Page 43 of Horn of Winter

Adjutant meant he’d been second-in-charge, I think. I reached across the table and shook his offered hand. His fingers were crepey against mine, but not as gnarled as I’d expected. “I’m Bethany Aodhán. I own a tavern over on Eastgate, but I’m currently working for the council hunting down some missing relics.”

He sniffed. Loudly. “Why on earth would you be willingly working for them bastards?”

“Long story, but it was that or jail.”

“I believe there are many within the guild who’d think jail might be the better option, but that is a tale for another time.” His eyes glittered with ice, and though I wasn’t sure if it was distaste or amusement, mirth twitched his thin lips. He made an “eat, eat” motion toward the buns, then added, “Darby tells me you’re here to pick my poor old brain.”

I plucked a bun from the cake tray, then reached for the butter. “Yes, I am, though I suspect there is nothing poor about your brain.”

He laughed. “You could be right in that. What do you want to know?”

As he sliced open and buttered a bun, I quickly told him what I’d seen at Kaitlyn’s. “I was just wondering if you knew of any active ice witches in Deva.”

He took a bite rather than answer, then briefly closed his eyes. “Damn, these are good.”

“Made fresh this morning.”

“Do they deliver?”

“No, I don’t think they do,” Darby said, “but I can alternate between these and eclairs on my visits, if you’d like.”

“That would be fabulous, young lady, but only if it’s not too much of a problem. Wouldn’t want you going out of your way for an old fool like me.”

“I wouldn’t for an old fool, but for a friend, it’s no problem.”

A smile creased the corners of his eyes. “You do say the nicest things. To answer the question on the table, though, there’s quite a number of storm witches in the guild these days, but as far as I’m aware only one ice witch. But he’s unlikely to be active within Deva. It goes against guild rules.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, if you’ll excuse the crudity, it’s never wise to shit on your own back door.”

I laughed. “Are you able to give me the contact details of this ice witch? Even if he’s not responsible for the attack, he might be able to give some pointers on who was. I mean, there can’t be too many ice witches in the UK, can there?”

“There were five registered during my time at the guild, but there could be more now, with the next generation filling the ranks.” He frowned. “I will say, however, that the strangely glowing vortex you mentioned is generallynotsomething that happens in either the creation or destruction of ice formations. We use what already exists in the air—the chill and the moisture—to build walls or to sheet items. I’ve certainly never seen or heard of an ice witch who can deconstruct a building in such a manner. Usually, if we’re intent on destruction, we freeze and shatter.”

I hesitated, wondering how much I should tell him given the council’s edict the general public couldn’t know about the missing hoard. But I couldn’tnottell him, either. While it was possible he still had friends within the guild, the slight emphasis he’d put on Marjorlaine’s name when he said it suggested he was no fan of hers, and might have left on a bitter note. Afterall, there had to be some reason he got so few visits from the organization he’d spent a lifetime serving.

“We think the witch behind the attack might be using a relic to enhance his powers.”

Win wrinkled his nose. “If that is the case, I’m surprised the guild hasn’t already reacted. The last thing they need is a rogue operator in the city.”

“They might well have,” I said. “It’s not like I’ve been in contact with them.”

“No.” He picked up his cup and took a careful sip. Pleasure briefly lit his expression. “I would have thought, though, that you’d have felt the formation of the ice vortex given the electricity of storms all but surrounds you.”

“It does?” Darby said and scanned me critically.

“You have to be a witch to sense another,” he said with a sharp laugh.

“And I’m not a witch. At least, not a trained one. I’ve only recently started developing the skill.”

“Then you should contact the guild. They’ll be able to get you up to speed in a few years.”

Except we didn’t have years and I was not inclined to undertake any sort of official training, especially given Beira’s recent comment about storm witches listening into her conversations. The last thing I wanted was to give the Ninkilim any sort of heads-up as to the true depth of my abilities.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Which is a female’s way of saying ‘not on your Nelly.’”

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