Lost Magic (The Swift Codex Book 3) (31 page)

“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?

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.”

Julius 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.

“Valerin had, during our last raid, been taken captive by the Blackwings. They'd demanded an exorbitant ransom, which Valerin told us not to pay. He would be able to track Josephina from the inside. So it was agreed. And through him we learned of your involvement, and now, we are grateful for what you have done. I hope that suffices for an explanation. As for proof...”

He stepped back, extending his arms. A faint glow shimmered under his skin, growing in intensity, taking on various colors. I realized his feather coloring was coming out as the small hairs on his arms thickened, forming the spines of feathers. His face changed, becoming hard and angular. His clothes slid into nonexistence, enchanted to appear and disappear as needed.

I'd seen transformations before, but none so beautiful as the one of man to phoenix. He was the size of a peacock, and as stunning, though in the colors of a sunset. Bright eyes blinked at me, and he spoke in a smooth voice, “
Inimicus inimico amicus.
”

And I knew that I had to find a way to fulfill my promise, but I didn't know how I was going to convince the others of the truths I'd found here.

Julius shifted back to his human form. He took a seat on a bench, rubbing his wrist absentmindedly. I thought of the way my skin itched after having scales.

“Can I ask a question? What do you know about the Veil?”

His head twitched to the side. “The Veil?”

I hurried to explain
about the book I'd found and how the author had described how the Veil had come to exist. Julius listened with what appeared to be genuine interest. When I was done, he was left silent.

“I just thought you might know a little more than I've been able to mine from the book.”

He nodded slowly. “Has this book mentioned the phoenixes?”

“Once or twice, but nothing in any detail. I don't know what they had done at the time, if that's what you mean.”

“It is.” Julius folded his hands neatly in his lap, considering my request. “I am willing to speak with you and to answer your questions, but you must understand that it is no easy matter for me to recall information from a past life. It is far more difficult to recall something which has happened so many years ago.”

I nodded. “I guess this means you probably don't know a lot about the Unwrittens?”

“The Unwrittens?” Julius stood, walked slowly, deep in thought now. “Yes. I do know some about the Unwritten spells. What would you like to know?”

“About anything that I don't already know.”

“Tell me what that is, and why you are interested in digging up old knowledge which was lost for very good reason.”

I got the distinct impression that I should follow through with his request now that I'd made him uncomfortable. Though it took some time, I explained the first time I had seen an Unwritten in its experimental phase as a child, how I'd seen it again completed as an adult. That it had created an Immortal creature. Death and my role as his agent also got included, and the whole episode about the Wildwoods being burned for a troubled second Unwritten. Then there was the part about stopping the Unwritten in Mason Security, too. The sun had marched an inch across the sky by the time I finished explaining.

Julius stood in front of me, his hands clasped behind his back. “I can tell you a few things. There are a great number of spells whose names, intended effects, and procedures were deliberately lost. They drew attention where it was not wanted at a time when the people of the magical inclination needed secrecy. If someone is uncovering them now and using them as you have described, it will be a matter of time before the lambs will notice our presence.” A grave frown crossed his lips. “I do not know who would win, but the death that would result from a fight such as this would be a terrible, crippling catastrophe.”

“I think it's a bid for power.”

Julius shook his head sadly. “Greed lusts after more than money. It is an addiction, one that is sadly celebrated and therefore unacknowledged.” He shut his eyes, mouthing something to himself. When he opened his eyes next, he fixed his stare on me. “I will ask others in the First Order to see what help they will provide you. It will take months before we meet again. In the meanwhile, you should not feel glum. Your coven will be arriving.”

“They said they'll be here. So they will be here,” Valerin said.

I nodded and resumed my impatient pacing. It had been an hour or so since Julius had announced that my coven was sending a small party, though they hadn't said who would be in it. If Mordon wasn't there, I'd be pissed. Not that I was unexcited to see the rest of the coven, but I really wanted to see him. Especially as I seemed to be developing just a bit of a crush on someone else.

When I was younger, my parents used to watch a TV matchmaking series and the protagonist would often fall in love with more than one prospect. I'd given the romance seeker no sympathy, though my parents had been full of commiseration. This was my payback. I was certain of it.

Today was yet another brilliantly sunny day. My pale skin seemed to have already sprouted a fine spray of freckles across my arms and shoulders—but perhaps I was only noticing them now because I wore a breezy top which showed far more skin than my sorcering robes. In Selestiani, the style called for silky, drapey fabrics which billowed and fluttered in every twitch of the wind. Trousers were full and cut off at the ankle, skirts were to be found in any length below the knee. I wore trousers, not particularly caring for the way the skirts moved so much. I held back a sneeze; the warm weather combined with the sunlight meant that all the blooming flowers were antagonizing my hayfever a little bit.

“Ah, the portal is starting. Wait just a little longer,” Julius said, positively beside himself with pride to have guests.