“From one of the young elven boys, Ardan,” she said. “He said his father brought him an enchanted dagger from another kingdom.”
“And you wanted to know if he was telling you the truth?” His voice was neutral tinged with uncertainty.
“Is it possible to make an enchanted blade?”
He sat back in his chair, holding his cup in his hands as steam did lazy curls upward in front of his face. There was deep contemplation in his eyes.
“It is,” he said at last. “They were once called Artificers. They had a type of elemental…” he paused, searching for the word, “…ability. They knew how to manipulate fire, air, and the iron deep within the earth to enchant the steel.”
Her brows drew together. “What sort of ability?” Then it struck her. “Magic. You’re talking about magic.”
She understood, then. Artificers were elementals. Typically, elementals only harnessed one ability. But Artificers harnessed three, sometimes all four.
She knew from a very young age she had the ability to connect with nature. Though she had never really thought of it as magic, she suddenly understood then she was an elemental with the ability to harness the earth. Her added gift was that she also had the ability to converse with the wildlife.
“Yes, and that type of magic died out a long time ago.” He waved away the notion as if it were nothing more than a child’s bedtime story.
“Ardan told me his father found a master blacksmith who made the blade. If it’s enchanted, wouldn’t he have to be one of these Artificers?”
He considered this, but still looked unconvinced. “I cannot believe anyone would be forging enchanted blades.”
Snow pressed her lips together in a thin line. She wouldn’t have believed it either, if she hadn’t seen it for herself. She thought of the numerous books inside the other room and was certain there was something there that would tell her more about these Artificers, as well as the dark wizard.
She sipped her tea, debating on whether or not to tell Master Harwin about the missing mirrors.
“You said this Ardan had an enchanted blade?”
She nodded. “I saw it.”
“Interesting.” Still, he sounded as though he didn’t believe her. Perhaps he would have to see it for himself. “It is a form of magic I have never seen.”
She thought of the missing mirrors again. Placing her cup on the table in front of her, she ran her finger around the rim.
His eyes glinted with suspicion as he peered at her from across the table. “Are you going to be telling me why you were in there?”
“I wanted information on the enchanted blade,” she said, which was the truth.
“Well, I gave it to you. There’s no reason you or anyone else should be in that room without supervision. There are dangerous things there. Things that should never see the light of day again. Things that were hidden away for the very reason magic was driven out of the Wyldwood.”
“Things like mirrors?” she asked.
He went very still as he peered at her. “Yes, things like that.”
She swallowed hard, a lump suddenly forming in her throat. She had to tell him. “There is something else you should know.”
He lifted a shaggy brow. “And what is that?”
“The mirrors are missing.”
Chapter 10
SnowandMasterHarwinstood in the archive room. When she told him they were missing, he demanded to see for himself at once. Now, he stared at the empty spaces where the mirrors were supposed to be with wide, fearful eyes. He muttered, “How did this happen?” over and over again as if Snow had the answer.
She didn’t.
He moved from one vacant spot to the next, paused to stare at what was left of the outline of each mirror, his hand rubbing the skin of his forehead.
“They were supposed to be safe here,” he said.
