ask you what you meant when you're sober.”

  “Pssh. Don't bother. I don't know what I mean now.” I rubbed my eyes, blinking hard. “I think I had enough water that I won't have a hangover tomorrow.”

  “You'll be fine.” Valerin ran his knuckles over the curve of my shoulder. “What do you think of Selestiani?”

  “Charming, from what I've seen, which isn't much.”

  He laughed. “There isn't much to see.”

  Why hadn't I noticed that he had put an arm over my shoulder? But I was too drunk to try to shrug it off. We sat in quiet for a minute, just taking in the stars reflecting off the lake.

  Something about my conversation with Julius was bothering me. He'd been light-lipped. Not that I blamed him, but perhaps I might get another perspective from another member of the settlement. I turned to Valerin.

  “I want to ask you about something.”

  “I will answer,” Valerin said.

  “The day in the market I was returning from the library. I had a book which claims to be from before the Veil fell. Do you know anything about it?”

  Valerin thought for a moment. “I know nothing of the book, but I have heard rumors of there being one in existence. What do you know of the Veil?”

  “Practically nothing.”

  “At one time, non-sorcerers, sorcerers, and Creatures all coexisted. From what Julius and others say it was not a consistently peaceful era. There were family feuds and wars and tragedies, but life went on. An era rose where three particularly powerful people were in direct contest with one another. One was a drake, Caledin of the Dinnune Wair, whose mate had been murdered by men seeking glory with their swords. None could have predicted Caledin's wrath, nor that he would conquer so quickly or ruthlessly. Even the dragons grew to fear his warpath.

  “In opposition to him was the king the men had served, Balise Cardan. He believed his men had conquered a menace, and perhaps there was an element of truth in the claim. Drakes at that time were sizable in number and quick to lay claim to the produce and cattle men raised. The rumor of stealing maidens may be true, but Julius is less than certain. Drake males of that time, according to dragons, were interested in obtaining the best female drakes. Human women were beneath all except the lovestruck outcasts, because they were considered to dilute the bloodline and weaken offspring. At any rate, humans and drakes coexisted very poorly at the outset.

  “The third person in this tale was a phoenix, however the First Order will not say who it was. He decided that the petty squabbling between the races must end. He would bring peace through a unified government.”

  “I imagine that did not go over well?”

  “For those under his control, life was rather comfortable—provided that they obeyed his dictates.”

  I snorted. “It sounds like the Roman Empire.”

  “It does, does it not?” Valerin gave me a toothy grin.

  “Was it Rome?”

  “If it was, it would mandate puppet leaders and a variety of other conspiracies. May I continue?”

  “Please.”

  “There was a long, drawn out battle between all three leaders. The largest army won, the phoenix's, and he was determined to force cooperation. However, the rest of the First Order abandoned him. They joined the cause of a young human, Aethel the Sorceress, and her pledged mate Mordren, son and champion o
f Caledin of the Dinnune Wair. Fearing that the oppression of the phoenix would end the magical existence, as a way to soothe the tensions between people, Aethel proposed to create a divide between the world of man and all those things he so feared. They would hide in pockets throughout the world, avoid humans, and not draw attention to themselves. With the First Order, she created a list of spell families which were to be allowed, which ones were risky, and which ones were forbidden to perform.”

  I stroked my chin, realized what I was doing, and stopped abruptly. “It sounds like the White, Gray, and Black Magic Lists today.”

  “It is the forefather of that list, yes. There was a fourth list, one of spells far too powerful, with too many consequences to go unnoticed for long. The First Order, Aethel, and Mordren knew people would be tempted to use these spells so long as they were in existence.”

  “The Unwrittens.”

  “Yes. Not all of them are destructive in the manner we think of it. Some created miracles, but even miracles could be misconstrued and ill used. Miracles as well as disasters would draw attention to the presence of the things that Aethel wanted the world to forget. So it came to pass that the best was lost with the worst.”

  I considered what he said.

  “Do you know where I can learn more?”

  “If you want, you may speak to Julius, but do not expect for him to say more than I already have. He is typically reserved on this topic.”

  Reserved was a very light way to put it, considering how beneficial it had been to ask Valerin the same question I'd asked Julius.

  “Wolds, can I tell you my story?”

  “I would enjoy nothing more.”

  I believed him. So I reclined, letting my feet draw slow circles in the air. “Josephina appeared into my shop after it was locked down. She was in labor, and I helped her. She made me promise to keep her safe from Cole and the one he serves, the Immortal. And that I would return her to Julius Septimus. I agreed.”

  “I hoped that was the case, when she did not return,” Valerin said.

  “Ah, but then something strange happened. Something that I did not want to talk about. Until you mentioned the word phoenix.”

  Valerin's mouth opened in shock. “She didn't tell you she was a phoenix.”

  “Didn't have time, I suppose. It was pretty intense in the seconds before she went up in flames. And very intense afterwards, as you can imagine. You have no idea how long I've spent trying to understand why that happened. If she was human under a curse, if she was a fire spirit, then trying to understand what sort of creature she was. And in between, I've been badgered constantly with paperwork and people who were seeking her.”

  Valerin reached for my hand, stopped, then took it. “If I had known that you didn't know, I would have told you. It might have made this excursion easier for you.”

  “It is what it is. What can you tell me about this Assembly of the First Order?”

  For a second his eyes squinted and his hands tightened, one on my hand, one on my shoulder. “It is a volunteer gathering of the leaders of any large family units, townships, or settlements. A way to meet one another and discuss troubles and discoveries. The feys don't care to attend, and the Kragdomen Colony hasn't sent a representative since Agnes said she was too old to make such a long flight.”

  “How long does it last for?”

  “A week. It is hosted by different groups every year.”

  I considered it. “Perhaps I will attend. Not that I can claim to be a leader in either the Wildwoods or the Colony, but some representation should be better than none.”

  “Julius would be willing to ask for your inclusion, I am sure, milady.”

  “If either of us can remember to ask him tomorrow, I'm still getting drunker by the minute. I'm afraid I'll have to depend on you to walk straight.”

  Valerin snapped his fingers and sighed in dramatized disappointment. “Then I can't ask you if you'd mind if I kissed you?”

  I laughed, knowing I'd be blushing if it weren't for my already-flushed cheeks. “That's a double-negative, I think. So no, I don't want a kiss from you.”

  “It was worth a try,” Valerin said. “How about a kiss on the cheek?”

  What would it hurt? I said, “Fine.”

  He pecked my cheek and nuzzled against my neck until I pushed at him.

  “That's enough. We're not making out here. I want to go home.” I paused at the word. “I mean—”

  Valerin helped me to stand. “I know what you mean. They have a spare room ready for you.”

  “Thank you,” I said, though I wasn't sure what for. Not taking advantage of my stupidity? I'd gotten too drunk, not keeping my wits about me. We went through the gardens and the market, then back to the central building. Valerin showed me to a door and said goodnight.

  At least I wasn't sick, I thought to myself when I laid in bed with a fuzzy mouth and spinning head. I shouldn't have let myself get so drunk. But a thought which made a tear streak down my cheek was, where is Mordon?

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  During breakfast the next day, after I'd taken pain-killers for my shoulder, I said I wanted to return home.

  “You might not want to leave so soon, considering they are coming for you,” said a voice I vaguely recognized.

  I turned around, seeing through fog the outline of a man. Valerin and I had chosen to eat outdoors, picnic-style on a patch of short-cropped grass. All along the back and sides of the grass were beds of fuchsias, the smaller ones dotted closest, ones as tall as short trees behind them. The man who had spoken stopped on the sidewalk, examining me with keen eyes.

  The scent of my honeysuckle blended with the crisp, subtle scent of rain. In the distance behind our visitor, chattering parakeets dodged through the air before crowding together in a single tree over the hot springs. A fancy pastry with honey, walnuts, and cinnamon rested half-eaten on my checkered napkin. I debated if I should swallow my current bite quickly or pretend that I didn't have mouth too full to speak.

  “Julius,” Valerin said. “Welcome.”

  Julius had the sharp profile of a bird and a peculiar sheen to his skin, otherwise he looked normal, not at all like the illustrations I'd seen of phoenixes. However, he also didn't have a great range in his facial expressions and he had the solid gaze of an intrigued pet. He sat on a bench surrounded by cream and burgundy fuchsias.

  “You've heard from them?” I asked, eager and at the same time feeling a bit hurt since they hadn't burned a letter to me. “What did they say?”

  “It would seem you were not very confident in how hospitable we intended to be at the time you wrote the letter,” Julius said it seriously, but there was a bit of amusement behind his words. “I dedicated one letter last night to ensure that we would not have a rescue party coming in from three fronts.”

  “Three?”

  “The Kragdomen Colony, as you sent the letter first to them; Merlyn's Market Coven, as they were the intended recipients; and the Verdant Wildwoods, as your coven was inclined to share the letter with Donald Steele. Your diplomacy within the letter does you credit. Were I in your position, I could not have phrased the situation better.”

  I raised a brow skeptically. “You watched me write the letter.”

  “You will pardon that I was observing you yesterday, Lady Feraline, but I have been desirous of answers for some time about the fate of my mate. And of what people have been caring for her.”

  “That's why Valerin got me drunk, so you could listen.” I wasn't happy to have been spied on, but it wasn't a shock. “You will pardon the frank question, but I ask for some proof of your identity before I reveal anything else about her.”

  “Your caution serves you well. What proof do you wish?”

  I hadn't a clue. She hadn't given me any code phrase. Or had she?

  “Josephina said something to get me to help her. Tell me what it was. And I want proof of this phoenix thing, and an explanation of what happened to her.”

  J
ulius angled his head, thinking. “As to what happened. We do not die, yet nor do we live forever. Once our feathers lose vibrancy, we mate. The resulting child is a reincarnation of one of the two parents. If it had been my time to rebirth, it would have been me who had died and Josephina would have survived to rear the child who would be me again. But this time it was Josephina who needed the rebirth, so it was she who died. I had planned to be with her at that time, except she had been taken from me last year. They held her captive. We were constantly locating her, infiltrating, and discovering she'd been moved minutes before our arrival. She sent word that she'd escaped, but it had exhausted her. After this, I heard nothing from her.