“Ow.”

I placed the last piece of the clay heart model back in its place. Morris had made me swear on my mana to be gentle before allowing me to take it off of his shelf.

“Ow.”

Piece by piece I dismantled the model into my lap, again. Seeing a picture of the thing beating in my chest was interesting. But holding the pieces in my hands made everything so easy to understand and wondered how something so intricate kept going all day, every day.

“Ow.”

Professor Mitchell finally took a break from pinching the doll and stood up. Maybe my reminders that I could feel everything she was doing finally got through to her.

“This is fascinating. The curses layered on top of the doll would suggest a normal physical activation but that’s only the secondary criteria. The first is something biological in nature.”

Professor Jacomier had moved on from me to the doll to help sense what was going on during the pinching. "That biological matter also seems to be taking the pain felt by the doll, bypassing the usual translation into mana and radiating it outwards to the target.”

I looked up from the model. It annoyed me that I had said the same thing in much easier to understand terms, but everything I said had to be verified. “If only someone here could have told you all that without all the pinching and complicated language.”

“Don’t be cheeky, they are here to help,” the duke said. “And let’s stop poking the doll for the sake of it.”

“Mhmm,” I hummed and leaned back onto the sofa without looking at him. It was possibly the lightest reprimand I’d ever received, it still made me anxious. I felt justified in my ‘cheek’ but accepted I needed to keep my mouth shut in front of the person who decided my future at the palace.

I also wasn’t sure how they were trying to help.

Hark stood up from his squat near the doll. He had the good graces to not touch it, possibly out of fear from the way he kept his distance. “Yeah, this really isn’t an enchantment by any definition so I don’t know if I can help at all.”

Morris paused his conversation with Professor Chimbawnda. “No, it’s just an enchantment we do not yet understand.”

“No.” “Stop.” “Don’t start, Morris.”

Morris flicked his hand dismissively at all of them and went back to his conversation with renewed zeal.

I glanced up as I felt Professor Jacomier staring at me again. “This might only work because of her…uniqueness. Could I get you to cast a basic spell for me, Valeria?”

“She won’t be able to,” Annalise said and I nodded.

“Okay? I heard you could use mana, do you freecast? How?”

“I… um…feel and use it the same way I’m moving my fingers,” I said and did just that for effect. Her unimpressed look made me feel quite silly but I was right and there was no chance she could dispute it.

My ‘uniqueness’ got a round of discussion going between her and ‘Vince.’ I gathered that Professor Jacomier taught the duke when he had gone to Equitier and didn’t bother with the formal address.

She went over to lift the doll away from Professor Mitchell’s unmoving gaze and over to me.

“Hand, please.”

I handed off the model to the duke, stood up and placed my hand in hers without fuss. She slowly brought my hand closer and closer to the doll. I started to resist slightly but she stopped before making me touch it.

She clicked her tongue and put the doll back down. Worry slowly crept in as she let go of me and started to pace between the sofas.

With my hand no longer needed I went to plop back down next to Duke Riker who tried to give me a reassuring smile.

She stopped pacing and turned to face the room. “I would prefer this to never be repeated outside these walls. And I’m only saying this because I feel it may be beneficial to our efforts.”

“Oh, get on with it, Jossie,” Morris said. That earned him a scowl but she continued.

“I think this operates with the same parasitic nature as the Ghoul’s curse. But instead of taking over and killing the host,” she said and motioned to me. “It has the doll as a conduit and is being limited in its ability to influence the host through pain alone. And, like the ghouls, I don’t think we can cleanse this like a normal curse.”

I glanced at blank faces and waited for someone to break the silence.

“Sir,” Professor Mitchell said. “Can we get access to the books and journals you talked about? It might help us to understand and replicate this.”

“Replicate?” Janette said along with similar exclamations from Annalise and Professor Chimbwanda. I fully agreed with them. If making more was the goal of this meeting I was going to…

Do what?

I was surrounded by people with mana that felt like blinding lights to my senses. They had offices and palaces, titles, and years of schooling and they wanted to argue over my future.

“Professor, I invited you here to get rid of it, not make more,” Duke Riker said.

I breathed out a sigh. Having the duke seemingly on my side helped put a stop to my pessimistic thoughts for the moment.

“Sir, just like so much of our modern spellwork is based on older magic systems. Our alchemy and enchanting is based on witches’ work. We cannot let an innovation like this be destroyed. Morris, she just said there's a link, this could be the key to understanding the ghouls, creating an enchanted version of this could be the first step to a cure.”

“I must object,” Professor Chimbwanda said. “The type of application this item has is far too sinister to be pursued. It is immoral, think of what it would be used for if its method of creation gets out.”

“You wouldn’t say it is a good replacement for our current methods of information extraction?” the duke asked.

“You mean torture, sir? My belief is information gained through pain is untrustworthy, so, no sir, it is not a good justification at all.”

“I agree with you professor, I just wanted a counterargument to tell General Kylepo. Morris, Hark and Professor Jacomier, thoughts?”

“I won’t have any part in replicating that thing, sir,” Hark said. “I also don’t believe it’s possible. Enchanting is based on curses only so far as mages wanted similar results without all the blood rituals and sacrifice.”

“That’s an antiquated view of curses and you know it,” Professor Mitchell said, getting in the man’s face.

“I think if there’s a chance it could bring us more insight into the ghouls, we should pursue it,” Morris said.

“My theory on this being related to them is based on very minor fluctuations in the mana I find familiar to my encounters near the capital. I wouldn’t want or suggest a full study of it. I agree with Professor Chimbwanda that it is immoral and with Hark that it is not possible to replicate with mana alone.”

I felt so detached from it all. It sickened me that General Kylepo could have been invited and tipped the scales in this discussion and end it with me and the doll being locked up until Professor Mitchell got her replica.

Duke Riker put a hand on my shoulder. “What do you want done?”

I stared at him, shocked I was being asked. I’d been anxiously hoping that Janette and Annalise would be asked to further weigh in on the opinion to get rid of the doll. Without thinking too much about it, I had my answer. “I want it gone.”

He nodded. “Okay, we find a way to cleanse the curse then.”

Professor Mitchell scoffed. “I won’t be party to the destruction of possibly the greatest academic discovery in my field, for the last decade, because of short-minded fools.”

“You forget yourself, professor. Just because I appoint Sigrid to oversee my family’s school, does not mean I do not have the overwhelming say in your future career at Equitier.”

The room was quiet as Professor Mitchell stood tall and folded her arms over her chest. “Yes, sir.”

“Professor Chimbwanda, I heard you and Morris discussing a plan?”

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“We were, sir. But it is more along the lines of ‘the best idea is probably the simplest’ rather than an actual plan.”

“Well, let us hear it.”

“Sir, we could put the girl, Valeria, to sleep and simply destroy the doll.”

“I don’t understand why we need to rush this?” Professor Mitchell said. “It’s not hurting anyone by just sitting here, why not take the opportunity to study it?”

She was barely keeping her voice from a shout with her pointy ears and cheeks flushed.

“Anna, please escort her out,” Duke Riker said. “Get the guards downstairs to walk her outside the castle.”

A set of ripples went out from Annalise’s palm to the same effect, informing guards to come up.

Annalise stepped up to grab the professor's arm but she jerked it away from her. “I can walk without your help, girl.”

We all watched the door they left out of. I was confused over the obsession with the doll and also the behaviour she showed to the ducal family.

“I need to go downstairs for the moment, can you please test the feasibility of this plan while I am away.”

“Yes, sir.”

Janette followed after the duke and closed the door behind them. She gave me a warm smile which I tried to return the best I could, but it didn’t feel like it reached my eyes.

“I don’t think I’ll be needed for this next part,” Hark said. “Mind if I excuse myself? I have orders to get to before the end of day.”

“No problem, Hark,” Morris said. “I’m sure the duke appreciates you coming.”

I was left with Morris and the remaining two professors. I felt like I had to like the last two purely for their opinion on the doll.

They crowded around it and started talking about how they would go about destroying it. It made me incredibly anxious to hear about the different types of pain I could potentially go through if it went wrong.

Incinerated, exploded, crushed, or dissolved.

I didn’t want to know which was worse.

Occasionally a question was asked of me but I didn’t know how the doll was constructed or the type of curse that was used. One day I came back to it just sitting on the table with Mother saying she had a few experiments to carry out.

They eventually decided on incineration with Morris still grumbling about acid being better.

I squashed the faint excitement I had for being able to go where I please without worry. Though, I did let myself entertain the idea of catching the next thief.

I wanted to prepare myself for disappointment, but everything pointed to the doll being gone soon. The duke hadn’t asked for anything in return and it didn’t seem like he was going to.

Morris went to go get a sleep potion since he didn’t trust using the spell on me, and to call the duke back.

Professor Chimbwanda sat next to me and assured me that destroying it would not kill me and that from the way it worked, I shouldn’t feel any pain. I knew what nerves were but I didn’t trust my understanding enough to fully trust his explanation.

Professor Jacomier was tangling together a spell that promised a scorching hot flame. I made sure they were aware that that particular method had already been tested, but they brushed it off because Alisa’s flames wouldn't be comparable to the temperatures they were working with.

That didn’t help my apprehension.

The duke, Janette and Annalise walked back in with Morris and were informed everything was ready to go.

Except for me, but I kept that to myself. I had been waiting for the scheduled plan of when this was all going to happen since that’s what people around here seemed to like doing, scheduling. But no, it was happening now and in this room, despite Morris’s grumbles about his carpet.

Janette Riker

A stray thought blaming Mitchell’s behaviour on her elven side shocked me. The stereotype of them being cruel and aloof was old human propaganda. I knew better.

I tried thinking of where exactly that harmful bias came from and if it had affected my behaviour when talking to others with elven heritage. My own daughter was good friends with an elf and I didn't mind that at all.

I couldn’t think of anything else so I let it go as just a passing intrusive thought. But also something I needed to watch myself over in the future.

Morris passed the potion he’d brought to put Valeria to sleep and I gave it a sniff. “Oh. That’s pungent. Isn’t that too high a dose?”

He shook his head. “We’ll be diluting a portion of it, it’s just an easy recipe to brew concentrated. Always helps to have more.”

The poor girl was bouncing her leg while watching everyone moving around her. I watched Vince go sit beside her after confirming what the plan was.

I wanted to be mad at him over her. All normal logic and reason in the world said I should be furious over a child from another woman. But this defied all reason.

Sadly, that didn’t make all the feelings in my heart disappear. He was still trying to make up for it and I’d let him for a little while longer.

Positions were decided and I was going to be monitoring Valeria after she drank the potion for any irregularities. Anna and Vince were going to be making a shield around the doll. Morris was going to administer the potion and keep an eye on his rug. And Professor Chimbwanda was tasked with making sure the curse didn’t escape and latch onto one of us.

A job better done by Mitchell but she was on her way back to Equitier already. Professor Jacomier was going to then bring a miniature sun into the office.

My blood still boiled at fire already being used against the doll with Valeria being able to feel it.

If I had Vince’s seat I would gut the knights and take them down a peg. They were a necessary force to ensure baron’s followed election results and a counter to the watch and military. But they didn’t need so much power and so little consequences. A sad symptom of their prestige gained through Equitier’s establishment and subsequent appeal to children of powerful people.

I hadn’t wanted Anna to be a part of them but if she wanted to fight it was better than the other options. I hoped she could one day be a guiding light for the order before it went past the point of no return. Every year graduates were becoming less trained and more self-righteous.

Valeria didn’t even grimace as she tipped the cup vertically and downed its contents. I held her wrist, feeling rather than sensing her heart rate drop. After a few minutes, her eyes drooped before she slumped into me and I checked to make sure she was still breathing.

I nodded to everyone else to begin. Casting the spell to check on the health of an area was a weird and otherwise unnecessary spell that I now knew well.

The shields went up for the doll to rest on and the mana concentration of the air changed. The spell Jacomier was casting called for a slow continuous burn rather than bright and flashy.

Inside the shield was growing hotter and hotter. Through the haze, I watched as the hair looked to be dripping off. Next went the glowing amber eyes. Those behaved how they were supposed to when encountering heat but at a much stronger temperature than they should have withstood.

I checked on Valeria. I checked again and again to make sure.

“Morris, Morris! She’s waking up.”

Morris looked away from the haze, everyone else looked but Morris told them to continue as he came to check. I could see from the way he looked at me that he didn’t believe me. I thrust the limp arm in my grasp at him.

He almost fumbled the potion in his hand as he cast the diagnosis spell. The purposefully distinct potion was being broken down too fast.

Valeria stirred. I looked at the melting doll, grabbed the potion and yanked the stopper out. I placed it under her nose and heated the glass vial. There was a spell to force someone to drink a potion but there was no chance of it working on her.

I looked to Morris for his opinion on how much vapour I should let her inhale but he looked just as puzzled as I felt.

Half the bottle had boiled off before I put the stopper back in. The room was bathed in soft blue light from inside the shield as the last of the doll turned to dust.

Morris and I were each holding one of her wrists as we made sure I hadn’t overdone the potion. I was concentrating on casting the diagnosis spell and didn’t notice the shield dropping. A warm breeze washed over us on its way out the window.

“What happened?” Vince asked when he saw me and Morris fussing over Valeria.

“She almost woke up,” I said.

“She didn’t feel anything, did she?” Professor Jacomier asked. Concern just about breaking through her stern exterior.

Morris shook his head. “We got more of the potion in her system before that.”

“You didn’t give her a strong enough dose?” Anna asked, looking aghast.

“I did,” Morris said defensively. “Enough for at least an hour.”

I thought back to the cut she made on her finger and paired that with her mana. “Is it possible…that her body is subconsciously casting enhancement spells? Letting her process the potion quicker?”

“That’s…possible,” Morris said after thinking. “She’s doing it while asleep?”

“Maybe her body is? Most mages don’t usually have mana going everywhere, hers might have gotten used to and taken advantage of all the mana.”

I smoothed down my dress and took a deep breath. That conversation could happen another time. “Did it work?”

“There’s no trace of it left,” Professor Chimbwanda said.

“Agreed,” Vince said.

“I’m going to take her back to her room, there’s no telling when she’ll wake up,” I said and started to lift Valeria. It was awkward trying to get her neck to not look like it was about to snap off.

“Sure you don’t want me to, mum?” Anna asked.

“No, it's better I do so I can monitor her.”

Some of the palace staff gave me weird glances but otherwise went on with their duties instead of openly gawking. I knew the gossip would run amok during dinner though.

A young girl with short brown hair came running after me up the stairs. “Is something wrong, ma’am?”

“No, she just needs to sleep off some medicine, are you currently looking after the guest wing? What’s your name?”

“Yes, ma’am. Haily, ma’am. Chief Yanla has me training there.”

“Do you have a spare key, Haily?” I asked the sweet but jittery girl.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She ran ahead to open the door for me and then the doors to the bedroom. Everything looked pristine, not a single decoration or clothing strewn about like every other person’s room I had ever been in. I had to remind myself this was only a guest room that Vince had banished her to.

I walked back that thought, it was a harsh characterisation of giving someone a room almost equal in standing to ours. But, being the only person in the entire wing made it seem lonely.

The dressing room had a single nightgown in it. I thanked Haily and told her to come check on Valeria again before dinner and if she was awake, to come fetch me.

Her head nodded a dozen times before she excused herself so I could change Valeria.

The diagnosis spells kept showing nothing was wrong and that the potion was being actively broken down. Without the potion to wake her up she would probably sleep through the night. Which seemed like a good idea.

It was a bit difficult to get her limp limbs out of her clothes and into the gown.

I cast one last diagnosis spell, and then another a few minutes later. Everything looked fine so I brushed the hair from her face, pulled the covers up and waited at the door a while before closing it behind me.