"I'm not at liberty to say," he said. "Will you let me come in? I'd hate to have to get an official warrant, but I will if I must."
A door opened somewhere down the hall, and I cursed under my breath. The last thing I needed was for someone to eavesdrop. "Fine," I muttered, stepping aside so he could come in. What choice did I have? It wasn't like I was going to pack a bag and run away. I had a life here, for fuck's sake. And I wasn't doing anything wrong.
"Did Terpan put you up to this?" I demanded, shutting the door behind him.
The enforcer mage looked around with interest, and I could tell by the calculating look in his eyes that he was tallying up the value of my apartment and belongings to see if it measured up against my earnings.
"That asshole has been ragging on me since I got back,” I said. “He thinks I want the foreman position on his squad, and I don't, so why don't you tell him to get his head out of his ass and stop wasting valuable taxpayer money and your department's time?"
"I don't give a rat's ass about your argument with Terpan," Dalmouth said, his mouth flattening as he looked me up and down. He was tall, about six foot three, with reddish-brown hair and keen grey eyes that were far too perceptive for my liking. "All I care about is whether the complaint filed against you has any truth to it."
He muttered some Words under his breath, then blinked rapidly as his eyesight adjusted to whatever spell he'd just cast. That keen gaze went straight to the torque around my neck, and cold fear began to course through my bloodstream.
"That necklace," he said. "It's emitting an outrageously strong magical signature. Where did you get it?"
"I got it in Southia," I told him, my heart pounding. "It's got an extra-strength protection spell on it and repels both magical and non-magical attacks."
"Who is this odious man?" Garalina asked, popping into my head without warning. I felt ire sparking within her as she glared at the mage through my eyes. "And why is he asking about the torque?"
"It does look like something that came from a Southian country," the mage said, leaning in to examine the symbols etched into the torque's square gold pieces. "I'll need to check it out, see if it's on my list of proscribed magical artifacts. If it is, I'll have to confiscate it."
"How dare he," Garalina seethed. "He can't talk to you like—"
"I'm afraid you won't be able to confiscate it even if it is on your list," I said politely, cutting off Garalina and keeping a firm hold on my own rising temper. "The torque is sealed by some ancient spell and cannot be removed, even by me. Besides, the Chief Mage and his wife already know all about it. Just ask them if you don't believe me—I wore it to their wedding as Sunaya's maid of honor."
Dalmouth grunted, scribbling something onto his notepad. "I suppose that's easy enough to verify," he said. "I'll check with the Mages Guild, and if they can confirm, that'll be the end of this."
"Excellent," I said cheerfully, opening the door in a not-so-subtle invitation for him to get the hell out. "Is that everything?"
"For now." He inclined his head to me. "Good day, Enforcer Melcott."
I shut the door behind him. "Good day my ass," I muttered. I was going to have to bring this up to Sunaya, wasn't I? And right after I’d told her I didn't need her help. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to stave off the headache gathering behind my eyelids, and flopped onto the couch.
"Hey!" Broghan squawked. I yelped, scrambling away as the pillow I’d landed on abruptly transformed into a dragon. "I was sitting here!"
"How the hell was I supposed to know that?" I demanded, gaping at him from the opposite corner of the couch. I hadn't realized he could transform himself into inanimate objects. "I thought you left!"
"Of course I didn’t leave," Broghan said, sounding highly offended. "What if that man was an enemy? I wouldn't leave you to face him alone, especially since you won't use your magic. You clearly need protecting."
"Yes, she does," Garalina said, popping up behind Broghan. She'd ditched the headdress, leaving her long black hair to flow freely over her slim shoulders, and was wearing a simple green and gold dress. "And I thank you for looking out for her."
I closed my eyes and, taking in slow, deep breaths through my nose, counted to ten. When I was sure that I wasn't going to yell, I opened my eyes again. "I appreciate that, Broghan, but I'm not helpless. I can protect myself."
"So you say," Broghan said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. "And yet you let that mage in even though you knew he was a threat. That doesn't seem very smart to me."
"And now he knows about the torque," Garalina pointed out. "You really should have let me use my magic to hide it."
"And you should let me make you some gold,” said Broghan, “so you don't have to work for these silly humans anymore."
"And you should—"
"All right!" I held up a hand before they could pile on more suggestions. "Garalina, you're right that I should have let you use your magic to hide the torque. Broghan, yes, it would be easier if I allowed you to make counterfeit gold—"
"It's not counterfeit if you can't tell it from the real thing."
"—but I'm not going to let you do that, and since the EII already know about the torque, there's no need to hide it anymore. However," I added, before they could yell at me, "that doesn't mean I can't use you two in other ways. I need trustworthy friends to watch my back and keep their eyes peeled. So, as a test run, I will allow you both to accompany me as my bodyguards to dinner tonight."
"You will?" Broghan squealed. He bounced up and down on the couch, his wings flapping with every hop. "Where? And who am I bodyguarding you against?"
I laughed as he launched himself into my lap, wriggling like a happy puppy. At times like this, it was really hard to think of him as a powerful interdimensional being who had already lived several of my lifetimes. "No one specifically," I said. "And, really, you'll be more of a spy than a bodyguard. I've been invited to a dinner at the palace tonight, and I want you and Garalina to act as extra sets of eyes and ears for me. Iannis said that someone is spreading horrible rumors about him and Sunaya that are causing civil unrest, and he's asked me to help him track down the source."
"Ooh, a secret mission?" Broghan's eyes sparkled. "This is so exciting. Who should I disguise myself as? Your handsome lover?"
"Eww, no." I was used to thinking of Broghan as a cute little animal—I would never be able to think of him the same way if he transformed into a hot guy. "How about a cat?"
Broghan nodded, his spiky tail wagging in anticipation. "I can work with that."
"Why are we going to the palace again?" Garalina asked. "Weren't we there last night?"
"Yes, but Director Chen is hosting a dinner party tonight, and I agreed to come weeks ago." Kardanor, the Director of City Planning and Chen's beau, would be there as well, and Chen wanted me to come along so that he wouldn't be the only human in a room full of mages. I hadn't been looking forward to it, but now that Sunaya had given me this task, I realized it was a perfect opportunity.
"Ahh, yes. The handsome man in the red coat." Garalina's entire being lit up. She had a weakness for tall, handsome, and charming, and Kardanor fit that bill perfectly. "He has excellent taste in fashion. Very well, I'll come along."
I snorted, shaking my head. It was hardly a wonder that Kardanor had managed to romance the straight-laced Lalia Chen despite the fact that she came from a very strict mage family in Garai. I wasn't sure how that relationship was going to work itself out, since her parents definitely wouldn't approve the match, but then again, Chen was a grown woman, and a powerful one at that as the Director of the Mages Guild. She'd figure it out.
Since it was barely noon, I decided to chill on the couch for a while, curled up with Broghan and a good book. Garalina was content to read as well. Now that she was connected to the physical world via my body, she could use her magic to open books and flip through the pages. Unsurprisingly, she was obsessed with romance novels—she'd found an old one on my shelf and,
after devouring it in a few hours, had begged me for more. Since then, I made a habit of scouring the local thrift stores for them, bringing back stacks and then donating them back when she was done with them.
"Oh, Fabio," she sighed as she turned another page. "Why can't you understand that Clarice isn't trying to push you away? She's just been betrayed too many times to fall for you right away. She needs a man to show her that she's worthy of love, and that she's worth fighting for."
I swallowed a laugh as I glanced at Garalina over the spine of my mystery novel—she practically had hearts in her eyes. But as her gaze turned wistful, my laughter turned to pity. Garalina had never had a chance to experience true love, and it was clear from her reading habits that she'd so badly wanted to. She might have been a powerful priestess dedicated to her goddess, but she'd also been a woman who wanted a man to love her. Instead, she'd fallen into the trap of a cruel, power-hungry shaman, and she had lost her life over it.
And what about me? Was I going to wind up at the end of my life feeling the same way, cold and alone, wishing I'd had a man to love me? But no, I thought as Broghan snuggled closer to me. I was surrounded by friends, most of them whose magical abilities meant they would far outlive me. They'd be around to remember me after I was gone.
The alarm clock I'd set as a reminder shrilled loudly, interrupting my melancholy train of thought.
Broghan yelped and jumped to his feet. "What is that?"
"It means it's time for us to get ready."
I disappeared into my bedroom to shower and change, leaving Broghan and Garalina to speculate about tonight's dinner party. I didn't know if we would really discover anything interesting—it was a small gathering, less than fifty people—but I was happy to give them something to look forward to. I realized that, above all else, they needed to feel like they were contributing. So long as I could keep them busy, they would stop harassing me about magic. Maybe I'd talk to Sunaya tonight and see if there were any tasks they could help with, ways to use their talents that wouldn't throw suspicion on me or get me into trouble.
Freshly showered, I donned a black silk gown with cap sleeves and a generous neckline, fastened dangling gold earrings to my lobes, and styled my hair into loose curls that I then pulled into an updo. The torque was the perfect accompaniment to the outfit, showcased nicely by the V-shaped neckline. I slipped a gauzy shawl around my bare arms as a finishing touch, then ventured out into the living room to see what Garalina and Broghan were up to.
"Annia!" Broghan pounced into my arms, overwhelming me with a face full of fur. He'd transformed into some kind of wildcat with a black-spotted, golden coat, and I winced a little as his claws punctured my skin. "You look beautiful," he purred, nuzzling my neck.
"Thanks," I managed. "But do you think you can put those claws away before you shred my dress? When I said cat, I was thinking more of a domesticated breed."
"Oh! Sorry." The sensation of claws pricking my skin vanished instantly. "I didn't think about that. I just thought you'd get more attention if I went as an exotic pet." He wriggled out of my arms and draped himself around my shoulders. "If you want, I can pretend to be a pelt." He went limp, his tongue lolling out between his fangs.
I choked as an image of me sitting at the dinner popped into my head, the mages all around me staring horrified at the dead cat hanging around my neck.
Garalina, who of course saw the image too, burst into laughter. "I don't think that's the kind of attention she wants, little one," she said affectionately, poking Broghan's little pink cat nose with her ghostly finger. He playfully snapped at her, his fangs going right through the transparent digit. "Besides, if anyone is going to be dead around here, it's me."
"I can't argue with that," I said, laughing helplessly at them. "But you've got to remain invisible, Garalina. If the mages find out about you, they'll lock us up in a magical lab, and we’ll spend the rest of my life being studied like lab rats." I was only half-joking about that. Iannis wouldn't let that happen to me, but there were plenty of mages who saw people like me as sub-human and who had no trouble skirting the law to get their hands on powerful spells and artifacts.
"They can try," Garalina sneered.
I glared at her, and got the expected eyeroll.
"Oh, very well. I will shield myself from human eyes for the evening."
Satisfied, we left the apartment. I caught a cab just outside and directed the driver to take me to Solantha Palace. The driver protested at the sight of the wildcat on my shoulder, but quickly bit his tongue when I handed him an extra three coppers.
"I see why money is so important to you now," Broghan said as we drove. "You can use it to buy silence and cooperation."
"Er, yes," I said in my head, hoping that he could hear my thoughts the way Garalina could. I didn't need the driver thinking I was some crazy cat lady trying to educate her pet on how finances worked. "A lot of times I give service providers a tip, which means paying them a little extra to encourage them to give me better service, or help me with something that wouldn't normally be part of their job."
"You mean give you information they wouldn't normally share," Garalina said slyly.
"Sometimes, yes."
"Well, if you can pay the driver to overlook me being in the car, then why can't you pay that mage to stop investigating you?" Broghan asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"Because that's called bribery, and it's illegal," I said, resisting the urge to bury my face in my hands. Just when I thought I was getting through to Garalina and Broghan about how the laws worked, they found some other angle to blindside me with. "You can be arrested for bribing officials. Besides, I'm not the kind of person who does that sort of thing," I added sternly. "In a way, that's even worse than making counterfeit coins!"
"I can understand that," Garalina said, the reasonable one for once. "Even in my tribe, that sort of behavior was frowned upon. Using your wealth to influence a priestess or tribal leader was a punishable offense...though, of course, there were plenty of elders and priestesses who accepted these 'bribes' anyway, which were made in the guise of an offering to the gods."
I frowned. "I thought that's what all offerings were. Bribes to get gods and goddesses to grant your wishes."
"They are," Garalina said. "And there is nothing wrong with that. It is when you give those offerings to humans instead of gods that it becomes a problem."
Once upon a time, I’d have argued that there was no difference, but in light of Garalina's claims that her powers were a direct gift from one of those gods, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
We pulled up outside the front entrance to the palace, where a footman opened the door and helped me out. "Good evening, Miss—oh!" he exclaimed as he caught sight of Broghan. "That's an unusual fashion accessory."
"Why, thank you." I swept past him before he could get over his shock and tell me that pets weren't allowed. I had no idea if they were allowed or not, but I did know that mages liked to show off, either with their skills or with rare magical objects or artifacts, so I figured that, as a human, this was my version of that.
Following the signs, I made my way to the Winter Garden Room, one of several elegant dining rooms that the palace often used for meetings and gatherings. Thirty or so mages were already there, and Chen was off in the corner talking to some official or another.
"Hello, Annia," Director Chen said with a warm smile as I approached her. Slim and petite, with fine, silky black hair, ivory skin, and slanted eyes, she was Garaian from the chopsticks in her bun to the silken robes she wore that were a hallmark of her country. "I see that you've brought a friend tonight," she noted, her slender eyebrows rising as she shook my hand.
"An adorable friend," the woman Chen had been talking with said, moving closer. Her eyes lit up, and she reached out to stroke the cat draped across my right shoulder. "What's his name?"
"Broghan," I said.
Chen stiffened beside me as she realized the cat on my shoulder was one of the Tua�
�I supposed Iannis would have told her about them.
"Don't worry," I added as Broghan began to purr. "He's friendly and very well behaved."
"That is good to hear," Chen said, eyeing him carefully. He stared back at her out of those large, beguiling eyes, and a smile twitched at her lips despite her efforts to hold it back. "Quite the charmer, aren't you?" she said, rubbing the tip of one of his fuzzy ears.
"Where is Kardanor?" I asked, looking around the room as the two women fawned over Broghan. I hoped Broghan’s presence wouldn't backfire on me—I was hardly going to be able to eavesdrop if everyone was too busy gushing over the kitten to gossip with each other.
"Right here," Kardanor said, making me jump.
I whirled around to see him standing directly behind me, looking as dashing as ever in his long red coat and stylish clothing.
"Sorry I'm late, darling," he said, leaning in to give Chen a peck on the cheek. "A contractor popped by the office for a last-minute meeting."
Chen waved him off, blushing profusely, and I had to stifle a grin. Mages were a stuffy lot, not ones for public displays of affection, and several were already giving us side-eyes. Yet Kardanor remained irrepressible, giving Chen a cheeky wink despite the disapproving look in her dark eyes. "I see you've brought an ocelot to dinner, Annia," he said brightly, joining in on the petting session. "Will he be joining us at the table?"
"He will," I said. "Where are we sitting?"
Chen and Kardanor led me to one of the outdoor tables and introduced me to the mages at the table. Servants came around, pouring drinks and setting out the first course: a creamy lobster bisque that had Broghan licking his lips. Chen ordered a smaller bowl for the Tua and placed it on the ground. He happily lapped it up, then trotted off to visit with some of the other tables.
Kardanor chuckled. "Not particularly loyal, is he?"
"He's a bit of an attention whore," I said, which earned me more disapproving glances from the other mages at the table. Now that I didn't have an adorable fuzzball draped across me, they ignored me, falling into discussion amongst themselves. Of course, they ignored Kardanor as well, but that's what I was here for.
Tempted by Magic: Mischief and Magic: Book One Page 7