Kannice’s eyes went icy. “That sounds about right for her.”
“Perhaps,” Ethan said. “I’m not sure. But earlier today, he used a spell on me. It put me to sleep. And it’s only just occurred to me that I should be able to see the residue of that conjuring on me. I should be able to say for certain if he’s the killer.”
He laid the edge of the knife on his forearm and dragged the blade across his skin. Kannice winced and looked away. He marked himself with blood much as he had the dead soldier aboard the Graystone-a streak across his brow, and a second tracing the contour of his face and neck from the bridge of his nose to his breastbone.
“Revela potestatem ex cruore evocatam,” he said, as blood continued to well from the cut. Reveal power, conjured from blood.
Ethan felt the blood on his face vanish, like sweat evaporating in a summer breeze, and he sensed the spell as well. He knew that Gant and Spectacles would know that he had conjured, but this once he didn’t care. Nor did he spare a glance for Uncle Reg, though he sensed the ghost beside him.
He looked down at his chest, where Mariz’s spell had hit him earlier in the day, and also at his legs, where the finding spell had touched him. In both places, the residue of power looked the same. It glowed bright in the dim bedchamber.
“Is that it?” Kannice asked, pointing at his chest. “Is that from his spell?”
Ethan nodded, but said nothing.
The conjuring that had killed those soldiers had been a bright fiery orange. He could close his eyes and picture it perfectly.
The power glowing on his chest looked nothing like it. It was a pale, warm beige, the color of dead grasses on a late-summer afternoon.
“Is it the same as what killed the men on that ship?”
“No,” he said, raising his gaze to meet hers. “It’s not even close. Sephira’s man didn’t cast that spell.”
“Then who did?”
He shook his head, looking down again at the pale glow of Mariz’s conjuring. “I’m not sure,” he told her. “But I think it’s time I found Simon Gant. He might be able to tell me.”
Chapter Ten
Ethan cut himself again and cast a second spell to make the glow from Spectacles’s spell vanish. He waited until the pale light had disappeared and turned toward the door.
“Wait,” Kannice said. She sat on her bed and beckoned him over.
He walked to the bed and sat beside her.
“How did you get caught up in this? Why would representatives of the Crown come to you?”
“Geoffrey,” he said.
It took her a few seconds. “Your sister’s husband?”
“He works for the Customs Board. And, of course, he knows I’m a conjurer.”
“And who is Simon Gant?”
“Another of Sephira’s playmates. Word is that he betrayed her several years back. I thought that Mariz-the man who used those spells on me-that he might have been trying to kill Gant. I now know that’s not the case. But if Gant is a conjurer-”
“Why would Sephira care about the British fleet?” Kannice asked.
That stopped Ethan cold. “I don’t know.”
“You said that ninety-seven men died. Even Sephira Pryce isn’t so brazen as to think that she can take on the British Empire.”
He weighed this, saw the logic in it. “Go on,” he said at last.
“The occupation is about to begin and there are plenty of people who are unhappy about it. Some of them would stop at nothing to see that those regulars never set foot in this city.”
“I thought you were one of them,” Ethan said, smiling to soften the words.
She smiled back at him. “Aye, well, I can’t conjure, can I?” Her grin faded. “You do see where I’m going with this.”
“You think that the Sons of Liberty have declared war on King George’s army.”
“It’s not as foolish as you’re making it sound,” she said.
“You’re right, it’s not. But even if Samuel Adams and his friends suddenly had access to such power why would they attack a single ship? And why choose the Graystone as opposed to the Launceston or one of the other rated ships?”
“I don’t know,” Kannice said. “Maybe their spell didn’t work the way they intended. Maybe they were aiming for all the ships and the spell only worked against one of them. But if you ask me it’s much more likely that this was the work of Adams and the rest than it is that Sephira would be willing to take on General Gage.”
She had a point.
“All right,” Ethan said. “Thank you. I’ll give that some thought.”
He started to stand, but Kannice grabbed his arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Ethan grinned again. “Back downstairs.”
She shook her head and kissed him deeply on the lips. “I don’t think so. There’s a roomful of men down there who think you brought me up here for something other than a bit of conjuring. We wouldn’t want to disappoint them.”
They kissed again, and Kannice began to unbutton his waistcoat and shirt.
“I thought you were angry with me for working on behalf of the Crown.”
She smiled and whispered, “I’ve forgiven you for that.”
They went back down to the tavern’s great room some time later. The Dowser was far more crowded now-most of those drinking ale and eating Kannice’s stew hadn’t been in the tavern when Ethan and Kannice went up to her chamber. But that didn’t stop them all from whistling and applauding when the two of them reappeared. Ethan blushed to the tips of his ears, but Kannice didn’t seem at all embarrassed.
“Don’t applaud too much boys,” she said, her voice carrying over the din. “Or else we might go back up for an encore and you won’t have any more stew until morning.”
As the men started laughing anew, she winked at Ethan and hurried off into the kitchen to prepare more stew. Ethan returned to the table and was surprised to find that Diver was still there. His friend cast a hurt look his way, but said nothing.
“It wasn’t what it seems,” Ethan said.
“No? Then why is your face as red as a regular’s coat?”
Ethan smiled, feeling sheepish. “All right, it was what it seems, but it was more as well.” He looked around, much as Diver had earlier in the evening, making sure that they wouldn’t be overheard. But with so many now in the tavern no one could hear what he said and no one was paying them much heed. Keeping his voice down, he told Diver about the Graystone and the spell he had cast in Kannice’s room.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Diver asked when Ethan had finished. He still sulked, refusing to look up from his ale. Sometimes Diver was more boy than man. It was part of his charm and also the reason Kannice thought him a wastrel.
“Because I didn’t know if I could trust you to keep it quiet.”
He did look up then. “That’s not fair!”
“Isn’t it? I can’t have you talking about this all over the city. Especially now. I don’t know what happened to the men on that ship, and until I do the fewer that hear of it the better. Do you understand?”
Diver nodded sullenly. “Aye, I do. And I know that I cost us both by talking about Tanner when I was with Katharine. But when are you going to start trusting me again?”
“I think I just did.”
A small smile stole across Diver’s face. “Aye, all right.” He finished his ale and stood. “I should be going. I suppose you don’t need me looking for Spectacles anymore.”
“No,” Ethan said. “But you can start looking for Gant. Don’t go near him if you see him and don’t let him see you if you can help it. But if you find him, I want to know about it.”
Diver’s smile broadened. “I’ll keep my eyes open.” He winked. “And my mouth shut.”
After he left the bar, Ethan sat alone for a while longer, sipping his ale and, when it was gone, watching Kannice and thinking about what she had said upstairs. At one point, Kelf caught his eye and held up a tankard, asking Ethan if he wanted another ale. Ethan shook his head.