Page 17 of Kingdom of Locks

“They’re the primary example of them, yes,” said Bartholomew. “They can receive and store magic for later extraction. The quantity of the magic, the quality of the power once extracted, depends on the item chosen, as well as the skill of the magic-user. Some objects lend themselves to magic more than others.”

“A bit like how some people have the aptitude for magic, and others simply don’t,” chimed in Amell.

Bartholomew nodded. “Precisely.” He hesitated. “Although that cuts to the heart of what Cyfrin was proposing, actually. He was…frustrated by the natural limits of inanimate vessels.”

“Inanimate?” Amell echoed, looking sharply at his companion. “You mean he wanted to use living creatures as vessels?”

“That’s exactly what he wanted to do,” said Bartholomew grimly. “By the time it came to the attention of the guild, he’d waded very deep into experiments with animals. And he was quite right about one thing—living beings do not suffer the same limitations as objects. The results of his experiments were quite impressive, in one sense. The amount of power he could store in the creatures he selected surprised me, if I’m honest.”

“So why did the guild disapprove?”

Bartholomew smiled, but it wasn’t a happy expression. “Because of the cost. Do you think he was the first to think of such a thing? The potential use of animals as vessels has been explored before. And quite apart from the ethical issues with using a living creature as a passive vessel for your power, when that creature has no choice or control in the matter, there was one fairly significant problem with his experiments.”

“Which was?”

“The power becomes wrapped inextricably around the creature’s life force. In short, the animals all died when the power was extracted from them. Without exception.”

“That’s a bit grim,” said Amell.

“It got more so,” Bartholomew assured him. “Cyfrin wanted to progress his experiments. Having achieved impressive results with animals, he had already become once again frustrated with the limitations of his vessels. He wanted to store more power than the creatures could hold. His own magic wasn’t especially strong, but he was incredibly clever, and resourceful. He’d realized that if he could save his magic up in a vessel, he would no longer be limited to his natural level of power.”

“What do you mean he wanted to progress his experiments?” Amell asked.

“He wanted to begin using humans as vessels,” said Bartholomew simply.

“What?” Amell protested. “Knowing they would die when he accessed his power? How could he think the guild would approve that?”

“He had a theory that a human vessel wouldn’t die. Our bodies are stronger, and our cores more capable of interacting with magic. That much we know. But naturally, the guild wasn’t willing to take that chance with a person’s life.”

“I should think not,” said Amell emphatically. He frowned as he thought the other man’s words over. “So he wanted to pour his power into another enchanter? One with capacity to receive it?”

“Certainly not,” said Bartholomew tartly. “Such a person would be able not only to receive the power, but to use it as they wished. That was the last thing Cyfrin wanted. He wanted to choose some random magic-less peasant and use him or her as a passive vessel, stuffing them full of his magic, knowing they would have no way to access or use it themselves. And, of course, willing to take a gamble that they might not survive the experience. He said it was worth the risk for the cause of advancing magical knowledge.”

“He didn’t place much value on others’ lives, did he?” Amell said, disgusted.

“You could say that,” agreed Bartholomew dryly. “To make matters even worse, his research had led him to believe that the younger a person was, the more receptive their body would be to someone else’s power. He proposed attempting the process with a child.” He shook his head. “You can see why he wasn’t given a position of leadership within the guild. When he refused to acknowledge the inappropriateness of his proposal, his membership was revoked altogether. He disappeared completely. It makes me uneasy to think about it sometimes, but we haven’t heard rumors of any suspicious activity that would suggest his experiments continued.”

“And it’s unlikely his experiments have anything to do with the prison break,” mused Amell, a little disappointed. “None of the curses against other royals fit the description, either.”

“That’s a good thing,” Bartholomew said, smiling again. “Trust me. It’s much better if Cyfrin isn’t involved.”

“Of course,” said Amell absently. He was reassured on one point, at least. If the Enchanters’ Guild was unified in taking a strong stance on experiments like Cyfrin’s, it was unlikely to be harboring any treasonous magic-users.

Amell’s eyes flew up to the castle. “I should probably return. I’m to accompany my father to the prison, and I don’t know when he’s leaving.” He smiled at the enchanter. “Thank you for making time to answer my questions.”

“Of course,” said Bartholomew. “And try not to get yourself into any trouble, Your Highness.”

Amell’s smile grew. “I’d best not make promises I can’t keep.”

Chapter Four

Aurelia glanced nervously out the window. “It’s almost sunset.”

Mama Gail’s eyes passed around the space. “I think we’re ready.”

Aurelia nodded, although her thoughts didn’t match the action. She never felt ready for Cyfrin’s visits, no matter how tidy they’d made the tower.

“Do you think he knows about the prison break?” she asked the older woman.

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