I clink across the room and study the shelves. Many of the books have a modern appearance, like something you might find in Barnes and Noble, but the worn spines of the leather-bound books suggest they’ve been alive as long as Quinton.

I tilt my head to read the titles. “It surprises me the Council offered Flanagan any position he wanted. I get the impression the Belangers have a problem with him.”

“Oh, they have a problem all right. He doesn’t bow to their orders. But he carries the High Priestess’s blessing, which means they can’t get rid of him, even if they wanted to. He’s the only soldier strong enough to fight the prince one on one, and the Goddess mark gives him high standing in the supernatural community. Anyway, General Nenge and the other council members believe he’s an invaluable asset, so the Belangers have to put up with him. He took the Blackriver position because he’s passionate about helping new Channelers.”

I halt my scan of the books to look at her. “The Belangers seem powerful. Why couldn’t they get rid of him?”

When she glances up from her grimoire, her frown suggests I’m being a bit thick. “He carries the mark of Velnushka, the Flame Goddess. She won’t hesitate to punish any supernatural who harms her servant.”

“So she’s actually real, then?” She must be one serious chick. “What would punishment involve? Lightning bolts?”

She thumps the tome on the desk and pulls out another twice as thick from the shelf. “The gods are conscious natural forces, but they’re as real as you and me. More so. We have a man in Blackriver town who stole a golden bowl from the temple. He has sores on his hands that never heal. Another man I heard of hunted and nearly killed a sacred animal. A unicorn. No matter what he eats, his food tastes like it’s rotting.”

“There are unicorns?” Of course there are fucking unicorns.

“They’re Flame Elementals,” she says with that matter-of-fact tone she uses. She motions to the shelf behind me. “Have you found anything yet?”

I shake my head. “There’s nothing here about the Warlock. Just books about some guy called Valentin Sabel.”

“Yes, that’s his name. He only became known as the Warlock when he began spelling against nature.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Flanagan did mention his name just before my test. That completely went out of my head for some reason.” I pick up the first in a trilogy of biographies.

Valentin Sabel, Child of the Jade Waters.

“Quinton wrote this,” I say with surprise.

“He’s the world expert on the Warlock Years.”

I pull out the next. Valentin Sabel, Monster or King? Also by Quinton.