By Blood and Magic

by Jamie A. Waters

  As soon as they were back in the alley, she eased Malek to the ground and knelt beside him. Soot streaked his face, his cheeks were gaunt, and the patches of skin she could see were far too pale. Pressing her hand against his forehead, she frowned at the marked drop in his temperature.

  Blossom landed on Malek’s knee and shed her moth illusion. “He doesn’t look too good, Sabine.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said quietly, slumping against the wall and closing his eyes. “Just need a few minutes to rest.”

  Sabine glanced toward the street where people were trickling out of their homes. “We don’t have that long. They’ll likely seal the city soon, and we need to be outside these walls when it happens.”

  “Go. I’ll catch up. You need to join up with that troupe if you’re going to find Pearl.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” she said firmly, not willing to even consider such a thing. “You didn’t leave me back in Akros, and I won’t leave you now. Our fates are now intertwined.”

  She reached toward the bags they’d left behind and located the Faerie water. After pouring a tiny amount of water into her hand, she offered it to Blossom. It wasn’t enough to get her drunk again, but it would give her a boost. The pixie had used up a great deal of her magic this evening, and there weren’t enough accessible plants in Karga to easily replenish Blossom’s power.

  Once Blossom had drunk her fill, the pixie yawned and curled up in Malek’s lap. Sabine lifted the flask to her lips and drank a large swallow. The power helped fortify her, but she wasn’t back to full strength. Using magic to surround the city in shadows had cost her dearly.

  She drained the rest of her flask. The magic in the water was still potent, but not as strong as it had been when they’d drunk directly from the spring. The small amount she’d taken was barely enough for what she intended. Malek still had a bit left in his flask, but they’d need to conserve it for their journey into the desert.

  “Malek,” she whispered, scooting close to him. “Can you wake up? I need to share my magic with you.”

  He murmured something intelligible but didn’t awaken. Sabine frowned and tried to shake him. He didn’t stir. She blew out a breath. It looked like she was going to have to do this the hard way.

  Withdrawing her knife, she cut her palm and winced at the sharp pain. Pressing her bleeding hand against his mouth, she stroked his throat and urged, “Drink, Malek. You’ll feel better soon.”

  He swallowed, and she sighed in relief. Closing her eyes to focus on the magic, she whispered in the language of Faerie, “By blood and magic, and by my rights to both, I share my power and my destiny—both to be shaped by our wills. Drink and accept this gift, freely offered and freely given, that we might merge our futures as one until the last of the magic fades.”

  She opened her eyes and looked into his striking blue ones. He held her gaze and wrapped his hand around her wrist to pull her closer. Her blood flowed through his body as her power surrounded and fueled him from within. She was now part of him, just as he’d taken up residence in her heart almost from the moment they met.

  The wound in her hand closed as the magic sealed them together, both in purpose and intent. Somewhat shaken by what she’d done, she pulled away her hand.

  He sat up and frowned, studying her with no small measure of scrutiny. “What did you do?”

  “I shared my strength with you,” she said quietly and started to stand. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward him. She nearly fell onto his lap, but he caught her and held her close, careful not to disturb Blossom who was still lying on him.

  “What did you do, Sabine?”

  Sabine pressed her finger against his lips and said, “Please, Malek. We don’t have time for this. You have my word no harm will come to you from what just transpired, but we need to leave.”

  He gripped her wrist gently, still holding onto her. “That was never my concern. I felt something in the mark shift when you did… whatever you did. Did it hurt you?”

  Touched by his concern, she gave him a small smile and shook her head. “No. It didn’t hurt me. If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t have offered this.”

  His brow furrowed, and he looked like he was about to object.

  She leaned forward, brushed a soft kiss against his lips, and whispered, “We’ll talk later. I promise.”

  Pulling away from Malek, she carefully lifted Blossom and cradled the pixie as she rose to her feet. Malek stood and asked, “Is she drunk again?”

  “Just sleeping. I gave her a small amount of water, but it wasn’t enough to get her drunk. She’s just tired from performing so much magic. Pixies tend to burn out quickly, but she’ll wake up in a few minutes.”

  Malek opened one of the bags and located the box containing the flowers Blossom had slept in earlier. He held it out, and Sabine placed the pixie inside.

  Malek looked down at his charred clothing and frowned. “I need to find a place to get cleaned up unless you have enough magic to hide me with glamour. I have some clothing I can change into once I get rid of the smokiness, but we should hurry. We need to join the troupe before they close the gates.”

  Sabine frowned and picked up one of the bags. “To be safe, I should conserve as much magic as possible. I can keep your appearance hidden from view for only a short time without endangering myself. We could try to go back to the bathhouse. I know men aren’t allowed, but I don’t think we have a choice.”

  “All right,” Malek said in agreement, adjusting the two remaining bags over his shoulder. He walked beside her as they headed back toward Zaverza’s home. Fortunately, it wasn’t far to go. They tapped lightly on the door to their residence. It opened a moment later, and Rika waved them in.

  “Grandmother had another vision and said you’d be back. She’s preparing everything for you so you can both clean up. You can go ahead into the scrubbing room, but you need to hurry. You won’t have time to use the springs, and you need to be careful so they don’t know a man was in here.”

  Sabine nodded. “I understand. Can you leave the city tonight?”

  Rika nodded and lowered her gaze. “Grandmother’s taking me to Shorin’s place in a few minutes. She wants me to leave the city right away, even if I have to go by myself. If I wait any longer, I won’t be able to get out.”

  Sabine reached out and took Rika’s hand. “It takes a very strong person to leave what’s familiar and set off for the unknown. I did the same several years ago, and I see that same strength in you.”

  Rika’s eyes widened as she gazed up at Sabine with a shred of hope in her eyes. “Truly?”

  Sabine smiled and nodded. “Yes. I’ll tell you more about it once we’re all together on the ship. Having good friends at your side will help you, just as it helped me. You won’t be alone, Rika.”

  “Thank—”

  Sabine pressed her fingers against the girl’s mouth to stop her. “No. Don’t ever try to thank a Fae,” she warned sternly. “Bargains and debts are our currency, and any acknowledgment of such could lead you into peril. I won’t harm you, but someone else might try to take advantage of you.”

  Rika’s mouth formed a thin line, and she nodded. “My grandmother warned me, but it’s going to take some getting used to.”

  Sabine lowered her hand and smiled. “We’ll work on it. I’ll let you finish packing so you can be on your way. Malek and I can let ourselves out when we’re finished.”

  Malek nodded. “Shorin’s a good man. He’ll get you out. But if he doesn’t have people leaving immediately, Sabine and I left two thontins outside the north gate. They have matching blue-and-purple saddle ribbons. Take one of them and head north. You should see the masts of my ship from the road.”

  “I will,” Rika replied. She gave them both a shy smile and darted out of the room.

  Sabine rubbed her temples, exhausted from the events over the past few days. “I didn’t think to tell her about the thontins. I’m glad you said something. I almost suggested Blossom
accompany her, but we’ll need her with us to keep an eye on the people we’re traveling with.”

  Malek took a step toward her, his nearness making the mark on his skin flare to life and sending a frisson of awareness through her. “You’re too hard on yourself, Sabine. You’ve done a great deal. Rika’s lucky to have met you. Someone else would have taken advantage of her or her grandmother.”

  “I don’t want to let her down or put her in more danger by taking her with us,” Sabine admitted, staring at the door where Rika had disappeared.

  “That’s exactly why she’s lucky. Someone else wouldn’t care as much about a girl she’d met only a few hours ago.” Closing the distance between them, he said, “She’s not the only one who’s lucky, Sabine. I’ve thought the same thing since the moment we met. My life is already far richer having you in it.”

  Both his words and the intense look in his eyes were enough to make her magic falter. The illusion masking his appearance flickered slightly, but it was enough to bring her back to awareness. She frowned at his burnt, charred clothing and the streaks of soot on his skin. “We should get cleaned up. If Zaverza had another vision, the danger might be greater than we anticipated.”

  Malek nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. She headed back into the main room and then into the area where she’d scrubbed her skin. Zaverza was already there. She clucked her tongue when she saw them and motioned for them to hurry.

  The elderly woman placed a brush beside a large bowl and said, “There is no time to soak. You must cleanse yourselves, change your clothing, and leave this place. Leave any ruined clothing in the fire pit. I will ensure they are destroyed and no trace of you remains behind.”

  Sabine gestured for Malek to use one of the bowls situated behind a small panel designed to offer a trace of privacy in the open room. She stepped behind the other, and Zaverza asked, “I trust you have other clothing?”

  “We do,” Malek said from behind his screen.

  “Good. I’m taking Rika now to the docks so Shorin can get her out of the city. We likely won’t meet again.”

  Sabine lowered her head and pressed her closed fist over her heart in a gesture of respect. It likely wouldn’t do any good to ask her to join them again. Zaverza had chosen her path, and Sabine needed to respect her decision. “I wish you the best, Zaverza.”

  “You as well,” Zaverza murmured and left the room.

  Sabine placed Blossom’s box on the low table beside the bowl and began removing her clothing. Hers wasn’t as damaged, but trace amounts of soot had transferred onto the material. In case anyone had spotted her, it would be better to change anyway. She couldn’t maintain multiple illusions for prolonged periods without draining a significant amount of magic.

  Blossom yawned and stretched in her box. “Are we there yet?”

  “Not yet. We’re leaving Karga as soon as we change,” she said, scrubbing the soot off her body and face. She quickly dressed in the red dress and affixed the metal rings of the belt over the lightweight material.

  Blossom hopped over and sniffed the water. “They added lavender oil to it. It smells like one of the northern varieties. Think they have any plants?”

  Sabine smiled and reattached her weapons. “It’s unlikely. They probably have it shipped here.”

  Blossom wrinkled her nose and flew away, probably to investigate the rest of the room. Pixies had short attention spans, but Blossom would stay nearby. Sabine looked down at the blue dress smudged with a few soot streaks. It might be silly, but she wasn’t willing to part with the gift Malek had bought her. Instead, she folded it and placed it inside the bag to be cleaned later.

  Reemerging from behind the screen, she smoothed out her dress and released the modified illusion she’d crafted. Her normal human appearance wasn’t any less painful, but she’d grown accustomed to it. Even if the guard she’d lured away had awakened, he wouldn’t recognize her.

  “We may have a problem,” Malek said from behind his privacy screen.

  Sabine approached the screen and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Malek came out from behind his screen and gestured at his neck. “The medallion’s gone. I had to remove it to destroy the crystal. It either melted or fell somewhere in the building. Either way, we need to leave without it.”

  Sabine froze. “We can’t enter the dwarven city without it.”

  He ran a hand over his damp hair. “We’ll have to figure something out. But if we don’t get out of Karga right away, it won’t matter.”

  She nodded, knowing he was right. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Blossom flew toward Malek and sniffed at him. “Yep. That medallion was pretty powerful. It even hid your scent. You smell like burnt leaves again.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment,” Malek said dryly. Blossom grinned and landed on his shoulder.

  Curious, Sabine approached him and inhaled deeply. Blossom was right. He did have a slight smoky smell to him. She’d noticed it back when they’d been in their room at the inn, and it had attracted her more than she’d expected. She gave him a warm smile. “It reminds me of roasted chestnuts or a campfire. I like it.”

  He arched his brow and picked up his bags. “Well, then. I’ll definitely take that as a compliment.”

  Sabine laughed and headed toward the front entrance. At least they were exiting the same way they’d first arrived. If anyone had noticed their arrival, she hoped they’d believe she and Malek were simply visiting Zaverza. She just hoped it didn’t cause more problems for the older woman.

  Malek held open the door for her as she stepped out into the street. Even though it was the middle of the night, Karga’s residents were emerging from their homes and speaking in frightened voices. The commotion and cries of alarm from the destruction of the Kiervan’s headquarters had obviously awakened them. Malek placed his hand against her back, leading her toward the dock area.

  “I thought we were leaving,” she whispered, apprehensive by the sheer number of people in the street. Most of the residents were eyeing them with suspicion and even fear, which didn’t bode well.

  In a voice barely loud enough to be heard, Malek said, “We’re going toward the docks and then cutting across to the southern gate. I don’t want to risk walking by the Kiervan headquarters.”

  She nodded, glancing over at Malek’s shoulder. Blossom had disappeared again, likely hiding herself from sight and scouting ahead. Both she and Malek fell silent, trying to walk as quickly as possible without raising any alarms. When they approached the large gates, Sabine had to force herself to maintain a calm she didn’t feel. The gates were already locked and barred, the giant wooden slats making any possible escape a dim reality.

  “Damn,” Malek muttered, slowing his footsteps and looking around as though checking for an alternative route.

  Sabine glanced at him. “How do you want to handle this?”

  “We can try a bribe,” Malek suggested, pulling one of his bags off his shoulder and rifling through it. He withdrew a small pouch and attached it to his belt. “They’ll likely be more receptive to us if we play up the performance troupe angle.”

  Sabine frowned, not completely convinced. “I suppose it’s our best chance.”

  Blossom appeared a moment later, slipping under Sabine’s hair in the guise of a moth. “There are two guards at the gate. They’re turning away most people, but a few are getting through. They’re searching them first. Want me to put one of them to sleep so you can sneak through?”

  “You have enough magic left?”

  Blossom leaned against her neck. “Only for one. You’ll have to get rid of the other one or magic your way out of here.”

  Sabine shook her head. “Too risky, and I’m running low on power. We’ll try it Malek’s way first. If we can’t make it through, we’ll figure out something else. I need you to stay back and keep watch. We can’t risk them finding you.”

  “Got it,” she replied and disappeared into the nigh
t.

  Sabine adjusted her hair to cover the tips of her ears. Trying to hide them with glamour would take a little too much out of her. Besides, if these people had seen her already, changing such a small thing would only cause them to be more suspicious.

  Malek put the bag back on his shoulder and led Sabine forward. Feigning an almost bored expression, Malek approached the guards stationed at the gate. Both of them narrowed their eyes at Malek, but they didn’t make any other threatening gestures.

  “The city is now sealed,” the taller guard snapped, gesturing at the closed gate. “If you are visitors to Karga, you need to return to your ship or to the inn. Someone will come to assess you for contraband shortly. After the city is purged of all undesirables, you’ll be free to leave.”

  Malek arched his brow. “You’re sealing it already? We were told the burning festival wouldn’t be happening for several more days. We’re supposed to meet up with our troupe outside the city.”

  “Plans change,” the shorter guard sneered. “We’re not allowing anyone through.”

  Malek gestured toward Sabine and said, “I suppose you weren’t in the inn tonight. You didn’t see her perform?”

  Sabine tilted her head and gave them a small smile. “I don’t think they were there. I would have remembered two such memorable and important people in the audience.”

  The taller one scanned Sabine up and down, his eyes flickering with interest. “You’re a dancer, eh?”

  Sabine’s smile deepened and she approached him, putting an extra swing in her hips. “That’s one of my talents, yes.” Placing her hand against the guard’s chest, she sent a slight trace of her magic over him to soften his resistance. Leaning close, she whispered, “We could always discuss a private performance when I’m next in Karga.”

  The guard grinned and turned back toward Malek. “What’s your business with the troupe?”