Page 95 of The Study of Poisons
“I’ve some healing ability. Please let me know if I can help.”
The Commander raised an eyebrow. “Magical healing?”
She glanced at Valek then set her shoulders. “Yes, magical healing.” Irys drew in a deep breath. “I planned to fully introduce myself to you tomorrow. But considering the circumstances, I feel it prudent to do it now. I’m Fourth Magician, Irys Jewelrose, and a member of the Sitian Council.”
“Why wait?” Valek asked.
“I wanted Commander Ambrose to decide who would be privy to this information, so I was waiting for a time when we were alone.” She cocked her head. “But you’re not surprised. You recognized me from the fire festival.”
“I picked up that you have master-level powers, but I didn’t know your name or your rank. Why did you try to kill Yelena?” He demanded.
“It was a mistake. I thought she had uncontrolled magic. Magicians who are unable to control their magic will flame out and ruin the blanket of power for the rest of us. But it wasn’t her. When we met in the forest, I had more time to assess her.”
Either she was lying, or Yelena had lied about their encounter. Valek was inclined to believe Yelena, as she had been properly terrified after that incident and had not been relieved. Had Irys read Yelena’s mind and used Reyad as an excuse for targeting her for assassination? Why? And why would either of them lie? There was more going on here.
“Why did you think it was her in the first place?” the Commander asked.
“We felt someone with power last year in MD-5, but the surges stopped for almost a year. Then we were recently hit with another one from the castle. The timing matched when your new food taster started working, plus she arrived from MD-5 a year ago. But it’s not her.”
“Can you feel these…surges from Sitia?” The Commander sounded doubtful.
“I can. All the master magicians can.”
“If it’s not her, then who is it?”
“After investigating…” She glanced at Valek because she had just admitted to espionage. “I learned that a person died during both occurrences. When a magician dies, they create a pulse that ripples through the power blanket much like a surge, but without the destructive force. An uncontrolled magician doesn’t flame out right away. It builds over time. Small surges that get stronger and stronger until they take too much power and can’t control it.”
In other words, she thought Reyad and Horus had been magicians. An interesting notion. Could it have been Mogkan both times? No. The man had control of his magic.
“Those people would have shown signs of having magic, which they did not,” the Commander said.
“Not necessarily. Some people have what we call a ‘one-trick’ ability. Most of them have no idea they’re using magic.”
“For example?”
“A Cowan clan man always knew when someone was lying. He thought he just had good intuition, but it was really a magical ability. We tested him extensively, but that was all he could do.”
“Could you tell when he used magic?” the Commander asked.
“Only when he was close to me. It’s very light.”
By the line of the Commander’s questioning, Valek sensed he might be sent out to go door to door, looking for people with one-trick abilities. That would be pure hell.
“Is anyone else in your party a magician?” Valek asked.
“No.”
“Is there anyone else investigating in Ixia?”
“No.”
He wondered how many times Irys had entered Ixia to investigate.
Irys must have guessed his thoughts. “I’m the only magician who has been sanctioned by the Sitian Council to illegally cross into Ixia. Each time was due to dangerous surges that threatened the blanket of power.”
Which meant, there were other magicians not sanctioned by the Council. Interesting distinction.
“Do you kill the ones you find?” the Commander asked.
