Page 11 of Unexpected Magic

He arranged his men in a line on each side of the zone, to keep the curious at bay, and when the wagon arrived with Miss Nettleford’s party, the warrior sisters who had escorted it deployed themselves, without orders or comment, within the two rows of men.

Everything went smoothly. The little unicorn trotted happily along between the prioress and Miss Nettleford. Miss Nettleford carried the lindwurm, and the maid Polly followed with the box in which the egg was traveling.

When they reached the cleated plank that gave access to the canal boat, Miss Nettleford walked up it and then turned back to coax the unicorn, who was regarding the crossing with purple eyes whirling. Those eyes soothed to a bluey mauve as Miss Nettleford spoke gently to the beast.

It put one uncertain hoof on the plank, and then another. Miss Nettleford gently drew the halter rope toward herself, and the unicorn stepped fully up onto the plank, took two quicksteps, butted its head into Miss Nettleford’s shoulder, and sighed.

Praising the animal, Miss Nettleford stepped back, drawing the unicorn off the plank and onto the boat. She led it into its new quarters, and the prioress and Polly followed.

Jasper’s sigh of relief was even more heartfelt than the unicorn’s. That was the hardest part of the day done.

Now all he had to do was load the rest of the passengers, and they could be on their way.

Down the Shropshire Union Canal and then up the Middlewich Branch to the Trent and Mersey. Then the Macclesfield Canal would take them to where wagons and carriages would be waiting for the last part of the trip.

Dronsford Castle, one of the Duke of Findlater’s estates, would be their home until the government and the College of Mages decided how to cope with a catalyst of Miss Nettleford’s obvious power.

Could she learn to harness it? Poor lady. She hadn’t asked for her gift, but it had irrevocably changed her life, nonetheless. He should tell her, he decided. If he were a catalyst, he would want to know, and he had no right to keep the information from Miss Nettleford.

His decision to seek a meeting with the lady had nothing to do with his wish to speak with her again. He fully recognized that his reaction to her was pointless. Miss Nettleford was the unicorn’s maiden, and there was no room in her life for any man, let alone an inept mage with no idea how to use his power.

Once the voyage along the canals was underway, he would ask for her to come and talk to him.

*

Miss Nettleford, herchaperone, Polly, and their three charges had been given the cabin in the bow of the canal boat, which was called the Jennie Rose. There was another cabin at the rear of the boat, which the Jennie Rose’s owner shared with his brother, who looked after the horse. Jasper would bunk down there as well. Between the two cabins, the long cargo bay had been divided into rooms.

Closest to the bow, the warrior sisters had their quarters, which they would use at night and when off duty. During the day, they would take it in turns to patrol the banks of the canal.

A cabin with canvas walls had been carved out of the other end of the hold next to the captain’s cabin for the minotaur and his wet nurse, with a stall for the shire horse, her foal, and the groom next to that.

That still left plenty of room between the unicorn’s male-free zone in the bow and the cabins in the stern for two living areas, since the royal guards, including their captain, would be sleeping in tents on the bank wherever the canal boat stopped for the night, with some of them always awake to keep watch. During the day, they would ride beside the canal. For wet weather while they were traveling, those who were off duty would be able to use the sternmost living area.

The other living area represented common ground, where those caring for the unicorn could converse with Jasper or any of the other men without upsetting their charge. It was to this room that Miss Nettleford and Sister Joan-Louise came after the canal boat left the village just south of Chester where they had joined the canal.

Jasper was waiting for them and stood when they lifted the curtain that did service as a door. “Ladies, thank you for joining me.” He stayed at the far side of the room, respecting the unicorn’s sensibilities even in that little beast’s absence. Whoknew what the creature’s reaction would be to the smell of a man on his favorite person?

“Mr. Thornton,” said Sister Louise, “good morning. I received your message and have passed it on to Miss Nettleford. We are bound for Dronford Castle, you said.”

There was a question implicit in that, and Jasper was ready to answer it.

“I need to explain to both of you the reason for that change of plan,” he said. “Miss Nettleford, I imagine you have noticed the unusual amount of magical activity in the vicinity of Nettleford Grange.”

“It would be hard to miss,” said Sister Louise, while Miss Nettleford merely nodded.

Jasper ignored the somewhat acerbic remark. “We have concluded that someone at the manor has the magical gift known ascatalysism,” he explained.

“I have never heard of it,” said Miss Nettleford.

The nun frowned, thoughtfully. “I have,” she said. “Delia, catalysism is the power to cause any latent magical gift to become active, strengthen gifts that have already manifested, and make magical births more likely.” She turned to Jasper and inclined her head. “That explains a great deal, Mr. Thornton.”

“Escorting you, Miss Nettleford, was one of the two tasks for which I was sent to Cheshire. The other was to find out the identity of the catalyst, the person with the gift of catalysism. I believe I have done so.” Jasper paused, wondering how to break the news gently.

“Oh,” said Sister Louise. “So that is why we are going to Dronsford Castle instead of London. Smaller population to be affected.”

Miss Nettleford’s jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly and drew the obvious conclusion. “Mr. Thornton, are you sayingIam the catalyst?”

“I believe so, Miss Nettleford,” Jasper told her. “The pattern of incidents means it has to be someone who lives at Nettleford Grange, and who travels around the neighborhood.”