I looked her in the eye. “I did.”
“But how? We took your wand.”
“Not all witches need a wand,” I said. “I’m surprised djinn aren’t better educated than that. I thought they were more intelligent.”
Riffat recognized her earlier words being thrown back in her face. To her credit, she was more fascinated than angry. “What type of magic is this? How do you cast?”
“My specialty is earth magic,” I replied. “I don’t really cast so much as harness the magic that resides in the earth and in living things. Plants, trees, flowers.”
Callan jerked a thumb at me. “Animals love her.”
I shrugged. “They do.”
Understanding illuminated Riffat’s face. “Stones. You are adept with them.”
“Yes,” I said. “I usually carry a selection of rune rocks with me. That’s why I chose the opal, the one that contained Lumin. I intended to carve a rune into it when he appeared.”
Riffat seemed to mull this over. “And you truly believed yourself capable of breaking his attachment to the stone because of your expertise.”
“Yes.”
“What went wrong?” Riffat asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve been through it in my mind a hundred times, and I can’t think of anything I would have done differently.”
Riffat mulled this over. “An accidental death is still a death.”
True.
“Cerys tried to save him from a fate worse than death,” Callan said heatedly. “If you’d been bound to that stone for eternity, wouldn’t you want that sweet release? It may have been unintentional, but it was a mercy.”
Riffat lowered her gaze. “I am sorry that you could not free him. It is a challenging ritual.”
“But not impossible,” I said. “I should have been able to do it successfully.”
“Thank you for assisting me against the Ghuls,” Riffat said. “I am in your debt.”
“Don’t be silly,” I said. “We’re a team. That’s what teammates do. If you saved one of your other guards, would he be in your debt?”
“No, because that is the job,” Riffat said.
“This whole thing is a group effort,” I said.
“She takes care of the paranormals in her life,” Callan added. “Get used to it.”
Riffat regarded me before removing a cloth from her pocket and cleaning off her blade.
“That’s a cool sword when it’s flaming,” I said.
“Fire helps kill Ghuls more quickly,” Riffat said.
Good to know. “Do you think we tripped a ward when we crossed the border?” I asked. “Is that why they arrived so fast?”
“No doubt,” Callan said. “I bet the Shaitans have one for djinn coming in the other way.”
“In that case, the king would be aware of Ghuls traveling into his territory,” I said. “He’d know if whole groups of Ghuls were crossing the border.”
“I doubt the king monitors it personally,” I said. “He probably gets reports.”
Riffat collected her sword and cleaned it with a cloth.
“All that fighting worked up my appetite,” Callan said.
I rolled my eyes. “Breathing whets your appetite.”
He grinned. “I won’t disagree.”
Riffat packed up the gear and mounted her stallion. “We should ride. There is much ground to cover and we do not know what other friends we might encounter along the way.”
The Crossing was located at the intersection of Nowhere and Barren Landscape. It was no wonder Kystra drew a traveling crowd with a penchant for gossip. The Ghuls would have to travel for hours between villages with nothing in between. They were probably desperate to talk by the time they reached another living creature.
The tavern was dimly lit with high ceilings to accommodate the Ghuls’ height. Large stools surrounded the bar area and there were tables with benches throughout the rest of the room. The tables were only half full and I counted three Ghuls seated at the bar. I had to admit that the number of Ghuls in one isolated place made me uncomfortable, especially when they all turned to stare at us. Riffat strode ahead of us with an impressive air of confidence and danger that would have had Dani taking notes. She positioned herself between two stools and addressed the Ghul behind the bar. The bartender didn’t appear particularly friendly. The lines in her forehead deepened when she saw Riffat. She was probably worried about trouble in the tavern with three foreigners. Our visit could end up costing the tavern money if things got out of hand.
Callan and I joined Riffat, taking a stool on either side of her. It seemed that Riffat had already ordered three drinks because the bartender produced them all at once. The glasses were tinted green and the liquid was a strange blend of purple and gold. I brought it to my lips but only pretended to drink. I was acutely aware that the stares of the crowd were still fixed on us. I heard a grunt from the Ghul closest to us at the bar. He appeared to be making a comment to his companion. I hoped it was surprisingly positive—maybe he was admiring my haircut—but somehow I doubted it.
Riffat maintained her tough warrior demeanor. She gulped down the beverage and slid the empty glass across the counter. “We need a quiet place to talk,” she advised the bartender. “And I will take another drink.”
The bartender refilled the glass in silence and then jerked her misshapen head toward a back staircase. Riffat went first and Callan and I quickly followed. At the top of the rickety staircase was a much smaller room with a square table and comfortable chairs with cushions. The bartender appeared at the top of the stairs a minute later and closed the door. Riffat sprang to her feet and kissed the Ghul on each cheek.
The bartender gave her a playful smack. “Riffat, I cannot believe this. What in the gods’ name are you doing here? It is not safe.” She motioned to us. “And with two outsiders no less? You are courting danger, my friend.”
“We would court more than danger if we did not come,” Riffat replied. “Much is afoot and we are in need of your special brand of information.” She turned to us. “Kystra, I would like you to meet Callan Mulroney of the League of Local Paranormals and Cerys Davies, a talented earth witch, as I have recently learned.” Riffat’s mouth tugged at the edges.
I studied the Ghul in front of us with her puff of orange hair and greenish skin. She reminded me of an oversized troll that Bryn had shown me in Terrene. “You can see her natural form, Riffat?”
“Yes,” the guard replied. “But to everyone else, including you, she appears as a Ghul.”
“Is that a Shaitan thing?” I asked. “Or can all djinn shift like that?”
We settled around the table and I noticed Kystra brought a drink with her. Temporarily off-duty, it seemed.
“It is not quite shifting,” Kystra said. “I have not truly taken another form. It is an illusion, which many in our caste have mastered.”
“What if a Shaitan you didn’t know wandered in here and blew your cover?” Callan asked. I noticed that he’d been swigging the strange brew. He seemed to like it, so I took a hesitant sip. Hmm. Fruitier than I expected.
Kystra laughed. “No Shaitan would wander in here. Though I did take the form of a Jann once for a mission and I had to add a layer of protective magic to keep other Shaitan from seeing through the illusion.” She smacked her forehead. “Such complications with that one. I do not miss it, though being here is decidedly worse.”
Riffat patted her friend’s hand in a rare show of affection. “Your tasks have not been easy ones.”
Kystra swallowed her mouthful of brew. “You are the king’s personal guard. Hardly a stroll through the meadow.” Her round eyes narrowed. “Tell me, friend, why is the king’s personal guard wandering through the neighboring colony with strangers?”
“I was assigned to escort Miss Davies and Mr. Mulroney as they investigate the disappearance of Lumin Nasaaf.”
Kystra nodded somberly. “I had hoped the news was untrue. Perhaps he will be found soon.”<
br />
Riffat was her typical blunt self. “He will not. Lumin is dead.”
Kystra looked blankly into her empty glass. She seemed to be digesting the news. “I saw him perform once. A wonderful evening. It is a great loss for the colony.”
“It is partly why we have come to you,” Riffat said. “We have heard stories from multiple sources of roaming bands of Ghuls in our colony. They are being blamed for the disappearance of two Shaitans.”
“Two?” Kystra echoed. Her gaze flicked to me and back to Riffat. “One is Lumin. The other…I do not know if it is permissible to say what I have heard.”
“You know about Prince Wuhaib,” Callan said.
“We’re talking about a commoner named Pytor,” I said. “It’s our understanding that the prince left of his own free will.”
Kystra glanced at Riffat, uncertain. “I only received an update from the legate this morning.”
Callan leaned forward intently. “Zane Amon?”
Kystra nodded. “He sent a parrot with a message.”
“There must be a new development,” Riffat said.
“He sent a parrot?” I asked. I’d heard of crows, ravens, and owls as messengers. A parrot was a new one.
“The parrot repeats the message and flies off,” Kystra said. “There is no risk of a physical message being intercepted and read. The message came as a surprise. There has been no communication for months.”
“What changed?” Callan asked.
Kystra shrugged. “I sent information about a raiding party headed to the Jann colony.”
“Why would that interest the Shaitans?” Callan asked.
“We keep tabs on all potentially volatile movements,” Kystra said. “Ghuls are particularly unstable. The Shaitans have more spies in this colony than any other.”
“What was this morning’s message from the legate?” Riffat asked.
Kystra’s expression soured. “Warriors on patrol have discovered evidence of Prince Wuhaib across the Ghul border. The king now believes that the prince has been taken. He is preparing to retaliate and demand the return of his son.”
“Does he want you to return to the colony for safety?” Riffat asked.
“No, he wants reports on Ghul movement,” Kystra said. “Whether any warriors have come through my territory. He asked me to make inquiries as to whether any Ghuls passing through here have crossed over into our colony.”
“And have they?” Riffat asked.
“Not yet,” Kystra said, “but if we are mobilizing against them, then it is only a matter of time.”
“Why would Ghuls target Prince Wuhaib?” I asked. “Are they trying to provoke the king?”
“If the prince ran into a raiding party, perhaps the Ghuls did not know his identity,” Kystra said. “It is possible the prince fled for the reason the king believes and then became a victim of circumstance.”
“The same with Lumin,” I said. “His friend thought he may have wanted a brief break from fame. Maybe he ran into trouble unexpectedly.” It still didn’t explain how he ended up in a river in Terrene, though. How would Ghuls have gotten there and why would they have chosen to go there in the first place?
“Pytor had been complaining about increased activity at the armory,” Callan said. “He could’ve decided to play hooky for the day and ran afoul of Ghuls. I mean, hell, the three of us ran into trouble just crossing the border.”
I tapped my fingernails on the table, trying to create a complete picture. “Something doesn’t add up,” I said. “Why would Ghuls bother to rig Lumin’s stone to prevent his release? Why not just kill him?”
Kystra balked. “Tell me this again. Lumin was in a river in Terrene?”
I explained my role in Lumin’s discovery and death.
“A failsafe,” Kystra said. “How odd. I have heard of jihoon being sold on the black market. I have seen it traded here, in fact, but rarely. Very few Ghuls possess the necessary magic skills.”
“What is jihoon?” Riffat asked. “I have not heard of this.”
“The black gunk, as the witch described it, is jihoon. It is incorporated into the binding spell to prevent freedom. Lumin was doomed. His only choices were to either live an eternity in the stone, unable to communicate, or death.” She looked at me. “Your intervention was a gift, though I am sure you do not see it that way.”
Riffat was silent for a moment. “I will be sure to inform the king.”
“There is someone nearby who may be able to provide more information,” Kystra said. “A Ghul named Yessica. I have heard her name in connection with jihoon.”
“Where can we find her?” Callan asked.
“Fifteen miles northwest there is a cave amongst the red cliffs,” he said. “You cannot miss it. There is nothing else there.”
“She lives alone out there?” I asked.
“As I understand it, she is somewhat of a mystic in Ghul circles,” Kystra said. “A rarity that guarantees her safety.”
Noise erupted from downstairs and Riffat’s hand went straight to her sword. Kystra placed a gentle hand on her arm. “That will not be necessary, friend.”
Riffat’s eyes widened. “There is trouble…”
Kystra laughed. “No, this is typical of Ghuls for the time of day. A brawl to get the blood flowing. It clears the mind.” She paused with a smile. “And a few teeth.”
“I’m glad we’re up here,” I said. That was not a party I cared to attend.
“You will stay tonight, yes?” Kystra looked at Riffat. “I have enough rooms.”
“Even with Ghuls downstairs?” Callan asked. “I’m not up for sharing.” He winked at me. “Present company excepted.”
“Some of them are local,” Kystra said. “There is a small village twenty miles northeast. They will not stay.”
“We sure would appreciate the roof over our heads,” Callan said. “I suspect overnight camping around here isn’t the smart play.”
“A wise decision,” Kystra said. “How many rooms?”
Riffat looked at me for guidance. “Two,” I said. “Callan and I will stay together.”
“One room, in that case,” Riffat said. “I will stand watch in the hallway outside the door.”
“Riffat, don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “You need to rest as much as we do.”
Riffat polished off her second drink. “We are among Ghuls and you are my responsibility.”
Kystra jostled the guard’s shoulder. “Do not argue with this one. She will always win.”
“So I’ve learned,” I replied.
Kystra guided us through a second doorway that emptied into a hallway. “The door on the left is open.” She fished a key from her pocket and handed it to me. “Even with Riffat outside, I recommend locking the door from the inside. She will need to abandon her post to use the facilities at some point.”
“And to sleep,” I added.
“I am the king’s guard,” Riffat said. “I know how to achieve rest at appropriate intervals.”
“Thank you so much for your help,” I told Kystra.
“I recommend that you return to the Shaitan colony as soon as you have finished with Yessica,” Kystra said. “For your safety. The borders will become dangerous, if they are not already.”
Riffat kissed each of Kystra’s cheeks again. “Go with the gods, friend.”
Kystra bowed her head. “The same to you, friend.”
Chapter Eleven
We left The Crossing before the sun came up. Riffat prepared the animals and Callan debated whether it was worth shifting for a mere fifteen miles.
“I bet the horse is used to you now,” I said. “Let me talk to him.”
Callan didn’t argue. “You do have a way with animals. I’m happy to ride if it makes life easier. I just don’t want to spook them.”
I pressed my nose against the stallion’s and spoke in a soothing tone. I told him that Callan was trustworthy, despite his dangerous scent, and that we needed him to ride with me. Then I spok
e to Riffat’s stallion and the mule. I needed every animal on board to make this journey successful.
It seemed to do the trick. Callan was able to mount the stallion without incident and we covered the fifteen miles with ease. As promised, the cave was impossible to miss. We didn’t even pass a tumbleweed between the tavern and the cave dwelling. A lonely existence for anyone.
Riffat insisted on entering the cave first to make sure it was safe. Callan and I secured the animals, which was no simple task considering the barren terrain. The wind blew strong here and I felt a momentary pang of sadness. I missed Mia and my friends at the academy. Thank the gods Callan was with me.
Riffat summoned us into the cave. It was much larger inside than it appeared from the outside. Yessica sat on a substantial rock in front of a blazing fire. She didn’t look as much like other Ghuls we’d encountered. She was smaller, albeit still larger than any of us. Her head was covered in curly white hair and patches of baldness. Her hands were worn and calloused, a lifetime of hard work evident. Her most striking feature was her eye. The left eye appeared perfectly normal, yet the right eye was completely white. No pupil.
She gestured for us to join her around the fire. “The wind is too cold. Warm yourselves while the fire burns.”
“Thank you,” I said. I perched on the small boulder beside her.
The elderly Ghul sniffed the air. “A witch and a wolf. How strange. I saw visitors in my vision this morning, but I did not anticipate the likes of you.”
“We understand you have knowledge of a substance called jihoon,” I said.
“I see.” She rubbed her hands and opened her palms in front of the flames. “And what would I get in return?”
“Payment,” Callan said. He patted his pocket where he’d placed the coins from Chancellor Tilkin.
Yessica regarded him through slits. “Do I look like I am in need of coin?”
The cave was mostly devoid of creature comforts. “Tell us what you would accept,” I said. We didn’t have time to haggle. We needed to head back to the colony before the situation between the castes worsened.
“A favor,” Yessica replied simply.
Outlaw: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Enforcer of the East Book 2) Page 11