Marzell frowned, but he shut the door, leaving Angelique outside in the chilly night air.
Between the bright moon, the still glowing starfires, and the white snow—or what parts hadn’t been marched into slush by the constructs—it was quite bright outside.
She glanced back at the cottage, then started to pick up a few starfire crystals and toss them closer to the wooded perimeter as she stretched her magical senses.
She felt nothing—not even a glimmer left from the constructs.
Drat. That means I can’t use a tracking spell—no easy fixes for me. But the mage likely dropped the spell holding the constructs together after we cleared out most of them. It wouldn’t have been worth the effort, particularly once we brought out the starfires. That doesn’t mean he—or she—isn’t skulking around, still. It hasn’t been that long. If I move fast enough…
Angelique bit her lip as she glanced back at the cottage. One of the windows had yet to be covered—Marzell and Aldelbert were starting to get to it, though.
She hurriedly bent over and picked up a few more starfires, chucking them so they landed in the outer perimeter, then slowly strolled up to them.
“Herbs of the forest—protect us this night! Poison the stomachs of any evil doers who might approach us so they cannot step even one foot near us without getting the worst case of stomach cramps ever,” Angelique shouted.
There was no reaction from the cottage. Sir Bossy didn’t even poke his head out to criticize her form or provide some other obscure detail about herb lore that she didn’t know. Instead, the light emitting from the cottage disappeared as he and Aldelbert put the last board in place.
Perfect!
Given the cleared area around the cottage, Angelique could see the dark sky—which shimmered with stars. Her eyes traced over the formations, pausing when she saw what she was looking for—Pegasus’ constellation.
Angelique pointed to it, wiggled her fingers, then scooped up a single starfire crystal and bounded into the forest.
She kept her magic close—she didn’t want to notify the black mage that she was coming for her or him—and ran for a good three minutes before she judged she was far enough away from the cottage that they wouldn’t hear Pegasus.
Just in case his return is more…explosive than usual.
“Pegasus! It is I—Enchantress-in-Training Angelique.” Angelique paused—she thought she heard a boom overhead.
Like a shooting star falling to the earth.
Oh, he’s really going to crash this time!
Hurrying, Angelique spoke so fast her words mushed together. “I summon you from the skies to carry me quietly across the lands. Come—with the softness of a mouse, please!”
She braced, clenching her eyes shut as she waited in anticipation.
Several moments passed, and she heard nothing.
Is he refusing to come because he’s mad at me?
Angelique was about to peel an eye open when something soft brushed her arm. She shrieked and jumped backwards, her eyes popping open.
Pegasus tossed his head and snorted. He pranced in a circle around her, each thump of his hoof growing closer to the volume of thunder.
“Sorry—I’m sorry.” Angelique held her hands out, trying to appeal to him. “I didn’t know you’d be that quiet!”
Pegasus tossed his head again and arched his neck.
“No, I’m not saying you’re incapable of being quiet. It’s just, you’re coming from the sky realm, and I assumed—that is I imagine it takes a lot of power…and…” Angelique hesitated as she stared at the equine of the sky—who, she suspected, had powers far beyond anything she could dream.
The breathing constellation took a step closer to her, bringing his muzzle close…and then sneezed in her face.
Angelique scowled and tossed the starfire crystal she’d brought in her satchel. “Forget it—there’re more important matters. We were attacked by magic constructs. I want to ride through the forest to see if we can catch the mage who made them—or at least find a trail.”
Pegasus swung around so fast, he almost rammed his hindquarters into her.
“Thank you.” Angelique scrambled onto his back, awkwardly throwing her leg over his hindquarters and yanking on his neck as she pulled herself into position.
Pegasus didn’t seem to mind. He hopped a little, sliding her into the correct spot on his back, then turned in a circle.
“I’ll try to sense the mage with my powers. If you could make sure I don’t get smacked by branches, I’d appreciate it.” Angelique twisted her satchel so it rested behind her on Pegasus’ back, then leaned low over his shoulders.
The constellation snorted, then started out at a prancing trot that moved into something uncomfortably close to a canter. (Uncomfortably, because it was still dark—especially now that they were in the forest with no moon to light their path—and because Angelique still harbored the fear of colliding with a tree.)
She stared at the blue, flame-like fringe of his mane as she finally loosened her magic, letting it spill around her, hungrily covering the ground as it prowled around.
If the mage is still in Luster, we’ll find him. He can’t possibly outrun Pegasus!
The duo searched for at least an hour—traveling from one end of the forest to the other. Despite their meticulous exploration, they didn’t uncover so much as a scrap of magic.
Nor did they uncover any trace—magical or physical—of the constructs.
“Which means they weren’t built in one location and then physically sent here, right?” Angelique braced her palms on Pegasus hindquarters and leaned back as the constellation picked his way back to the cottage. “They would have left some kind of trail—broken branches or stamped-on snow. Especially with as many as attacked us. But that means we’re dealing with a mage who is capable of creating constructs a long distance away from their location, and it kills the possibility that it could be a less-powerful mage using artifacts. A single, powerful black mage is a terrifying thought, but it would take more than a single enchanter’s power to pull that off, I think.”
Pegasus was quiet as he drifted through the forest.
“Unless…we think Evariste is in Juwel, and if the mage responsible for Faina’s outbreak is the same mage who attacked us here, it’s probable that he’s using Evariste’s magic. So perhaps he used Evariste’s magic to create a gate for himself? We’ve seen the Chosen use his magic before, after all.” Angelique groaned. “I don’t know enough about black magic and advanced spellcasting to know this! I assume you didn’t feel any other mages, Pegasus?”
Pegasus shook his head and snorted embers from his nostrils.
“I’m glad it wasn’t just my inability to sense magic.” Angelique sat straighter, flinching when one of the herbs tied to her satchel poked her in the back. “But none of this narrows down the possibilities very much. I’m too ignorant to deduce anything.”
Pegasus swished his tail as he passed by a tall fir tree. He stopped, awkwardly arching his neck so he could partially peer back at her.
“What? It’s not like Sir Bossy is hiding a hidden penchant for ancient magic lore—even if he knows more about herb wizards than I like,” Angelique said.