Chapter 35
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Wringing his hands, Percival sat with the two sorcerers at one of the tables.
At present, no customers sat in the bakery. He glanced to the back area, searching for Leo. But of course he wouldn’t be back yet.
“I am Sorcerer Astor, and this is Sorceress Sable. We have been hired by Master Blaize to investigate your death.”
“Master Blaize? You mean Avery?” Percival asked.
“Yes.” The sorcerer smiled and steepled his hands together. “Master Blaize informed us you have lost your memories of how you died. Is that correct?”
“Yes. I don’t remember anything before my rebirth.” Percival glanced between the sorcerers. “You’re not ice sorcerers, are you?”
Sorcerer Astor scoffed. “Of course not. We are obviously fire sorcerers.”
Percival wasn’t sure how he was supposed to know that. Perhaps it was the dark-red robes with black embellishments sewn onto them.
Sorceress Sable leaned across the table. “And I should point out that just because some ice sorcerers have been hunting down phoenixes, does not mean all ice sorcerers do so. Most sorcerers behave within the confines of a strict code of ethics.”
Sorcerer Astor nodded.
“Those who don’t abide by these codes will find themselves facing the wrath of the Sorcerers Council,” she said. “Sorcerers cannot just run around killing anyone they want.” She laughed.
“No. Indeed.” Sorcerer Astor laughed along with Sorceress Sable. “The Sorcerers Council would not tolerate that. You’ll be pleased to know that many ice sorcerers have faced justice at the hands of the council for permanently killing phoenixes.”
Percival wasn’t sure if he was pleased to know that. He didn’t like the fact that many ice sorcerers had permanently killed phoenixes regardless of whether they had been punished for it.
“Now, onto your case.” The light glinted off Sorcerer Astor’s glasses. He pulled out the drawing of the sigil Leo had copied.
“We went to the alley where Master Blaize told us you had been killed. We examined the location of the attack and this sigil.” He cleared his throat. “This is clearly frost magic and was most definitely cast by an ice sorcerer and—”
“Wait! No. That can’t be,” Percival interrupted. “It can’t be an ice sorcerer.” His heart thudded in his chest. “If it was an ice sorcerer, I would have died and not been reborn. But I was reborn.”
Percival looked between them. “I mean, maybe this sigil was just there by coincidence. Maybe it had nothing to do with me. Maybe I was just killed by thieves or something random!”
They stared at him a second. Then they both laughed. They laughed!
Percival’s shoulders drooped.
“No,” Sorcerer Astor said, wiping tears from his eyes. “No. This is clearly frost magic cast by an ice sorcerer, and based on the resonance of the lingering magic in the air and the timing of your attack, we are quite certain this was used to kill you.”
“Yes. We can also sense the resonance of the spell in the air around you.” Sorceress Sable’s eyes flicked over him. “There is no doubt that this spell killed you.”
“But I’m alive!” Percival protested. “If it was frost magic, I should be permanently dead! Shouldn’t I?”
“And that is the interesting part.” Sorceress Sable studied him with her eyes as if Percival were some puzzle that she desperately wanted to solve. “Why aren’t you dead?” She leaned right across the table, practically rising from her seat.
Percival leaned back.
“You should be dead.” Her fingers tapped the sigil on the paper. “This was meant to permanently kill you. But yet you live. So what happened? How did you survive? You must tell us.”
“I lost my memories of the attack!” They knew that. “Remember?”
Sorceress Sable sat back in her chair. The two shared a look. Then they both turned back to him and smiled.
His skin prickled.
“We can reverse that,” Sorceress Sable said. “We believe the spell must have been interfered with. It was this interference which caused unexpected consequences. Specifically a loss of memory at point of death. But we believe we can retrieve your memories with a spell.”
She lifted her hands into the air. Sorcerer Astor did the same. A red glow emitted from all four hands.
Percival pushed his chair back. “Wait a minute.” This was all happening too fast.
“We have to retrieve your memories.” Sorcerer Astor’s hands glowed brighter. “We need to find out who killed you and why they failed to permanently kill you. That is what we have been hired to do.”
Sorcerer Sable nodded, and her hands also glowed brighter. Then, in sync, they began to trace patterns in the air, their gazes fixed on him. Their eyes glowed red.
“Will I remember everything from my past lives or just the attack?”
But they were whispering now in a tongue Percival did not comprehend. They did not pause to answer his question.
Percival looked to the bakery counter. No one was there. He could see Jack, Wulfric, and Briar in the back area. But no Leo!
I need Leo! I can’t face this alone!
They muttered loudly now. The air crackled around them.
What would happen when he got his memories back? Would he revert to the phoenix he’d been before? The phoenix who’d hated Leo! The phoenix Leo had hated. He didn’t want Leo to hate him!
Percival jumped to his feet. “No. I—”
Their fingers flicked towards him. Balls of red light flew towards his face.
A wall of scorching heat smashed into him. Searing pain split his skull. Percival clutched at his head. His mouth fell open on a scream. But no sound escaped his throat. His throat muscles convulsed as the air left his lungs.
Golden light exploded before his eyes. Then the light flickered, and images splashed before him.
The alley.
The ice sorceress.
Pain. So much pain. And cold.
His vision cleared, and he lay on the floor, panting.