Trial of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) - K. M. Shea Page 0,235

outside Evariste’s house).

Aware of all the stares, the student scrunched his nose up. “What?” he crossly demanded. “This means we won’t have to worry about black mages attacking us in the middle of the night. Why are you all upset about that?”

The pointed question made the crowd pause. Mages stopped whispering and instead blinked in surprise, swapped glances with their comrades, and thoughtfully peered around the courtyard.

Sybilla tipped her head toward Clovicus. “That upstanding student was one of the children the Council made you unwillingly take under your wing and tutor, is he not?”

“Yes, that would be him,” Clovicus said.

“It seems your lessons on rebellion were well taught.”

“Thank you. In light of recent events, I’m starting to understand why the rest of the Council was always mad that Tristisim kept sticking those brats on me.”

Angelique cracked a smile as the energy of the crowd visibly changed.

“He’s right,” a woman shouted on the other side of the Courtyard. “Why’d the Conclave ever leave Verglas in the first place?”

“Probably was the Chosen,” someone darkly offered.

“You’re just seeing black mages in every shadow,” another mage said in an accusing tone.

“Oh, really?” the woman asked. “Then I imagine you must think it was just coincidence that our highly valued library burned down once we moved to Mullberg, and we lost countless priceless records and historical documents?”

Mages visibly blanched, and another blanket of whispers spread through the courtyard.

Angelique winced. “I hadn’t thought of the library.”

“I hadn’t either,” Evariste grimly said. “But it seems more than plausible and almost certain given the four Council Members, Luxi-Domus headmaster, and countless other mages in important positions proved to be Chosen.”

Angelique’s spine quivered, but her worries were swept away when the staccato sound of claps began to drift from the crowd of mages.

The lone few claps turned into a stronger sound as more mages joined in, and when some of the magic users started whistling and hollering their support, the sound became a rousing roar.

“Praises for Mullberg!”

“Salutes for Mullberg!”

“Bravo, Princess Snow White!”

Snow White relaxed as the shouts of praise squeaked through the roar of approval the mages gave her. She released the banister, waved a little before awkwardly fixing the bow that pulled her hair back from her face, and then stepped back from the front of the balcony.

“Bravo indeed, Princess Snow White,” Clovicus praised. “It truly is a plan that will give us all the mental assurance we need.”

“I’m not so certain it’s a good idea,” Tristisim said. “How can we move from our homebase in a time when we need all the resources we can get? The Veneno Conclave fortress has been fortified for times like this.”

“Which is why it’s filled with traps, isn’t it?” Felicienne asked. “Because the Chosen want us wasting our time trying to survive in our own home instead of helping the rest of the continent.”

Tristisim snapped his jaw shut and furrowed his brow so much, his thick eyebrows almost buried his eyes.

“We can’t thank you enough, Snow White.” Angelique took the princess’s hands in hers and squeezed them. They were a little clammy, which oddly made Angelique want to cry.

Crowds terrify her, but she came because I asked her to, because she is my friend.

Angelique fought an unexpected lump in her throat and gave Snow White a watery smile.

“Indeed,” Evariste added. His gaze was somewhat piercing as he studied Snow White. “This is a sacrifice from Mullberg on more than one level—for I’m certain this will affect your country.”

“Our economy will suffer,” Snow White readily agreed. “We’ll have to restructure our taxes since the Veneno Conclave paid handsomely to live on our lands. My people will face some repercussions, but not many businesses will suffer since the Conclave was mostly self-sufficient, and given its relatively close distance to the border, most visitors—tourist, intellectual, or otherwise—typically stayed within the fortress itself. But we will feel the pain of losing the mages.”

Angelique grimaced. “I’m sorry—I imagine your cabinet is going to be very upset with you.”

Snow White squeezed Angelique’s hands. “It doesn’t matter,” she said in a voice that was as soft as satin but as hardened as a sword. “We’ve entered an era where I must put the good of the continent ahead of my country. Without any help from mages, I’m not so certain the continent will survive.” Snow White looked pointedly down the line of enchanters standing on the balcony. “Mullberg will scrape by if it means assuring magical aid for the rest of the continent. And we will gladly help