Page 18 of A Tower of Half-Truths
“I’ve accumulated a rather large collection of overdue books from several universities’ libraries,” he said. “Your first order of business is to track them down.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
“Simple, though I doubt it will beeasy.I’ve long neglected my cataloging system, so those books could be anywhere. You’ll have to pick through every book in this apartment, I’m afraid.”
To further prove his point, he showed her how the books had also overtaken his bedroom. Stacks of them had been shoved into corners, atop the dresser, beneath the bed. Aside from the mess, the room was cozy—and private. Since they were on the top floor, with nothing but the River Merimar in sight, only a sheer curtainhung in the window. The iron-framed bed was excessively large for a single sleeper, and it was covered in a heap of plush blankets and pillows. Mavery now understood why Aventus had overslept.
Back in the sitting room, she spotted a door that she assumed led to a second bedroom. He noticed her gaze linger on it. He took her by the shoulders.
“That’s the storage room, nothing of importance in there,” he said, steering her away. “Here, let me show you the kitchen.”
It was equipped with modern luxuries: the sink had running water, the stove was powered by Elemental magic, and the larder glowed with a blue aura that Mavery suspected was a food preservation ward. Though Aventus had called it a kitchen, the room looked more like a laboratory. Alchemy equipment lay strewn about on every surface, and a few bundles of herbs hung from the rafters.
“Though it’s not my primary focus,” he said, “I’ve always enjoyed dabbling in alchemy.”
“Seems a little dangerous, considering all that paper in the next room.”
“Oh, I always place a fireproofing ward before engaging in my experiments. You’ve nothing to worry about.”
“Uh-huh…”
“Speaking of wards, I should augment the one guarding the front door. That way, you’ll no longer need to break in, so to speak.”
They returned to the sitting room, where the spectrum of auras pulsated in front of the door. He opened a desk drawer and extracted a smooth black stone about the size of a goose egg. This, too, glowed with an aura. Mavery peered closer and spotted ley lines—silver threads that connected the stone to the warded door.
“This is the anchor for my Personage-Based Augmentations.”
“Ah, of course.” She nodded, pretending that he hadn’t just spoken complete gibberish.
“Your hair, if you will.”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, it doesn’tneedto be hair. A fingernail clipping, a drop of blood, a severed digit… but hair is far less morbid.”
“True, you don’t strike me as the type to dabble in Necromancy, especially considering it’s illegal and all.”
“Only for ordinary mages. Wizards are allowed certain privileges.” Aventus furrowed his brow. “Surely you learned that at Atterdell?”
“Probably, but it’s been almost twenty years since I last stepped foot in a classroom.”
“Hmm.” It was impossible to tell whether he believed her. He gave his head a slight shake. “Now, a hair, if you please. I’ll let you do the honors.”
With a brief twinge of pain, she plucked one of her gray hairs—she was more eager to part with those—and passed it to him. He draped it across the stone and recited a few words of Etherean.
Etherean was born of the Ether, the energy that produced magic, and so it was the language of spellcraft. Its cadence commanded reverence, while its lyricism inspired awe. Simple spells sounded like stanzas from a song, while the most complex spells were akin to epic poems. Mavery had only studied the language long enough to recognize it; she’d never accomplished even the most basic incantations on her own. Mispronouncing a single word could result in a failed spell at best, an explosive disaster at worst. After one too many close calls, she’d given up on teaching herself this aspect of magic.
Aventus, however, spoke Etherean as though it were his mother tongue. His words produced a slight chill in the air, and Mavery shivered in spite of herself. The stone glowed in response. But she knew these were all side effects of her Sensing abilities. Anyone else would notice nothing out of the ordinary—apart from a man speaking strange words to a rock.
“There,” he said. “You’ll now be able to pass through the wards, though you’ll still need me to unlock the door.”
“Oh, that’s all right. Next time you don’t answer, I’ll just pick the lock.”
He laughed, but when he realized she was serious, his face blanched—which was saying something, given his already pale complexion. Divulging that piece of information may not havebeen her wisest move, but the look on his face had been worth the risk a thousand times over. Mavery turned away, failing to suppress a smirk as she surveyed the bookshelves.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Aventus said. “What, exactly, does your work history entail? We never got around to discussing that.”
She trailed a finger along a shelf, leaving a streak in the dust as she considered how much more to divulge. She rubbed her fingers together, and dust particles dissipated into the air. A crumb of truth wouldn’t hurt. Just enough to test his reaction.
