“But somehow, Enforcer Melcott tracked me down and slipped in through the basement window with Rylan Baine, of all people, to save me.” He scoffed, and a few of the enforcers chuckled. “She cut me down, and together the three of us tore that place apart. We rescued about a dozen girls and took down all the gang members. And looked damn good while doing it.”
He looked over his shoulder at me and winked. The tension bled right out of me, and I couldn’t help smiling.
“The woman of the hour,” he said, coming over to grab my hand. He raised my arm high in the air, nearly yanking it out of the socket in his enthusiasm. “Let’s give it up for Enforcer Melcott!”
The entire squad burst into applause, and whatever bitterness I’d felt toward Terpan disappeared. “Thanks, guys,” I said, grinning, “but really, it was a team effort. Terpan was the one who found the location.”
Terpan rolled his eyes. “Are you making this difficult on purpose? I’m trying to eat crow here, Melcott.”
I grinned, slapping him. “And you’re doing a marvelous job of it.”
Stepping past Terpan, I approached Captain Skonel. “This is from Director Chen, sir.” I handed him the letter.
The captain scanned the letter briefly. “Excellent,” he declared. “This is just what I needed to reinstate you.” He patted me on the back. “Welcome back, Melcott.”
A wave of gratitude swept through me, and I blinked back sudden tears. “Thank you, Captain.”
He shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m sorry we doubted you. Dalmouth heard back from the Pernian Government late last night—they verified the authenticity of the Tiger’s Eye, which means you’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing on that end. I’ll give you that emerald back, so you can return it to your friend. And if you still want that foreman position—”
“Captain,” I said, raising my voice so everyone could hear. “Not only do I not want the foreman position, but I insist that you give it to Terpan. He’s more qualified, and he’s been a member of this squad for years. He deserves it.”
Terpan’s jaw went slack. “You’re still going to let me have it?”
I resisted the urge to grab the nearest stapler and throw it at his head. “I never wanted it, you overgrown furball,” I growled at him. “When are you going to get that through your thick skull?”
Terpan blushed. “I know you kept saying that, but—”
“But nothing.” I turned back to Captain Skonel. “Well?”
He nodded. “You’ve got it, Terpan. I’ll draw up the papers tomorrow and make it official.”
The room erupted into another chorus of whoops and hollers, and the squad immediately swamped Terpan. I could tell the wolf shifter wanted to talk to me—maybe to thank me, or protest again, or who knew what—but I merely smiled and walked out with Captain Skonel. For once, I wanted to end things on a happy note, and to let Terpan have his moment. We’d finally hashed things out between us, and I was just relieved it was over.
The captain took me back to his office and handed me my bracelet and the emerald.
“You know,” he said as I studied the jewel, holding it up to the light, “the jeweler who examined the emerald was convinced that it was the Tiger’s Eye. Yet when we told him about the Pernian Government’s findings, he insisted that it was impossible for both stones to be the exact cut and color.”
I shrugged. “Guess he was mistaken.” Casually, I dropped the emerald into one of my pouches. “Can you give me his name? I’d like to talk to him about it.”
“Sure.” Captain Skonel looked puzzled, but he handed me the jeweler’s card. “I doubt you’ll find out anything new, though.”
I thanked the captain, then rode my bike to the jeweler’s shop, which was in Maintown. It was a small establishment but very high end, with gorgeous pieces set with all sorts of precious stones winking at me from behind the glass.
“Good afternoon,” the man behind the counter greeted me, setting down the jeweler’s glass he’d been cleaning. He was a distinguished older fellow in his late sixties, with an upper-crust accent that somehow did not detract from his warm demeanor. “How can I help you today?”
“I wanted to talk to you about this.” I set the emerald on the counter.
The jeweler stiffened. “This is the Tiger’s Eye! Where did you get it?” His eyes narrowed. “Are you the one who owns the replica I examined?”
“That’s me. A friend left it in my apartment as a gift and decided not to tell me about it.”
The jeweler gave me an incredulous look.
“He’s a bit eccentric,” I said, “but he’s also a magic user, and he likes to mess around with gems and the like, so I don’t blame you at all for the error. It was dumb of him to try to duplicate the emerald, and honestly, I’d like to get rid of it before it gets me into more trouble. I was thinking maybe you’d like to buy it and cut it up into smaller pieces to use for yourself.”
“Cut it up!” The jeweler seemed both tempted and appalled. Carefully, he picked up the jewel and examined it through his lens again. “It really is magnificent,” he muttered under his breath. “It seems almost a crime to cut it.”
I shrugged. “You can do whatever you want. But I think it’s safest to cut it up so this mistake doesn’t happen again. If you don’t want it, though, I’m sure I can find another jeweler—”
“No, no,” the man said hastily, “that won’t be necessary.” Setting down the emerald, he gave me a brilliant smile. “Did you have a price in mind?”
We haggled for a few minutes, and in the end I walked out with enough gold to take care of all my financial worries for the next couple of years.
“That ended quite well,” Garalina said as I rode back to Rowanville, sounding pleased.
“Yes, it did,” a familiar voice chimed in, and I nearly ran my bike onto the sidewalk as a pair of long, furry arms wrapped around my waist.
“What the hell?” Heart slamming into my throat, I pulled the bike to a stop and glanced back to see an orangutan clinging to my back. “Broghan?”
“Who else?” He grinned at me, then glanced down at my bike. “I want one of these. Can I try yours out?”
“Try it out?” I said, not sure if I heard him right. “You mean you want me to let you drive?”
“Yes.” He blinked. “Is that so surprising?”
The old Annia would have refused, but after everything I’d been through, I just laughed. “Sure,” I said, taking him into my arms so I could put him in front of me on the seat. “Why the hell not. Give her a spin.”
I felt a rippling sensation in my brain, like fingers running along a row of files, and I suspected Broghan was siphoning off my steambike knowledge. My hunch was confirmed when, seconds later, he started up the bike with no issue and peeled out into the street. Pedestrians and drivers gawked and screamed as we zipped past, and I laughed, allowing the sheer joy and absurdity of the moment to clear away the cobwebs of grief and stress from my soul.
“That was fun!” he exclaimed as he pulled into my parking spot at the apartment complex. “Do you have a steamcar? I’d like to try one of those next.”
“No, but my mother’s is parked in her driveway.” I wondered how she’d react if she came home to see an orangutan driving her car down the street, and the mental image made me grin. “I’ll show it to you sometime, but for now we’re going to my apartment.” I was going to set those wards, then kick back and relax.
I barely made it to the front door when I was waylaid by my landlord.
“Miss Melcott!” he cried, scandalized, as he took in the sight of the orangutan behind me. His eyes bulged and spittle flew from his mouth as he jabbed a finger in my direction. “This is the second time you’ve violated the no-pet policy! Remove him from the premises this instant or—” He cut himself off with a strangled shriek when Broghan bared his teeth and hissed.
I held up a hand in warning, silently telling Broghan to let me handle this. “There’s no need to yell,” I said pleasa
ntly, opening the door to the apartment. “I’ve already decided I’m moving out of this shithole anyway.”
“I-I beg your pardon?” he sputtered, following me as I walked inside. “This is a respectable establishment!”
“You’re right.” I spun on my heel and pinned him with a glare. “You’re the one who’s a shithole. Your attitude is stinking this place up to high heaven. I moved here for the nice view and the central location, not so I could be constantly harassed.”
“Oh, this is much better than banishing him to Faricia,” Broghan said with glee as the man fumbled for words. Broghan waved his hairy arm, and all my furniture vanished. “I’ve moved all your things to your mother’s place. Now you won’t have to waste time packing it all up.”
“I…I…wha…” The landlord took one look at the empty place, then fainted dead away.
“Oops.” I winced as he hit the floor. “Maybe you should have waited until he was gone.”
“And miss this?” Broghan hopped off my back and poked a fuzzy finger into the poor guy’s cheek. “Not on your life.”
“Stop that.” I swatted his hand away. “Will you at least put him in his own bed? I feel bad about leaving him like this.”
“Oh all right.” Broghan sighed, then waved his hand. Mr. Reems disappeared. “Can we go on an adventure, at least?”
“Maybe later. I’ve had enough excitement for today.”
“Well, I haven’t,” Broghan said primly, then disappeared without another word.
I shook my head, then went back to my mother’s house, expecting to find a giant pile of furniture waiting for me either on the lawn or in the foyer.
As it turned out, I was wrong on both counts.
He’d left it in the guest house instead.
“You know,” Garalina said as we began sorting through the pile, starting with the largest items, “there was a time, not too long ago, when you would have been cross with Broghan for doing this.” She waved her hand, and the couch floated over my head and settled against the far wall.
I smiled. “Yes, but that was before I realized how wrong I was.” An image of Yolian’s face popped into my head, and my smile faded quickly. “My fear of magic cost an innocent boy his life. I’m not going to let it get in my way again.”
Garalina set two side tables down on either end of the couch, then floated over to me. “His soul is at peace,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around me in a ghostly hug. “And if he were looking down at you right now, I know he would be pleased.”
“I’m sure he’d rather be alive.” But her words comforted me, and I was able to put the swell of grief aside.
We worked through the rest of the pile, setting up all the furniture and putting all my stuff away. Using Garalina’s magic made things a lot easier, and within an hour, we were almost done.
“Huh. I don’t remember seeing these before,” I said, staring at the last two items: two large leather bags. Dropping to my knees, I tugged the drawstring open on one, then gasped. It was filled with gold and silver coins!
Garalina laughed. “It would seem Broghan’s not done giving you presents,” she said, using her magic to open the other one. A small avalanche of sapphires, diamonds, and rubies poured out, scattering all over the rug.
“No kidding.” Dazed, I picked up one of the diamonds. It was roughly the size of my thumbnail. “This is…this is…”
“Don’t even think about giving them back to him,” Garalina said in a voice filled with cheerful menace. She clapped her hands, and both purses vanished. “They’re in your safe now, and you’re going to use them! This is the financial freedom I’ve been talking about.” Her eyes sparkled, but beneath the glow of joy I saw the burning hunger, the need to find Ortanos and make him pay for what he’d done.
“You’re right,” I said, getting to my feet. “This is what you’ve always wanted. What we both wanted.”
“I— Really? Do you mean that?”
“I do.” Smiling, I flopped onto the couch. “Thanks to Broghan’s generous gift, I don’t have to rely on bounties for my income anymore. I can take on any case I want. Hell, maybe I’ll even partner up with Rylan.” The two of us made a damn good team, and with Sunaya out of the picture, I could use someone like him at my back.
“Speaking of Rylan,” Garalina drawled just as someone banged on the door.
“Of course it’s him.” Peeling myself off the couch, I went to the door and opened it.
“Finally.” Rylan huffed impatiently. He was wearing his motorcycle jacket, his helmet tucked beneath one arm, long hair windswept and cheeks flushed. “I’ve been looking all over town for you!”
“Why? Is everything okay?” He’d been giving his statement at the Guild when I’d left. “Those thugs are still in holding, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, they’re old news.” He waved a hand. “But on my way out, I ended up in conversation with another enforcer, and they gave me a lead on who might be spreading those rumors. Now that you’ve got your enforcer bracelet…” A brief grin lit his face as he glanced at my bracelet. “I was hoping you could come with me to interrogate this asshole.”
Glancing down, I took stock of myself. I still had blood on my clothes from the massacre this morning, my hair was a tangled rat’s nest, and I probably stank to high heaven. By the Ur-God, how was I still on my feet?
Rylan cleared his throat. “Or, I mean, you could get some rest, and we can tackle it tomorrow.”
“Fuck that.” Grabbing him by the collar, I yanked him inside and shut the door. “I’m not letting you go without me. Just need a shower and a change of clothes first.”
“Is that so?” That sexy smirk lit his wickedly handsome face. “Need someone to wash your back?”
“Dream on.” Laughing, I shoved him toward the couch, then disappeared into the bathroom. I stepped into the shower and turned on the spray, allowing the hot water to pound my sore muscles into submission. As I watched the blood and grime sluice off my body and disappear down the drain, a sense of peace and satisfaction filled me. I knew things weren’t going to be perfect, but I had some damn good friends at my side; and, between the three of us, I didn’t think there was a single problem we couldn’t solve.
To be continued…
Annia and Garalina’s adventures will continue in Seduced by Magic, book 2 in the Mischief and Magic series! Make sure you’re signed up for Jasmine’s newsletter so you can be notified when the book is released!
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Glossary
Abbsville: a small town in the state of Watawis, population ca. 800 including the surrounding farms. Fenris hid out here after he fled Solantha, and it was here that he met Mina.
Apprenticeship: all mages are expected to complete an apprenticeship with some master mage, that usually lasts from age fifteen to about twenty-five. Only after the final exam may they use colorful robes, and are considered legally of age. Otherwise they only attain their majority at age thirty.
ar’: suffix in some mages’ family names, that denotes they are of noble birth, and can trace their descent to one of Resinah’s twelve disciples.
Baine, Mafiela: Chieftain of the Jaguar Clan and Sunaya’s aunt.
Baine, Rylan: Sunaya Baine’s cousin, and like her, a panther shifter. An active member of the Resistance, with the rank of Captain, he was captured and imprisoned during the uprising in Solantha. His invaluable knowledge and experience helped the Federation take down the Resistance, and for this, he was ultimately pardoned.
Baine, Sunaya: a half-panther shifter, half-mage who used to hate mages and has a passion for justice. Because magic is forbidden to all but the mage families, Sunaya was forced to keep her abilities a secret until she accidentally used them to defend herself in front of witnesses. Rather than condemn her to death, the Chief Mage, Iannis ar’Sannin, chose to take her on as his apprentice, and eventually his fiancée. Their wedding will be very grand, and is rapidly approaching.
Bar
rla, see under Kelling, Barrla.
Benefactor: the anonymous, principal source of financial support to the Resistance, who was eventually unmasked as the socialite Thorgana Mills (now deceased).
Black Curtain, The: shop owned by Elania Tarrignal in Witches’ End, where under-the-table hexes can be discreetly obtained.
Black Market: an area in Solantha where illegal items can be purchased, by night, at the buyer’s risk.
Calmias, Father Monor: a charismatic preacher in Ur-God temples, with many fanatic followers all over Northia. He was imprisoned in Prison Isle outside Solantha City for preaching genocide against mages and shifters, but later freed after the Chief Mage “adjusted” his views on racial harmony.
Canalo: one of the fifty states making up the Northia Federation, located on the West Coast of the Northia Continent. Solantha is the capital, and Iannis rules from there as the Chief Mage.
Canter: an elderly mage often manning the reception at Solantha Palace.
Canalo Council, usually just the Council: a governmental body composed of eight senior mages, supposed to advise the Chief Mage and substitute for him in case of sudden death or incapacity.
Capitol: building in the capital Dara, where the Convention of Chief Mages meets every other year to conduct government business.
Central Continent: the largest of the continents on Recca, spanning from Garai in the east to Castalis in the west.
Chartis, Argon: former Director of the Canalo Mages Guild, dismissed by the Chief Mage for insubordination and attempts to undermine the Chief Mage’s authority. He subsequently joined forces with the Benefactor to avenge his dismissal.
Chen, Lalia: the current Director of the Canalo Mages Guild in Solantha. She immigrated to the Northia Federation from Garai after her apprenticeship, and serves as deputy to Iannis ar’Sannin, the Chief Mage.
Chief Mage: head of one of the fifty states of the Northia Federation, usually addressed as “Lord Firstname”. The Chief Mages come together as the Convention every other year, usually in the capital Dara.
Tempted by Magic: Mischief and Magic: Book One Page 16