Trial of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) - K. M. Shea Page 0,210

turned to Angelique. “How did you free him, Angelique?”

Evariste had always been attractive to female mages—for both his looks and his magical genius.

Despite having forged a tentative relationship with Lovelana, Angelique had assumed Evariste would be the sole receiver of Lovelana’s shining attention now that he had returned.

“Um,” Angelique said, unprepared for this development. “It’s a long story?”

“Angel and I will be staying here at the Conclave for several days,” Evariste said. “So we will be free to tell you every detail. Unfortunately, we were sent for by the Council. We should report in to them.”

Angelique tried to scrutinize him out of the corners of her eyes.

Since she’d pulled him out of the mirror, there had been an aura of exhaustion to him—happiness, too. But he didn’t sleep easily and just seemed so tired. As he smiled at Lovelana, Sinèad, and Alfonso, however, she couldn’t detect any hint of fatigue.

Is he settling back into life outside the mirror? No—no matter how spectacular a person is, they can’t recover from that kind of trauma in mere days. Why, then, is he acting like he’s fine? Does he also trust the Conclave so little?

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Sinèad said. “But understandable. However, we will look forward to hearing your story.” She linked her arm through her husband’s and leaned in. “Won’t we, Alfonso?”

Alfonso blushed at her close contact—though the way he linked his fingers through hers gave him away. “Yes. We look forward to seeing your name again in the Assignment and Appointments Department, Evariste.”

Angelique narrowed her eyes. He cannot be serious. Even if he doesn’t know that Evariste’s magic is sealed, he knows perfectly well that Evariste has been missing for years. He just expects him to jump back to work?

“Lord Enchanter Evariste?”

A mage wearing a purple robe with the seal of the Conclave emblazoned on it approached them, looking back and forth between them.

“It seems you are right: you are needed. We look forward to seeing you soon—Sybilla will be happy to see you, Angelique!” Lovelana grinned at Angelique, then Evariste, and stepped back, leaving Sinèad and Alfonso no choice but to follow her lead.

The mage peered at them for a moment before he slightly bowed to Evariste, then Angelique. “The Council is waiting for you.”

Angelique and Evariste exchanged glances.

“Then lead on, please,” Evariste said.

The mage guided them through the maze of the Conclave, and it took Angelique several minutes before recognizing the route they were on would lead them to Hallowed Hall—the place where the Council meted out judgments and held meetings.

How did they know we were here? I suppose it’s possible those guarding the fortress gates sent word by magical methods, but why would they have started to watch for us? They had no way of knowing we were in Mullberg. It seems especially strange, given that Lovelana—the leader of the committee charged with finding Evariste—had obviously not been informed he’d been found.

There was something about the Council already knowing that Evariste was out that still didn’t sit right, but Angelique didn’t have much time to think about it as the mage delivered them into the large hallway that would take them straight into Hallowed Hall.

The mage then scurried off, disappearing around a bend of an intersecting hallway.

“Why do I feel like I’m about to be in trouble?” Angelique asked.

“Nonsense,” Evariste said. “You freed me. What could they possibly criticize?”

“A lot,” Angelique said. “Particularly because I didn’t tell you every sordid detail about my various…disagreements with the Council when I was trying to catch you up on what’s been happening.”

“Then we’ll call for Clovicus, and he’ll throw every magical law he can after them, and enjoy it,” Evariste simply said.

Angelique grinned, but she relaxed only when their shoulders brushed.

It doesn’t matter what they complain about now. Evariste is free. He’s here with me.

Though it had been days, she half-expected to wake up and find the whole thing had been a bittersweet dream.

Even without his magic, the sheer relief Angelique felt at standing in his presence was simultaneously tempting and soothing.

Evariste smiled when he happened to meet her gaze.

He looked a little better than when Angelique had yanked him out of the mirror—even better than when they’d left Juwel. Some of the color had returned to his face, but now that he wasn’t talking to any other mages, the subtle lines of exhaustion were still there.

I can’t imagine how terrible those years were.

They reached the end of the passageway, coming to a stop at the doors that barred the