by Jasmine Walt
I opened my mouth to ask him another question, something niggling at the back of my mind. But Fenris took my face in his hands and kissed me, and I forgot all about the elegant Forrane woman and her probing questions.
4
Mina
The next morning, Fenris and I headed for Solantha in our rented steamcar. It had an open roof, so I was forced to tie down my wide-brimmed straw hat with a scarf to keep it from flying away as the winds whipped around us. I wore a deep pink dress with white flowers that matched the band of my hat, and Fenris was dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, a pair of mirror sunglasses perched on his strong nose. He’d added the sunglasses to his human disguise as an extra precaution—between that, his added height, and his adjusted features, nobody would recognize him. Especially not when everyone was intent on preparing for the wedding and Convention, two huge events within the same stretch of time.
Within an hour, the city of Solantha came into view, and with it, the sparkling waters of Solantha Bay. Leaning out the window, I took in the sight of the famous Firegate Bridge, gleaming red in the morning sun, and the sprawling city beyond it.
Solantha was a beautiful sight from afar, but as we crossed the bridge and made our way into the city, I was greeted by honking horns and dusty air. Many of the buildings were covered in scaffolding as workers toiled to repair them, and numerous streets were shut off due to quake damage that still had not been fixed, forcing us to take alternate routes that were even more congested than they normally would have been, according to Fenris.
“I knew the city was badly damaged,” he said quietly as we drove, “but I didn’t think there would still be this much construction going on.”
Sensing the melancholy mood that had swept over him, I placed my hand atop his on the gear shift. “It wouldn’t have gone any faster if you’d stayed behind,” I told him. “None of this is your fault. From what you have told me, you helped with the emergency preparations and are very lucky to have survived at all.”
Making our way through snarled traffic and steep inclines, I noted that beneath the scaffolding, dust, and noise, Solantha retained a certain charm, a special flair. While many buildings were still being repaired, even more had either survived or were newly constructed, and these were lovely—the architects had mixed old and new styles together into pleasing designs. As we approached the port, gulls wheeled overhead, and a cooling wind swept my hair back, banishing some of the dust.
Fenris and I found a guarded parking lot and walked the last few blocks to Witches End, the pier where his friend Comenius had his shop. The port sprawled alongside us, endless piers jutting out into Solantha Bay, and I saw many gaily-colored buildings, carts selling wares, and street performers. A female contortionist in a striped pantsuit bent her body into all manner of unnatural positions to my left, while a small boy offered me caramel corn on my right. I bought a small bag from him, then stopped at a cart to inspect the wares of a jeweler.
“This one would suit you well, ma’am,” the woman said, holding up a silver necklace with purple gemstones that matched the dress I was wearing.
I smiled. “I’m afraid I don’t care for silver,” I told her. “Let me try those pearl earrings instead.”
“You can still buy silver if you like,” Fenris said once we continued on, a small bag in my hand. “You don’t need to avoid it on my account.”
“I want nothing to come between us,” I said, slipping my free hand into his. “I would never wear something that prevents you from being able to touch any part of me.”
“Keep talking like that,” he murmured, leaning in to brush his lips against my cheek, “and we’ll never make it to Comenius’s shop.”
Heat flashed in my core, and I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks at the thought of making love to Fenris again. But I was quickly distracted as we finally turned onto Witches End. Like several other piers along the port, this one was lined with shops, but unlike the others, these were of a magical nature. Delighted, I released Fenris’s hand and flitted from window to window. Here, there was a fortune teller’s shop, offering devices for scrying as well as more personalized services. There, an apothecary, selling all manner of cosmetics, potions, and remedies.
“Gulayas, New and Recharged?” I asked, reading the sign on a shop halfway up the pier. The painted letters looked to be brand-new, and through the sparkling glass windows I could peek at a display of metallic ornaments of varying shapes and styles, the biggest roughly the size of my palm. “What is this?”
“A new shop,” Fenris said, regarding the place with interest. “Gulayas are devices that can be used to transport a person from one place to another instantly. They had fallen quite out of use until Iannis discovered a way to recharge them that didn’t involve a highly illegal ingredient. This may very well be the first shop of its kind to exist in the Federation, or perhaps all of Recca.”
“Really? These objects can teleport you to another location? No matter the distance?”
Fenris smiled. “In theory, though I imagine the further the distance, the pricier the gulaya. The first charge has to take place at the destination, and the gulaya is forever keyed to that place.”
“And they are very expensive to start with,” I murmured, glancing down at the prices marked on the displays. Only a single customer was inside, and I doubted that the shop got many customers since they charged such an exorbitant amount. “Even so, we can afford it. I think we should each have one, in case of emergency.” Had Fenris possessed a charged gulaya when he’d had to flee from his home state, things might have gone a lot easier for him.
As we continued on, I made a mental note to come back to the gulaya store later. At the end of the pier, we finally reached Comenius’s shop—a charming two-story building called Over the Hedge. As we opened the door, a bell tinkled, signaling our arrival. The place was empty at the moment, allowing me an uninterrupted view of the fresh, simple décor and the herbal remedies, soaps, charms, and other varied merchandise on the shelves and tables. The air was laced with herbal and floral scents, and as I inhaled, I immediately relaxed.
“One moment please!” a male voice with a strong Pernian accent called from the back. The curtain behind the counter was pushed aside, and a tall man with ash-blond hair dressed in a brown and green tunic came forward. “Welcome,” he said with a friendly smile.
“Comenius.” Fenris smiled, taking off his shades and dropping his disguise. “It’s been a long time.”
“Fenris!” Comenius’s bright blue eyes went wide. He hurried from behind the counter and caught Fenris up in a quick, hard hug. “I got your pigeon, but I hadn’t expected you to come this soon. Please, head upstairs.”
Comenius locked the front door and flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED, then herded us through the back of his shop and up the stairs into what turned out to be a second-floor apartment. He sat us down on the small couch in the living area, then brought us tea and cookies from the kitchen.
“I can’t thank you enough for what you did for Rusalia,” Comenius said as he sat down across from us, his voice full of emotion. His blue eyes burned bright as he met Fenris’s gaze. “You nearly gave your life for her.”
Fenris smiled. “There is no need for thanks,” he assured Comenius. “I have lived a long life already—your daughter deserves to have a happy one of her own. Where is she now?”
“At school,” Comenius said. “She is doing quite well now that she’s finally settled down. She was heartbroken when she thought you were dead, you know,” he chided Fenris. “You could have sent a note to let us know you were safe. Sunaya told us that you were probably alive, but without proof it’s been hard to believe until you sent me that ether pigeon.”
“I’m sorry,” Fenris said. “I thought it would be safer if you didn’t know where I was, and messages can be easily intercepted.”
“True. Now, who is your lovely friend?” Comenius asked, turning to me with a smile. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”
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“This is Tamina Marton of Haralis,” Fenris introduced me, hooking his arm through mine. “And my fiancée.”
“Fiancée!” Comenius exclaimed, looking astounded. “Why, Fenris, I never imagined, of all the things that might have happened when you left, that you would settle down with a woman.” He looked me up and down again, his frank blue gaze assessing now. “You’re a mage, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “An untrained one. I was in hiding until very recently, in the same small town Fenris moved to, and I haven’t completed my apprenticeship yet. That’s how Fenris and I found each other.”
“Well I’m very happy for you both,” Comenius said, smiling. “Elania and I finally tied the knot this spring, you know.”
“Congratulations,” Fenris said. “I am happy to hear that the quake did not rob you of your nuptials.”
“We did have to reschedule a few things, but we are very happily married now,” Comenius said.
“Has anything else of note happened while I’ve been gone?” Fenris asked, settling back in his chair. I’d expected him to launch straight into the reason for our visit, but it seemed he was more interested in hearing how his friends had fared. Not that I could blame him.
“Rylan Baine is a free man now,” Comenius told him after taking a sip of tea. “I remember that you became friends, especially while Iannis and Sunaya were on their travels. After the quake Iannis granted him a full pardon, and Rylan is now living with the Baine Clan once again.”
“The Baine Clan?” I asked. “Isn’t Sunaya’s last name Baine?”
Fenris nodded. “Sunaya is a daughter of the Baine Clan, though she had strained relations with them for many years due to her half-mage heritage. I hope that has changed?”
“It has,” Comenius confirmed. “Her aunt’s attitude transformed overnight, and she’s been very cooperative with the Canalo government ever since Rylan was freed. I hear that he’s been clashing with his mother, though, so I’m not sure if that will last.” His lips twitched.
Fenris smiled wryly. “Rylan has always been a free spirit, very much like Sunaya. His sense of adventure will demand to be sated sooner or later, and I expect it is driving him crazy to have to live with the clan again.” His expression turned serious again. “And what of Annia?”
“She and Noria are both gone,” Comenius said, his eyes dimming with sadness. “The mines where Noria was serving her sentence collapsed during the quake, and Annia went to look for her sister. Noria was missing when she arrived, and Annia has been searching for her since.”
“Noria?” I asked. Fenris had told me a little bit about his friends on the trip here but hadn’t mentioned Noria. Since it had been many months since the quake and she was still missing, I guessed she probably did not want to be found. I wouldn’t either, if all I had to go back to was breaking stones in a penal mine.
“Noria Melcott,” Fenris explained. “She used to work in the shop downstairs while she was a student. She is Annia’s younger sister, and a technological genius. She defected to the Resistance and was sent to the mines as punishment once she was apprehended.”
“Oh.” My stomach sank a little. Fenris had told me that Annia was an enforcer. I couldn’t imagine how it must have felt to learn that your sister was a criminal. I wondered if Annia would bring her back, or if she would join her in exile. It seemed like an impossible choice to make.
“I do hope that Annia returns safely, hopefully with Noria in tow,” Fenris said. “I know how much you cared for Noria. If only she would see reason, Iannis would pardon her in a heartbeat.”
Comenius nodded gravely. “I know. But you didn’t come here to talk about Noria,” he said. “You mentioned in your ether pigeon that Solantha is in danger?”
“I’m afraid so,” Fenris said. “A trusted friend has told me that someone is assembling former Resistance soldiers for something big. Since both the wedding and the Convention are happening here in Solantha, this is the ideal moment for the Resistance to stage a comeback. I have sent a coded letter to Iannis, as well as a veritable flock of ether pigeons, but I have not heard from him, which is very strange considering the urgency of my warning.”
Comenius winced. “Yes, well, that is because Iannis and Sunaya are not here.”
Fenris frowned. “I learned as much from the secretary when I called, but she assured me they would be back soon. And that still does not explain why Iannis has not answered any of my ether pigeons.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know much,” Comenius said, “but Kardanor, who is now Secretary of City Planning and Director Chen’s beau, told me that she believes Iannis and Sunaya have traveled to Manuc to deal with a family matter.”
“Manuc!” Fenris exclaimed. That was all the way across the Eastern Sea, near the Central Continent. “No wonder my ether pigeons have not been able to reach him. Is there no address I can send a letter to?”
Comenius grimaced. “No one knows exactly where he went, and Iannis never shared any details about his early life in Manuc. If anyone knows more, surely it would be you.”
Fenris shook his head. “I know that his father has passed, and he mentioned once that he was an only child. But now that I think about it, Iannis was pretty close-mouthed about his origins. I have no idea what other family he might still have over there.”
“We could send someone out there to find him, but I fear it would be a waste of resources,” Comenius said, “especially since he is expected back any day. Kardanor said that Iannis took a double-strength gulaya with him, one that is anchored to the Palace, so he’ll be able to return the moment he’s finished whatever business has called him away.”
“I certainly hope so,” Fenris muttered. “The last thing we all need is for Iannis to miss his own wedding. It would be too humiliating for words, the scandal of the decade.”
“You aren’t the only one who is wishing for his swift return,” Comenius remarked. “Kardanor told me that Director Chen is at her wits’ end trying to downplay Iannis’s disappearance in the face of increasing media curiosity, with Garrett sniffing about and making a general nuisance of himself. She has her hands full—half the venues are still being plastered and painted, dignitaries are complaining about the accommodations, and so on. I do not envy her job right now.”
“Venues?” I asked. “Just how many are there going to be?”
“The actual wedding will take place at the temple on Hawk Hill, of course,” Comenius told me. “That is restricted to close friends and family. But for everyone else there will be a huge banquet and fireworks at the Palace right afterward. And there will be daily receptions during the week before the wedding, hosted by various officials and high members of society who are vying with one another to demonstrate their wealth and importance. The Minister himself is hosting one, in one of the city’s biggest halls.”
“Well, at least this is good for the city,” Fenris remarked. “Solantha can do with the income after all the damage it has suffered. I am glad to see everyone is busy.”
Comenius nodded. “Busy people are less likely to engage in a revolt, so there is that. Hopefully the numbers that the Resistance are gathering are not too great, in light of the recently booming economy.”
“We can hope, but we certainly can’t count on that,” I said. “Sunaya and Iannis may be gone, but surely there is someone else we can speak to about this. We can’t just sit by and do nothing.”
“Agreed,” Comenius said. “I will send an anonymous warning to Director Chen, and to Garrett Toring as well.”
“I wish we did not have to involve Toring at all,” Fenris muttered. “But since he is the Federal Director of Security, it would be stupid not to make use of his resources.”
“I shall make absolutely certain he gets no wind of your presence here,” Comenius assured Fenris. “We will alert Sunaya and Iannis the moment they get back, but in the meantime, we need to tell Toring. It is his job to root out Resistance operatives, after all, and I see no reason to do it for him.”
5
Fenris
After we finished up at Com’s place, I took Mina on a little sightseeing tour of the city, starting with a cable car ride to Firegate Park. It was a delight to see the look on Mina’s face as I walked with her to the botanical gardens, then strolled along the nearby streets, eating ice cream cones while we window-shopped. Everything looked so placid and cheerful that it was hard to believe that fighting and mayhem might be just days away.
We even spent a bit of time walking along Firegate Bridge, and I pointed out Hawk Hill, the location of the hidden temple where Sunaya and Iannis would get married—if they made it back in time.
“We should get married there too,” Mina said, leaning her head against my shoulder as we walked arm in arm. “It wouldn’t be a grand affair like the Chief Mage’s wedding, but it would be beautiful, and we would have all your friends with us.”
I smiled. “I like that idea very much,” I said softly, though I didn’t know how realistic it was. It was one thing to visit Comenius in secret, quite another to get married in Resinah’s temple, in full view of the mage community. It was sacrilege to put a false name in the book when you signed the temple registry, and I would feel even worse about doing it in the temple of a city that I loved.
Still, I didn’t want to crush Mina’s hopes, so I didn’t trouble her with my doubts. And despite the fact that I had to wear human clothes and hide my face with mirrored sunglasses, I greatly enjoyed walking about Solantha and seeing the fair city that I had begun to think of as mine.
Hungry from all the walking, Mina and I stopped at a restaurant for lunch and ordered soup and sandwiches. “As much as I’ve enjoyed the sightseeing,” Mina said over her bowl of chowder, “I have a feeling you’re antsy to get something productive done.”