Beside her, Cameron choked on the pastry he was eating and started to cough.
“Oh, don’t be coy, lad,” Lord Sylvain said. “You did a good job of keeping it quiet, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve known Eloisa since she was an infant, and I know what she’s like with men. I was starting to wonder if she was going to try to convince Stefan that you would be a possible match, but it appears not. The fact that she tossed you to your wife here and doesn’t seem so happy with the situation tells me something else is behind all of this.”
“I’m not sure this is something we can talk about,” Cameron said when he got his breath back.
“This room is well warded,” Lord Sylvain said. “I’ve spent a long time studying magic, lad. I don’t think even the Domina could get past my wards. Well, not unless she had some help.” He looked at Sophie again as he spoke. “Now, I was married to two royal witches, and I can make an educated guess about what might have gone on, but this will be easier if you tell me.”
“Sophie is just strong,” Cameron said. “I think Domina Skey hasn’t quite figured out how to use that talent.”
“Oh, I think she has. Otherwise our queen would still be lying injured in bed,” Lord Sylvain countered. “Your wife is strong, I’ll give you that, but unless I have indeed finally lost my marbles, I’d say that she’s also unbound.”
Sophie flinched. So much for keeping their secret. “What do you know about bindings?”
“I told you, I’ve spent a lot of time studying magic. And not just blood and air. As I said, I was married to two earth witches. I wanted to understand them. So you tell me if I’m right and then maybe I can help you.”
“Help me?”
“Survive,” he said bluntly. “If you’re unbound, then you’re in danger here. More than you know, perhaps. Maybe if the attack hadn’t happened and Stefan were still king, you would be fine. Then again, if the attack hadn’t happened, you’d be safely bound and probably sharing your bed with someone other than Mackenzie. Here and now, with the Domina pushing for war—which I do not like one bit—and Eloisa listening to her a little too much, I’m not sure I like your chances if you don’t know how to guard yourself.”
He looked at Cameron then. “Have you made sure she knows how to fire a gun, at least? She should carry one if she can.”
“I can shoot,” Sophie said. “My father taught me.”
Lord Sylvain nodded approval. “I always did like your father. Good. Then Cameron will get you a gun, and that will be a start. So tell me, what happened? Did the two of you fall into bed or something? All the excitement of being on the run get to you?”
Sophie felt her cheeks go hot.
“This isn’t exactly a topic I wish to discuss,” Cameron said.
“No time to be squeamish. And I’m too old to be shocked by anything much when it comes to people and sex. Sex has made people stupid as long as I’ve been alive, and I’m sure it will continue to do so long after I’ve returned to the earth. So, you did sleep with the lass?”
“It wasn’t Cameron’s fault,” Sophie said, deciding to throw caution to the wind. Lord Sylvain was the first person other than Cameron who seemed to be on her side. He could be playing some sort of game, but it would have to be very deep. She couldn’t see what advantage he would gain from exposing her. “It was me. The morning of my birthday. I touched the ley line, and when Cameron pulled me out, well, things happened. If you were married to a royal witch, perhaps you understand that.”
The old man’s expression turned faintly nostalgic. “Perhaps I do. All right. So you jumped the gun. And then the Domina couldn’t bind you to the goddess. Did she explain why?”
“Not exactly. She said it was because I was no longer virgin.”
Lord Sylvain shook his head. “Not such a good sign. And the marriage binding?”
“The Domina said she didn’t know if it worked or not. The sigils faded but didn’t disappear,” Sophie admitted.
“That’s too bad. I was never sick a day in my life when my wives were alive. Though perhaps that won’t be an issue for you, either, Mackenzie.”
“Do you know why the ritual didn’t work, sir?” Cameron asked.
Lord Sylvain levered himself out of his chair and stomped over to the very crowded bookcase that took up an entire wall of the room. He put his hand on one of the books, and Sophie saw a ward flare and dissolve. Then he pulled out a slim book bound in green leather, put the ward back in place, and came back to the chair.
“Did you take that from the Illusioners’ Hall?” Sophie asked.
His bushy eyebrows flew up. “They have a copy of this book there?”
“If that one is called On Bindings, then yes, they do. Though the writing within has faded terribly. I could hardly read any of it.”
“I’d imagine it’s faded deliberately,” Sylvain said. “And I’m surprised it’s there at all. It was written by an Illvyan.”
“It was?”
“How did you get a copy?” Cameron asked.
“Ways and means, lad. Ways and means. It’s not altogether impossible to get things out of Illvya besides trade goods—as the refugees prove. Not that I’d try now to obtain something like this book. Now it might be a good way of getting dead. But forty years ago, things were less well regulated.”