Page 6 of Research with Rivals
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was too off balance by this encounter. Only Ambrose would think to insult a god by calling him uneducated.
“No one knows more about blood magic than Evelyn does,” he added.
The animal inside me liked that. If she weren’t already so upset, I thought she might purr. My cheeks heated, and something uncomfortable twisted in my chest.
Lord Arctos’s eyes widened, and his lip curled into a smirk. “I see what you mean now, Gabriel.” The god folded his hands in his lap, like he’d finished his move and it was now someone else’s turn. “Fine. Mr. Yarrow can work on the project.”
Ambrose sputtered. “What?” He glanced at me in confusion. My expression must have matched his. Quickly, he sat. And he must have finally registered what he’d said to the god, because his face went white as a sheet.
I was already tired, and we hadn’t even heard the description of the work we needed to do. While Gabriel attempted to explain the situation to Ambrose, I wrestled my animal into submission. Even when she was happy, she was a handful.
This beast was so inconvenient. I’d gone twenty-six years without so much as a flicker of an animal form. Then, a few months ago, that had changed. The first time I shifted and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the sea, I panicked. All I could think was that this couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be possible. This animal was a myth.
I’d shifted several times since then. None of the shifts were within my control. She took charge every time. At least she kept us away from others when she emerged.
Gabriel waved his hand as if wishing to wipe away the last few minutes of conversation. “Lord Arctos was determined to test you, Ambrose. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop him. He wanted to make sure you were a fit for the work.”
I was a little impressed that Gabriel would speak of Lord Arctos as if he were a trying toddler while sitting beside him. It probably helped that Gabriel’s son was the head of our court, the Vesten Point.
All court and godly drama paled in comparison to Gabriel’s pride in his son. He went to great lengths to ensure Carter had what he needed to run the Vesten Court effectively. His fatherly devotion was delightfully nauseating at times. Occasionally, it made me wish I believed Mom’s story about my father. She didn’t think he had left us. I clenched my teeth, thinking of how badly she wanted him to come home. She was convinced something terrible had happened to prevent his return. I could have believed that in the first few weeks, maybe even months, but twenty years was an awful long absence to explain.
I shook myself free from the thought as Gabriel moved on to the relevant details of the project.
“There is an unknown magical connection between each of the gods and their Compass Point.” The Compass Points were the four fae leaders, named such because the seats of their magic sat like cardinal points on a compass of the perfectly circular Compass Lake.
I leaned forward, finally interested in the conversation. “What are the symptoms of this connection?”
Gabriel smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes like usual. “Under the right conditions, they can share magic.”
“In both directions?” Ambrose had a notebook in hand and a pencil poised to write. He always had it with him. It was easy to know when something intrigued him. If it did, his notebook and pencil were mysteriously present within seconds. I was convinced this was the sole reason he wore one of those vests every day—for the pockets.
His gaze snagged on me staring at the notepad. It was his turn to flush. I might have commented about it once or twice. Heexplained himself unnecessarily. “You never know when you’ll need to record your findings.”
I rolled my eyes, having heard that answer before.
Lord Arctos looked delighted, then answered Ambrose’s question. “Yes, in both directions.”
Ambrose made a note and gave me a sideways glance that had me itching to cross my arms over my chest.
“And you want to know what? About the connection in general?” I asked.
Gabriel glanced at Lord Arctos. “We want to know if there is any precedent for it. And, in particular, if there is a way to undo it.”
“To undo it…” Ambrose seemed like he would ask another question. I had a feeling it was the same one I had.Why do they want to undo it?
“We want you both to work on this. Your combined knowledge of history and blood magic is unparalleled in any of the courts. Ambrose, you have used your knowledge of history to better understand blood magic anchors, and Evelyn, though you’re new, your understanding of the discipline and your intuition for the magic are unmatched. You two are equally paced in your research paper submissions, and they are all of the utmost quality. Quite honestly, there is no one else in your league.”
My cheeks warmed. This was news to me. I’d been under the impression that Ambrose, the library’s golden boy, was in a league of his own.
Gabriel continued. “As Lord Arctos has said, we are short on time. So, to incentivize you both, whoever can explain the connection first will receive a promotion.”
Ambrose’s mouth opened just as mine did, but Gabriel cut us both off.
“The promotion will be to Vesten historian, the top research position for the court, working for the Vesten Point.”
My mouth hung open, now for a different reason. Ambrose’s teeth clicked together with force as his snapped shut.
I started, “That position?—”
