Trial of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) - K. M. Shea Page 0,225

his morals.”

Evariste watched her with a wrinkled brow. “Finnr is…” He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he glanced at Tristisim and Felicienne and fell silent.

The two remaining Council Members sat down in two of the wooden chairs. Felicienne delicately rubbed the spot between her eyes while Tristisim openly scowled at Angelique.

“Thank you,” Tristisim abruptly said.

Angelique looked from Clovicus to Evariste and wondered who he was talking to.

“Apprentice,” Tristisim added. “We owe you our gratitude for last night—though I don’t know you went about it in the best of ways.”

“Excuse me.” Clovicus nodded to Angelique, casually made his way over to Tristisim, and kicked the older Lord Enchanter in the shins with enough force to make the Council Member fold over with a cry of pain. “Since you appear to have the manners of a toddler, please allow me to school you, Lord Enchanter,” Clovicus said in a bright and airy voice. “When profusely thanking the person who may very well be single-handedly responsible for saving the entire Veneno Conclave—perhaps even the continent—one does not go about being ungrateful for the manner in which they performed said deed, namely because one should be overcome with gratitude.”

Tristisim scowled up at Clovicus, his craggy face unhappily lined.

Surprisingly, it was Felicienne who spoke next. “Clovicus is right,” she said. “Angelique, on behalf of the entire Veneno Conclave, thank you for your actions last night. I never expected…Primrose and the others were my friends. I didn’t think they could…” Her hands shook, and she pressed her lips together.

“The events of last night surprised us all,” Angelique carefully replied. “But it is good that we know. Now, we can prepare.”

“Yes,” Clovicus said. “And we’ll need to.”

“Does that refer to your prior comment, about those who left?” Angelique asked.

“Exactly.” Even though Clovicus’ coppery hair was barely burnished with silver, and he appeared to be in his mid-forties or so, he eased himself into a chair with the sigh of an old man. “The danger of the Chosen wasn’t just that they made up a good fourth of our numbers, it was that many of them were in positions of power within the Veneno Conclave.”

“They obviously infiltrated the highest ranks given that four of the six Council Members were secretly Chosen mages. Unfortunately, they inserted themselves everywhere.” Evariste rested his palms on the table and leaned over it, looking haggard.

He doesn’t have his magic, and he’s still doing everything he can.

He met Angelique’s gaze, his face smoothed into an unreadable expression. “The headmaster of Luxi-Domus is missing, as are a number of key faculty members.”

“They were Chosen?”

“Most likely. We’re tracking down any witnesses that might have seen him flee,” Evariste said.

Angelique bit the inside of her cheek. “Sinèad from the Assignments and Appointments Department said her husband, Alfonso left. Rein said Blanche ran, too.”

Clovicus sighed deeply. “That seems about right. Since Sinèad runs the Assignments and Appointments Department, Alfonso would have had easy access to all appointment records and influence over who was sent where. Blanche was a Master Weather Mage and was one of the most respected weather mages of our time. Both of them filled key roles of power, covertly more than overtly.”

“Do you think they were preparing for a takeover?” Angelique asked.

“Assumedly.” Evariste stood straight, then prowled closer to her. “Liliane never spoke about taking over the Veneno Conclave, but she didn’t ever seem particularly concerned about the danger it posed, either.”

“The base goal was likely to make us useless in the coming fight,” Clovicus grimly said.

“They succeeded.” Felicienne held her hand out, her expression almost pleading. “How can we move past this? We can’t be sure who is friend and who is foe, and we’ve all suffered betrayal of one form or another.”

Angelique massaged a knot in her shoulder. “I’ll notify Prince Severin of Loire immediately. Last night’s events will greatly change the strategy he’s been developing against the Chosen. Thankfully, I have a magic mirror I can use to contact him. Oh, and I’ll send word to Princess Snow White, too. She doesn’t have a mirror—yet—so it will have to be a physical message.”

Felicienne frowned. “Of Mullberg.”

Angelique couldn’t help but snark, “I was unaware there was another winter-named princess cavorting around the continent.”

“Perhaps we should wait before informing Loire and Mullberg,” Felicienne said.

“Why?” Angelique asked.

“If they hear of the position we’re in, they will act,” Tristisim said.

“Yes, yes,” Angelique nodded her head at his words. “That is generally the point of informing someone of what has happened in a