Page 86 of Twisted Magic

“Jadren, Seliah,” Alise said, breaking into the conversation, “Maman is in a private room. I didn’t know if you wanted to come with us…”

Alise looked so broken and weary, and Selly really didn’t want Jadren to find out this way.

“We’ll come with you,” Jadren said before she could think of an excuse. “Stronger together,” he reminded Selly with an intimate smile. “Asa, do you want your baby back or can I keep him a while?”

“Keep him as long as you like,” Asa said fervently. “You’ll be back when he starts wailing.”

“Good lungs,” Jadren said to Cornelis with satisfaction. “Well done.”

Nic raised her brows behind Jadren’s back. “This is a side of him I never expected.”

“He has a soft heart, under the caustic surface,” Selly replied, hoping she wasn’t about to break that soft heart. She trailed behind, dragging her feet, reminding herself that Nic and Alise were facing something far worse.

Selly had seen the former Lady Elal before, but it had been months ago and she’d looked relatively healthy, save for being non-responsive and staring at the ceiling with feline eyes that saw nothing. Her much-changed appearance shocked Selly, even with the warning, and her heart broke for the sisters. One of the new Refoel healers had been sitting with her, and he rose at their entry. “Lady Phel,” he said, bowing. “I’m afraid I’ve done all I could.”

Nic sucked in a ragged breath, moving to take her mother’s hand. “Is she dying?”

“Not yet, but it seems inevitable.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure how it happened, but it seems the bond with her wizard attenuated so much that it snapped. Oddly enough, the same problem seems to have occurred with Asa’s familiar, Laryn.” He left it there, inviting explanation, but not requiring it.

“If you knew how it happened,” Alise said slowly, her gaze on her mother, “would you be able to repair the damage?”

The healing wizard shook his head. “No, it seems that—however it occurred—for both women, the breaking of the wizard–familiar bond created a backlash effect. Probably it was contained in the magic of the bond itself, as a deterrent to any attempt to manipulate the bond.”

Jadren was no fool. His gaze rested on the side of Selly’s face with palpable heat. “Manipulate the bond?” he asked with deceptive mildness. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

“It shouldn’t be,” the Refoel wizard agreed, “but something has happened to create that effect in these two cases. I’ll leave you all with her. Summon me when you’re ready for me to return.”

“Thank you,” Nic murmured. Once the healer left, closing the door behind him, Nic pinned Alise with a stern, green-eyed gaze. “It’s not your fault, Alise.”

“It is my fault,” Alise replied woodenly, sounding devastated and bitter. “I’m the one who severed the bonds, for both of them. Who else’s fault could it possibly be?”

“You…” Jadren trailed off, sharp, wizard-black gaze traveling between the three women. “Severed the wizard–familiar bond. Of course you did.” He laughed. “I’m an idiot.”

Nic closed her eyes briefly, then met Selly’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Seliah. I didn’t realize you hadn’t told him.”

“Tell me?” Jadren cut in before Selly could say anything, drilling her with a black glare. “No, she didn’t. But then, why would she? This is the secret. I see now.”

“Jadren, I…” Selly didn’t know what to say. There were no words.

“Wizard Alise, Lady Phel,” Jadren said with cool formality. “Please accept my sympathies and those of House El-Adrel. If there is anything I can do to assist, it’s yours.” He glanced down when Cornelis cooed, seeming surprised to be holding the baby still. Handing the infant to Selly, he searched her face. Then spun on his heel and left. The carefully controlled precision he used to close the door behind him spoke volumes.

Selly stood there, rootless, unmoored, holding a child that wasn’t hers, in the room of a dying familiar who could have been herself. Nic met her gaze, seeming to understand it all. “Go to him,” she urged softly. “Explain.”

Woodenly, Selly nodded, not yet moving. Alise seemed to be off in a world of her own, so likely it was better for them to be alone. “Do you want to hold Cornelis?” she offered, and Nic stretched out her arms in welcome, taking the baby.

“Maman always did love babies,” she said in a watery voice. “She once told me that we—Alise, Nander, and I—had been the best part of her life.”

Not knowing what to say, Selly eased out of the room, then hurried through the subsiding chaos of the infirmary, looking around for Jadren. Maya, always the most empathetic of people, waved to Selly, then pointed out the big bay windows. With a grateful smile, Selly ran out the back door, spotting Jadren standing on the bank of the lazily flowing Dubhglas River, the set of his shoulders rigid. The trees on the rising hills beyond had begun to take on autumn color, shining a brilliant golden green, in contrast to the bloody evidence of the battle scattered all around.

Picking her way to him, she came up beside her lover, her friend, her wizard. He said nothing, though he was obviously aware of her presence.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, not knowing where else to start.

“I assume you’ve known for a long time,” he finally said, his voice uncannily neutral. “Since before I left you here.”

“After you left,” she corrected, wanting him to know that much, “but yes, I knew before I came after you.”

He turned to face her, hands jammed deep in his pockets, expression stark. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

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