The Master Magician

He met her eyes. “Which time?”


“About my being ready to test for magicianship,” she said. “Lacerate—I don’t know that one. How many more spells do I not know?”

“Not even Prit knows that spell, Ceony,” Emery said. He rested his hands on her shoulders, lifted a lock of her hair to see the place where Saraj had ripped out another. Ceony hoped it didn’t look too obvious. “That is a Magician Thane original.”

Ceony’s fatigue subsided at those words. “You discovered a Folding spell? How?”

“It’s an intense version of ‘Shred,’ really,” he said. “And yes, when Lira was still a threat. I’m a Folder, Ceony. I needed to find something besides ‘Burst’ spells that could incapacitate a person.”

She nodded, slowly, digesting the news. “Are there any others I don’t know?”

“No.”

Another nod. A pause. “Emery,” she said, enunciating each syllable of his name. Proceeding with caution. “How many people have . . . have you—”

“Killed?” he finished for her.

She bit her lip.

“You and I are one for one, love,” he answered.

“Oh, Emery—”

“I’ll be fine,” he said. Ran a thumb over her cheek. “I hardly feel remorse over the loss of Saraj Prendi. By all means, I killed him twice. I guess that puts me one ahead, hm?”

Silence fell between them for several seconds.

“I need to tell Magician Aviosky,” Ceony whispered. “Knowing what we know about bonding Excisioners . . . I think I should tell her.”

“I would do the same.”

“Did you arrive by buggy? Is it still here?”

Emery stood and pulled up Ceony with him. He rolled his head and stretched out his shoulder, testing it. Glancing behind him, he nodded once to Mg. Kilmer.

“Let’s go,” he murmured, hand pressed to Ceony’s back. “I do hope Patrice likes early-morning visitors.”

Ceony walked close to him, leaving the hospital—and the Excisioners—behind.



Mg. Aviosky opened the front door on the ninth knock, already groomed and powdered, though the hair pulled into its habitual tight bun at her crown looked wet. She didn’t mask her surprise at seeing Emery Thane and Ceony Twill on her doorstep a quarter after seven in the morning. Adjusting her glasses on her nose, she asked, “To what do I owe this visit? I’m afraid I have an appointment with the Cabinet in an hour.”

Taking a deep breath, Ceony said, “Saraj Prendi is dead.”

She stiffened. “What, how? Are you sure?”

“Alfred will likely fill you in soon enough,” Emery said. He stifled a yawn.

Mg. Aviosky blanched. Her gaze fixed on Ceony. “Don’t tell me you were invol—”

“Saraj isn’t why I’m here,” she interjected. Glanced at Emery. After another deep breath, she added, “There’s something I didn’t tell you about Grath. What he did the day in the mirror room—how Delilah really died.”

Mg. Aviosky stilled until even her chest failed to rise, her lips limp.

“I didn’t tell you what he discovered,” Ceony continued, “but I need to tell you now, if you can find the time.”

The Gaffer nodded mutely and stepped back from the door, clearing a path into her home. Ceony slipped off her shoes at the door, as was Mg. Aviosky’s preference, though she noted Emery did not. The Gaffer made no comment and simply led the two of them into the front room. Ceony sat on the couch, Emery beside her. To her surprise he took her hand in his in plain sight of Mg. Aviosky. Still, the Gaffer didn’t comment.

Nerves prickling the lining of her stomach, Ceony said, “Delilah died because Grath bonded to her. He became an Excisioner, Magician Aviosky. He was about to steal your heart when I . . . stopped him.”

Mg. Aviosky’s eyebrows sailed nearly to her hairline, then dropped down close to her eyes. “Miss Twill, Grath Cobalt was a Gaffer. A man cannot bond to more than one material.”

“Not at the same time, no,” Ceony said. She glanced to Emery before adding, “What if I told you that, at this moment, I was a Smelter?”

Mg. Aviosky rubbed her chin. “Miss Twill—”

“Bring me a coin,” Ceony said. “I’ll prove it.”





CHAPTER 17




DURING THE DRIVE to Poplar, Ceony thought of Mg. Aviosky. Yesterday’s meeting had gone just about as well as could be expected, but Mg. Aviosky didn’t know what to do with the discovery. Neither did Ceony.

“I’ll think on it.” Mg. Aviosky’s departing words. She hadn’t even said good-bye as Ceony and Emery walked back to their buggy.

Today’s buggy pulled up alongside the curve outside the new Twill house. Ceony shook thoughts of magic and bonding from her mind and focused on the task at hand. She had one more item of personal business to take care of before returning to Mg. Bailey’s abode, and her studies.