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Perfect.

Voices drew closer. I hissed under my breath before climbing inside. My bare feet landed on a carpeted floor. From outside, a figure approached the window, and I held perfectly still, keeping myself cloaked in shadow. After a moment, the soldier positioned himself a few paces away from me, his back facing me and his body rigid as he assumed his watchful position. I wasn’t sure if it was the guard from earlier, or if someone else had taken his place.

Either way, I needed to move. My scent was concealed by the candle and other aromas in the manor, but he would catch a whiff of it soon.

I silently crept back out the window, inching closer to the guard. He stiffened, whirling to face me. With a swift movement, I wrapped my arm around his throat and covered his mouth with my other hand. He struggled and writhed, but I squeezed his neck, cutting off his breath until he went limp. As soon as he stopped struggling, I released him, not wanting to accidentally kill him. Then, I dragged his body through the window and waited, my eyes fixed on the trees.

It didn’t take long before I heard frantic footsteps. I tensed, eyes narrowing as I scanned the surroundings.

I couldn’t see anyone.

Then, Cerise’s familiar woodsy scent filled my nose. Squinting, I was barely able to make out a faint outline approaching the window. She must have cast some kind of spell to make her appearance blend in with her surroundings.

Clever witchling.

“In here,” I whispered.

With a grunt, she clambered in, her body colliding with mine. My hands instinctively went out to catch her. The smell of cloves filled the air, and her spell vanished. Her body appeared before me, face pale and eyes wide and full of energy.

“Thanks,” she panted with a grin. Heat filled my chest at the thrilled look on her face. It almost seemed like she was enjoying this.

“What was that spell you used?” I asked, handing her the robe. “I could hardly see you at all.”

“It’s a camouflage spell.” She quickly put on the robe before glancing around the darkened room. “What part of the manor is this?”

I scanned the area, taking in the tall bookshelves and massive fireplace, along with a matching pair of armchairs. “A study, I think. We’ll have to stay quiet, though. Gorem is likely asleep somewhere upstairs.”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, her eyes calculating. “All right. Give me a moment.”

I stood back to give her space, then turned and eased the window shut. If she was about to perform magic, I didn’t want to risk the guards outside smelling it. Witch magic had a much more potent aroma than the scent of a Wolven Mage.

Cerise closed her eyes, hands outstretched as she took several deep breaths. Magic pulsed in the air, and the smell of cloves sharpened. Tiny gold sparks danced along her fingertips as she weaved her hands through the air. Gone was the uncertain witch who had fumbled her way through spells. This woman before me was powerful and commanding, her resolve never wavering.

Her brows lowered, her lips pressing together in concentration. Her hands sliced through the air, the motions quicker and lighter as the spell intensified. Her magic thickened in the air, clogging my nostrils and making me cough.

With one final flourish, she cut her hands to the left, then went perfectly still. Slowly, her eyes opened, and I stared in awe. Flecks of gold burned in her irises, mingling with her usual green. Right now, she looked more like a Wolven Mage than ever before.

Had Sasha aided her somehow? Was that why her eyes had changed?

“My magic found something,” Cerise whispered, jolting me from my curious thoughts. “Come on.”

I followed her out of the room, pausing as she took a moment to sniff the air. We crept through a narrow hall, then down a set of stairs before we reached a closed door.

“In there,” she said.

I jiggled the handle, but the door was locked. If I broke down the door, it would definitely alert someone. With a frown, I pressed a finger to the keyhole and summoned a tendril of shadow magic. It slithered inside the hole and twisted, emitting a faint clicking sound as it searched for the lock mechanism. I closed my eyes and pressed my palm against the hole, urging it onward. A faint hum emitted from the door, and my hand grew warm. With one last click, the lock released, and I swung open the door.

Cerise’s eyebrows lifted as she gave me an impressed look. “Handy trick.”

I offered a roguish grin. Not all Mages could use their magic to pick locks. It was something Reid and I had perfected in our early days as foot soldiers, back when we were young and foolish.

My heart pounded as Cerise and I crept inside. It was a small room with a single desk in the center and shelves of books against the wall. Stacks of papers and notebooks littered the floor in messy piles, but one book in particular was glowing gold and hovering in the air. It was old and worn, with tattered pages and a peeling leather cover. And it smelled like Cerise’s magic.

She drew closer, catching it in her arms. As soon as she touched it, the glow vanished. Frowning, Cerise lifted the book and turned it around to inspect it. “Hans Marlowe,” she read, a question in her voice.

My heart lurched in recognition. She handed the book to me, and I opened it to the first page.

This is the complete documentation of Hans Marlowe’s research and findings regarding portal magic.