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“I’ve created a monster.” She rolled her eyes but pointed the quill at him. “Youmake yourself useful and summon a courier.”
Hmm.“I thought you wanted to get better-quality paper first.”
“I do, for the missives to Papa and the Convocation, and I suppose to Iblis, so they’ll think we actually care what they think, for Narlis’s sake. But unless you want to walk to House Calliope, we’ll be sending them my letter setting up an account and requesting supplies.”
“That would be a fair walk, I assume.”
She crossed out a line and wrote something in, then looked up with a raised brow. “You don’t know how to summon a courier, do you?”
Though he’d resolved to stop touching her, he couldn’t resist running his fingers through her silky curls, growing ever more tousled in the humidity. “I thought we’d established that you should assume my ignorance.”
With a look of exasperation, she sat back and folded her arms. “How did you communicate with the Convocation before this?”
“Sent a rider to the nearest Convocation city, just over the Ariel border.”
Shaking her head, she rummaged for a clean sheet of paper. “I suppose this is as good a segue into the afternoon of working magic as any.”
“I thought you determined the afternoons were for working on the house and grounds?”
She pointed the quill at him. “Withmagic. I’m not breaking my nails on manual labor.” Grimacing, she surveyed said nails. “Though that’s a moot point now, I suppose. They used to be pretty.”
Remembering how her nails had sparkled on the night of the Betrothal Trials, he wrapped his hand around her wrist and lifted said nails to kiss them. “Be sure to get a manicure imp in your trousseau of gremlins, then.”
“Believe me, I plan to. As you’re always being pedantic and telling me a marsh is not a swamp, I’ll inform you that a gremlin is an animal, not a spirit, thus not under the Elal aegis.”
“So noted.”
Pulling her hand away, she sketched a symbol. “This is the crest of House Calliope.”
It looked familiar, and he recalled seeing it stamped on covers of the books he’d bought her. “You have it memorized?”
“The advantage of a Convocation Academy education,” she replied, neatening a few of the lines. “We memorize all the house crests along with the alphabet. I’m sure there’s a book in here somewhere that lists them all.”
“There is.” He’d found the old House Phel crest in it. The only place he’d found it. Apparently it wasn’t included in the newer books, as the Iblis locksmith hadn’t recognized it.
“You should learn them. It’s good to have them memorized, for all kinds of reasons. Now, touch your finger to the center of the crest. You don’t need physical contact, but since you’re learning, that will help you to focus.” She laid a hand over his. “And draw on my magic to do it.”
“Surely this doesn’t take much power.”
“No, but you need to practice drawing on me with more finesse. Don’t look like that. You’re learning to be more precise in working with me. Drawing miniscule amounts of power is an excellent exercise. Now extend your wizard senses and request a courier.”
He frowned. “Why aren’t I requesting the courier from Ratsiel?”
“Because the mercantile houses like Calliope will provide a courier at their expense to fulfill a customer’s order, if the customer is promising enough. They’ll do it for House Phel.”
“Iblis hadn’t heard of us.”
“Incorrect. That low-level locksmith wizard in a backwater town hadn’t heard of us. You can be sure the wizards running House Iblis are paying close attention to the potential rise of a new High House. In fact, we can be sure of it now, since you stole their familiar.”
“One they didn’t want.”
“Not until you expressed interest in her. Quit stalling and make the request.”
“I don’t know what you mean by extend my wizard senses,” he confessed.
“Oh, hrm. I, of course, don’t know how that feels.” For once too absorbed in the puzzle to sound bitter, she contemplated him. “Feel how the paper is slightly damp?”
“Everything gets damp here,” he said apologetically.
“So I’ve noticed. Without moving your finger, wick the water out of the paper and make a puddle of it on the desk.”
That was easy enough. She nodded approvingly. “So, whatever you just did, do the same, only push your intention into the crest and ask that a commercial courier be sent to House Phel.”
Only somewhat dubious, he did as she instructed, surprising to feel an answering buzz of magic that felt like an acknowledgment. Nic raised her brows. “Got it done?”
He rubbed his tingling index finger against his thumb. “I think so. Though it seemed too easy.”
She gave him that brilliant smile. “You’re a powerful wizard, Lord Phel. Thisshouldbe easy. In the future, we’ll task a low-level wizard to act as secretary for you, to handle this sort of thing. That’s a good job for an apprentice minion.” She began sketching a new crest. “For the moment, however, you have a substantial list of requests to send. Apply yourself, please, Lord Phel.”
“As you wish, Lady Phel.”
