Fabian smiled and kissed her gently, ‘I’m glad you enjoyed it. However, this weekend I thought we could go home and hunt. The cellar is looking a bit bare now that there are two of us eating there.’
Mistral grinned up at him; she had been worried that he would have commitments in the Valley since he had promised Leo two full months of his time as a Training Lieutenant for the Ri.
‘That sounds perfect! Is it too early for bears?’
‘Yes,’ said Fabian sternly. ‘We’ll be hunting for deer and boar only.’
‘Huh, nothing that could bite me back you mean,’ she grumbled.
‘Only me.’
Mistral felt the breath catch in her throat and stared back into his deep black gaze.
‘Do you know which vampire it was rumoured to be?’ Phantom asked, abruptly dragging Mistral out of her private world.
She spun round to glare at him furiously. Did he have some sixth sense prompting him to barge in on her and Fabian when it was blatantly obvious they shouldn’t be interrupted?
‘I think it was widely believed to be Bellicose La Monte but don’t quote me on that. He is still quite active and I would hate to be on his calling card,’ said Fabian smoothly, his face betraying none of the emotion his voice had held only seconds before.
As the twins proceeded to assail Fabian with an endless barrage of questions regarding Malachi Nox Mistral sighed and sank quietly against his side, knowing that they would have no more opportunities for whispered conversations that lunchtime.
When their hour’s break was over Fabian left The Cloak and Dagger with them. He kissed Mistral briefly then strode across the snow covered square towards the stableblock to saddle Spirit and go out to check on the first years progress with their knucker hunt.
The twins were full of the information they had gleaned from Fabian about Malachi Nox and talked in low voices between themselves all the way back to the Main Building.
‘Mistral!’ Phantasm suddenly gasped; making her jump … she had been busy reliving a world where Phantom hadn’t interrupted her conversation with Fabian.
‘Do you think you could try and read Master Nox’s aura this afternoon?’ he asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes. ‘My brother and I will create a diversion so he won’t notice you going all blank.’
‘Sure, no problem,’ she sighed heavily, shoving all Fabian-based thoughts to the back of her mind as they walked into the Entrance Hall and began to climb the stairs up to the second floor.
The twins’ whispered speculations abruptly halted when they reached the black wooden door to Malachi Nox’s tower room. Phantasm raised his fist and knocked on the door. It opened promptly with the sharp features of Malachi Nox appearing to greet them. Saying nothing he stepped aside to admit them into his book-filled domain.
Mistral followed the twins across the room and took her seat, gazing listlessly at the array of strange items laid out on the table in front of them.
‘Tell me what you see before you,’ Malachi began without preamble.
‘A small turnip ... some parsley. That looks like asparagus and … is that a bulb of garlic?’ Phantasm frowned and picked up the whitish coloured root.
‘Exactly the response I was expecting,’ murmured Malachi icily. ‘And precisely why so many people unwittingly poison themselves.
‘That,’ he said sweeping suddenly towards the table and lifting the bulb of “garlic” between one finger and thumb. ‘Is a narcissus bulb and quite deadly when prepared in the correct manner. The “small turnip”,’ he continued in a condescending tone, ‘is actually root of aconite, the “parsley” is cleverly disguised I agree but it’s true identity is far more harmful, it is of course, lesser hemlock. And finally, the “asparagus” is really white hellebore.
‘Tell me apprentice, did you think you were here to learn how to cook?’ Malachi fixed Phantasm with a disdainful look.
Phantasm met Malachi’s cold gaze and kept his face expressionless, ‘No Master Nox.’
Malachi Nox regarded him silently for a long moment then abruptly dropped the narcissus bulb onto the table.
‘You will spend the afternoon researching poisons that cleverly adapt innocuous disguises. The reference manuals you will require are located on this shelf,’ he gestured lazily towards one of the towering shelves. ‘There will be no need to talk to one another.’ Malachi finished in a cold voice and strode over to take a seat in a high-backed armchair, picking up the large book resting on the arm and opening it.
The twins shared a brief look and slid from their stools, as Phantom brushed past her Mistral felt a slight pressure on her arm and knew that they were about to try and create a diversion long enough for her to read Malachi’s aura. She jumped off her stool and hurried over to the bookshelf Malachi had pointed at. Grabbing the first book that came to hand she quickly took her seat again while the twins began to idly peruse the long row of leatherbound manuals.
‘Master Nox?’ Phantom enquired in a polite tone. ‘Would you consider “Natures Weapons” to be more instructive to us today rather than “Theriac Production: The Definitive Guide”?’
Malachi glanced over with barely disguised irritation, ‘Do you even know what Theriac is?’
‘No, but it sounds fascinating,’ replied Phantom with absolute sincerity. ‘If it’s not too much trouble Master Nox, do you think you would be able to tell me more about it?’
Giving a sibilant sigh Malachi laid the open book across the arm of his chair once more and stood up. Moving over to where the twins were standing he took the heavy manual from Phantom’s hands and opened it at the beginning.
‘This book is far too advanced for you,’ he snapped, ‘but if you are truly interested in learning how to brew an antidote that cures all known poisons and has a basic ingredient list of over seventy items then I suggest that you begin with Chapter Two.’
Malachi began to flick through the pages. His back was to Mistral, providing her with the perfect opportunity. Slowing her breathing and concentrating on the air around Malachi’s head until she was rewarded by the appearance of a slight shimmer of pale colour. Malachi’s aura glimmered briefly in an indefinable halo then the vision abruptly vanished. Mistral frowned and tried again. Clearing her mind she re-focussed and once again Malachi’s aura swam into view in an indistinct swirl only to disappear almost immediately.
‘Now, if your curiosity is quite satisfied, perhaps you would like to continue with the task I have set you.’
Malachi’s curt voice snapped Mistral from her trance. She immediately bent her head over the book she had selected, gazing unseeingly at the words on the page while her mind whirred frantically. Why hadn’t she been able to read Malachi’s aura? With a sudden wave of panic she wondered if she was losing her gift. She turned quickly to look at Phantom. Forcing herself to become calm she called up the vision of his aura. It swam obediently into view in a swirl of metallic grey shot through with bright bolts of silver: curiosity and excitement, the very essence of Phantom’s nature. Mistral blinked and the illusion vanished, leaving her feeling relieved but perplexed. With no opportunity to whisper her findings to the twins Mistral had no choice but to try and concentrate on the work they had been set.
The afternoon wore by with mind-numbing slowness. Mistral could feel Phantom’s impatience growing with every hour that dragged by until he was fidgeting restlessly and looking pointedly at the door every few minutes. When Malachi finally released them with a terse dismissal Phantom took hold of her arm and almost dragged her from the tower room.
‘Finally,’ he muttered when Malachi closed the door behind them with a soft snap. They ran quickly down the stairs and straight along the corridor to the twins’ room in silence, only speaking again when they were safely inside with the door firmly closed.
Mistral sat on the edge of Phantom’s bed while they settled themselves on the bed opposite her, leaning back against the wall and gazing at her with identical expressions of anticipation that never failed to
make her smile.
‘Tell all sister,’ breathed Phantom, his eyes shining with excitement.
Mistral clasped her hands together in her lap and frowned at them, ‘I wish I had something to tell you brother. But I haven’t. I couldn’t read his aura.’
The twins stared at her wordlessly; Phantom’s face dropping with disappointment and Phantasm’s instantly creasing into a concerned expression.
‘You don’t think the strain of taking a second year has made you lose your gift do you?’ he asked anxiously.
Mistral shook her head, ‘No, I read Phantom’s aura straight away to check.’
‘I wish you wouldn’t,’ snapped Phantom looking annoyed. ‘I might have been thinking about something personal!’
‘Oh Phantom, how many times do I have to say this?’ Mistral exclaimed exasperatedly. ‘I can only see your emotions, not hear your thoughts –yet.’
‘But still –’ Phantom persisted in a miffed tone.
‘If it makes you feel better I can tell you what I saw,’ Mistral offered with a smile.
‘No thanks,’ snapped Phantom huffily.
‘Can we please consider the important issue here?’ Phantasm demanded.
‘Yes, my privacy!’
‘No Phantom, the real issue is why couldn’t Mistral read Master Nox’s aura? Has this ever happened before, apart from when you were going slightly demented last winter that is.’
Mistral scowled at him. She didn’t care to be reminded of how she’d felt during Fabian’s long absence. Losing her ability to read auras had been the least distressing part of that particular period of her life as far as she was concerned.
‘No,’ she replied shortly.
‘He’s half-Mage isn’t he?’ Phantom said, still looking slightly sulky.
‘Yes, but we all know that the Craft doesn’t pass down to half-breeds, so he can’t be using that to deflect Mistral’s sight … I wonder if it’s something to do with him having vampire blood –’
‘Don’t know … don’t care.’ Mistral suddenly leapt to her feet and headed for the door. Training had finished for the day and Fabian would be waiting for her.
The Assassin's Tale (Isle of Dreams) Page 68
