By Blood and Magic

by Jamie A. Waters

  Malek gestured at the weapons on his waist. “Security. The customers can get a little too friendly when Sabine performs. Ryley suggested I stay close to protect her.”

  The short guard frowned. “How do we know you’re telling the truth, eh?”

  Sabine blinked at him. Something about this one made her wary, and she wasn’t willing to risk using her magic on him. If he had some dormant magical ability, her own might cause his to flare to life. “If you speak with the innkeeper at the dockside tavern, he’ll confirm everything we’ve shared. Ryley told us to meet him at the camp before dawn. He should have already passed this way with another man and their instruments.”

  The shorter guard rubbed his chin in thought, pretending to consider it. The gesture was enough to encourage her.

  “My friends are waiting for me, and I really must rejoin them before they depart. If I lose my place with them, I’m afraid they may never allow me back.” She lowered her gaze, pretending to be dismayed by the prospect. “I’d like to return to your city, and staying with the troupe is the best way to make that happen.”

  The taller guard frowned. “Come on, Xuthin. They’re all right. Let them through.”

  “I suppose we might make an exception, but it’ll create more work for us,” Xuthin replied and looked expectantly at Malek.

  Malek pulled out the pouch containing her portion of the earning from the performance. He offered it to Xuthin. “For your trouble.”

  Xuthin grinned and snatched the bag out of Malek’s hand. Walking back to the gatehouse, he called over his shoulder, “Toma, take a look at their belongings and let them through.”

  The taller guard, the one named Toma, winked at Sabine and reached for her bag. He glanced through it, and she had a moment of panic remembering the clothing she should have discarded. It had been a sentimental decision to keep it, and it might come back to bite her.

  Determined to distract Toma, she angled closer to him and gave him a flirtatious smile. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you again. Do you always work the gate?”

  “Nah. Usually I’m patrolling the streets, but there was a bit of an incident earlier. Next time you’re in town, stop by our headquarters and ask for me. I’ll show you a good time.”

  Sabine placed her hand on his arm and said, “That sounds promising and a good reason to return to Karga soon. I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

  She took her bag back from Toma, and the guard turned toward Malek. After unceremoniously dropping Malek’s bags on the ground, he searched through them, taking longer to inspect each item. “What is all this stuff?”

  “Trade items to sell,” Malek said with a shrug. “As we move from city to city, I’m able to turn a bit of a profit with what I find. You’d be surprised what people want. If there’s something you’re hoping to get, let me know and I’ll keep an eye out.”

  The guard grunted and handed the bags back to Malek. “I wouldn’t say no to a bottle of dwarven ale. You come across any of that?”

  Malek hefted the bags over his shoulder and grinned. “Aye. We should find some when we head south. I’ll see if I can find a bottle for you.”

  “Good man,” Toma said and gestured at the gate. “Good fortune to you both.”

  “To you as well,” Malek said and walked to the closed gate. Toma motioned to the other guard, and a loud groaning noise of mechanical wheels turning accompanied the slow movement of the gate sliding open. When it was wide enough for them to pass, both Malek and Sabine slipped through.

  Forcing herself to keep her footsteps unhurried, she headed down the road with Malek beside her. It was only an hour or two past midnight, but Sabine was exhausted and barely able to keep one foot in front of the other. Through their shared mark, she could sense Malek was in a similar state.

  They’d walked only a short distance when Blossom landed on her shoulder and said, “That was close. You guys got out just in time. Right after they closed the gate, someone else came up and told them not to allow anyone else in or out under any circumstances.”

  Sabine frowned and glanced behind them at the sealed gate. “Do you think Rika made it out?”

  Malek’s expression turned grim. “Zaverza seems like a resourceful person. I suspect she’ll find a way to get her granddaughter out. The dockmaster, Shorin, also has some smuggler contacts. If he can’t get his workers out through the main gate, he’ll take them out by ship or some other way. He won’t want to return the price I paid for ship repairs. Sailors talk, and he won’t risk his reputation.”

  Sabine nodded and turned back toward the rolling desert that lay before them like an endless beach. The moon was high overhead, casting its silver light over the desolate landscape. “Then it looks like we need to meet up with Ryley and hope they lead us to Pearl. If we don’t find her soon, Esme and Levin will be lost to us forever.”

  Sabine shivered and rubbed her arms. The thin material of her dress hadn’t been too bad within the confines of the city. Without the city walls to shield the night wind, however, it was colder than she’d expected. Blossom was equally uncomfortable, and the pixie had decided to huddle against Sabine’s neck to stay warm.

  Malek stopped and opened his bag. He pulled out one of his shirts and said, “This should help. Once we locate Ryley, we can get out of this wind.”

  Sabine nodded and slipped the shirt over her dress. It was far too large for her, but it helped alleviate the worst of the chill. “How far away do you think they camped?”

  “Not sure,” Malek replied, scanning the horizon. Unfortunately, the rolling sand dunes made it difficult to tell what was over the next rise. “I’m reluctant to travel too far from the city. Zaverza was right about the Badlands being an unforgiving place. We’re on the main road right now, but it’s always safer to travel with an escort.”

  He hefted his bags back over his shoulder, and they continued walking. The stars shone brightly overhead, which prevented the need for any lanterns. Other than the chill, it was a pleasant night. Even though they were potentially walking into danger and both of their magic was running low, she was surprisingly content having Malek at her side.

  Trying to envision one of Malek’s maps in her head, she asked, “If we had to travel across land to get to the dwarven city, how long would it take?”

  Malek frowned. “By sea and with the weather holding, we could be in Razadon in another week. By land? If I had to guess, I’d say it could take three times that long. That’s assuming we had mounts. It would be much longer on foot.”

  Sabine winced. They’d already spent a week at sea, and she wasn’t looking forward to another week. If he hadn’t been able to acquire additional supplies in Karga, they’d run into problems while they were waiting for Malek’s ship to be repaired. “Do you think Ryley and his group regularly travel that far?”

  “Anything’s possible. I’ve seen a few traveling troupes in some port cities I’ve visited. Some stick to a small area, but others go much farther. It depends on the city, but some troupes are highly regarded and offered generous incentives to perform for several weeks.”

  Sabine frowned. “What’s the nearest city to us?”

  Malek adjusted the bag over his shoulder. “I believe Gorvin. It’s a smaller port city, with more of a focus on fishing and maritime wares. I’ve only stopped there once. It’s about a day south by ship.”

  From the top of a hill, Sabine spotted almost two dozen colorful tents and wagons painted with whimsical designs. Some of the designs were more abstract swirls and lines, but Sabine noticed several stars and even the phases of the moon were represented. One of them even had what appeared to be a forest painted on the side of it.

  A few fires were burning low, with one large one in the middle of the tents and wagons. A few figures were sitting around the central fire, but they were angled toward it, which masked their faces. She couldn’t tell if they were men or women, or if the musicians they’d met were part of the group.

  “Looks like we found them,” Malek s
aid with a frown. “Not quite what I was expecting, but there’s no one else out here.”

  “It’s charming,” Sabine said, admiring the designs they’d painted.

  Blossom wriggled against her neck and poked her head out. “Oooh! I see a flower painted on that wagon. Think they have any real flowers inside?”

  Sabine smiled. “I wouldn’t count on it unless they’re desert flowers. Perhaps they have some other plants you’ll like. It may be different from home, but the desert has quite a bit of plant life. We’ll find you something.”

  Sabine and Malek headed down the hill toward the small camp. Before they could even call out a greeting, a small furred creature lifted its head and howled a warning. Almost as one, the people around the fire stood and turned in their direction. A few of them had already drawn weapons, and the light from the fire reflected on the metal.

  Malek raised his hands in a peaceable gesture and called, “Is Ryley here? I’m Malek, and this is Sabine. He invited us to the camp.”

  One of the men said something too low to be overhead and then stepped forward. “Come closer so we know you are who you say.”

  In a voice too low for the group to overhear, Malek said, “That’s not Ryley.”

  Sabine frowned. “No, it’s not. Still, I don’t think we have many options. We can’t go back to Karga.”

  “No, we can’t,” Malek muttered and rubbed his chin. “I suppose we’ll have to take the chance. Keep your weapons handy until we find out if they’re friendly.”

  Sabine studied the four people who were still waiting and watching them. Malek started to take a step forward, but Sabine grabbed his arm to stop him. “Wait a moment. Let me check something.”

  She’d had to force herself to rely less on her magic over the years, but it was still an essential part of her. With a little luck, she should be able to discern something. Relaxing her vision, she focused on the energies surrounding the people. She might not be able to see them well from this distance, but magic worked differently.

  Three of them were men while the fourth was a woman. At the core, each of their energies was more blue or turquoise than any other color. Right now, a thin sliver of orangish red streaked through the colors, a sign of caution and even fear. It was enough to make Sabine relax. If they’d intended any harm, the colors would be switched and red would be the predominant focus.

  The animal howled again and raced toward them. Malek immediately drew the sword at his side, but Sabine tightened her hand on his arm. “No, don’t.”

  A small foxlike animal with large pointed ears and a bushy tail approached, wagging its tail happily. Sabine laughed and knelt down, holding out her hands in greeting. The creature immediately bounded toward her and nuzzled against her hands. She dug her fingers into its coarse fur, rubbing behind its ears.

  “Oh, you’re beautiful and you know it, don’t you?” Sabine crooned, continuing to scratch the hard-to-reach places.

  Malek shook his head, his expression bewildered. “What in the name of the underworld is that animal? It looks like a small dog or something.”

  “Not even close. She’s a kumili,” Sabine said with a laugh as the animal licked her cheek. “I haven’t seen one in years. They’re shapeshifters, but this one is only a baby. It’ll be a few years yet before she can shift. When she does, she’ll freely be able to change back and forth from this form to human.”

  “Not many people know about us, especially this far south,” a woman said from a short distance away. “You can read energies?”

  Sabine glanced up to find the woman from the fire had approached, along with the three men. Her use of that particular talent was likely what had prompted the kumili to run toward her. Kumili could also read energy and detect when the ability was being used, as could most other shapeshifters. “Yes. It’s a common talent for anyone who is part Fae.”

  The kumili yipped and danced around Sabine. The woman frowned at the animal and said, “Enough, Nallia. You shouldn’t have left the camp. You’re lucky this woman was able to recognize you, but you won’t always be so fortunate. These people could have harmed you.”

  Sabine stood and assessed the group in front of them. Like most kumili in human form, the woman was striking, with curly dark hair and eyes that were the palest of gray. The men, on the other hand, varied in physical appearance. One of them towered over Sabine and was completely hairless, a sign he possessed quite a bit of ogre blood in him. The other two were harder to differentiate and appeared more human. The taller one likely had a trace amount of Fae from his light hair and pointed ears.

  The one who was part Fae stepped forward, scanning her up and down. “You must be Sabine. Ryley described you, but I must say, he didn’t do you justice.”

  Malek’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

  “I’m called Tathaln.” The man grinned, revealing a toothy smile. He gestured at the woman and his other companions. “This is Gina. You’ve already met her daughter, Nallia. The tall, ugly fellow there is Eruk, and the little guy is Zoty.”

  Eruk grunted at them and scratched his bald head. Zoty clapped his hands together and bowed, turning his hands so his palms were outstretched. Sabine’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the webbing between his fingers. He was one of the lizardmen, and few of them were capable of normal speech patterns. They preferred mind contact, like the Beastpeople.

  Sabine smiled at him and mirrored his gesture of greeting. Zoty’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, and he nodded happily.

  “Well met,” Malek said, nodding at each of them in greeting.

  Tathaln gestured at the fire and said, “Feel free to join us and know you are welcome in our camp. I apologize for not welcoming you properly. Ryley has already retired for the night, but I could have sworn he said you’d be joining us in the morning.”

  Malek nodded. “That was the plan, but they sealed the city a short while ago. We barely made it out.”

  Gina’s eyes narrowed. “You mean for their famed festival? It is nothing more than an excuse to celebrate the death and destruction of countless innocents.” She spat upon the desert sand in disgust. “They are the invaders here. My people were here for centuries before Karga even existed.”

  “Enough, Gina,” Tathaln said, the pinched expression on his face broking no argument. “We have heard your complaints countless times. We might agree with you, but for tonight and tomorrow, we have cause to celebrate. These two lives have been saved by escaping from that accursed city, and we have gained two new family members.”

  Gina tossed back her dark hair and shrugged. “Very well. I will have to celebrate with you tomorrow. It is past the hour when little ones should be in bed. Come, Nallia. Bad dreams or not, you need to go back to sleep. We also need to have another talk about running away from me and greeting strangers.”

  Nallia whined but obediently followed behind her mother. Tathaln motioned for Sabine and Malek to follow him down the hill toward the camp. Blossom wriggled against her neck, but she didn’t poke her head out. Until Blossom was sure it was safe, the pixie would probably remain out of sight and snoop around using her glamoured form. Pixies were extraordinarily curious, and she had to be itching to get a good look at these people. Unfortunately, it was too cold to explore.

  “So you’re a performer, eh?” Tathaln asked, leading them toward the fire.

  “I suppose we’ve all been performers at some point in our lives,” Sabine replied, studying the intricate designs on the wagons they passed. Blossom had been right; decorative flower blossoms in all sorts of colors had been painted on the side of one of the wagons.

  Eruk, the large ogre, glanced at her and arched his hairless brow. “You like?”

  Sabine nodded. “Very much. They’re beautiful.”

  Tathaln grinned and gestured at Zoty. “He’s our resident painter and artist, among other things.”

  “You’re very talented. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work when it’s daylight.” Sabine smiled warmly at
Zoty, who blushed furiously and shuffled his feet.

  Malek dropped his bags in front of the fire, and Sabine did the same. The heat from the fire helped ward against the worst of the night’s chill. She unbuttoned her shirt and handed it back to Malek. He tucked it back inside one of his bags.

  Sitting down on one of the large rocks beside the fire, she asked, “What do you do, Eruk?”

  The ogre flexed his muscles. “Games of skill and strength.”

  Tathaln picked up a stick and poked at the fire, sending a burst of flames upward. “You’ll find most of us have different talents. Like yourself, I’m more of a performer. Theater is my preference, but I also have a fair hand as a musician. Gina also occasionally dances, but she prefers telling fortunes and reading cards. We change our acts to suit our audiences.”

  Zoty brought over a large flask and hesitantly offered it to Sabine. Malek sat beside her, close enough that she was extremely aware of his presence. Without the dragon medallion around his neck, her magic was responding to him every time he was within touching distance. It was requiring more effort on her part to keep her power suppressed.

  She accepted the flask and took a sip, mildly surprised by the subtle herbal mixture. “This is very good. Did you make it?”

  Zoty nodded. Sabine passed it to Malek to try and then smiled at Zoty.

  “I have a close friend who also makes teas. She’d love to exchange recipes with you.”

  Zoty grinned and crouched near the fire, his posture reminding her of the Beastman who had been her sworn protector since she was a baby. She needed to be careful not to let the familiarity affect her too much. It had been a long time since she’d been around so many magical people, but it wouldn’t be smart to completely let down her guard.

  Tathaln studied both her and Malek. “What brought you to Karga? I’m surprised you’d risk going there this close to their burning festival.” He gestured at Sabine’s ears. “Your features are more Faelike than mine, but your companion could easily pass for a human.”

  Malek frowned. “It was supposed to be a quick stop. Our ship was attacked by the Merfolk and took significant damage. We went to Karga on foot to arrange for repairs.”