"How are you settling into your new post?" I asked him, using a bit of fresh bread to mop up the remnants of my soup. "You must be busy, with so much work still left to be done on the rebuild."
"Oh, yes," he said, "but the work is very satisfying, and we've made excellent progress. Plus, Lord Iannis says that the Canalo government's approval ratings have gone up since I've taken the position, which I'm happy to hear. I've always thought it was silly for humans and mages to be constantly tripping each other up instead of working together to advance our civilization. Hopefully, this means more humans will be hired to fill important government positions."
"Agreed," I said. "And I'm sure there will be more humans in government soon." And shifters, too, though of course they'd have to get over their own biases long enough to actually apply for positions. Sunaya would make sure of it, though, if no one else.
Kardanor and I spent the next ten minutes reminiscing about the quake and all the craziness we'd dealt with while trying to put the city back together.
"I never did get a chance to thank you for your help at the time," he said. "You'd only just come back from your trip in Southia, and yet you jumped right in to assist. You even led the mission to retrieve the Magic Eraser from Thorgana's home so it could be safely contained."
"Is that so?" a mage sitting to my left chimed in, leaning in with sudden interest. He was a handsome, distinguished older gentleman dressed in formal indigo robes, with salt-and-pepper hair, brilliant grey eyes, and a thick mustache. "I didn't realize we were in such exalted company."
"Hardly," I said on a laugh. "As a human, I wasn't in any real danger."
"Only because you limited your exposure. If anything had gone wrong, you could have died, and yet you went anyway.” His eyes sparkled with admiration, and I could feel a blush coming to my cheeks. "My name is Troilan ar'Segil, by the way. My brother Percon and I recently moved to Solantha."
"Pleased to meet you," I said. "Where are you originally from?"
"Liata," Percon, who was sitting right next to me, said with a smile. He was an even more handsome version of his brother, with jet-black hair, startling green eyes, and a wickedly shaped mouth. The thick, sooty lashes that framed his eyes had probably encouraged many a girl to be ensnared by his gaze, and I found my heart beating a little faster, despite my pragmatic nature. "I quite like it here so far, but we've only been here for a week. It would be nice if we had a local to show us around."
I raised my eyebrows. "Have you tried one of the tour guide companies?"
"Do any of them have tour guides as lovely as you?" he countered with a lazy grin.
"Oh, please," I said as my brain finally kicked in, flooding my head with suspicions. "There's no need to flatter me. If you want something from me, just spit it out."
"But I have," Percon said, sounding surprised. "There is no hidden agenda here, Miss Melcott. I'm merely requesting the opportunity to enjoy your company."
"Well," I said as the servants came around to clear our place settings and serve the second course, "seems like you have that opportunity right now. Or do you plan to squander it?"
His eyes lit up. "Feisty," he murmured, his gaze briefly dropping to my lips. "Very well. Let's see if I can figure out how to sneak past that impressive barrier you've erected behind those beguiling eyes."
Somehow, despite my better judgment, Percon managed to reel me into an hour-long, spirited conversation about Southia. It turned out that he'd traveled extensively in his youth and had spent several years exploring the continent's many and varied countries, which gave us a lot to talk about since I’d just returned from there.
"So that's where you got this magnificent piece of jewelry from," he said, reaching out to run a finger along my torque. His eyes lit up as he traced one of the symbols etched into the gold, and my skin heated even though he wasn't actually touching me. "You know, I did meet a shaman from a remote mountain tribe once, near Alagonia. His magic didn't work at all the way ours does—he often directed his through pure intention rather than Words like we do. Or, if the spell was more complicated, he used certain rituals and magical symbols to invoke his power."
My skin prickled, and I felt Garalina's presence rush back into my mind, listening intently. "A male shaman?" My heart began to beat faster. "I've only ever heard of female ones."
"Yes, well, perhaps his being a male explains why he wasn't very strong," Percon said. "Throughout recorded Southian history, their most powerful shamans have always been female—supposedly because their primary god, the World Mother, is female as well." He shrugged. "I have no idea if any of that is true, though. For all we know, all shamans are weak. After all, they do not believe in the First Mage, nor do they pay homage to the Creator."
"Pah," Garalina said. "As if this man knows anything of his 'Creator.' He's never even spoken to a divine being before!"
"You said he wasn't very powerful?" I asked, ignoring Garalina. "How old was he?"
"He looked to be in his fifties, though I am not certain if shamans enjoy longer lifespans like we mages do," Percon said. His eyes sharpened as he picked up on my interest. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason." I shrugged. "I was just curious."
After dinner, I extricated myself from the conversation, claiming that I needed a few minutes of fresh air. I wasn't the only one who'd had the idea—there were several mages gathered in small clusters along the terrace, quietly talking amongst themselves.
"That was a good thought, Annia," Garalina said as I walked along the railing. "But unless Ortanos had a specific purpose, he would not walk around disguised as an old man. Not when he relies so much on his looks and charisma to seduce and manipulate others. And he certainly wouldn't be interested in a foreigner like Percon. Though,” she added slyly, “Percon does seem quite interested in you."
I rolled my eyes. "I thought you didn't like Percon because he insulted your goddess?"
"Just because the man is ignorant doesn't mean he isn't a good lover," Garalina said in a reasonable tone. "He is probably good for a tumble or two."
"Thanks, but I think it's best if I stay away from mages as long as we're together." Hell, even if we weren't together, the chances of me hooking up with a mage were slim. That might have worked out for Sunaya, but for me it seemed like asking for trouble.
"Isn't that Director Chen in the corner?" I asked Garalina, noting three shadowed figures at the other end of the terrace. "Who is that she’s talking to?"
"If you let me use my magic, I'll find out for you."
I wanted to argue, but I remembered my promise to Sunaya. "Fine," I relented. "Do your thing."
A pulse of magic burned through me, and suddenly I was able to hear Director Chen as if she were standing right next to me. Turning my back on them, I leaned against the terrace railing and pretended to be admiring the gardens as I listened in on the conversation.
"I do wish that Lord Iannis were here," one of the mages said in a worried tone. "Wasn't he supposed to be back from Dara by now?"
"Yes, but the visit is taking longer than expected," Director Chen said. "Not that I am surprised. The Minister has been haranguing him for weeks, and is monopolizing every bit of time he can get.”
"Is it really the dinner party tonight that you're worried about?" the other mage, a male, asked. "Certainly it would have been nice if he’d attended, but he wasn't really needed here tonight."
The other mage sighed. "It's just that the city inspector delivered an alarming report today. Apparently someone has been tampering with the city's wards."
"The city's wards?" Garalina asked.
"The Mages Guild sets wards in and around the city to defend against various natural disasters," I explained, my heart beating a bit faster. The Mages Guild sent out teams, usually apprentices headed up by an experienced mage, to monitor and strengthen the wards on a regular basis. Who would tamper with them?
"What do you mean?" Director Chen demanded. "Which wards specifically?"
; "Mostly the ones that ward against fire and flooding," the female mage said, "though there is evidence that the plague wards have been tampered with as well."
"Do you think it is one of the apprentices?" the male asked. "It's possible that whoever has been refreshing the wards has put a time limit on them that allows the spell to deteriorate faster."
"I'm certain one of the overseers would have noticed if an apprentice had done such a thing," Director Chen protested. "Their work is always double checked. Even so, I will question them—discreetly, of course. I do not wish to worry Lady Sunaya."
"Don't you think we should tell her?" the female mage asked. "This could be a precursor to some sort of attack. The fact that specific wards are being targeted could mean someone is planning to set fire to the city, or unleash some sort of disease."
"This could be the work of an old Resistance cell," the male argued.
"Or a disgruntled mage," the female said. "The ar'Lamis family has made no secret that they think Lord Iannis and Lady Sunaya's marriage is a travesty that should never have been allowed to occur, and they are not the only mage family who believes that. You know there are rumors circulating about an impending coup—"
"That is enough," Director Chen said in the most severe tone I'd ever heard her use. "Lord Iannis left strict orders that Sunaya was not to be burdened with any stressful news or concerns unless it was a dire emergency. She is easily excitable, and there is no reason to tell her about any of this when we have no proof these rumors are anything but talk. For all we know, the overseer checking the wards was careless."
I moved away as Director Chen and the others continued to bicker.
"This sounds like exactly the kind of thing Sunaya wanted to hear about," Garalina said. "Are you going to tell her?"
"I promised I would, didn’t I?" Still, I wished I had more information. Director Chen was right: this could just turn out to be nothing. But those other mages had said there was talk about a coup...what if there was truth to that? Sunaya would hate me if I withheld that kind of information.
"That's not the only rumor I heard tonight," Garalina said grimly. "I overheard some of the mages gossiping about Sunaya. They said that now that she's in power, taxes will be raised on mages and humans but lowered for shifter businesses. Some of them also worry that Sunaya will try to force all the mage children to attend the new school she is building, rather than just the mages born to human families. They seem more resentful about that bit than anything else," she added dryly. "As if they are worried about their children being contaminated."
"Big surprise," I muttered. As if Sunaya would do that. She wanted to make the new school a safe place for the children who fit into neither the human nor mage communities, not make it harder by introducing privileged mage children who would only look down on them. As for showing favoritism toward shifters, I doubted Iannis would allow that, even if Sunaya pushed for it. He was a fair man and also intelligent enough to realize how much discontent that would create.
Something warm and furry began winding its way around my legs, and I glanced down to see Broghan had returned. "Hey you," I said, scooping him into my arms. "Did you learn anything interesting tonight?"
"Just that mages are incredibly boring people," Broghan said, yawning. "All they did was talk about politics and silly government things. Can we go home now?"
"That sounds like a great idea," I said, stifling a yawn of my own. Kardanor was deep in discussion with someone else, and Percon was already flirting with another woman. Sunaya wasn’t around tonight, and since the only other business I had was with the palace library—which was closed at this hour—that left me with nothing else to do.
Tomorrow, I'd come back, give my report to Sunaya, and dig through the library for any records mentioning Garalina's murderer. But for now, I was going to curl up in bed with my ghost and my dragon, and get some rest.
7
The next morning, I swung by Over the Hedge to catch up with Comenius and grab some supplies.
"Annia!" the male hedgewitch exclaimed as I walked into the shop. The interior was bright and airy; every piece of furniture and decoration in the place was crafted out of natural materials. White cotton curtains framed the windows, driftwood tables and shelves showcased merchandise, and hand-woven and colorfully dyed rugs covered the wooden floorboards. "It's so good to see you. What brings you in this morning?"
"Just wanted to look in on an old friend," I said as I hugged him. "And maybe pick up a few things for my new apartment," I added with a smile.
"Well, I'm more than happy to help you with that," he said. "What is it you're looking for, exactly?"
I was tempted to bitch about Terpan and the rough adjustment period I was dealing with back at the Enforcer's Guild, but as Comenius helped me pick out some magic-infused household items—towels that stayed permanently fresh, soaps and shampoos that lasted ten times as long as the normal kind, candles that gave off mood-boosting or calming scents when burned—I could tell that, beneath his genial demeanor, he was stressed out. Lines and shadows dogged the normally smooth planes of his face, and he seemed distracted.
"Com," I said as he tried to hand me a third bottle of the same shampoo. Gently, I pried it from his hand—lemon verbena was a lovely scent, but I didn't need that much of it—and put it back on the reclaimed-wood shelf. "What's going on? You seem out of it today."
"Verdammt." He blew out a frustrated breath, combing a hand through his ash-blond hair. "My apologies—I didn't realize I was so transparent. No wonder the customers who've come in today seemed so eager to leave."
"There's no need to apologize," I said, tugging him toward the wicker chairs near the large window that looked onto the ocean. "Just tell me what's going on. Is it Rusalia? Is she still giving you trouble?" Rusalia was Comenius's headstrong daughter, who'd recently come to live with him after her mother had died. It turned out that, unlike her parents, she was a full-fledged mage, and she'd burned down an entire school after her volatile emotions had gotten the better of her.
"Oh no," he said, his cornflower-blue eyes brightening immediately. "Rusalia has been doing much better ever since Sunaya started giving her magic lessons. She's adjusting to her new school and has finally stopped sassing Elania and me."
"But?" I asked as his eyes dimmed at the mention of his wife. "Spit it out, Com. What's the trouble in paradise?"
"There's no trouble," Comenius said hastily. "Well, not really. Compared to most, we're quite fortunate. It's just..." He glanced helplessly toward the front door. "Between running her own shop and helping me with mine, Elania has been overworking herself. With twins on the way, I really think she should be getting as much rest as possible, but it's been so difficult trying to find help. I've gone through a string of employees ever since..."
"Ever since Noria left," I trailed off, the familiar dull ache of grief starting up in my chest. "It's okay, Com. You can talk about my sister."
"It feels as though she's died," he said bleakly. At the look on my face, he quickly added, "I know she's not dead, and I'm happy that you got her to safety. But that happy-go-lucky girl who rang up customers and helped balance the books doesn't exist anymore. And it's coming to the point where I wonder if she ever did."
Tears burned at the backs of my eyes, and for a moment, I was lost for words. Luckily, the front door opened, bell jangling, saving me from having to come up with a response.
"Annia!" Elania exclaimed as she sailed in. I had no idea how she managed to glide gracefully across the room with such a distended stomach, but she managed. Pregnancy hadn't seemed to dim her vivacious glow one bit—in fact, she seemed as sensual and vibrant as ever, her makeup perfect and her black hair swept up into that classic updo. The only real difference was the dress she wore; instead of the long, form-fitting dresses she preferred, she wore an empire-waist dress with three-quarter sleeves and a skirt that barely brushed her knees.
"I know," she said, noticing where my glance had gone. "This dreadfull
y hot weather, combined with all the changes my body has been going through, has made it impossible for me to wear my usual attire. I'm showing quite a bit more skin than usual."
"Hey." I shrugged, deciding not to ponder why Elania had issues showing off her arms and legs when she favored dresses with plunging necklines. "You're pregnant. Whatever you gotta do to make yourself more comfortable, you do that. We need those babies to come out happy and healthy."
"And so they shall." She kissed Comenius on the forehead, then disappeared behind the counter. "Speaking of pregnancy, would you mind taking this to Sunaya?" She reappeared, holding a vial of bright-blue liquid in her right hand. "I know she's said her pregnancy has been easy, but as I understand it, shifters start feeling discomfort in the second trimester, which is coming up soon. This will help ease the effects."
"Sure, thanks," I said, taking the vial from her. Suspicious, Garalina probed it with her magic, then retreated, satisfied that the potion was what Elania had claimed. "Chen told me Sunaya wasn't feeling so hot last night, so this is quite timely. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."
"I imagine all these awful rumors haven't been helping," Elania said sympathetically as she sat down next to Comenius. "I imagine she's been shielded from the worst of them, but you know how it is—some are bound to slip through."
"What rumors have you been hearing?" I asked casually. I'd learned about the mage side of things last night, but I didn't know much about what my own kind were saying, and humans were Comenius and Elania's primary clientele.
"Oh, just the usual hogwash," Comenius said, sounding exasperated. "That the mages plan to double the tax rate and use it for their own benefit, that they plan on razing part of Maintown and adding it to the Mages Quarter, that humans and shifters will be required to kneel whenever they meet Sunaya. Oh, and that mages sacrifice human babies and shifter babies to power their magic spells." That last bit was said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
Tempted by Magic: Mischief and Magic: Book One Page 8