head again. She carefully closed the book and moved on to the second one. This only had two paper tabs, and the second one was a scythe with a snake wrapped around it.
“That’s the symbol our witnesses described,” I said. “Who owns it?”
She flipped several pages, then ran a gloved finger down the records until she came to the last name on the list. “According to this, Henry James.”
“Dead or alive?” Ashworth asked.
Her finger slipped across several columns. “Still alive. Retired and living here in Victoria, apparently.”
I blinked. “Dark sorcerers retire?”
She gave me a severe look. “Not all dark sorcerers are evil, young woman. Some simply use the darker forms of magic.”
“I was under the impression—”
“Is there any chance of us speaking to him?” Ashworth cut in, sending me a warning look. “The woman who bears his mark has been causing chaos up in the Faelan Reservation, and any information he might be able to give us could help capture her.”
She pursed her lips. “I can contact him and see if he’s willing to talk to you, if you wish.”
“Would it be possible to do so today?”
“I’ll check. This way, please.”
She led us out of the library, killing any hope I had of snooping through the other books. We were deposited in the reading room, given a quick, “I won’t be long,” and left to our own devices.
I walked over to the nearest sofa and plonked down. “I had no idea dark witches weren’t always evil.”
“That’s certainly not my experience, but I guess in my line of business that’s not entirely unexpected.”
He strolled to the rear wall and made a small upward motion with his hand. My gaze followed the movement and landed on the camera—one that had an odd round bulge underneath it, which no doubt meant they were also listening in. No wonder Ashworth had given me a warning glance earlier.
I crossed my legs, got out my phone, and scrolled through Twitter in an effort to catch up on whatever shitstorm was currently overtaking the day. Ashworth continued to walk around the room, but the gentle wash of his magic suggested he was probing the spells surrounding this place. Spells I could feel but couldn’t see.
Marian returned ten minutes later and handed Ashworth a piece of paper. “He has agreed to meet at this café. He’ll be there at midday and will wait no more than fifteen minutes for your arrival.”
Ashworth glanced down at the note, then nodded and shoved it into his pocket. “I appreciate your help in this matter, Marian.”
She smiled, though there was little sign of warmth or sincerity. “We’re always happy to help on matters such as this. This way, please.”
We were led through the final security door and then politely motioned toward the stairs. The security guard opened the front door as we approached and bid us a good day as we headed for the parking lot.
“Where are we meeting Henry?”
“A café in Carlton. It’ll only take ten minutes or so to get there.”
“Given it was eleven-forty when we left, he has to live close by.”
“I’d say so. I am surprised he agreed to meet, though. Those who survive to retirement tend not to.”
“Because of past activities?”
“Yes. No matter what Marian might espouse, there’re very few dark witches who don’t slide into evil. The forces they deal with on a regular basis generally ensure there’s little light left.”
I frowned. “Then how dangerous is meeting going to be?”
“It’d pay for us to be on our guard, but I doubt he’d actually try anything, given I’m on official business and he wouldn’t, in any way, want to bring RWA attention down on himself.”
“That’s only semi-comforting,” I muttered. “Especially given the record I have when it comes to the dark side trying to kill me.”
“Lass, the charm around your neck is strong enough to cope with any minor spell he throws.” He hesitated. “I would, however, fully raise your muting shield so that he doesn’t sense the wild magic. That could well cause a problem in the future.”
I immediately did so. Like all witches, I’d been taught the basics of controlling magical output at school, but with the discovery that I’d been born with wild magic entwined through my DNA, I’d had to learn how to create an inner shield that would stop other witches sensing its presence. It was basically active whenever I was awake, though I’d begun lowering its output in an effort to conserve some strength whenever I was with witches who knew