Page 18 of Mistress of Hours

“Oh, Solon, I’m so sorry for my clumsiness. You must forgive me, my mind was elsewhere,” Evienne said as she righted herself.

“No need to apologize. I only hope you are unhurt?” Solon asked, concern written on his face.

“Perfectly fine, if a bit embarrassed,” Evienne answered with a nervous chuckle.

“Very well. May I escort you to wherever it is you are headed?”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t trouble you. I am off to see my friend Cecelia, one of the librarians.”

“Ah, to the library then. I wish you a pleasant visit with your friend, and I will see you later this afternoon for the garden party, yes?” Solon’s smile lit up his face, ever the gentleman.

“Yes, I will see you then. Apologies again, Solon.” Evienne took off walking briskly toward the library, attempting to get a handle on her thoughts.

Incidents like this had happened before, almost always by accident. She never told anyone about her mishaps. She had been tempted to tell her mentor, Hestia, a retired Sangviere,but decided it wasn’t worth sharing. Her episodes were almost certainly some form of magic, but it was unheard of for an Ichornian to have anything other than the blood magic that was their natural gift.In fact, she had never heard of anyone in Domhan na Rùin having this sort of magic.

Unknown and unwieldy magic wasn’t something that was accepted in Ichorna; they had worked too long and too hard to seem less threatening to the rest of the world. She was afraid that telling anyone about this ability could have serious consequences, especially since it was something she couldn’t control.

Strange things had happened over the years, and the memories danced through her mind as she made her way toward the library. A vision of a moment in time when Evienne had physical contact with a person, or sometimes when she simply focused her attention on someone for too long. It had happened enough times for her to realize that these were people’s memories she was seeing, moments of their lives she was stealing glimpses of. They always ended up being important somehow; it was like her magic knew sheneededthose seconds from the people around her.

The most troubling incident by far had taken place when Evienne was twenty years old. She and Cecelia had been out to one of the taverns in the city and had too much wine. They were young and unfamiliar with all of the dangers the world held for young women in a big city.

Evienne had gone to pay their bill, and Cecelia had wandered outside into the night air to wait. When Evienne stepped outside, however, she did not see her friend. She only heard Cecelia’s scream from an alley nearby. Evienne rushed over, horrified at the sight of her friend pinned against the alley wall.

A man loomed over her, grinning to himself. Evienne could see evidence of his intentions outlined in his pants. Cecelia wasalmost unconscious as the man held her throat in his massive hand. He began to unfasten his belt, and that was enough to snap Evienne into action.

All of her Sangviere training left her mind in her rage, but she felt the zing of a different power rushing through her veins as she stared at the man. She screamed her fury as she closed her fists, and the man’s grip on Cecelia faltered. Cecelia fell to the ground unconscious, and the man turned his horrified gaze to Evienne.

She watched as wrinkles appeared across his skin, his posture hunching, his eyes clouding. He screamed, and his teeth were yellow and brittle. The unknown power continued to flow from Evienne, and the attacker disintegrated into dust on the wind as Evienne watched.

Cecelia never suspected what happened that night, but Evienne knew she had stolen every moment of that vile man’s life. She had never felt guilty for what happened, only confused and overwhelmed by the power she had wielded.

Evienne was usually able to suppress thoughts of these strange occurrences, but they lingered in her mind now.

When the door to Cecelia’s study came into view, she was surprised to find it shut. She knocked and called out, “Cece, it’s me. I thought we could chat for a while?” No answer. It wasn’t like Cecelia to be away from her study at this time of day, but she supposed her friend must be taking time away from work. Evienne hoped she was visiting with Jac.

With a sigh, Evienne turned away and decided to spend her free time buried in a good book instead. She headed for the section of the library that housed all of the folktales from across Domhan na Rùin, determined to relax for a while before the events picked back up that afternoon.

Chapter Twelve

Orion let thescent of books wash over him. He hadn’t slept, his mind racing at the possibilities. He couldn’t stop thinking of her, of what they had done. He had found release at the taste of her on his fingers; it had been ecstasy. None of his previous lovers ever had him falling over himself this way. He was determined to find answers. He had come here to do what he could to save his people, but he was worried now the stakes may be more personal.

He had spoken with a librarian upon arriving, asking for directions to any resources on Beitar or its history. Even a general history of magic in Domhan na Rùin could be helpful for his purposes. He had kept his inquiry general so as not to raise any suspicions; he was a Professor, after all. It was only natural he would be interested in the Ichornian royal collection.

The librarian had directed him to an aisle of the stacks that was toward the back of the library, near where he and Evienne had been the night prior. Of course the section would be near that couch. He swore he could still smell the scent of her on the air. He had been warring with thoughts of Evienne since he first saw her. He knew his suspicions about what she may be to him couldn’t be confirmed without his magic. He should ignore it and stay focused—or, at the very least, let himself enjoy Evienne’s company knowing that in a few weeks, he would never see her again.

He began to peruse the section the librarian had led him to. He did find a few more general works, but very little on the magic of the Tuanadair specifically. The sections about the other nationsof Domhan na Rùin were more robust. He sighed in frustration; he had hoped this would be an easy place to start.

The destruction of the ancient library in Beitar was not a well known point of historical knowledge across the continent, and their King wanted to keep it that way. Apparently that, too, made them vulnerable. His people had not forgotten what was done when Ichorna’s king had come to claim his royal bride two hundred years ago; the way they laid waste to Beitar’s cultural heritage.This—in addition to the bizarre customs surrounding the consorts sent to Ichorna over the centuries—was why Solon and Orion were so suspicious of Ichorna.

Over the years, they had both noticed how their King stifled anyone asking questions or pushing to find the reason behind the disappearing magic. He seemed as indifferent to it as his predecessors had been. They simply ignored the problem, focusing instead on maintaining an iron grip on the people of Beitar—on keeping them secluded from the rest of the world.

None of it made sense, but people were too afraid to seek out answers without the King’s blessing. Orion and Solon had been discussing their concerns quietly for years, and the millennium celebration had presented them with the opportunity to act.

Orion pulled out a book titledAphana: Heart of the Seaand began to flip through its pages. It was filled with beautiful illustrations of an underwater city and chapters detailing the ways Aphanians could wield their magic. His eyes scanned the words, but his mind still drifted.

He and Solon were here for one reason, and that was to find out if and how Ichorna had been siphoning or suppressing Beitar’s magic. It had started so subtly that many hadn’t noticed for years after that first Ichornian King had taken his Beitaran bride. By the time the third consort left to wed his Ichornian King, the changes to Beitar’s magic were severe.

Beitar was an ancient nation of shifters—Tuanadair—withpowerful magic and a deep connection to the natural world. They honored balance, and found the animal part of their souls to be a perfect compliment to their human natures.

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