Beauty and the Magician (Tales of the Red Witch Book 1)

Chapter 35 - All around the mulberry bush...

The next morning Eppley came and got her. Well, mostly he knocked on her door and then snorted derisively when she opened it and then turned and walked away without so much as an "if you please?" or "walk this way." Yup, arrogance was certainly a valued trait amongst magicians. So valued that even their servants carried it like a candle through a darkened castle.

Annika kept her eyes fixed forward as they walked. Beside her, Eben strolled with his hands in his trouser pockets. She knew he was scared and she longed to comfort him. She was scared too and part of her regretted asking him to come here knowing that they could demand a punishment. But she also knew that she would never allow such a thing to happen. She had faced down a witch before to save someone she loved. She would do it again.

She glanced at him. His head was down as the coppers in his pocket played the tune of the awkwardly frightened.

"Do you really think they'll punish you?" She whispered feeling the need to say something.

"After seeing Rojiera yesterday, I'm really not sure what to expect." She wanted him to say more, she wanted to tell him it would be fine, but she didn't. She still felt awkward after her realization last night. It was all too new and a little uncomfortable and she couldn't help but wonder if he realized what she had been trying to tell him. If he had realized what she had almost confessed. She remained silent for the rest of the long walk.

The council room was large like an old medieval great hall. The floor was red and white checkered marble and the walls were made out of elaborately carved age-darkened wood. Stained glass windows lined the long room and seemed to tell a story of a mythic magician who saved the world from a demon through the various images. It appeared to be quite a story. Annika couldn't help but be curious about it. Would Eben know the story?

A raised dais sat at the end of the hall and a long heavy table sat upon it.

The six other members were already behind the table. An older-than-dirt man sat in the middle and even though he was the smallest of the council, his chair was the largest. That must be Ocymarin.

"Well, Master Ebenebius. Won't you please join us." Rojiera said as she gestured to the empty seat at the end of the table.

"I will stay on this side with Rose, thank you." Eben said. Annika looked over at him then to see him glance at her from the corner of his eye. His hand brushed over hers and she found herself wrapping her fingers around it.

"But we cannot deliberate until we are seven." Ocymarin said slowly through a shaky barely discernable voice.

"Well, what did you do in the three years since I last came to one of your meetings?... Wait... Are you telling me that you have not done anything in three years?" Eben asked then with incredulity. Surely Eben was mistaken. There's no way they would ignore their responsibilities for one delinquent magician, right?

Annika looked from Eben to the council.

"How could we? It is an edict that we cannot consider petitions until we are all present." Ocymarin said.

"You could have carried on without me!" Eben said clearly growing angry.

Annika couldn't believe it. Had they really not done anything in three years?

"See!? I tried to pass an edict to have Ebenebius banned from the council." A woman on the opposite end from Eben's empty chair said. She must be Ikara. Annika thought she somewhat resembled an angry pixie with her narrow face and short spikey lavender-grey hair. Tall thin and pale, she wore a fashionable gown and a fitted sky blue robe.