a mage’s power any more than an ordinary wand—but it does inherit the mother wand’s properties should the latter be destroyed.
“When Hesperia the Magnificent held Validus, she made modifications to its daughter wand, so that it could be used to track down the mother wand. Because of this, Validus’s daughter wand is kept at a secret location, not to be used unless the one who wields Validus is deemed dead or captured.”
“But you are neither,” said Iolanthe.
“Try telling that to the regent.” He frowned. “Come to think of it, I am not sure that Alectus knows this at all. Someone like Commander Rainstone is more likely to be in possession of such knowledge.”
“Can you ask Dalbert to find out?” It was why he had left them in the first place, to retrieve what intelligence Dalbert might have gathered.
“You do that,” Titus said. “I will go get some water for tea.”
“Surely I may fetch water for you, sire,” said Master Haywood.
“It is dark out. You would not be able to find the pump.”
Even Iolanthe didn’t know where the pump was—whenever she came to the laboratory, the kettle was always full. And then, at the confused look on Master Haywood’s face, she explained, “The prince isn’t going back to where we came from. The laboratory is also connected with a lighthouse at the northern tip of Scotland.”
She tapped out a message on the typing ball Titus used to communicate with Dalbert. Then she inserted a sheet of paper underneath, to receive any messages the latter might have sent during their time in the desert. The keys clacked.
As she was rolling the paper back out, Titus returned. “There is a tremendous fog outside. I walked by the pump twice before I found it.”
He put the water to heat, read the messages with her, and relayed what they learned to Kashkari and Master Haywood. “There was a meeting of the regent and his closest advisers the night Fairfax and I found ourselves in the desert—the night I summoned the war phoenix. There have been frequent meetings since, between the regent and his advisers and between the regent and the current Inquisitor. Apparently Lady Callista is still being held in the Inquisitory.”
Master Haywood placed his hands together on the desk. Iolanthe recognized it as a sign of nerves on his part—after all this time, he still cared about Lady Callista. “If they threaten her safety, the regent is sure to give them what they want.”
Was there a trace of pity in Titus’s eyes as he glanced toward Master Haywood? “That is a romantic view. I am afraid the regent would have given them what they wanted even if Lady Callista were perfectly safe—by nature Alectus longs to bask in the reflection of power. He does not have it in him to deny any request Atlantis makes.”
Kashkari frowned. “Is that everything your spymaster has to tell?”
“There is a little more. Nothing has yet been said to the public. And my subjects have no particular suspicions at the moment, since I do not typically make appearances in the capital. They still believe me to be in my mountain fastness, studying like a good little princeling.”
Titus looked at Kashkari. “But you are right. I had expected a great deal more. Now I wonder if my spymaster is himself in custody.”
“Then what are we to do now?” asked Kashkari.
The kettle sang. Titus made tea and handed out biscuits from a tin. “We arrange for everyone to have a place to sleep. The lighthouse has a pair of rooms for visiting commissioners and travelers stranded by bad weather. It looks like one of the rooms is already taken. Since Miss Seabourne should still refrain from vaulting, as much as possible, I recommend that we let her have the remaining room. The gentlemen can stay at the inn in Durness, twelve miles away.”
The gentlemen murmured their assent.
They drank their tea. Kashkari and Titus discussed the armored pods, while Iolanthe asked Master Haywood about his life in Paris.
“I’ve grown to be quite fond of the bakery around the corner. Their mille-feuille reminds me of those we used to buy at Mrs. Hinderstone’s shop. You remember Mrs. Hinderstone’s shop?”
“Of course,” she said. “It was one of my favorite places in Delamer.”
“There is a sign in there that you adored, left behind from when the place was a bookshop.”
“‘Books on the Dark Arts may be found in the cellar, free of charge. And should you locate the cellar, kindly feed the phantom behemoth inside.