3. Questions #3
“He didn’t know why he was the way he was. He didn’t even have a name for it. Not until fairly recently,” I added. “He only knew what his father told him.”
“Which was what?”
“That his existence was illegal,” I repeated tersely. “That he’d been born the way he was, and the sentence for that was death.”
Forsooth nodded.
“Right,” he said, exhaling. “Yes. Well, it is good that your husband believed him.”
I scoffed, unable to help it.
I wanted to make a cutting remark about how Bones’s father likely “convinced” him he was telling the truth, but I couldn’t get out the words. Given where Bones was right now, I couldn’t make myself say it, or find it remotely funny.
“My magic,” I said instead. “It’s changing, isn’t it?”
Forsooth’s gaze sharpened. “Yes.”
“Is it because of this… marriage?” My tongue still got caught on the word. “Clearly the marriage itself was magical, and unintentional––”
Blackstone coughed from by the fireplace.
He somehow made it sound like a sneer.
Something about the expression on his face made up my mind.
“I can find him,” I said. “Bones, I mean… I can find him. I think I can, at least.”
A silence fell over the room.
“Do you mind my asking how?” Forsooth queried politely.
I hesitated, instantly regretting my impulsivity as I glanced at Blackstone. If Bones was right about him, if the magical objects professor was in contact with Malefic, Dark Cathedral would find and remove the trace, and Bones would disappear.
“I don’t blame you for not trusting us.” Forsooth watched me somberly. “We have failed you and all of the students of this school horribly.”
When I didn’t reply, he nodded, seemingly to himself.
“We do have a few threads we can follow,” he said next. “Given that several of the mirrors were shattered before they could be used. Our tracing efforts will take time, however.”
I stared at him. “You have prisoners?”
“No,” Blackstone said tersely.
“We do not,” Forsooth seconded, rather more diplomatically. “A few of their ‘Resurrecteds’ were chased to the outer wall. Three died in the ensuing fight. Three more made it out past the barrier and into Bonescastle.”
I felt my jaw harden. “Is there any chance of catching one of them?”
Blackstone let out a contemptuous scoff.
When I turned, he stared back at me with those blind-looking eyes.
“It is unlikely,” Forsooth said simply. “Malefic and his entire following appear to have gone to ground. We have been trying to persuade one of the authorities to go after him, but as he has apparently retreated to his ancestral home, a number of laws stand in the way. Permission from the King would be needed, as well as––”
“Laws?” I broke in. I stared at him. “Isn’t he a criminal? He broke out of the Pyramid Gaol. He tried to kill his own son!”
“It is sadly complicated,” Forsooth said apologetically.
“There is enough vagueness in some of the statutes around royal bloodlines that the authorities have to really want to go after someone of his position. Many do not. Malefic is a ruthless political operator, and prone to exacting revenge when he is thwarted, often vastly disproportionate to the offense––”
“They’re afraid of him,” Blackstone cut in shortly. “No one wants to be on his enemies list in the event he wins.”
Somehow, Blackstone’s words rang the most true.
I bit the inside of my cheek, but only nodded.
“So you already know where he is,” I said. “He’s at the Black Tower.”
Thinking about that, I felt my restlessness, the need to do something, return. Forsooth basically just told me the Praecuri, the King, G.O.R.E., the Central Magical Authority, and likely no one else would go up against Malefic directly, at least not right now.
“I should go,” I blurted. I’d already begun to stand, pushing down where I gripped the chair’s arms. “Perhaps we could speak again later, after––”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you leave yet,” Forsooth said regretfully.
I froze, staring at him in surprise, but I didn’t lower my weight.
His voice grew more diplomatic.
“I understand your urgency, particularly in light of what you’ve just told us, about being able to find him, but as a condition of bringing you back here, and allowing you to continue at this school, you are being moved to your husband’s quarters.
” He cleared his throat. “For security reasons, mainly, but I hope that will not be disagreeable to you.”
For a few seconds, I was too surprised to answer.
“Is the security there to keep me safe?” I asked. “Or is it in case I decide to run off and join Bones in his human and hybrid-hating Anubis cult?”
Forsooth’s lips twitched in barely concealed amusement.
“They did not specify their precise motives to me, I’m afraid,” he said, deadpan.
His eyes grew more serious. “But I imagine they will be watching all of us for a time, Ms. Shadow. Right now, the northwest tower is being cleared by various branches of British Magical Enforcement for your use. I was asked to keep you here until they finish their assessment and make any modifications needed to the chimaeras.”
“Can Luc still use Bones’s lab?” I asked.
Forsooth smiled. “That is entirely up to you, Ms. Shadow.”
I blinked, then slowly lowered myself back to my chair.
I’d be living in Bones’s quarters. I could think of worse places.
Forsooth cleared his throat, and it sounded almost apologetic.
“…We will, unfortunately, need to serve your meals in there for a while too, and provide you with escorts to your classes when they start up again on Monday.”
I fought not to grind my teeth, especially at that last part, but only nodded.
“Fine,” I replied.
When I met the mage’s dark eyes, I was surprised by the depth of grief I saw there.
“What happened today was clearly conceived and executed well before Malefic was taken prisoner,” Forsooth added. “But we mustn’t forget that it only worked because they murdered at least forty of your fellow students.”
The weight of his words made it real again.
It also managed to dull the edges of my anger, at least at the school, and Forsooth, and even Blackstone.
I was still mad at the Praecuri, and the King, and the rest of the cowards who refused to do the right thing out of fear of Malefic Bones.
But the bulk of my rage remained pointed at Malefic himself, and the witch who’d held the knife to Bones’s throat.
“Right.” Forsooth clapped his hands on his lap, seeming to make up his mind. “Right,” he said again. “Well, since we must all stay up here for a little while longer, while they ready your new room, perhaps it’s time we tell you a few things, rather than the opposite?”
Folding his hands in his lap, he smiled at me.
“…Has anyone ever told you, Ms. Shadow, the story of Antonia and Petrov the Dragon?” he inquired brightly.
That time, I almost did laugh.
Almost.