Trial of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) - K. M. Shea Page 0,66

layers of cloth to bulk up her body before pinning up her hair so none of it could be seen.

Angelique highly doubted any Chosen would recognize her on sight, but Severin and Elle had suspected since the previous summer that the Chosen were targeting Angelique, and after being attacked by a Chosen mage who had the ability to wield weapons made of shadows, she was less inclined to disagree with them.

Their unlikely quartet trooped through the woods, Angelique and Quinn looking around—alert and with their hands resting on the pommels of their swords, though Angelique’s palms were clammy with sweat—while Gabrielle imperiously marched ahead, and Elle scuttled at her side.

When they reached the door, Gabrielle stuck out her chin and glanced down at Elle.

Elle scurried forward and rapped her knuckles on the door. “Ahem, ahem!” She said in a dry and reedy voice. “Entrance is demanded on behalf of the beautiful and powerful Mademoiselle Mystrim!”

The door swung open, and a sallow-faced girl with eyes suspiciously narrowed and a runny nose peered out at them. “Don’t know no Mademoiselle Mystrim,” she snapped.

Elle leaned in and muttered. “I should think not—she is far above you. Now let us in, Infinito.”

The girl blinked at the whispered code word—which Severin’s skilled ranger had ferreted out after listening to several Chosen enter the place.

Angelique’s heart galloped in her chest. It was hard to breathe as she waited for the girl’s reaction.

Will this work, or have they already changed the password?

The moment stretched on for what felt like forever, before the girl backed up. “You have to leave all weapons outside.”

Elle sniffed. “Very well. Guards?”

Quinn and Angelique unbuckled their sword belts and tossed them aside.

Based on Quinn’s bland expression, you’d never guess that she had at least a dozen hidden daggers sheathed in her boots and secret pockets in her tunic.

Elle was similarly outfitted. Gabrielle had pins with sharpened points jabbed in her hair, and Angelique had sharpened fragments of a starfire crystal in her pockets as backup. As the crystals were broken, they carried no magical signature, but they were Angelique’s backup weapons in case the Chosen were able to detect the party’s hidden blades.

Using her magic, even tiny shards would be deadly enough to get them out of any sticky situation they may encounter—though Angelique wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of using her core magic.

Angelique waited to see if the girl had a detection spell on her and would demand they hand over their hidden weapons, but the girl dully rubbed her shoulder. “I’ll lead you to the master,” she said.

Angelique was lightheaded with her relief. She had to press her lips tight together to keep herself from letting a relieved sigh escape her.

Elle winked at her before slouching in first, Gabrielle following at a more sedate and less attentive pace. Quinn nodded slightly at Angelique, offered her a flash of a smile, and then ducked through the narrow cottage door.

Angelique followed her, feeling more than a little crowded as they marched down the narrow, darkened hallway.

They passed five doors before the girl—an apprentice, maybe?—led them to a backroom filled with tables upon tables of jewelry, and seeped with the oily, oozing sensation of black magic.

It prickled at Angelique’s nerves, and it took everything she had not to react to the uncomfortable feeling. She had an inkling a mere guard shouldn’t be able to feel any magic, so she didn’t react, even when she could see the shadows of black magic playing around some of the glittering jewels set in precious metals.

Even though it was mid-morning, the windows were shuttered tight, and the only light was the fire burning in the fireplace and several sputtering lights in glass oil lamps that were foggy with years of smoke.

The room was icy cold, but none of the outside snow managed to worm its way inside, and Angelique was more inclined to think the low temperature was due to the black magic stored in the gems.

“The master will be along in a moment.” The servant girl studied Gabrielle for a moment, then slunk off, disappearing back up the hallway.

Although Angelique strained her ears to listen, the girl’s footfalls were silent, making it impossible to track where she went.

Quinn settled into a spot near the door—a natural guard position—so Angelique picked a place on the wall between the two shuttered windows that afforded her an excellent view of the bespelled jewels.

Her eyes safely hidden by the shadows of her helm, Angelique narrowed her eyes as she tried to