Page 122 of Arcane Entanglement

Before Rufus could respond, another knock sounded at the door. This time, it was Elias McAndrew and Vincent Brown. Both men could barely contain their excitement as they entered the room.

Philippa Scarborough trailed in behind them, concern etched across her normally serene face.

Surprise jolted Evander. He and Rufus rose hastily.

“Mrs. Scarborough,” Evander greeted. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too, your Grace, Inspector.” The curse-breaker dipped her head. “I wish my visit was taking place under better circumstances.”

Unease pooled in Evander’s belly at her grim tone.

“I shall let Mr. McAndrew and Mr. Brown talk first,” Mrs. Scarborough said crisply.

“Your Grace,” McAndrew started without preamble. “We’ve completed our preliminary analysis of the wreckage of the device recovered from the warehouse.”

“It’s absolutely fascinating, your Grace.” Brown’s eyes gleamed. “The level of magical engineering involved in that contraption is—well, it’s beyond anything either of us have seen before. Whoever designed it is a genius.”

“Get to the point,” Rufus said impatiently.

McAndrew cleared his throat. “Renwick’s device was designed not just to produce a powerful explosion the likes of which we’ve probably never seen before, it also acted as a channel to focus vast amounts of magical energy. It’s how he was able to manifest abilities normally reserved for Archmages, just as you described in your account of the incident at the station and in the warehouse, your Grace.”

Evander’s heart thrummed heavily.

“How is that possible?” he said numbly.

“Midnight Obsidian,” Brown said animatedly, oblivious to the dread chilling Evander’s blood.

Confusion clouded Rufus’s face.

“What’sMidnight Obsidian?”

It was Mrs. Scarborough who replied.

“It’s an incredibly rare and dangerous substance. Most magic users go their entire lives without ever laying eyes on it. It has the unique property of absorbing and amplifying magical energy.”

McAndrew nodded vigorously. “It’s like the mythicalPhilosopher’s stone.Rumour has it you can only findMidnight Obsidianin remote caves in Western Siberia.”

“The stone in Renwick’s ring and the crystals powering his machine were made from the stuff,” Brown added. He glanced at Mrs. Scarborough. “As were the cursed gems used to control Magnus Graveoak and the mages taken into the custody of Scotland Yard at the church in the East End.”

Tension knotted Evander’s shoulders as he processed these disturbing revelations.

“So, Renwick wasn’t actually as powerful as he appeared. He was usingMidnight Obsidianto boost his abilities?”

“Precisely,” McAndrew confirmed. The artificer hesitated, his expression awkward. “Make no mistake, your Grace. Even withoutMidnight Obsidian, Renwick was a formidable mage. To control that much power without being consumed by it—” He shared an uneasy look with Brown. “Well, it speaks to his considerable skill.”

Brown bobbed his head in agreement.

Evander clenched his jaw as he recalled the overwhelming dark energy that had emanated from Renwick during their final confrontation.

His master taught him well.

“There’s more, your Grace,” McAndrew continued reluctantly. “It appears what Mr. Stonewall did indeed stop the machine before it was fully activated. Had the two of you been unsuccessful in your attempts to stop Renwick…” The artificer trailed off.

“The explosion might have levelled half of London,” Evander finished grimly.

A tense hush befell them at the thought of the dire fate they’d narrowly avoided.

“I fear I bring worse news, your Grace,” Mrs. Scarborough said quietly.