A Kiss of Flame (Shadows Eternal #3)

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

L evian squeezed the bridge of her nose as she stood before the council members gathered at the Wizen Council of Mage’s home office. The ancient building was perched on an enchanted mound of rock amongst the Balearic Isles off the coast of Mallorca, Spain. It was a beautiful spot—a shame, given the odious Folk who now ran their affairs there. Levian herself now being one of them.

“Do you care to explain in more detail?” Mage Tatiana pressed haughtily.

Levian glanced up at the three sour faces glaring back at her. Only four of the seven council members had come to hear her. She had already answered an exhausting number of ridiculous questions regarding her ongoing investigation into her thieves, the Black Masks. Her father’s shadow loomed large over her as it always did when she stood before them. She knew the Council would always see Merlin's mistakes when they looked at her, but she had hoped that her work as an Ambassador over the past year had earned her some respect. Clearly, she’d been wrong.

This was precisely why she hadn’t told them about the thieves sooner.

Mages Tatiana van der Linde, Fujioka Aki, and William Bradford appeared no more than middle-aged, but their permanent scowls aged them several mortal decades. On the other hand, Mage Peregrine Cromwell was ancient and looked it, with his wrinkled face, balding head, and long white beard. He had been quietly snoring at the end of the table for at least ten minutes.

Levian took a deep breath, trying to calm her irritation. “I already explained,” she said, struggling to keep her voice even. And she had—twice over. She’d told them everything she knew about the black-masked thieves and her near-death at the hands of Vane and his partner, Tsuki.

Mage William cocked a scornful brow, making it clear that her restraint was fooling no one.

Running out of patience, Levian decided to jump to the point. She reached into the pocket of her official drab Council robes, pulled out the Dokk blade, and dropped it onto the table before her.

Mage Tatiana gasped while the two other men grumbled and blustered—Mage Peregrine continued his nap. Levian then pulled a square of fabric from her pocket and unwrapped it next to the blade. In the middle sat a small black ring she had taken off Vane’s dismembered finger. The ring stolen from King Thurin, it turned out.

“Lucian Vane is our thief,” she said plainly. “Or, at the very least, he is one of them.”

She had only pieced it all together after inspecting the rings he wore, and King Thurin had confirmed her suspicions. The black ring set with fae silver had been the very one stolen from his private vault. In the world of immortals, coincidence was a rare thing. Possessing the blade and the ring was proof enough to Levian of Vane’s involvement with the thieves, but she couldn’t be sure there weren’t others in play.

All the council members, save Peregrine, glanced at each other uneasily. Mage Fujioka cleared his throat. “This is a serious accusation,” he said pointedly.

“I’m aware,” Levian ground out. “The facts are what they are. Beyond that, Vane tried to kill me with this very blade,” she said, gesturing to the blade before pointing to them. “An Ambassador of this very Council.”

“That may be true,” Mage William replied, his voice dripping with disdain, “but you cannot pretend you were acting as an Ambassador when this alleged incident occurred.”

The air felt stifling in the small chamber, with Levian in the center of the round room and the council members staring down at her from their high perches. She was accustomed to their disdain, but she was emotionally on edge from all that had happened with Barith, and it angered her that not one of them seemed to care one whit that Vane had tried to kill her with a Dokk blade. In her irritation, Levian yanked aside the front of her robe to reveal the deep gash stitched together underneath her collarbone. The wound throbbed still with every movement, a constant reminder of how close she had come to death.

“ Alleged ?” she mocked. Seeing it made all three wince with discomfort, much to her satisfaction. A Dokk blade’s threat was no small thing to any immortal.

Mage Fujioka turned to whisper something to Mage William, who then whispered to Mage Tatiana. Levian used every ounce of her self-control not to roll her eyes as they deliberated. None bothered to rouse Peregrine.

The mages nodded their agreement amongst themselves before Mage Fujioka spoke up. “We were already aware of these thieves you call Black Masks,” he said. “Though you have added some insights we did not possess.” He looked down at the items before her. “And the recovery of these relics is not insignificant. As for Lucian Vane—” He glanced at Mage Tatiana.

“As for Vane,” Mage Tatiana continued, “we will need to bring your evidence and statement to the Witch Magistrate, possibly the Fifth House of Witches. Since you have no other witnesses to corroborate your allegations, the witches may not proceed with any investigation. You have no proof beyond a few stolen items and your own word.”

Levian did have a witness—Barith. But she wasn’t about to drag him in front of the Council, especially not now. The constant ache in her chest worsened at the thought of him, but she pressed on. “The thieves may not be a pressing issue to this Council,” she declared, “but that doesn’t mean they pose no threat. Vane has managed to harness shadow magick as well.”

“You cannot be sure of that,” Mage William clipped dismissively.

“She can,” Mage Peregrine grumbled. Everyone’s attention shot to him, surprised that he had been listening.

“What do you mean?” Mage Tatiana asked.

Mage Peregrine sat up slightly, a few of his old bones cracking, and pointed to Levian. “We all knew Merlin and saw what magick he wielded. It’s not something any mage would soon forget. Especially not his own daughter,” he reminded them. The mages all squirmed.

Levian studied Peregrine as he spoke. She could not imagine why he was suddenly speaking up for her. He had never been particularly kind to her, nor had he ever intervened on her behalf before. She couldn't decide if it was some newfound sense of justice or if he enjoyed making the others uncomfortable. Maybe it was both.

“How could he use such magicks?” Mage William asked.

Peregrine stroked his long white beard. “It was before any of you held seats on Council, but Vane was one of Merlin’s old confidants. He was investigated after Merlin was sent to The Prison, but nothing came of it. Vane’s mother was also one of the heads of the Fifth House of Witches at the time, so he was shielded from too much inquiry. Perhaps we should have looked closer.”

“He knew Jacard as well,” Mage Fujioka admitted with discomfort. Jacard had been Gwendolyn’s father. The mage who had hidden the Star of Umbra in his daughter before he’d vanished. He’d been secretly dealing with Dokk magicks while working with the Council. The fact that Vane was connected to Jacard and Merlin didn’t bode well, and everyone grew even more visibly uneasy.

“Vane’s father was fae,” Peregrine continued. “His mother a powerful witch. I doubt he could wield power like Merlin, but it’s not impossible he could wield shadow given his lineage.”

Levian had not shared everything Vane had told her about Merlin. It had been clear to her that Vane had known her father well, but they had parted ways due to differences in ideals. She couldn’t shake the memory of Vane’s words—how he’d spoken about her father with a twisted kind of loathing and admiration.

She added, “I believe the thieves may be attempting to find Celaria.”

The mages squirmed and grumbled uncomfortably again, save Peregrine, who stared at Levian. His discerning gaze made her insides twist like they had when she was a girl. Mage Peregrine had been headmaster of The Towers during her time there, and he had always been a challenging, wrinkled old bag of robes. He had never liked her, which made it even more surprising that he had woken from his nap to speak up for her.

“Celaria is destroyed,” Mage Tatiana said flatly. The silence that followed hung heavy; they all clearly knew better. She sighed and added, “However, such a threat is not something we can ignore.”

“Even so,” Mage William sneered, “there are protocols that must be followed, even by you, Mage Levian. You chose to accept your position as Ambassador, and as such, you agreed to adhere to our conventions. We’ve turned a blind eye to your blatant disregard for the code all other mages must adhere to, but no more.”

Levian resisted the urge to snort. They had never once “turned a blind eye” to anything she had done.

“You are a mage,” Mage Fujioka reminded her. “In the eyes of the Folk, you fall under our jurisdiction. Given your family’s history, you must understand why some would be concerned about your involvement in this matter, given the Dokk magicks and relics involved.”

Levian felt like a child again, being chastised at The Towers for breaking rules that seemed to exist only to trap her. She had steered clear of anything related to the Dokk precisely because of this. The Council could despise her for her cavalier lifestyle, but they could never claim she had followed directly in her father’s footsteps.

“I brought them to you,” she reminded them, pointing at the table. “I would have brought them sooner had I not been nearly killed,” she added for good measure. “And I knew better than to come to you before I had any evidence to present beyond my theories.”

Silence stretched out, and Levian held back her groan of frustration. All she wanted was to vanish to the countryside to wallow in her broken heart, but instead, she was openly being chastised by the Council for the grave offense of nearly being killed while trying to help them. Her heart had settled into a steady ache since the moment Barith had walked away. No tonic or drink helped. Her heart remained broken and hurting. She straightened her back, refusing to let them see how much she struggled.

“You should have come to us from the start, regardless,” Mage Tatiana clipped.

The council members all shifted like great birds fluffing their feathers. It grated on Levian’s last nerve. She took a breath, ready to retort, but before she could speak, she was cut off.

“The matter of Lucian Vane and anything involving these thieves is no longer your concern,” Mage William told her. “This Council forbids you from continuing your investigation in any capacity.”

“Furthermore, you are suspended from your duty as Ambassador of the Zephyr Court until a tribunal can inquire into your actions,” Mage Fujioka added.

Levian’s skin burned with indignation, her jaw aching from grinding her teeth. She should have never come.

When Peregrine began to laugh, everyone turned to look at him as though he’d lost his mind, including Levian.

“Peregrine?” Mage William asked, irritation evident. “You’ve something to add?”

The old mage nodded. “I find it amusing,” Mage Peregrine said, looking at the other council members. “For decades, we have scolded Mage Levian for countless infractions. Granted, she has not borne our prejudice well, but she has endured it—long enough to become an Ambassador, in fact. And not just any Ambassador, but one of the best we’ve had in decades.”

The mages murmured disapprovingly. Levian was tempted to clean out her ears; she could hardly believe it. Of all the people to defend her, Peregrine was the last she’d expected.

“She’s been difficult since the day she arrived at The Towers,” Peregrine continued, “but we’ve also treated her as though she were a criminal before she could even string together a simple transmutation, myself included.” The elder mage turned his head and looked down at her. He cocked a bushy white brow and smirked. “Her methods have been far from perfect, but none of us can say we came to sit on this Council by following the rules to the letter, not even you, William.” The mage in question grumbled sheepishly.

“I worried she would follow Merlin’s footsteps like the rest of you. That she would be driven by revenge over her father’s imprisonment,” Peregrine went on. The old mage sighed and looked touched with guilt. “If she has any reason to seek vengeance, it’s because of our determination to make an enemy of her.”

The other mages all shifted and fluffed themselves up again at his admonishment.

“You forget Mage Levian’s many infractions against this Council and the fact that her poor actions also reflect poorly on all of us,” Mage William pointed out bitterly. “We are not the only ones who remember Merlin.”

Peregrine nodded, stroking his beard again. “True. Yet the Zephyrs asked for her specifically to be their Ambassador, and she is a close confidant with the High Daemon Lord of Obsidian. She is also well connected amongst other Folk, and though I don’t doubt she faces prejudice beyond our walls for her parentage, I applaud her for all she’s accomplished despite it.”

Mage William snorted, and Peregrine glared at him, the other mage ducking down under the elder’s sharp look. The other two mages looked at her with a more temperate reaction, considering Peregrine’s defense.

Levian wished there was a chair because her knees began to wobble. She honestly couldn’t believe it. She could vividly remember when Peregrine had sat precisely where he did now and told her that working with a vampire would be her downfall and that if she couldn’t see why, she was a fool.

“Her recklessness is not something we can simply ignore, Peregrine,” Tatiana pressed.

“I think if we were not so quick to dismiss her, Mage Levian might have come to us from the start,” Peregrine pointed out. “We are never too old to learn lessons. Myself included,” he added with a hint of regret. “We have tested her long enough, do you not agree?”

Levian’s mouth hung open, utterly dumbfounded.

Mage Tatiana gave a relenting sigh. “What do you suggest, Mage Peregrine?” she asked, a mix of reverence and frustration in her voice.

Peregrine smiled down at Levian, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. “I suggest we stop treating Mage Levian like a child and treat her like the capable mage she has proven herself to be over this last year. I also think you should let her lead the investigation into these thieves and give her whatever resources she needs,” he added. “She can report to you, Mage Tatiana, and Mage Fujioka, given your ties to the witches and Fujioka as head of the Mage Guard.”

Mage William’s portly face turned redder than a pomegranate as he opened his mouth to object. Still, Peregrine continued, “And when the investigation concludes, I’d like to take her on as my apprentice.” Levian’s stomach dropped to her toes. “Only if you’re interested, of course?” Peregrine added.

She stared at Peregrine, not trying to hide her shock, while he smirked back at her. “I—I’m—” she stammered, unsure how to respond.

The elder mage shrugged and leaned back as if ready to fall back asleep. “You don’t have to answer now,” he told her. “But don’t take too long. I’m not getting any younger, as you can see.”

“You cannot be serious?” Mage William snarled.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Peregrine grumbled, closing his again. “I have the right to choose my apprentices, and since your nephew proved rather useless, I have a vacancy.”

Mage William glared daggers at Peregrine while the others tried and failed to hide their sniggers.

The furious Mage William turned his death glare to Levian. “Peregrine is not the head of this Council,” he declared. “He cannot simply absolve?—”

“And neither are you , William,” Mage Tatiana interjected. Mage William clamped his mouth shut like a snapping turtle. Tatiana sighed heavily, looking at Levian before saying, “We will need to confer with the other members, but I propose we allow Mage Levian to remain in her post as Ambassador until an inquiry can be conducted. I also propose she assist Mage Fujioka and myself in investigating these thieves under our direct oversight.”

Mage Fujioka nodded. “I find that acceptable.”

“As do I,” Mage Peregrine grumbled, already nodding off again.

Mage William looked ready to chew iron nails, but he was outnumbered. He replied with a grunt that Mage Tatiana took as agreement. He stormed out of the room as the other two rose from their seats, leaving Peregrine to his nap.

Mage Fujioka looked at the two Dokk relics on the table as they came to stand before Levian. “We should meet in my offices,” he told her and Mage Tatiana. “Between his ties to Merlin and Jacard and what we know, it may be enough to convince the witches to detain Vane and his accomplice.”

Levian could hardly believe how quickly things had turned around. Her broken heart gave a sharp thump. Barith would scarcely be able to believe it either, though he would have happily declared that he’d known the Council was being daft and that it was about time they gave her the credit she deserved.

She glanced at Peregrine, who was already snoring softly. She wasn’t entirely sure what had changed in Peregrine to make him stand up for her so suddenly, except that maybe what he’d said had been true. She had been working tirelessly over the last year to be the best Ambassador she could be for the Zephyrs, as dull as it had been. Not for the sake of the Council but because she’d taken her responsibility to the Zephyrs and King Thurin seriously. Until then, she’d had no interest in cooperating with the Council in any capacity, but what she’d told Carvatticus recently bubbled back up. She’d changed over this last year since everything with Gwendolyn. She’d grown up. Peregrine had taken notice.

Barith would have been happy for her, even if he would have grumbled that they still didn’t deserve her. Levian was itching to tell the dragon everything, but she couldn’t. And the realization ripped her heart apart even more.

“I’ll help however I can,” she offered shakily, trying to push the dragon and her broken heart from her thoughts. “Though I’d start by letting the witches know that Vane will be missing three fingers on his right hand.” Mage Tatiana lifted her hand to her mouth in shock while her eyes widened at the ring on the table. Fujioka grimaced at her.

“I still have two of the fingers if you need them,” Levian added, irritated that severed fingers were making her think of Barith and tempting her with fresh tears.

The mages looked at each other uncomfortably, then at her, clearly second-guessing themselves. Levian could have sworn she heard Peregrine chuckle in his sleep. Barith would have laughed, too.