“Not all. There are other items that have been used for other purposes.”
“Such as what?”
He smirked at her. “Such as defending against sorcery.”
Jayna shook her head. “The Sorcerers’ Society has only served in an advisory role.” As soon as she said it, she realized she had defaulted to what the Society had trained her to do and say. She knew it wasn’t entirely the truth. It was just what she had been taught.
“I am surprised Jayna Aguelon would respect such untruths so willingly,” Telluminder said.
“What else have you uncovered?”
“I suspect you are not as interested as you would have me believe.”
“On the contrary, I am very interested. I’m trying to understand what influenced the city of Nelar.”
“What influenced it before? Why, people have always influenced the world.” He nodded around his shop. “The dular have been a part of the world for a long time. They have offered their own connection to the world, and have attempted to make contact with those who share in their abilities.”
“Like the sorcerers.”
“You view sorcery as something comparable to dular magic, when it is dissimilar.”
“They come from the same place. The dular just don’t have the same potency as sorcerers.”
“No,” he said, glancing from Jayna to Eva. “Sorcery involves finding power within yourself, but it also involves putting that power into the world, placing your influence. The dular find something more intuitive. They use emotion and themselves and . . .” He waved a hand. “I suppose it doesn’t matter to one such as yourself.”
Jayna looked at a small sculpture resting nearest her. It looked like a bowl, reminding her of the memory bowl she had used on Matthew.
“All power in the world has its own unique source,” Telluminder finally said. “Even yours, Jayna Aguelon.”
He watched her, and there was something in the way he said it that left her wondering whether he knew more about the nature of her power than he let on. She had done her best to try to conceal the source of her power while she was within the city, and didn’t think anybody here knew the truth of how she connected to magic, but maybe she had not been as skillful as she had thought at hiding how she was bound to others.
“You know quite a bit about the power within Nelar,” she said.
“Not as much as some, but more than most.”
“Who else in the city knows more than you?” He smiled, but didn’t answer. “I see. You don’t want to reveal them.”
“I don’t want you to think you need to go elsewhere. I do believe we have agreed upon a transaction.”
Jayna chuckled. “That’s what this is about. You want to make sure you’re paid.”
“I am a salesman,” Telluminder said.
Jayna just shook her head. “I will ensure you’re paid regardless.”
It might have been better if she had offered to purchase something from him, seeing as how he was a salesman—or, at least, he wanted her to believe he was a salesman—but Jayna suspected Telluminder was something more.
Someone with magic of their own would be useful. Maybe he could help her learn things about the city. He had been here a long time.
Ceran had remained absent, and the longer Jayna remained here, the more likely she was going to attract notice. It would limit the kind of things she could do and the ways she could act within the city.
Why didn’t Ceran see that?
Unless he did and didn’t think it mattered.
“I’m interested in information about ancient sorcery,” she said.
“I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to help you,” he said.
“Not at all?”
“Not with what you might do.”
“How do you know what I might do?”
“Given what I’ve seen you doing so far, Jayna Aguelon, I can’t help but hypothesize.”
Jayna frowned at him. “What exactly do you think I’ve been doing?”
He glanced over to Eva. “You have brought her into the city, for starters.”
“I didn’t realize you were offended by her presence.”
“It’s not a matter of that. It’s a matter of knowing what her presence represents.”
“What does it represent?”
“War.”
Jayna started to laugh, but she watched Eva. “I’m afraid you don’t know her that well.”
“I know her better than you. And I understand just what her presence in the city means, what her presence in the city might do.”
Jayna frowned at him, but had a feeling he wasn’t interested in explaining.
“We need information about Nelar.” She was starting to struggle with how she was going to continue the conversation with Telluminder. He acted like he didn’t like her, but he wouldn’t have kept talking to her if he didn’t like her at least a little. “If there’s been so much activity here, we need to try to figure out why.”
He leaned back, watching her. “What do you know about Nelar?”
“I know it’s at the edge of the kingdom.”
“That is very basic, Jayna Aguelon.”
“And I know it once was El’aras.”
“Once.” He chuckled. “This was once a place of power, a place of celebration. Many of these buildings were designed to celebrate the El’aras god. Of course, there were some who believed the El’aras king was a god.” He shook his head, making a soft clucking deep in his throat that told her everything she needed to know about his feelings on the matter. “Time changed things for the El’aras, as time changes things for all people.”
“It wasn’t just time though, was it?”
He tipped his head to the side, shaking it slowly. “It was not.”
“How did the kingdom overthrow the El’aras?”
She had a feeling that was what Telluminder wanted her to ask, and all she needed to do was push a little bit harder, and she could get information out of him that he wanted her to know. He watched her with his strange, wide-eyed gaze, and there was something almost unsettling within it. There was something about the way he looked at her, the way he studied her, that suggested he knew far more than he should have.
This was not just an antiquities dealer. This was a man who had been a part of the city, and a man who understood things that he shouldn’t. Maybe even someone who wasn’t fully human.
“How do men overthrow all things of magic?” he asked.
“I don’t understand.”
“No. I’m sure you do not.”
“Are you mocking me now?”
He chuckled. “I find myself enjoying this conversation more than I would’ve expected. I thought I was going to be irritated by your presence, and while I am not pleased to see you, I must admit that I do enjoy speaking with you.” He glanced over to Eva and said, “You did well bringing her to me.”
Eva waved her hand. “Great.”
“How were the El’aras defeated?” Jayna cast a side glance at Eva as she asked the question.
“Why, Jayna Aguelon, I would’ve expected that you, of all people, would have known.”