Bowstrings & Velvet (Spellbound #1)

Chapter 26: Sorceress Isobel

Shae felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. Sorceress Isobel. Here. In Messina.

"She came!" Ornice laughed triumphantly. "I knew you were lying!"

Why had the sorceress come to Felix's aid? He said they didn't have a relationship, and she didn't think he was lying to her... But that didn't mean the sorceress didn't love him. She glanced over at Felix, who stared slack-jawed at the newcomer.

"Isobel," he finally said, shaking his head. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard of the attacks," the sorceress said as she moved further into the small room. "I was worried."

Had she hoped that Shae was dead after all? The thought caused a wave of shame to wash over her, but she couldn't help it. Ornice's words had wriggled their way into her mind and grabbed onto her biggest fears. That while Felix wasn't in a relationship with the sorceress, he might still love her. He had never claimed to love Shae, only wanting to have a better marriage.

"We caught the one responsible," Felix said, motioning towards the bound woman. "As you can see, we have it well in hand."

When the sorceress arched a winged eyebrow, he added glumly, "She won't tell us much."

"They rarely do," Isobel agreed. Turning to Shae, she looked her over with a soft smile. The sorceress possessed an ethereal beauty matched by few with her silver-blond hair and deep blue eyes. Small and slender, she moved with a natural grace that made Shae feel like an overgrown ogre in comparison. "How are you? I heard of the attacks and the poisoning. That's awful. I hope you're doing better?"

The genuine concern in the other woman's voice only worsened Shae's shame. It wasn't the sorceress's fault that their marriage had failed, and even if Isobel loved Felix... Could she blame her? He was quite lovable.

"I'm much better, thank you," she mumbled. Looking down at the smaller woman, it was strange to think that this slight individual, who was nearly half a foot shorter, was one of the most powerful sorcerers in Erya.

Ornice had been suspiciously quiet until now, but she suddenly laughed. "How touching!" she snickered. "His two women bonding over the attacks on one's life."

Isobel whipped around, her face no longer soft, but hard and forbidding. "I will deal with you in a moment." There was steel in her voice. This was a woman used to bending others to her will. She answered to few other than Grand Sorcerer Arawn and the Gods.

"She's working with someone," Felix said. "It might be a group of dissenters who disapprove of me as the High King. She won't tell us who they are, but apparently, they staged the attack on us in Adreas and the later attacks on Shae in an attempt to bring you here."

"They want me?" The sorceress's eyes widened for a moment. "That is curious. Why?"

"Seems you're one half of a key. Whatever that means." Felix huffed. "I honestly don't know if she's making this up."

Isobel looked over at the prisoner, who sat quietly glaring at them as they spoke. "A key to what?"

"I don't think she knows."

"Odd." The sorceress pursed her lips as she considered the information.

The sound of someone clearing their throat echoed through the room and they all looked at Boreas, who flashed a crooked grin. "Beg your pardon, but let me introduce myself." He bowed before the sorceress. "Spymaster Boreas at your service."

"Nice to meet you, Spymaster. Do you know anything more about this?"

He shook his head. "Not currently, I'm afraid."