Page 125 of Apprentice of Magic

Angelique took several deep breaths and felt for hermagic.

It was pushed down deep inside of her, so she could barely feel the faintest hints of it. Trying to find it was like looking into the yawning black hole of a cavern and knowing a beast lurked in theshadows.

She felt the mental chains she had put on her magic, and something in hertrembled.

I’m not letting it go,she told herself.And I’m certainly not going to use it. But never again will I let someone sacrifice their life for mine. Never again will I let darkness take a person I careabout.

Angelique exhaled and released thebindings.

Instantly, her magic flooded the area with such force it rocked the house. Papers were tossed into the air, and all the magical spells Evariste had placed on the house roared to life. Flashes of silver filled her vision, and the flooring rattled as the candelabrasshook.

She shut her eyes tight as magic coursed through her veins, filling her with the intoxicating promise of power. The pressure her magic brought made it hard to breathe. She felt like she was gasping for breath as it pushed against her in a simultaneously sharp and coldsensation.

Instead of strangling it and shoving it back like she usually did, Angelique held on, praying it would settle and that it wouldn’t bring the house down on her, hoping that this terrible power of hers would be good forsomething.

For a strange, disconcerting moment, Angelique felt her magic settle inside her, stretching in its newfoundfreedom.

Carefully, Angelique opened her eyes. The world feltdifferentwith her magic swirling freely around her—brighter, in away.

She stood and carefully gathered her letter from the new mess, then hurried down the stairs. She flicked up the hood of her cloak as she stalked down the hallway, banging out the front door. She shut the door behind her, briefly pressing her palm into the wood, which made a magical symbol flare, locking the housetight.

Angelique jogged across thebridge.

First, I’ll need to purchase a horse. There’s a village not a far walk from here; I’ll get there before dark. And from there, toLoire.

At the edge of the yard, Angelique glanced back at the house and staggered insurprise.

The bright orb of magic that hovered at the apex of the roof was no longer colored blue, butsilver.

“I’ll find him,” Angelique promised. “I won’t stop until he’s freed. No matter what I have to do. I may only be an enchantress-in-training, but Iwon’tgive up. I will not cease searching—a war mage neverforgets.”

Her cloak snapped in the fresh breeze. Her gaze steely, Angelique raised her chin. “Wherever you are, Evariste, Ipromise. I’ll findyou.”

* * *

“You were supposedto get theGIRL!”

Evariste groaned. Every muscle in his body ached. His head sagged on his neck, but most worrisome was the gaping hole that was hismagic.

It wasn’t that his magic was blocked, but rather that he couldn’t feel it at all. It was a numbness in hissoul.

But even though he couldn’t feel it, he was aware of something eating away at him, leeching on the magic his soulradiated.

Dimly, he was aware of the argument taking placenearby.

“We tried; he shoved her through a portal and closed it behind her. What else could we havedone?”

“You could have gone after her, younitwit!”

“He put her in Verglas—we would have died if we chased herthere!”

“Don’t you realize you’ve ruinedeverything?”

“We did not. We already cursed the elves. With the legendary Evariste as our power source, we won’t have a problem carrying out the rest of theattacks.”

“No—instead you’ve let the only magic user who may be capable of stopping our army runloose!”

Angelique, Evariste realized.They’re talking aboutAngelique.

THEEND