Page 47 of Kingdom of Locks

“Fascinating,” breathed Cyfrin, his eyes passing over her hair with their usual fervor. “Hopefully that means it’s working.”

“What’s working?” Aurelia asked uneasily, unsurprised to find that his interest had been in the success of his project after all, not the effect on her.

Cyfrin’s smile was back. Apparently he was genuinely unaware of how unappealing an expression it was, because he was clearly trying to make his voice pleasant.

“I’m giving you power you can hardly dream of, Honeysuckle. I’m transferring some of the magic from your hair into your core.”

“What?” Aurelia gasped, taking a step back. “Why…why would you do that? I thought…” She cast around, struggling to remember what she could and couldn’t say.

“To give you the opportunity to take part in my plans,” Cyfrin said enthusiastically, unmoved by her change in demeanor. “To give you a role. You can’t unleash power that’s stored in your hair, my dear. But power that’s stored in your core, willingly unlocked by your own choice…Ah, how potent it could be.”

Aurelia’s mouth opened and closed a few times, panic clouding her mind. She was terrified of saying the wrong thing, and revealing how much she knew. What had Cyfrin told her over the years, and what had she learned from Mama Gail’s snooping?

Mama Gail. All at once she was overcome by the certainty that her mother should be here, not locked away against her will. How could Aurelia have helped that happen?

“I want the key,” she demanded.

A look of shock passed over Cyfrin’s face, but it quickly faded as he took in her outstretched hand. “Oh, that key,” he said, with a grating little laugh. “Certainly, my dear. I gave it to you, didn’t I? Goodwill and all that.” In a lazy motion, he held out the key, and Aurelia snatched it from him.

Stumbling in her haste, she hurried across the room, fitting the key into the lock on the bedroom door. Mama Gail was standing right on the other side, but this time she didn’t burst through the opening as soon as she had the opportunity. She stepped out slowly, her face pale as she looked from Aurelia to Cyfrin.

Abandoning dignity, Aurelia threw herself on her mother, remorse washing over her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, as Mama Gail’s arms came up instinctively to receive her. “I should never have helped to lock you up. I know better than anyone…I should never have…”

“It’s all right,” Mama Gail said soothingly, her frame relaxing at the apology. “I’m all right. What happened?”

Aurelia pulled herself together, straightening and turning to face Cyfrin. “He did something a little different tonight…I didn’t fully understand…”

She waited, hoping Cyfrin would repeat what he’d said, but he didn’t. His expression was disapproving as his gaze passed between the two women.

“You are still such a child, Honeysuckle,” he said coldly. “I’m disappointed.”

For some reason, Mama Gail seemed to relax even further at these critical words. “What did you do differently?” she demanded, with something of a return to her normal manner.

“Sharing my process with you is no part of my plans,” said Cyfrin icily.

“He said he was transferring magic from my hair to my core,” Aurelia interjected, her voice not quite steady.

“What?” Mama Gail’s head whipped around to face Cyfrin again, her expression furious. “You’ll kill her! If it’s in her instead of her hair, she’ll die for sure when you extract it!”

Cyfrin narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”

“You told me,” Mama Gail said impatiently. “When Aurelia was, I don’t know, six or seven, I accused you of being willing to murder a child, and you said she wasn’t going to die when you extracted the magic, because it was in her hair instead of in her core, whatever that means! So why are you moving it to her core? Don’t you care if she dies?”

Aurelia let out a silent breath of relief. She’d known Mama Gail wouldn’t lose her head, that she’d be able to push for the information they needed without revealing anything dangerous.

“On the contrary,” said Cyfrin, who had also visibly relaxed at Mama Gail’s explanation. “I care more than ever for Honeysuckle’s survival. I never accepted the theory that extracting magic would kill her, as if she was a common rodent or dog.” His eyes dwelt mockingly on Aurelia, although he continued to speak to her mother. “As you know, Abigail, she is far from common.”

Aurelia frowned, confused both by his meaning, and by the sudden stiffening of her mother beside her. With a nasty little laugh, Cyfrin went on.

“The hair was only an extra precaution. But it was never necessary, and it’s even less so now, given my new project.” His gaze still rested on Aurelia. “These changes are to benefit you, Honeysuckle, not harm you.”

Aurelia remained silent, not trusting herself to speak.

Cyfrin let out a sigh. “I see I have yet to win your trust, child. But we’ll get there. We have time.” He ran a hand over his own short hair, still looking weary from whatever magic had been involved in the transfer of power from Aurelia’s hair to her core. “I’m too tired to work in my study tonight. Lower me down.”

Aurelia hastened to comply with the curt command, only too eager to be rid of the enchanter. The moment he was back on the ground, she yanked her hair through the ring and turned to her mother.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have been part of restraining you.”

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