by Jasmine Walt
But it was too late. I couldn’t take back the words, nor could I take back the kiss we’d shared. And try as I might, I couldn’t hide from the fact that I did need him. If not on an emotional level, then on a practical one, because he was the only mage around who was willing and able to teach me how to master my magic and control the volatile emotions preventing me from using it safely.
“Are you going to stand out there all day, or will you come in?”
I jumped, startled at the sound of Iannis’s voice. A second later, heat flushed into my cheeks as I realized he’d known I was standing outside the door. Taking in a deep breath, I willed the blush to recede from my cheeks, then pushed the door open.
“How long did you know I was standing here?” I asked, then froze as I caught sight of Iannis standing on the other side of the bunk bed. He looked very much like his old self, dressed in a pair of blue and gold robes, his cherrywood hair tied back with a leather thong. No trace of the aboriginal remained in the lines of his face or the folds of his clothing, and his violet eyes were as cool and aloof as ever.
“Since I heard your boots stop outside my door.” A slight frown creased his brow as he studied me. “You look…disappointed. Why is that?”
I thought about brushing off the question, but opted for honesty instead and grinned. “I was kind of hoping you’d show up to the Convention in your buckskins with the feathers in your hair,” I admitted. “Where did you find those robes, anyway?” We’d found a few Resistance uniforms on the ship, but nothing resembling mage robes.
Iannis huffed. “I was joking when I said I was going to do that. After already missing half the Convention, I can’t very well show up looking like a Coazi. The robes are an illusion that I will have to maintain until I can procure proper clothing.”
“Oh really?” I arched a brow. “Does that mean you’re still wearing the buckskins underneath?”
Iannis’s lips twitched. “You seem awfully preoccupied with what I’m wearing, Sunaya,” he remarked, walking around the narrow cot toward me.
“Yeah well, last time I was face-to-face with you alone, you weren’t wearing much of anything,” I murmured as he came closer. The smell of sandalwood and musk filled my senses, and I instinctively inhaled, wanting more of it.
“Indeed,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine as he took my hand in his. “I wasn’t exactly expecting company.”
“Would you rather I had not come?” I asked nonchalantly, trying to act as though my pulse wasn’t skyrocketing in response to his touch. His long fingers wrapped around mine, thumb stroking across the back of my hand, and my heart fluttered wildly. By Magorah, what was I getting myself into?
“Of course not. You saved me, broke through Halyma’s spell and reminded me who I really am.” His grip tightened on my hand. “You mentioned at the stream that you needed me. I think I am starting to realize that I need you too.”
“Wait…what?” I gaped at him, stunned. “What could you possibly need me for, when you’ve got Fenris and the whole Mages Guild behind you?”
“Fenris is invaluable of course, and the Mages Guild has its role, but whenever there is trouble in my city, you always seem to find your way directly to the heart of it.” Iannis smiled a little. “Those escapades of yours helped expose layers of corruption and decadence that I might not have otherwise noticed. Perhaps we should consider working together, instead of working around each other as we have been.”
“Wait a minute.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you suggesting that we become partners?”
Iannis frowned. “‘Partners’ might be the wrong word, considering that we are master and apprentice. You would still be subject to my authority, and under my protection. But should you come across a case that has far-reaching ramifications, you may come to me and request my assistance at any time.”
“Oh gee, thanks.” I rolled my eyes as I sketched a mocking bow. “Your generosity abounds.”
Iannis arched an eyebrow. “Did I say something to offend you?” He sounded genuinely curious, and if I bought into the brief flash of emotion I saw in his eyes, maybe a little hurt.
“No.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “No, you said exactly what you’re supposed to say.” Get real, I told myself as I fought the sinking disappointment in my chest. The idea that Iannis would treat me as an equal, that he would profess to need me for emotional rather than practical reasons, was absurd. He was a mage, the Chief Mage, first and foremost, and mages and shifters just didn’t mix.
But as Iannis studied my face for a long moment, something like regret flickered across his features, and I wondered if, like me, he really did want something more like a partnership. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.
“What?” I snapped, annoyed that I was hanging on tenterhooks waiting for the words to spill out of his mouth.
He shook his head, then held out his hand. “Come here,” he said. “I need to put an illusion on you.”
“What for?” I asked as I approached cautiously.
Iannis took my hands again, and that familiar thrum of electricity started up in my nerves again, traveling up my arms and vibrating through my whole body.
“Dara is a very mage-centric city,” he explained as magic began washing over my body. Sparks skipped up my arms and across my chest before sinking into my skin and filling me with more of that strange humming. “There are humans and a few shifters who live there, of course, but they are not allowed at the Convention. It would call too much attention to us if I brought a shifter with me, and you’ll blend in far better as a mage.”
The magic faded from around my body, and I looked down to see that I was dressed in a set of emerald green robes embroidered with delicate gold vines. A matching gold and green sash was tied around my waist, and the toes of soft gold slippers peeked out from the hem of my robe.
“There.” Iannis took me by the shoulders and pulled me around to look into the small mirror hanging from the wall. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”
I stared at my reflection in shock. My shifter eyes were gone, replaced by round human irises that allowed the whites of my eyes to shine through. They were still the same color, but it was a jarring contrast to what I was used to. My black hair was free of its tie now, cascading down my shoulders in glossy ringlets, and I wondered if that was illusion too or if Iannis had actually pulled the tie from my hair when I wasn’t paying attention. The collar of the robe nearly grazed my chin, but from what I could see in the mirror the garment flattered my figure and was almost sexy despite the fact that it didn’t show any skin.
Not that I wanted to show skin.
“So you think you’ve won by finally getting me into a robe, have you?” I asked Iannis as I turned to face him.
Iannis chuckled a little, shaking his head. “I wasn’t aware this was a competition. But looking at you does make a man feel as though he’s won something.” His eyes roamed over me appreciatively. “You should wear these in real life. I’ll buy some for you.”
“Not a chance.” But my chest swelled with pride at the compliment, and it was almost enough to make me consider wearing the robes again.
Almost.
“As soon as we reach our hotel room, you’re getting these things off of me.”
“Am I?” Iannis asked softly, interest flaring in his eyes. A blush heated my cheeks as I realized what I’d just said, and I cleared my throat.
“I didn’t mean –”
“It would be impractical to rely on illusionary attire during the entire Convention,” Iannis said. “As soon as we get settled, we must procure proper robes for all of us. That will make it easier to work together.”
“Work together?” I pushed past the fog of lust clouding my brain to try and follow Iannis’s logic. “You mean on finding out what the Resistance has planned here in Dara?”
“Exactly.” Iannis nodded, his expression stony once more. “They did not want me to make it to the C
onvention for a reason. I fully intend on finding out why, and thwarting their plans. However, I must attend to delegate business and will be too busy to question whomever I like or snoop around. You, on the other hand, are free of official obligations, and your heightened senses may pick up on clues that I would otherwise miss.”
“So you’re saying you want me to be a spy?” A grin began to spread across my face.
“I suppose you could put it that way.” Iannis arched a brow at my widening grin. “Unless of course you’re not able to take the job seriously.”
“Hell yeah I can take it seriously.” I pumped my fist in the air at the idea that I was finally getting back to doing Enforcer work again. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t get excited about it.”
“Oi!” Annia’s strident voice blared from the loudspeaker “Are you two lovebirds ever going to come out of there? This ship isn’t going to land itself, you know!”
“Oops,” I said, grinning up at an annoyed-looking Iannis. “I forgot to mention – the captain wants a word with you.”
21
Walking up the front steps of the Federation Capitol Building at Iannis’s side was entertaining, to say the least. The guards flanking the huge, gilded double doors stared in shock as they caught sight of him, and by the time they remembered to bow we were already past the threshold and stepping into the entrance hall. Glossy mosaic tiles patterned the floors and arching ceilings with runes, and in the center of the large space was a fountain sculpture of Jeremidah. This time he was flanked by Faonus and Micara, the other two mages that made up the Founding Trio. All three mages were carved as though they were the same height, suggesting that they were equals. I wondered how true that was, if at all. My Northia Federation history was a little rusty.
“Lord Iannis!” the receptionist manning the desk to the right of us exclaimed. She was a petite human dressed in a gold and white button-up blouse and high-waisted skirt. “Is it really you? They said that you were dead!” Her pale brown eyes, the same color as the hair piled atop her head, were wider than serving platters.
“As you can see, Pamina, I am alive and well.” Iannis’s voice was deadpan, but I caught the flicker of humor in his eyes and I knew he was enjoying the receptionist’s reaction. “Would you mind telling me where the rest of the delegates are right now?”
“They’re enjoying dinner in the banquet hall.” Pamina’s mouth formed a small ‘o.’ “You’re going to cause an absolute sensation when you walk in. Do you need someone to escort you, Sir?”
“No need. We can manage on our own.” Iannis inclined his head, then swept past her and headed down a long, wide hallway to our right. Huge portraits of various Chief Mages and Ministers lined the gold walls, and my slippers fell upon a richly patterned carpet that ran down the center of the hall, leaving the rune-covered tile to peek out along the sides. I followed after Iannis along with the two delegates, hurrying to keep up with his long-legged stride. We passed a number of humans along the way as they moved between various rooms connected off the hallway, all dressed in the same gold and white uniform as the receptionist and many of them carrying files and paperwork.
“I didn’t think humans were allowed inside the Capitol,” I remarked as Iannis led us up a set of carpeted stairs.
“They weren’t, initially,” Secretary Bosal explained to me. “But the Federation realized that it was a waste of resources to employ mages for menial tasks like filing when there were plenty of humans who needed the work. Now we allow humans to work at the Capitol, so long as they are willing to be magically bonded.”
“Bonded?” I echoed. “You mean like magically sworn to secrecy?”
“Exactly,” the delegate answered. “Any human who breaks the bond will instantly die by heart attack. It is a rather effective deterrent against stealing or selling state secrets.”
“No kidding.” I turned away before the Education Secretary could see the disgust twisting my expression. On the one hand I understood that the mages wanted to take precautions, but forcing humans to subject themselves to a death spell in exchange for work seemed a little over the top. What if someone captured one of them and tortured them for information? There would be no hope for survival in that situation. Was the information contained in those stupid little files really so valuable that they were worth the loss of human life?
“If humans are allowed in the building, then why don’t I see any shifters here?” I asked Iannis.
“Shifters are trusted less by the mage community than humans, due to the hatred your species harbors for ours,” Iannis remarked dryly. “Given your origins as a species, it is only natural that we mages would rather not employ shifters in our main government building.”
The sound of violin music and chatter, which I’d caught strains of from the stairwell, grew louder, and I bit back a derisive snort as we turned a corner and came upon the banquet hall. The doors were thrown wide open, so music and light and tinkling laughter spilled freely into the hall, giving me an immediate impression of restrained elegance. More guards flanked the entrance, and expressions of shock crossed their faces before they stepped back to admit us.
The banquet hall was filled with round tables large enough to seat ten each. Most of the mages were seated at these tables, enjoying their food and wine and conversation, and my stomach grumbled at the enticing aromas of steak and salmon. A few people were standing around in small groups, some near the elaborate buffet toward the back of the room, and others near the entrance. The group nearest the doorway turned to look at us, and one of them dropped the glass of wine poised between her fingers.
“Lord Iannis!” the mage closest to us, a tall, slender man dressed in a set of silver robes that matched his short hair, exclaimed as the glass shattered into a million pieces. Dark red liquid spread quickly across the silver-veined marble, and the female mage who’d dropped it hastily scurried backward as a waiter swooped in to mop up the mess. “By the stars, but we thought you were dead!”
The entire room went silent at those words, and even the orchestra ceased playing for a few moments as everyone gaped at us in shock. Then the room exploded into pandemonium, and mages all around the room were jumping to their feet and rushing toward Iannis.
“Where have you been?”
“Do you realize you’ve missed over half of the Convention?”
“Was the Resistance responsible for your delay, or was there a mechanical malfunction?”
“Where are the rest of your delegates?”
“I’m very pleased to see you’ve brought him back here alive,” a voice murmured in my ear. I looked over my shoulder to find that Cirin Garidano, the Solantha Finance Secretary, had somehow maneuvered his way behind me. He looked very stately in his gold and blue robes, the same ones as the illusion Iannis wore, and for a moment I was reminded of the time when Argon Chartis had taken up Iannis’s seat in the audience chamber and worn his colors as well. But unlike Chartis, the Finance Secretary was acting with the blessing of the Mages Guild. It made sense for him to wear the colors of his state, as he’d been Canalo’s only representative until our arrival.
“Yeah, no thanks to you,” I jabbed, but only halfheartedly. “I had to hijack a hot air balloon in order to get to him.”
“So that hunch of yours really did work out. I must confess I thought you were bluffing. How exactly did you find him?” the Finance Secretary wanted to know. His voice was pitched low, his lips so close to my ear I could feel his breath on my skin. “What a slap in the face for the Council, that you managed to locate Lord Iannis when they could not. You clearly must have had some sort of plan in place.”
“It’s a long story.” I knew the Finance Secretary was trying to make sure he wasn’t overheard, but despite his efforts and the loud noise in the room, I wasn’t comfortable disclosing that information to him. Not to mention I still wasn’t sure I could trust him. “I’ll let the Chief Mage relay those details to you.”
“And who is this young lady accompany
ing you?” the mage who’d ‘greeted’ us asked, drawing my attention back to the conversation.
“Narina Sernan,” Iannis said, apparently inventing a name for me on the spot. I cursed him inwardly for not consulting with me first – he’d yet to pick an alias for me that I actually liked – but committed it to memory so I would know to answer to it. “She is my assistant, and she accompanied the search party which located me near the airship’s crash site.”
“I see.” The mage inclined his head in my direction before turning back to Iannis. “While we are all grateful for her part in your rescue, I’ll have to ask Miss Sernan to leave,” he said sternly. “This particular banquet is for delegates only.”
“Very well, Lord Bastien,” Iannis said before I could protest. “In any case, we came straight here, and one of our party must secure our rooms at the Crystal Hotel.”
“Are you serious?” I snapped, gritting my teeth in anger. “You’re going to send me off to run errands?”
“The rules here are very strict,” Iannis replied in mindspeak even as he went on talking to the other mages. “Besides, I really do need you to secure our hotel rooms and purchase clothing and other necessities. Much as I wish you could stay here with me, it isn’t possible, so please hold your temper and do as I ask. You’ll have plenty of time to snoop around tomorrow.”
“Fine.” His explanation was slightly mollifying, and I forced myself to keep my expression calm even though what I really wanted to do was spit on Lord Bastien’s shoe.
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Bastien said. He gestured to a guard, who instantly appeared at his side. “Help Miss Sernan procure transportation to the Crystal Hotel.”
“Yes sir.” The guard bowed, and I bit back a sigh. I didn’t need an escort, but the warning look in Iannis’s eyes was enough to make me think twice about kicking the guard to the curb. We were here on a mission, after all, and squabbling about petty matters wasn’t going to help us get to the bottom of the attack on Iannis and the other delegates.