Magic's Minister [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-six

It was like discovering an illusion spell.  Something felt...not quite right but you didn't know what.  Then you'd finally notice a discrepancy and everything fell into place.  Your vision shifted, the flaws became clear, leaving you wondering how you didn't notice them in the first place.

The ship cabin vanished around Sedgewick as soon as that name left the wizard's lips.  A numbing calmness overtook him as the long-awaited name sunk in.  It all made sense now.

Who was one of the many mages he'd granted Tower Access to?

Tyrinn.

Who had been in the Ministry long enough to know about his connection to Bilara—and her skill?

Tyrinn.

Who had "failed" to catch the witches' guild that Zedeya led?

Tyrinn.

Who knew him well enough to place him in the perfect situation to strike him with the curse?

Tyrinn.

And who had long expressed a hostile, jealous attitude toward his superior?

Tyrinn.

The world around him surged into focus.  Feyla was frantically questioning Vin, who was insisting that yes, his name was definitely Tyrinn and was she there? No?

Sedgewick grabbed the boy by the hair.  He hissed as Sedgewick yanked him closer.  "You worked near her.  You trained under her.  I refuse to believe you didn't learn something about breaking the curse during that time."

The young man sneered, his pale face red with fury.  "Well, I guess you could try dropping dead."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Feyla.

Sedgewick's head snapped to Feyla, startled over what she said.  Or rather, the way she said it.

Feyla's voice was dark, darker than he'd ever heard it before and her aqua eyes had deepened to a stormy green filled with an anger that matched the ocean itself.  She stood from the floor, her arms crossed as she looked down, obviously expecting an answer.

Vin swallowed as he stared nervously at the woman who up till now, had been the "nice one" of his two captors.

A warm, fluttery feeling bumped against Sedgewick's chest as he realized that Feyla wasn't angry at him, she was angry over him.  Sedgewick dropped the wizard back beside one of the cots and shot to his feet.  A slight smile tugged at his lips but he swallowed it back down as Feyla turned her stormy gaze on him.  "He's just being difficult.  You see, magic essences is made by living things—"

"I know that," Feyla snapped.

"Of course, of course," he soothed before continuing.  "But since curses burrow into magic essence, if the...victim...dies, so does the curse."

Feyla's jaw clenched.  "You're not dying."

The fluttery feeling returned with a vengeance and Sedgewick found himself stepping over Vin to be closer to her. "I don't plan to.  But thank you for your concern."

Feyla flushed.  "Don't read into it!  I just spent too much time saving you for you to drop dead.  That's all."

"A—hem."

They both turned back to the forgotten wizard.

"If you and your wife are done arguing—"

Sedgewick flushed twice as red as Feyla before tensing like an angry cat.  "She is not my wife!"