by Jasmine Walt
But I didn’t do any of these things, because deep down inside, I knew Asu was right. What good would it do? The men behind these walls were simply paying for a service, and most of the women here were just trying to make a living in whatever way they could. It was impossible to know which ones were slaves, and which ones were here of their own free will. And yes, I could kill or threaten the owner, and free all these women, but what would that do? The willing ones would simply find another brothel, and the slaves would be lost without someone to take responsibility for them. If I involved the local authorities, I would jeopardize our mission.
I couldn’t save everyone. Much as I would like to, I couldn’t help these women. Like Iannis said, I had to pick and choose my battles.
But at least we were going to save this one.
Director Chen placed her fingers on the woman’s temples, then began to chant in Garaian. After a few seconds, her fingers began to glow white, and Narana cried out, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. Her body started to shake, but Chen remained steadfast, pushing whatever magic Asu had taught her into Narana’s mind, forcing her to remember.
A shockwave of magical energy rippled outward, ruffling my hair and sending tingles up and down my skin. The burnt-sugar scent of magic filled the air, and a vase sitting on a small table crashed to the floor, shattering into small pieces.
“Wha…” Narana breathed as Chen finally removed her hands. Her face was white with shock, and her knees buckled. Chen and I each grabbed her by an arm, then helped her to a chair. “What is going on? What am I doing here?”
“You’ve had a very bad dream,” I told her gravely. “One might even say a nightmare. But it’s okay now. You’re going home.”
We visited the slaver’s pen next, where Iannis and Garrett successfully bargained for possession of the other two mages. Henning was overjoyed to see his fellow agents alive and mostly unharmed. Although they were all very disoriented when Asu and Chen brought them around with the spell, they did recognize Henning and were happy to see him.
We set them up at a hotel room near the docks, where Henning would stay the night with them before boarding the ship the next morning. Asu returned home with the carriage, and the rest of us got a late breakfast from one of the street vendors, then headed across to the manufacturing district so we could check out the lab for ourselves. The ferry ride across the harbor only took about twenty minutes, and Asu had given us directions to her husband’s warehouse, so the journey was pretty easy.
As we approached the other side of the harbor, it became apparent that it was as busy as Leniang Island, if not more so. It was like one gigantic market close to the piers and ferry, with small street stalls and vendors of all kinds. Since we had a little time, we paused to sample freshly pressed mango juice and admire the view of the island beyond the narrow harbor, beautifully framed by the hills over which we had entered the city. Despite the difficulties of our mission, I knew I would remember Garai fondly for these gorgeous vistas alone. It was really too bad that we weren’t on vacation—there was so much to explore!
After fifteen minutes of winding our way through the thronged narrow streets, we reached the manufacturing district, where goods were produced in a series of warehouses. The long, flat-roofed buildings were separated from each other by narrow lanes, and some of the owners thought nothing of clogging up traffic with heaps of industrial garbage. I covered my face with my sleeve—the stench was as overpowering as the brothel had been, and even worse in some places. I wished I could use the air-freshening smell again, but I needed all my senses about me now, and the spell interfered with my nose.
“This is a good place to hide an illicit operation,” Garrett said as we walked along the main road, parallel to the wharf about half a mile away. There were rows and rows of warehouses, each on their own pier, and plenty of dockworkers moving crates in and out of the buildings. Loku’s warehouse had a firework logo painted on the side of the building and above the entrance, next to a series of Garaian characters that probably spelled his company name.
“Lots of gunpowder in there,” I confirmed, sniffing as we walked by it. “It really is a great place to hide illegal arms. I can’t tell what belongs to the guns, and what belongs to the fireworks.” I sniffed again. “On the other hand, there are thousands of rats in the adjacent building, way more than what’s normal. I bet they’re lab rats, and that this is the building we’re looking for.”
We walked on, so as not to alert any guards that we were taking an undue interest in the place. “I find it puzzling that it’s not bigger,” Iannis said, frowning as he looked at the long, narrow wooden structure. “Compared to the bunker in Osero, this structure is tiny and terribly ramshackle. I can’t imagine they have an underground facility here. If this is supposed to be a lab, it is operating on the cheap.”
“No kidding,” I muttered darkly. The Resistance scientists in Osero would probably have been horrified if they’d been given such a rickety and unsecurable place to conduct their science experiments. Sure, they’d intended to kill off mages and shifters, but at least they’d been concerned with basic safety when they’d set up their facility.
“Definitely no cellars,” Director Chen said. “The ground here would not permit it, and the neighbors would be far too nosy to hide any large excavations. As for operating on the cheap, that’s the local practice, to squeeze every last drop of profit out of any enterprise. Public safety is not a priority here.”
“By Magorah.” I crossed my arms and scowled at the building. “This is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Those crowds we passed through are only a few minutes away. What would happen if even one of these rats escaped, carrying an infection?”
Garrett scowled. “Perhaps it has already happened, and that rat is even now traveling on some outbound ship.”
Anger sizzled in my veins at the thought of such carelessness. Were human lives really so meaningless to these people? Weren’t they humans themselves? I forced my features into a neutral expression—there were still people walking by, and we were drawing attention as it was. Some of the Garaians we passed sent us curious looks, but nobody challenged us. We were close enough to the harbor that foreigners would not look too out of place. After all, we could have been Northian merchants looking for a lucrative cargo.
“It’s a pity we can’t just destroy the place now,” Garrett said as we walked back to the main part of the city so we could hire a carriage to take us back to Asu’s. “I don’t trust that Loku fellow to keep his end of the bargain.”
“I agree,” Iannis said, “but we are not prepared, and it is broad daylight, with too many bystanders around. Best to wait until nightfall, and if it turns out Loku really is going to help us, so much the better. But one way or another, this place will be destroyed by tomorrow.”
After riding on the steam ferry again, we caught a cab to Asu’s home. As we sat in silence on the bumpy ride back, I couldn’t help but worry about the lab. This small warehouse, with its thin wooden walls, was hardly like the airtight, secure bunker we’d destroyed in Osero. While that would make our task much easier, it was very likely that the rat cages were equally flimsy. What if the rats managed to escape through holes in the walls, and infect passersby? If this problem wasn’t handled soon, Garai could very well end up with an epidemic of their own….
We arrived back just in time for lunch, and had another delicious meal with Loku, Asu, and the children. There was a bit of tension at the beginning of the meal when Iannis insisted on checking the dishes with his ring, but once he determined that the meal was safe, everyone relaxed.
“I have started mixing the materials for the gas and the antidote,” Loku said after a nanny had taken the children away. “I spent the entire morning gathering all the supplies, which were quite expensive.”
“I am more than happy to reimburse you for your expenses, Mr. Bai,” Iannis replied. “We appreciate your assistance and expertise.”
“It is nothing,” Loku assured us wit
h a wave of his hand. “I have just as much of a stake in this as you do, at this point. This gas does take time to mix, though, so please excuse me while I get back to work.”
“Do you need any help?” Garrett asked as Loku rose from his chair. “I have been told I’m fairly handy with potions.”
“Oh no, please don’t trouble yourself,” Loku insisted, bowing. “You are honored guests, and I would not have you do work while you are here. Please enjoy your afternoon, and rest. We will be up very late tonight, after all.”
“Is he telling the truth?” Iannis asked me as we watched Loku leave the room.
“He is, but I still don’t like this,” I said. “Something isn’t right.”
As we rose to leave the room, Asu leaned in and whispered something in Chen’s ear. She spoke in Garaian, so I couldn’t hear what she said, but her voice was full of warning, and my stomach sank as Chen nodded. We walked in silence back to our suite, and I waited until the footsteps outside in the hall had faded, and I couldn’t scent anyone else nearby.
“Okay, what did she tell you?” I demanded as we sat down on the couches. “Your sister was obviously warning you about something.”
“Asu told me that, under no circumstances, are we to fall asleep tonight,” Chen said, her dark eyes diamond hard. “The confusion spell that the slavers used on the agents we just rescued is best applied when the subject is asleep, and Asu strongly suspects her husband is planning to use it on us.”
“I knew it!” Garrett said, his green eyes blazing with fury. “That bastard was planning on double-crossing us this entire time!”
“But why?” Iannis said, frowning. “As Loku said earlier, our goals happen to be the same. Why does he feel the need to eliminate us still?”
“Loku is a member of a powerful secret society that despises all foreigners,” Chen said, deep disapproval in her voice. “They do not consider foreign mages worthy of the same rights as Garaian citizens. Therefore, in Loku’s eyes, any promise made to you is not binding and does not need to be honored.”
“This is crazy,” I said, letting out a disgusted huff. “The sooner we get back to Solantha, the better. I’m tired of all this backstabbing bullshit.”
“That makes two of us,” Garrett agreed heartily. “So what do you suggest we do about Loku? Do we ambush him again, as we did last time while you were out with your sister?”
“I think that it’s time to give my brother-in-law a taste of his own medicine,” Chen said with a feline smile. “Asu cannot use the confusion spell on her husband without breaking her marriage vows. My sister believes that without this binding oath, Loku would use magic to control her whenever they have a dispute. But we are not bound by any vow, so we shall use it on him when he comes to us tonight.”
“Damn.” I let out a low whistle. “Are you gonna undo it before we leave?”
“Perhaps,” Chen said lightly. “Or perhaps I will leave the timing of his release to my sister. She has had enough of her husband’s bullying and womanizing ways, and I have a feeling she will enjoy holding the reins for once.”
23
Since the initial plan was to leave for the docks at midnight, we decided to pretend to sleep while we waited for Loku to make his move. Garrett, Iannis, and I retired to our rooms in the guest suite after dinner and several games of Garaian chess, while Chen went to sleep closer to her sister in the family quarters.
“Do you think my father has tried to visit me while we’ve been gone?” I asked Iannis as we spooned on the bed. My head was tucked under his chin, his arm around my waist, and the heat from his body was so soothing that I had to fight sleep.
“It’s possible,” Iannis said carefully. “Did you want him to?”
I sighed. “I don’t really know.” The Minister and the rest of our delegation would have turned him away, claiming that I was too ill to see visitors. “Part of me wishes I could just tell him and get it over with. I know he can’t publicly acknowledge me, but it would be nice if he could at least accept me privately.”
“I understand how you feel,” Iannis replied, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, then nuzzling it. The affectionate gesture made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and I snuggled my back a little closer against his chest. “Perhaps we will get to speak to him when we return. After all, we need to find out whether he was behind those assassins. Your keen nose will be able to discern the truth when we question him.”
“That’s true.” My heart sank at that. In all this excitement, I’d forgotten all about the assassins back at the capital. What would I do if it turned out that my own father was behind the attempt to kill me? He’d seemed so genuinely friendly when we’d met. I had a hard time believing he was secretly hiding murderous intent behind those green eyes I’d inherited from him. Would my mother have fallen for him, if he were that evil?
But then again, mages excelled at hiding their emotions when they wanted to. My father was as easily capable of subterfuge as the next mage. He was a politician, after all. They were good at that sort of thing. And the mage who’d attacked me had been hiding his scent. Why would he do that, unless he was afraid that we would cross paths later or already had done so earlier?
The sound of the hallway floorboards creaking drew my attention away from my worries. I tensed in Iannis’s arms as Loku’s footsteps, so silent that I barely heard them myself, pattered down the hall, then came to a stop outside the suite door.
“Are you ready?” Iannis asked. “You remember the words of the spell?”
“Like the back of my hand. Do you remember the confusion spell?” Chen had taught it to Iannis earlier, and I’d been impressed that he was able to learn such a complicated phrase in a foreign language as quickly as he had.
“Of course. I have memorized much harder ones before.”
We ceased our conversation, lying silent as the grave as Loku opened the door and walked into the room. His footfalls were muffled by the carpet, and I was sure the bastard thought he was doing a great job of being stealthy. Guess he didn’t have much experience with sneaking up on shifters. Dumbass.
Garrett was awake and ready too, or at least he’d agreed to be, in case Loku went to his room first. But as predicted, our doorknob was the one to turn. The moment the door opened, Iannis and I sat up and shouted the Words to the very same immobilization spell Loku had tried to use against us, and that Chartis had successfully used on me in the past. Loku let out a very un-manly shriek as he ducked Iannis’s green blast, but mine hit him square in the chest before he could activate a shield, and he froze right there, his eyes bulging in fury and fear. His mouth was twisted into a rigid snarl, his hand extended in the midst of preparing to shield and counter attack.
“We’ve got him!” I crowed as Iannis and I leapt from the bed. I grabbed Loku and hauled him out to the common room, then carelessly let him drop to the carpet. Garrett rushed out of the room as Iannis knelt down beside our treacherous host.
“Good riddance,” Garrett gloated as Iannis pressed his fingers to Loku’s temple, much like Chen had done to Narana when she’d cured her of the confusion spell. But this time, an ugly, reddish-yellow magic began to glow at his fingertips. An unpleasant feeling crawled down my spine as Iannis pushed the magic inside Loku’s head, and I couldn’t help but think that if he hadn’t been frozen, Loku would be thrashing about and screaming in pain. It had to be extremely violating, to be held down while someone basically took your magic and memories from you.
Not that I was feeling sorry for Loku, mind you. The slimy bastard deserved it, and more.
More footsteps came rushing down the hall behind me, and I turned to see Chen and Asu burst through the door. “Oh good,” Chen said when she saw Loku on the ground. She clapped her hands twice, activating the magical lanterns on the walls, and I blinked hard at the sudden light. “You got him.”
“Indeed.” Iannis got to his feet and regarded Loku for a long moment, his face stony. “I think I will leave him with the immobilization spell f
or now, so that he does not get in the way. Unless you would rather have me undo it, Asu?” he asked Chen’s sister.
“Oh no, you may leave him there,” Asu said, a sly smile on her face. “I find that I quite like looking at him this way. I will unfreeze him when I see fit.”
“Do you plan to leave him in a confused state?” I asked, grinning at the gloating look in her eyes. I couldn’t help but be happy for Asu—she was finally getting her revenge. “I mean, I guess you have to let him out at some point to take care of the warehouses and stuff, but still. I’d milk this for as long as I could.”
“I’ll leave him like this for a few days,” she said airily. “That will give me time to get rid of the mistress he keeps in the back house and to take certain measures to ensure that he can no longer bully the girls or me.” Her expression turned hard. “He may be my husband, but I have had enough of his antics. He is not much more powerful than I am as a mage, and I can make gold if I need. His business activities are more for flaunting his power than for any real need of money.”
“Still, the authorities will eventually come looking if Loku is missing for too long,” Chen said worriedly. “And he seems the vindictive type. I would not want you to put yourself in such a dangerous position, sister, by keeping him in this state too long.”
“That is true,” Asu said, biting her lip. “Hopefully we can come to some kind of agreement once he is back to normal.” She had no choice, after all—mages married for life, so Asu was bound to Loku until he died.
“If worst comes to worst, I will arrange asylum for you and your children in the Federation,” Chen said firmly. “You have been a great help to us, and I will not abandon you in your time of need.” She gathered Asu in a hug.
“Thank you, Lalia.” Asu hugged her back, then gently pushed her away. “Now go, and carry out your mission. You do not have all night.”
24