A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)(106)

“Yes. You may as well start calling me Blackwood. No need to stand on ceremony.” He proceeded with me about the grounds, stopping to admire the red roses in bloom. He plucked one and handed it to me. “Your seal, sorcerer Howel.”

“It would have to be on fire to be truly mine.” I laughed. My official house sigil was a burning rose. I liked it, though Eliza had been upset by the lack of unicorns.



“Have you any plans for where you’ll go now?” Blackwood asked. “Master Agrippa’s house will be closed soon.”

“I had planned on receiving my orders and going from there.”

“You can take orders while living with me. If that suits you?” he asked, with a quick glance. “I know you don’t have any money of your own. Eliza would love another lady in the house. Rook would come, too, of course.”

“Thank you for keeping silent about him,” I said. “I swear you won’t regret it.”

“I protect my friends.”

I smiled and took his arm. My dear friend, Lord Blackwood. Two months ago those words would have been impossible. “I accept. Where will the others go?” I thought of Magnus for a moment and hastened to quash the thought.

“Most of them will stay with their families. Wolff will rent rooms. Still, no one should get too comfortable. They say we’ll be deployed to Cornwall before the month is out. Nemneris is our primary concern now that Korozoth is dead.”

“I hope I prove equal to the task.”

“Do you think you won’t?” He stopped, surprised.

“Blackwood.” It felt strange to say his name. “I was born a magician. I’m still a woman doing men’s work. Suppose it is too much for me? Suppose I do go mad, like Gwendolyn Agrippa?”

“Women aren’t the only ones who can be swayed by dark choices,” he said. “You are stronger than you can imagine. I see it. In time, you’ll see it, too.”



We would have continued our walk, but Lilly stopped us as she ran out into the garden.

“Miss Howel! There’s something you ought to see!” She half dragged me into the house. “It’s in your room. I was packing up odds and ends, and there it was. Oh, miss, I daren’t go near it.”

There on my bed sat Mickelmas’s wooden chest. “How did it get here?” I whispered.

“I’m sure I don’t know, miss. It appeared right out of thin air. It started—ah, there it is again!” Lilly cried as the chest rocked back and forth on its own, bouncing atop the bed.

Blackwood tried to open it but couldn’t. “I should blast the thing,” he muttered, removing his stave.

“Wait.” I brushed him aside and laid my hand on the chest. It stilled beneath my touch. I knocked once, just to see what would happen, and the lid swung open. Inside, we found a single plain, folded piece of paper.

“What on earth does it say?” Blackwood asked as I took up the note. Written in an elegant, spidery hand were these words:


Never what you want,





ever what you need.





Until we meet again.





—M.





“It’s from Mickelmas.” So he was alive. I sighed in relief. “But it’s a magician’s box. I can’t keep it.” I threw the note into the chest and slammed the lid.



“Perhaps you should,” Blackwood murmured. “Normally I’d say caution is a virtue, but we need to know why it’s come to you.”

“What if someone sees?”

“No one has to know about it except the three of us.” Blackwood turned to Lilly. “What if I asked you to come into service at my house as Miss Howel’s lady’s maid?”

He wanted to keep her near. For my part, I would be glad of another friend.

“Yes, m’lord. I’d like that ever so,” Lilly said.

“You won’t speak of this to anyone?”

“Speak of what?” She batted her eyelashes in innocence.

“Nothing.” Blackwood smiled. “You can pack Miss Howel’s things later.” Lilly left, and we returned to staring at the chest. “We’ll keep it with us until we decide what’s to be done.” It was odd and touching to hear him so involved in my affairs.

“You’re putting yourself in danger, you know.”

“These are dangerous times. Speaking of, I need you to help me choose a new headmaster for Brimthorn. I hear the old one is untrustworthy.”

“I might have one or two recommendations.” I laughed. He helped me slide the chest beneath the bed. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“I told you that I would always give my allegiance to the prophesied one,” Blackwood said as we left the room.

“I’m not the one.” There was still relief in saying it. “You know that.”



“Well, as I said, we need you. The rest is titles. How important is a title, really?”

“Not important at all,” I said.

We turned back out to the garden, to enjoy the last of the July afternoon’s sun. We would have to hurry. Night was coming, and there were traces of a storm on the wind.