The mist moved quickly, filling the room. I breathed it in, unable to help myself.
My mind fogged, and my thoughts and memory became fractured.
Why were we here?
Mac.
“It’s a mind-numbing spell,” Grey said.
My thoughts tumbled over themselves as I tried to figure out what was going on and how to fix it. But I was so slow. So tired.
The weight of my potion bag pulled at my shoulder, and an idea pushed through the haze that clouded my mind.
Hadn’t Eve given me something that could help with spells like this?
Frantic, I scrambled in my bag for the tiny star-shaped bottle she’d shown me. My fingers closed around it. Opening the bottle with trembling hands, I took a small sip, then passed it off to Grey. “It should clear your mind.”
It was already working on me, giving me a magical resistance to the mist that still hung heavy in the air. My thoughts cleared, and I remembered why we were there.
Grey drank some of the potion, and his gaze sharpened. “That worked well.”
“Let’s search the room.” I took a staggering step. Was I tired, or was another spell at work?
Impossible to say.
Grey and I quickly rifled through the papers. I scanned documents and books, trying to keep my power in check so my mind wouldn’t become polluted by too many unrelated visions.
Ubhan had varied interests, most of which seemed to be focused on different parts of history. Many of the documents were related to the rules and regulations of the city and the Council. He was a rule follower through and through, as all sorcerers tended to be.
“I think I may have found something,” Grey said.
I hurried toward him, my eyes riveted to the ancient, yellowed papers in his hands. “What is it?”
“They appear to be redacted minutes from a Council meeting a few hundred years ago. From the Council of 1642, specifically.”
“After your time.”
“Yes. I’d left by then.”
“Why is he so interested in redacted minutes?”
“Because the Council doesn’t redact minutes. At least, we didn’t when I was on it. To my knowledge, they still don’t.”
“Ubhan wouldn’t like that. He’s a big fan of the rules.”
“Sorcerers.” Grey shook his head and looked back at the paper. His brow creased. “He either wanted to get to the bottom of the redacted minutes or he had something to do with it.”
“My bet is on the latter.” I ran my gaze over the writing, noting the parts that were heavily blacked out. “What decision was the Council trying to hide?”
“I can’t tell. Someone’s marked through the text.”
On the desk, there were more collections of minutes. Black lines crossed through some of the lines on them as well. I reached out to touch one, calling upon my gift.
What do you hide?
I’d hoped the blacked-out words would appear in my mind, but I was out of luck.
Instead, an image appeared—an interior stone wall and wooden floor. Near the floor, one of the stones glowed, calling to me. I turned, feeling the pull from behind me. One of the stones in the wall caught my attention. There, near the floor.