Chapter 26 Return #2
“She returned home, yes,” Forsooth replied.
“She is also now claiming that everything you witnessed happening to her happened with her consent. It puts Magical Law Enforcement in a bit of a bind. As she is nineteen, she is legally an adult. Therefore, from a legal standpoint, there has been no crime, not without proof that the ritual itself was illegal. She left for a few weeks, and then returned. She claims the ritual was merely a fertility spell.”
Bones frowned. “A fertility spell?” He scoffed. “What about the screaming I heard? That had to be her, didn’t it?”
“Likely, yes,” Forsooth said. “But you did not actually see her scream, did you? In your testimony, you told us you heard the screams before you’d entered the ritual space, and before you’d gotten to an elevated position where you could see what was going on. Is that correct?”
Bones continued to frown, but nodded. “Yes.”
“And when you did see her, she seemed happy to be there? Even hugging several mages in the audience? I believe you said one of them was Yoric Owen?”
“Yes,” Bones said, wary.
“Here is the problem, you see?” Forsooth held up his hands. “We have an adult witch who claims she was involved in a legal ritual willingly.”
Caelum’s frown deepened. “Can’t they use my memories to prove her claims about the ritual are rubbish, at least?”
Forsooth shook his head. “There are too many unregistered spells on record to make that claim stick. They could say it was an old family spell that had some unusual components around protecting offspring. Some fertility spells try to pull in a specific soul from the family lineage, etc. And again, you had no good view of the ritual space until after the ritual had ended.” Forsooth’s expression remained grim.
“It cannot be proved,” he said. “Even though there is a significant amount of circumstantial information that something is wrong––”
“What circumstantial information?” I looked between him and Caelum. “Do you mean Bones’s testimony? Or are there other things?”
Forsooth took a sip of his tea. Before he answered me, he motioned with a hand, and murmured out a low spell. A tray covered in chocolate biscuits floated over from a table by the window, and came to rest next to a different tray holding a large silver tea service between all four of the armchairs.
I looked at it, then, after the barest hesitation, I leaned forward and poured myself a cup of tea. I plucked a biscuit from the second tray, and leaned back in my chair. Bones did the same, and Alaric. Once everyone had a biscuit and tea, Forsooth resumed speaking.
“There are other things,” he explained, as I nibbled my biscuit.
“Her parents report her behavior is much changed. They say she moved out the day after she returned, taking all of her things and a fair-few possessions of theirs. They did not wish to press charges, as they were primarily concerned. They also claim her primal has changed.”
Bones nodded. “It was the Mordopast primal.”
“Yes,” Forsooth said, looking at him. “From a ruby-throated hummingbird to a scarab. As you say, her current primal is identical to the Mordopast familial.”
There was a silence.
“There is something else,” Forsooth added. “She is enrolled in this university. She joined the freshman class this year, with a particular interest in alchemical studies.”
There was a longer silence.
Biting my lip as I remembered what Ankha had done, I cleared my throat. “Just so we’re clear,” I said. “We’re saying that Rebecca Whitehorse is no longer Rebecca Whitehorse, but has had her body taken over by a member of the Mordopast family?”
Forsooth glanced at me. “Yes.”
“Who?” I asked, looking between him and Bones. “I’m assuming you have some theory about which Mordopast it is?”
Bones looked at me, his expression grim. “If I had to guess, based on how I saw Yoric greet her, I’d say Lucia Mordopast Orrin. Yoric’s wife. She was killed during the break-in at the Sanctum Occulus in November. She’s daughter to the current Mordopast patriarch.”
I frowned at him, not hiding my confusion. “Wait. She was? I thought none of those names were released. I couldn’t even find out from Valor, apart from the official arrests––”
“I made a point of finding out.” Bones glanced at Forsooth, then gave me a faintly warning look.
“While in hospital, I was able to compile a list of everyone in Dark Cathedral who was killed, injured, arrested by G.O.R.E., or held in detention by the Praecuri.” Bones cleared his throat.
“Maybe for obvious reasons, it seemed important.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
I knew no one had just given Bones that information.
Forsooth cleared his throat.
“Perhaps we could discuss that aspect in more detail later?” he suggested.
“For now, I can confirm that Lucia Mordopast Orrin was, indeed, killed during that raid. For the same reason, Mr. Bones’s account of what took place that night is troubling.
If it means what we are speculating, I would guess we have a very serious problem on our hands.
Dark Cathedral has mastered an ancient form of a very illegal set of rituals. ”
He lifted his own cup of tea and took a sip.
His bear primal peered over his chair’s arm, and stared at me.
“I’ve spoken with several contacts I have in the Praecuri and the Council of Ancients,” Forsooth continued.
“Unfortunately, they are unwilling to move on this yet.” He glanced pointedly at me.
“I know your cousin has attempted to convince his superiors, as well, but he’s also met with resistance so far.
Frankly, I think they are somewhat in denial of the progress Dark Cathedral has made, not only in recruitment, but in infiltrating our institutions.
They also strike me as rather naive about just how serious Dark Cathedral is in their intention to overthrow our current forms of government.
They seem to think, with Malefic imprisoned, the issue is resolved.
Their focus is on the protests and regaining stability and peace in civil society. ”
“You’d think the size of the protests would convince them,” Alaric muttered.
Forsooth looked at him. “You would. But again, I am assured that now that Malefic has been locked up, the problem will take care of itself. They think this is merely a temporary ‘blip’ that it will die down once it’s clear Malefic will not be released.”
“They could be right,” Bones said, gruff.
He leaned forward, clasping his hands between his knees.
“I’ve never known them to act without my father before,” he added.
“Orrin is a brute, and unshakably loyal to my father, but not particularly clever. If he’s in charge, that worries me less, frankly.
” Hesitating, he added, “I saw Sirena Calvarias in Tunis, however. Sergius was there, too. If one or both of them have stepped into the leadership void, or even are acting as whisperers in Orrin’s ear, they are much more of a problem. ”
I looked between Bones and Forsooth.
“Who is Sirena Calvarias?” I asked, when no one elaborated.
Forsooth exhaled. He took his eyes off Bones to look at me.
“Sirena Calvarias,” he explained. “And her husband, Sergius Calvarias, are believed to be high up in Dark Cathedral, and trusted by Malefic. However, I agree with your…” Forsooth hesitated, stumbled a bit, then added, “…friend, Mr. Bones. Sirena is dangerous. Her husband is, too, but frankly, I worry about her more. I had both of them as my students, and I can say that she is the cleverer of the two, and the one I found most worrisome in her predilections.”
I glanced at Bones and saw he wore his blank expression again.
I could practically feel the wall he had up.
“Okay,” I said, tearing my eyes off Bones’s face. “So the Praecuri won’t do anything. What can we do?” I focused on Forsooth. “Do we know if this Rebecca Whitehorse will be coming back to Malcroix Bones in a few days?”
Forsooth eyes met mine. He cleared his throat, his voice even more grim.
“We do not,” he said.
“Do you think she will?” I pressed.
Forsooth frowned, and rearranged himself on the stuffed armchair. Next to him, his bear primal was batting at golden bubbles with his paws. It might have made me laugh under different circumstances, but now even the bear’s expression looked grim.
“I can think of possibilities in either direction,” Forsooth said.
“But why would she come back?” Alaric asked.
“The Orrin family isn’t the richest among those in the royal succession, but they’re certainly one of the more traditional.
They do not work at occupations, and sneer at anyone who does.
Whatever Whitehorse may have been studying, if she really is Lucia Orrin, I’m guessing that’s off the table now. ”
Bones grunted, but when I glanced at him, he didn’t voice his thoughts aloud.
Forsooth’s expression was harder to read. “I agree,” he said. “But I can think of other, less savory reasons why she might return.”
Something else had occurred to me, something that had completely left my mind in everything that had happened over the past few weeks. “What about Alaric?” I asked, my voice alarmed. “He’s not still in danger of one of these rituals?”
Forsooth’s expression grew surprised. His eyebrows rose under his bushy brown hair.
“No.” He glanced at Alaric. “You didn’t tell them?”
Alaric, who was chewing the last of his chocolate biscuit, looked between me and Bones. Brushing the crumbs off his hands, he smiled faintly, then reached up and unbuttoned the top of his tailored green shirt. He unbuttoned it down to the middle part of his chest, then opened it.
I gasped, unable to help it.
The gold tattoos he’d worn the last time I’d seen his chest were gone. Nothing remained behind, not even a scar, or any kind of discoloration.
“They conducted the revoking ritual in one of the Experimental Magic Sheds while you two lovebirds were playing house at the Tower,” Alaric said, winking at me.
“You mean while I was in a coma?” Bones asked dryly.
“Po-tay-toe, Po-tah-toe,” Alaric quipped back.
I smiled at him, shaking my head, and felt something in my gut unclench. “Well, that’s something.” I looked back at Forsooth. “Thank you for that, sir.”
Forsooth smiled. “The small victories are important.” He let out a sigh, and laid his hands on the chair’s wide armrests. “I think we are done here for now. Although I suggest we meet again once the rest of your fellow students have returned from the break in a few days.”
He hesitated, and looked first at Bones, then at me.
“I would like to speak to the two of you,” he added. “Alone, if possible.”
I instantly felt my nerves rise.
“Not today,” Bones said.
His voice was blunt, uncompromising. The way he stared at Forsooth struck me as more knowing than not. That sharper glint in his gold irises made me uneasy, even beyond the flicker of greenish flame I saw coil through them, from one eye to the other.
Forsooth looked back at him thoughtfully, his dark eyes seeming to study something in Bones I couldn’t see.
I almost wondered if they were speaking via their minds, like Bones did with me, but I couldn’t decide.
They definitely seemed to understand one another, which was frustrating, because I had no idea what this was about at all.
Whatever passed between them, Forsooth eventually nodded slowly.
“All right,” he said.
He didn’t sound happy with that resolution.
I definitely got the impression Forsooth conceded only reluctantly, perhaps against his better judgment. He nodded a second time though, still holding Bones’s gaze.
“I’ll give you a few more days, Mr. Bones,” Forsooth continued, his voice holding what might have been a warning. “But we’ll speak of this before the next term begins.”
The same warning or threat hung in the air after he finished.
I didn’t understand it, but it was clear to me that Bones absolutely did.