by Jasmine Walt
“I’m perfectly capable of defending myself,” Fenris said stiffly, tossing the bedroll back and choosing another.
I rolled my eyes, then grabbed his wrist and turned his palm up. “Not a single callus on these bad boys,” I remarked pointedly. “I’m not going to pretend I know what your past is, but if you’ve done any fighting, it was long enough ago that there’s no trace of it on your body.”
“You’re right.” Fenris snatched his hand back, glaring at me with his yellow shifter eyes. “You don’t know what my past is. As I’ve said, I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.”
“That may be so, but I’m still taking Annia,” I said coolly. “Remember that without her, we wouldn’t have the balloon. So you’ll have to put up with the ‘inconvenience’ of it, or find another mode of transportation.”
Fenris held my gaze for a moment longer, then looked away and sighed. “I suppose I can’t argue with that. It’s just…this is a very sensitive mission, Sunaya. The more people involved, the greater the danger that things can go wrong. Her sister sides with the enemy.”
“I get it, but we need Annia. Besides, I trust her implicitly. She’s not going to fuck us over.”
“For Iannis’s sake, I hope you’re right.”
“Alright,” I said when we were all gathered around the balloon outside the workshop. Elnos and Noria had dragged the contraption to the small lot behind the shop to prepare it for liftoff. It was already inflated, the magical coal activated and burning brightly. “Guess it’s time for us to get on this thing.”
Fenris winced a little as he took in the neon-bright purple and yellow fabric of the balloon itself. “We’re not going to blend in very well.”
“Yeah, well I wasn’t exactly creating this for a stealth mission,” Noria snapped. She stepped up onto the platform we were going to use to board the balloon, then tapped the sandbags hanging off the basket. “Remember, these guys stay on here. The whole point is to make sure the balloon doesn’t rise too fast when you lift off. The only exception is if for some reason you guys lose altitude and you’re plummeting to the ground too fast. Then you drop them to lighten your load and slow your descent.”
“We get it, Noria,” Annia said quietly. There was a sadness in her dark eyes as she looked at her sister, and I wondered if it was because of the rift that had sprung between them when Annia had demanded Noria give up the balloon, or because of Noria’s pro-Resistance attitude.
“Alright, well if you’re so sure, let’s get you boarded.” Noria’s narrowed eyes surveyed us. “You guys sure about this? Once you’re gone, it’s pretty hard to come back.”
“We’re sure.” I eyed Noria’s stiffened spine and rock-hard shoulders, then stepped forward and embraced her. She jolted in surprise at my touch, and I felt guilty that she would react this way to a show of affection from me. “Thank you so much, Nor. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Noria sighed a little, hugging me back, and when I pulled away I was surprised to see a film of tears in her eyes. “I just want you all to be safe, and going out there to rescue the Chief Mage, especially at a time like this, is reckless. He’s got boatloads of magic, Naya – surely he can take care of himself.”
I snorted. “You’re here to talk to me about recklessness?” In that department Noria was even worse than I was. “Besides, if it were Elnos out there, wouldn’t you be going regardless of the danger?”
“I love Elnos.” Noria arched a brow. “Are you trying to tell me that you love the Chief Mage?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said lightly, though my heartbeat began to pick up at the accusation. “But he’s my mentor now, and I’ve already lost one of those this year. I don’t want to lose another.”
“Alright.” Noria sighed, then stepped aside to give me access to the platform. “Go on, then.”
“Wait!”
I turned at the sound of Comenius’s voice, and a smile broke out across my face as I watched him hurry into the lot with Elania on his heels. His features sagged with relief as he took us all in. “Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t miss you.”
“Me too.” I stepped forward and into Com’s waiting embrace. “Will you check on Lakin for me whenever you get a moment? I know you’re not really comfortable with being in Shiftertown, but I’m sure his hands are more than full, and there are probably many wounded that could use your assistance.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Comenius hugged me tightly, and I laid my head on his shoulder, soaking up his comforting embrace. His herbal scent surrounded me, and as I glanced over his shoulder at Elania, I was surprised to see jealousy in her dark eyes as she regarded us silently. But as soon as I stepped out of the embrace, the look in her eyes was gone, and a warm smile spread across her features as she came to hug me as well.
“May the gods be with you, Sunaya,” she told me.
“And you.” Truthfully, I had no idea what she meant by that, as I’d always operated under the assumption that there was one god – Magorah. I’d only recently found out that mages worshipped a version of Him called the Creator, as well as His right-hand woman, the first mage Resinah. I was still trying to wrap my head around what was true, but I couldn’t deny that I’d felt a strong, powerful presence in Resinah’s temple, and more than once I’d even imagined hearing her voice.
I stepped onto the platform, then turned back to face Noria as a thought occurred to me. “Promise me something.”
“What?”
“Will you wait to join the Resistance?” When Noria’s face stiffened, I added, “At least until we get back? I’d hate to think this is the last time we’ll see you.” Once Noria joined up with the Resistance she would become an outlaw, and would have to flee to one of the Resistance’s hidden camps.
“I’ll try,” she allowed, her voice tight. “But no promises.”
I nodded, then boarded the balloon. It was the best I could hope for.
“Take care of my sister, will you?” Annia called to Elnos as she hopped into the basket with me.
“Of course.” Elnos nodded solemnly. Although he wouldn’t – or rather, couldn’t – stop Noria from joining the Resistance, he wasn’t a fan of the idea. He would try to hold her off as long as possible.
“Alright,” Fenris said as he settled himself into the basket along with us. “Let’s get going.”
Noria and Elnos rushed to cut the ropes tying the balloon to the ground. As they did, I took hold of the rope dangling from above, which I was supposed to direct my magic through to steer the balloon. I gripped the edge of the basket with my other hand as the balloon began to rise into the air, slowly, ever so slowly, and I watched as we crested the tops of the various buildings that made up the compound of the Academy. Soon we were high enough to see all of Rowanville – I could make out my apartment building, clustered in between so many of the other buildings and shops in Rowanville, and further up, the Port, nestled alongside Solantha Bay’s glittering coast. Turning my neck, I also caught sight of Solantha Palace, Iannis’s home, its towers and turrets spearing the gorgeous blue sky. The sun was halfway up its ascent to noon, casting bright rays over the glittering Bay waters, and I felt a tug at my heart. Solantha might be unsafe for me right now, but it was still my home, and I hated to leave it.
“Sunaya.” Fenris’s voice was at my ear. “You need to steer now, or the wind is going to blow us off course.”
“Right.” The wind was already pushing the balloon in a northwesterly direction, and we needed to head southeast. I cast one last glance toward Solantha, my eyes briefly lingering on Hawk Hill across the bay where Resinah’s temple was secluded, then turned away. Focusing, I mumbled the Words that Elnos had taught me, and the burnt-sugar scent of magic laced the air as the rope between my fingers began to glow. Some directional instinct activated inside of me, a product of the spell, and I tugged the rope in the direction I wanted the balloon to follow.
“Nice job,” Annia said as the balloon began moving southeast. She b
raced her arms on the edge of the basket and looked out, her dark red hair streaming out behind her like a banner. The sun kissed her face, highlighting her skin with a peachy glow, and from the way Fenris was eyeing her I saw I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.
“What?” he asked defensively when he noticed I’d switched my gaze to his.
“Just wondering if you’ve got something to share with the class.”
“You already know how I feel about having her here,” he muttered, but he averted his gaze.
But as I continued to steer the balloon, I wondered if I really did know how he felt. Fenris had stressed the need for discretion on this mission, but I wasn’t sure why. After all, there was a horde of people heading out to search for Iannis. Why did it make a difference that Annia was teaming up with us as opposed to going out on her own, or with a crew of Enforcers? Was there some kind of secret that Fenris was worried she’d find out about?
He does seem to have his fair share of secrets, I thought as I looked out across the changing landscape. We’d cleared the city now, and rolling hills of green stretched out below us, side by side with plots of farmland and orchards. The trees beneath us were laden with fruit just ripe for the picking. Hopefully whatever part of Mexia we ended up in would also have fruit- laden bushes or trees, or at the very least plentiful game. But at least part of the Coazi area was supposed to be desert country, so perhaps that was overly optimistic.
So long as we find Iannis, I’ll put up with anything, I thought, my eyes firmly on the horizon. I only hoped that we found him before it was too late.
6
“By the Ur-God,” Annia swore, her teeth chattering, “is there anything we can do to make it less freezing in here?”
“Sorry, but the closest heat source we have is currently being used to power the balloon right now.” I turned my head to look at Annia, who was huddled in a corner of the basket, her bedroll unwrapped and tucked around her. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, as I imagined mine were – they stung from constantly being slapped by the winds buffeting our balloon.
“I wish I’d packed more layers to wear,” she groused, her dark brows drawn together in a scowl. “This drafty basket is letting in far more air than the airships I’ve traveled on. Honestly, you’d think it was winter up here!”
“It is rather cold,” Fenris agreed. He was sitting on the opposite end of basket from Annia, his knees drawn up to his chest as well, but he’d forgone the bedroll – since he was a shifter, the cold didn’t affect him as badly.
“Seriously, Naya,” Annia said, “can’t you use your magic to heat up the air or something?”
“Keeping the air warm in here would require constant use of my magic, and I’m already using it to steer the balloon,” I told her. “I’m not a never-ending power source, Annia – that would drain me eventually.”
“Oh alright,” she sighed, burrowing a little deeper into her bedroll. “But this still sucks.”
“I told you we shouldn’t have brought her.” Fenris’s voice echoed into my mind, a little smugly. “She’s clearly not cut out for this kind of travel.”
“You have no idea what Annia is and isn’t cut out for.” Annoyed, I turned to glare at him, but I found that he wasn’t even looking at me. Rather, he was staring at Annia over his knees, his yellow eyes glimmering with ire.
My scowl melted away into a grin as an idea came to me. “Go sit over there with her.”
Fenris’s eyes snapped toward me. “Excuse me?”
“Oh you heard me right.” My grin widened. “Go get under the bedroll with Annia and share your body heat with her.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Fenris bit out. “You keep saying she can take care of herself. She doesn’t need me.”
“Oh stop being such an ass.” I would have been annoyed at his recalcitrance if I wasn’t enjoying how uncomfortable he was becoming. I’d never seen Fenris so ruffled. “You know why we need her, and there’s no point in letting her suffer if we don’t have to. Be a gentleman, for Magorah’s sake! Unless you don’t know how.”
“Of course I know how,” Fenris snapped.
“Know how to do what?” Annia asked, and we both snapped our heads around to look at her. Her dark, thickly lashed eyes were peeking out from beneath the bedroll, and they latched onto Fenris hopefully. “Build a fire in here without setting the whole basket aflame?”
“No,” Fenris sighed, his voice softening. He rolled onto his knees, and the basket rocked a little as he made his way toward Annia. “But I suppose I can help warm you up with my body heat.”
“Oooh.” Annia waggled her eyebrows, and I nearly lost it. “Does that mean you’re getting naked?”
“Hardly.” Fenris kept his voice even, but his short, dark hair wasn’t long enough to hide his ears, and I bit back a laugh as I watched them turn red. Annia lifted the bedroll and waved Fenris over – a gesture that cost her as the exposure caused her to start shivering again. Noticing, Fenris quickly got under the bedroll with her and tucked it around them both, pressing his stocky body close to Annia’s.
“There,” I said, grinning. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“You put him up to this?” Annia asked, her brows arched.
“Well, I didn’t want my best friend turning into a popsicle. Feel free to snuggle in closer – he doesn’t mind.”
“What…?” Fenris started to protest as Annia did exactly that, and I let out a snicker. From the glint in her dark eyes, I knew she was playing along with me. Fenris was ridiculously easy to tease, and I found myself wondering why I hadn’t done it before. Probably because we didn’t really spend any idle time together. As I watched Fenris slowly begin to relax, I wondered if he spent idle time in the company of others at all. He was close friends with Iannis, sure, but I’d hardly ever heard the two of them talk of anything other than business, and he didn’t appear to have close relationships with anyone else.
Then again, Fenris was a shifter, so should I really be surprised that he hadn’t made friends with the others? The way the Council had turned on him so quickly the moment Iannis was out of sight was proof that without the Chief Mage’s support, Fenris didn’t hold much influence. It made me wonder if that was my fate, too – if I would always have to rely on Iannis to protect me from the wrath and prejudice of the Mages Guild.
Hell no, I thought, gripping the rope in my fist a little tighter. I might need Iannis now, but no way was I going to be dependent on him for the rest of my life. I was going to become a mage in my own right, a force to be reckoned with, and the other mages would have to respect me.
“Is it just me, or are we swaying a little?”
Annia’s voice startled me out of my thoughts, and I realized that my lapses in concentration were pulling the balloon in the wrong direction – a side effect of letting myself get caught up in my emotions.
“Sorry,” I muttered, reining myself in. The balloon steadied again as I straightened out our course. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Do you need me to take over?” Fenris asked, sounding concerned. “It’s important that you maintain your focus and control, Sunaya. We don’t want to wreck the balloon.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” I waved Fenris away as he started to stand up. “I’ll be good for another hour at least.”
“Very well,” he said, settling back in with Annia. I turned my attention back to the landscape, which was so very, very far below us. It had been six hours since we’d left, with at least another four to go until we crossed the border into Mexia. Right now we were hovering over the state of Aziana, the craggy, reddish-brown landscape peeking through the clouds below us. Mostly canyons and desert, with the occasional green patch of forest. I’d heard they had cacti there the size of trees, with arms sticking out to the sides and up, like a man holding up both hands in surrender. I wondered what the people there were like – I’d traveled all over Canalo on Enforcer business, but never to other states, and it made me realize I knew very l
ittle about the rest of the Federation.
If we ever get out of this mess, and I ever get some time off, I’m going to travel, I decided. From coast to coast, so I can see what this country is really like, and after that to other continents.
I steered the balloon for another hour, then with Fenris’s help landed it in a sheltered valley so we could make camp. The sun was setting, and none of us were keen on trying to steer the balloon through the night. Without light it would be tough to land safely, and the charm could well lead us to a forest or down a canyon. Also, my bladder was full to bursting – we’d had a bucket on board to relieve ourselves, of course, but I’d stubbornly held out until we landed.
“You two make camp,” I told Fenris and Annia once we’d secured the balloon. “I’m going to see if I can scrounge up some dinner.”
“Why?” Annia asked, frowning as she held up a sack. “We’ve got provisions.”
“We shouldn’t use them if we don’t have to. Besides,” I added, grinning a little, “I could use the exercise.”
“Suit yourself.” Annia turned away to unpack the small tent we’d bought. It turned out that she’d brought one of her own, so we had two shelters if the weather got rough. Thankfully it didn’t seem like that was going to happen – the air here was dry and warm. Almost swelteringly so, especially considering that we’d been freezing our asses off just a little while ago. I hoped things cooled off a little bit, or I was going to have trouble getting to sleep.
Putting the worry out of my mind, I closed my eyes and reached for my inner beast. She sprang forth eagerly, and a white light enveloped me as uncomfortably hot tingles spread through my body. I stretched and changed shape, muscles, skin, and bones reforming, and when the white light faded, I was crouched on all fours, my tail swishing back and forth. Digging my claws into the reddish-brown dirt, I stretched and yawned, muscles rippling beneath my black fur. It felt good to be back in beast form again.