by Jasmine Walt
“These hotels are the most vulnerable spots we’ve identified,” Barrla said, echoing what I had been thinking. “Only, which one are they going to target? There are five major receptions scheduled here in town, including the Minister’s.” That one, two days before the wedding, would be held in a large concert hall, which we had not yet inspected. It was closed to the public during the daytime, though from the outside, they seemed to have reasonable security.
“I feel like the heroine of Shifter Undercover,” Barrla declared as we sat in a steamcab heading back towards the Mages Quarter. “You remember, that was the one where the lion shifter had to pass as human, wearing false glass lenses in her eyes, to catch the villains who had framed her clan.”
“False lenses? That sounds most uncomfortable,” I commented. Barrla loved to bring up outlandish scenes from her novels and compare them to real life, but I couldn’t remember her mentioning that one before.
“Yes, but being a shifter, she could stand the pain and was continuously being healed.”
I shook my head. I’d have to check with Fenris on whether something like that was even possible. I was glad that, as a mage, I would never have to use such painful methods.
We managed to enter the Mages Quarter with little trouble this time, but we were unable to get into the Palace grounds, where the main wedding celebration would be held. I wasn’t too worried about that—Fenris had considered the Palace an unlikely target, as it was strongly warded. With any luck, Fenris and I would be able to be there, in disguise, and mingle with the other guests when the time came.
I looked forward to that, and wondered if I might take any inspiration for my own wedding. I wanted to be married sooner rather than later. If only we could make some headway with this investigation, Fenris and I could turn our attention to our own future. A small wedding would suit me just fine—neither of us had families to invite, so there was no need for a grand affair, even though I could afford it.
With the sun beginning to set, and our stomachs growling, Barrla and I adjourned to the seafood restaurant where we were supposed to meet Fenris. It had been recommended by the concierge in the Marwale as one of the best in all of Solantha. Fenris had made reservations ahead of time, and the host immediately led us to our table, which had a prime location right by a window that overlooked Solantha Bay. With a smile, he handed us leather-bound menus and took our drink orders.
“I am surprised that Fenris isn’t here yet,” Barrla said after a few minutes as we slaked our thirst on sparkling water and white wine and munched on bread and butter while studying the list of appetizing dishes. “It doesn’t seem like him to be late.”
“No, it isn’t,” I said with a frown. “He’s normally very punctual. Perhaps he ended up meeting with someone on short notice? It would be great if he was able to find some clue to who is behind all this.” I tried to be optimistic, though I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. “Why don’t we just go ahead and order—I know what he likes, and he’ll be grateful not to have to wait for the food when he finally gets here.”
But as the minutes began to tick on, and our entrées arrived with no sign of Fenris, I grew increasingly worried. I couldn’t even taste the plump shrimp I was eating or appreciate the chef’s subtle seasoning. If Fenris knew he was going to be delayed, why not send an ether pigeon to let me know? Antsy, I looked down at the serapha charm hanging from my neck and gently pressed my finger to the stone to activate it. It began to glow, letting me know that Fenris was alive, but to my dismay, the glow was a little diminished.
“What is that?” Barrla asked, leaning forward.
“It’s a serapha charm,” I told her, then briefly explained what it did. “The diminished glow usually means that the other person is injured or ill,” I said, my heart sinking into my toes. “Something must have happened to Fenris.”
“Then we need to go and find him,” Barrla said, putting down her fork. “Didn’t you say that thing can tell you where he is?”
Nodding, I closed my eyes and focused in on the little tug deep in my chest. “He’s still in the city,” I said. “Somewhere west of where we are now.”
“Well that narrows it down,” Barrla said dryly. “Is this like a game of hot and cold? The charm will tell us whether or not we’re close?”
“I’m afraid so,” I said, wishing that we had a better option. “It’s too bad I haven’t mastered the art of sending ether pigeons…but even if I could reliably produce them, it might be a bad idea if Fenris is not in a safe place to receive them.” He was in human disguise, after all, and nothing shouted “mage spy” like having an insubstantial bird pop into existence next to you and relay some mysterious message.
“Better not, then,” Barrla said, tossing her napkin onto the table and signaling to the hovering waiter to bring our bill. “At least we have some kind of lead on him. Let’s go and find him before it’s too late.”
13
Fenris
A throbbing pain in my head dragged me from the darkness, but it took me a while to gather my wits. My head was on fire, my tongue was parched, and I hurt all over—not a usual state for a shifter. What in Recca had happened to me?
Breathe, I ordered myself, taking in a deep draw of air through my nose. I focused on getting my heartbeat under control and relaxing my muscles. Eventually the pain faded a bit, and I risked opening my eyes to take stock of my surroundings. The small room looked very much like a prison cell, though I had never seen it from this particular perspective. I was lying on a hard cot, and I could hear breathing and motion coming from other cells down the hall.
I must be in the Enforcers Guild basement cells.
Groaning, I pushed upright into a sitting position and looked down at my torn, bloody clothes—the very clothes I had worn in the hotel that morning. My disguise had lapsed during my period of unconsciousness. Panic shot through me—had any of the enforcers recognized me? How recognizable would I have been unconscious, with my eyes closed? Was Director Toring even now being notified of my capture?
At least you’re still alive, I tried to console myself, and while there’s life, there’s hope. Bracing myself, I shifted into wolf form to heal my injuries, then back again. Panting, I leaned against the wall—a wave of weakness washed over me. I had a feeling it had been many hours since I’d last eaten.
Dredging up what little strength I had left, I conjured another illusion, disguising myself as the human again. But this time I modified my appearance to look less like a ruffian, improving the quality of my clothing and making my skin look cleaner and my hair less shaggy. It was always possible that nobody had noticed my change in appearance, and if some enforcer came to check on me, I wanted to look more like a confused citizen than a scruffy thug. With any luck, someone in authority would come along soon, and I could get out of here without making a scene or betraying my identity. My coin purse, which had contained my forged ID and all my money, was gone too. All I had left was Mina’s serapha charm, whose magic ensured that only I could take it off. Had they tried to do so? Would anyone searching my unconscious body have realized it was not just an eccentric necklace?
As an hour passed with nothing but my gloomy thoughts to keep me company, I began to worry that no one would come to interrogate me or let me out. Why was I here, anyway? Most likely due to that wretched enforcer who was chasing the ragged woman downtown with those pimps. Mina would have been worried when I didn’t turn up at dinner. I must not contact her, or lead anyone to her, while I was in peril of being recognized.
After a time, I decided enough was enough—I had not mastered over a thousand spells so I could sit around in a cell, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for some gruesome fate to befall me. I tried to pick the lock with a general-purpose unlocking spell, but a ward flared to life the moment my magic touched it, no doubt put there by one of the Mages Guild apprentices.
“Dammit!” I cursed under my breath as an alarm blared—tampering with the lock had set it off. What a foolish beg
inner’s mistake. I should have used my mage sight to check for wards, but somehow, in this human environment, had not expected any. Perhaps my wits were still addled from that blow to the head.
Heart pounding, I flung myself back onto my cot and closed my eyes, hoping that no one would notice. There were a few other prisoners in the cells, and it was possible that the guards might not be able to tell which lock had been tampered with.
The alarm subsided after a while, and as the minutes ticked past in silence, I began to relax a little. But the sound of heavy footsteps approaching had me tensing again, and I gritted my teeth as the door at the end of the hall swung open.
Four enforcers stopped outside my cell—two humans and two mages, I realized with dismay. One of the mages opened the cell with a key, and I was unceremoniously yanked from my cot and dragged upstairs.
“Where are you taking me?” I demanded, doing my best not to struggle. I was vastly outnumbered, and resisting would only make things worse. Besides, I was trying to portray a harmless human imprisoned by mistake.
“Captain wants to speak with you,” the mage who’d opened the cell said shortly. None of them seemed particularly inclined to talk to me.
I frowned. The captain? Why was he taking an interest in me? I turned various scenarios over in my mind as the enforcers took me up to the fourth floor and marched me into a large office at the end of the hall.
“Captain Skonel,” the mage enforcer said as he opened the door. “The prisoner you asked for.”
Ahhh, yes, I thought as I looked at the man sitting behind the desk. I remembered now. Skonel had been acting captain the last time I’d seen him, and on probation, but his appointment would be permanent by now.
“I didn’t realize we had a mage on our hands,” the captain said, his gaze full of suspicion as he studied me. He was tall and wiry, whereas his predecessor had been rather broader and more imposing. “What’s a mage skulking about downtown for? And why aren’t you in robes?” His scent was redolent with animosity.
“I demand to know why I’ve been arrested,” I said angrily, taking on an imperious tone—if the captain thought I was a mage, then I better act like one. “I was minding my own business when some thug hit me on the head. He should be in a cell right now, not me!”
“That ‘thug’ was the owner of Lance’s Ladies,” the captain said, and I remembered the name—it was on the sign of the brothel I had passed. “He claims that you refused to pay for their services and destroyed some property in a drunken rage. He even paid a bounty for you.”
“So you’re going to believe a brothel owner over a mage?” I scoffed. It seemed that Sunaya had not rooted all the corruption out of the Enforcers Guild, if pimps and enforcers were still working hand in hand.
“I’m inclined to, since I have no idea who you are and what you were up to in such a seedy area.”
“My name is Uthrel Galorian,” I said, using the name of the hero from an ancient Loranian saga. Iannis would instantly recognize the name, though it would mean nothing to these humans. “I am working directly for the Chief Mage and his bride, Sunaya Baine. They will both vouch for me. These ridiculous charges are bogus—I was never even inside that damn brothel and wouldn’t dream of using their services. I was investigating human trafficking on behalf of the Mages Guild.”
“And why is it,” the captain said tightly, “that the Mages Guild is conducting criminal investigations on my turf, without informing me?” His voice rose dangerously. This must be a sore spot with him, but it was too late to change the story now. Besides, from what I’d observed, he was doing a poor job of policing the area.
“We suspect that some of your enforcers are involved,” I said, “and we did not want to involve you without concrete proof, in case you have a mole in your office. The fact that your enforcers dumped me into a cell with a false story when I was the victim of assault is proof that our suspicions are justified. I demand to know the name of the enforcer who delivered me here. He or they must be in league with the gangs downtown!”
“You’re in no position to make any demands of me, much less waltz into my office and accuse my men of corruption,” the captain snapped, his face coloring with rage. “I’ll look into this little story of yours when I have the time, which won’t be anytime soon with all that we have going on in Solantha right now. Until I can confirm who you are and what you were really doing there, you’ll remain in your prison cell.”
“You have no authority to hold me!” I shouted with righteous indignation as the guards grabbed me. “The Chief Mage will be furious when he hears about this!”
“Good,” the captain growled, and I had to give him reluctant credit for courage, if not for good sense. “Maybe then he’ll realize how it feels when someone stomps all over his jurisdiction.”
As the enforcers dragged me back to my cell, I considered fighting my way free. But the odds were against me, and I didn’t need yet another bounty on my head.
“Just in case you think about trying to escape again,” the mage enforcer sneered as I was shoved into my cell. Before I could ask what he meant, he slapped a pair of runed manacles on my wrists. I gasped, then immediately ducked my head as the illusion I maintained flickered away. Hurriedly, I retreated into the shadows before the enforcers noticed, but they had already turned away, talking and laughing amongst themselves as they left. The bastards.
Dammit. I should have fought them after all. I glowered at the manacles, and the runes on them glowed back, almost as if they were mocking me. As long as I had these cuffs on, I couldn’t do any magic. I was well and truly stuck here, and if anyone recognized me as Fenris, I was doomed.
In hindsight, I might have been better off telling the captain who I really was—the claim that I was working for Iannis would have been much more believable then. It was possible my fortuitous “death” in the quake had forestalled Garrett Toring and his agents from putting me on any wanted lists, and I could have bluffed my way out of this predicament. But it was too late for me to change my story without looking even more shifty.
Of all the times for Iannis and Sunaya to be missing, this was surely the worst.
14
Mina
Abandoning the restaurant, Barrla and I followed the pull of the serapha charm, hoping it would lead us to Fenris. At first we got into a cab and gave the bewildered driver step by step directions, but soon we were snarled in traffic. We paid the driver for his time and continued our search on foot, doing our best to navigate the streets even though we didn’t really know where we were going. It was dark by now, and despite the gas lamps, the city felt strangely menacing. I cursed the heels that slowed us down.
Finally, several hours and two sore pairs of feet later, we found ourselves standing outside a tall, dingy gray building. “The Enforcers Guild?” Barrla panted, using a handkerchief to mop the sweat from her brow as she moved the camera bag to her other shoulder. “This isn’t good.”
“No.” I bit my lip as I stared at the faded lettering above the entrance. If Fenris was here, there was a good chance he was taken prisoner. “We have to get him out of here.”
“A prison break? I’ve never tried one of those before,” Barrla said, sounding far too eager.
“Let’s start with some questions first.”
We entered the building together. Despite the late hour, it was quite busy with foot traffic—I imagined there was a change of shift going on.
“Excuse me,” Barrla purred as she sauntered up to the gangly young man sitting behind the reception desk—an enforcer trainee. “Is the captain in? My associate and I would love to interview him for the Deros Globe. We’d love to know how he’s coping with all the upcoming festivities.” She gave him a coy smile, and his cheeks turned pink.
“Fenris?” I called in mindspeak while Barrla flirted with the trainee, trying to convince him that his captain would love to be interviewed by out-of-town journalists. I could feel him—it almost seemed as if he was right beneath me. “Ar
e you here?”
“Mina?” Fenris replied, and I nearly sagged with relief. He sounded alarmed but coherent—I didn’t sense that he was in any pain. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to find you, of course,” I said, a little crossly. “How in Recca did you end up in a cell?”
“I was following up a lead downtown when a thug knocked me out,” Fenris said, sounding chagrined. “It seems that the enforcers and the pimps down there work hand in hand. They could have killed me, but instead they brought me here unconscious, claiming I’d refused to pay for a whore and destroyed some brothel’s property while drunk.”
“A whore?” I started to ask, and then shook my head. I didn’t even want to know. The main thing was that he’d survived the greatest danger. “Fenris, I thought we already agreed you weren’t going to go back there alone.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” he said, and he sounded so upset with himself that I decided not to belabor the point. “They’ve put runed handcuffs on me, Mina. I can’t use my magic.”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re no longer disguised?” I asked, alarmed. The last thing Fenris needed was to have his identity revealed while he was already in a jail cell.
“Yes, but with any luck they won’t be back to see me for some time. They say they are ‘looking into’ my story.” Fenris briefly explained to me how he’d told the captain that he was in downtown on a mission for Iannis. “You must go to Comenius at once and explain what happened, and have him check to see if Iannis and Sunaya are back yet.”