Veiled Skies by Jessica Santi

Author:Jessica Santi [Santi, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessica Santi
Published: 2024-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Even the brittle pages of ancient text that Deming was flipping through seemed to have relaxed slightly in the wake of the trial.

Much remained to be sorted out, including the sentencing, but her uncle had promised that the deliberation for that would be swift. Unless an extenuating circumstance of irrevocable evidence in her favor surfaced soon, she would never see the light of day again.

With one crisis halfway smothered, Deming had gathered Paris and Colette early the following morning and dove headfirst into the library to research solutions to the fog with a renewed sense of purpose. She had been picking through texts periodically throughout the fall, but with winter fast approaching, the mages back at the castle, and all three known accomplices in her murder attempt dead or in the dungeons, she suddenly found herself with more time and energy to devote to lifting the magical barrier around Arsaela. Her friends had been more than happy to help, though they were less confident in their ability to be useful to the mages’ efforts.

For the third time in as many hours Paris gently pleaded for respite. “Let’s take a break. Everything in this text is something the mages already know.” He closed the dusky blue cover of the book he had been poring over and set his quill down. The parchment he had been scribbling notes on had a few lines of copied text and associated commentary but was primarily full of jaunty sketches of the three of them. There was one particularly scandalous depiction of him dipping Deming low, her leg hiked up his thigh so far her dress pooled around her hips.

“What a wonderful use of your artistic talent. Your parents must be so proud.” Upon seeing the drawing, Colette faked a gag, rolled her eyes, then burrowed deeper into the cushions of the wing backed chair she was curled up in.

Deming ignored them both. She licked a finger and flicked to the next page of her text on the history of magic.

“Seriously, Deming,” He gestured to her book, “do you really think anything you find in that will be something Yesenia or Gisela don’t already know? The fog is a magical malady. It only makes sense that it will be solved with magic. Which you and I don’t have.”

She answered without looking up. “We won’t know if we don’t try.”

Paris pulled his fingers through his hair, ruffling the thick, blonde into a roguish mess, and mumbled something unintelligible before picking up a new book from the stack beside him.

Another hour passed before Deming reluctantly stood from her chair, twisting her back and reaching her arms to the sky as her muscles stretched and her joints released tension with a series of satisfying cracks.

She was collecting her rolls of notes to bring to the mages when the clipped, sharp sound of hooves echoed towards the alcove they had sequestered themselves in.

Deming put the parchment back down on the table and took a step towards the aisle, leaning forward to peer down it.

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