by Jasmine Walt
I laughed. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of having it without you.”
“A mage wedding,” Marris murmured, looking a little awed. “I never thought I’d be attending one, especially not with you as the bride, Mina.”
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” I said quickly. “I know how uncomfortable you are around mages.”
Marris smiled. “I wouldn’t let Barrla go without me,” he said, “and besides, I’m starting to get used to it. I thought staying in the palace would be just as uncomfortable as that fancy hotel, but I’m realizing not all mages are bad. I really like Sunaya—she seems more human than the others, which is ironic since she’s not human at all.”
“She’s a total badass,” Barrla said admiringly. “I can see why it would take a man like Lord Iannis to keep up with her.”
“You know, I do feel a bit guilty that my buddies have gone through all this for nothing,” Marris said. “Not that it’s a good thing that they were looking forward to killing the mages…but they’re going to be pretty disappointed.”
“Maybe, but at least they’ll still be alive,” I reminded him. “Many of them would have died if the plot had gone through, and those who didn’t would be rounded up and executed afterward. You did them a favor in preventing that, even if they wouldn’t see it that way.”
“Doesn’t it seem strange to you that they decided to target the building that had the strongest security?” Barrla asked. “I would have chosen a different venue if I had been planning the attack, one that offered better chances of success. But then again, I guess sane, logical people would not get involved in such schemes in the first place.”
“I wish that the guy who’d confessed, Moredo, was still alive so we could ask him how they made that decision,” Marris said. “Nasty business, suicide.”
“He committed suicide?” I had been so wrapped up in family and wedding thoughts that this jolted me. “When did that happen?”
“Last night, in one of the cells of the Enforcers Guild, I gather,” Marris said. “Everyone in the Palace is discussing it. You really hadn’t heard?”
“But what if it wasn’t suicide?” Barrla’s eyes lit up. “What if he was assassinated in order to keep him from talking, because he hadn’t told the entire truth? I remember reading a novel once where a prisoner was murdered by the warden to keep him from talking, and it was passed off as a suicide.”
“If it was murder,” I said slowly, turning the idea over in my mind, “it would mean that one or more enforcers were in on the plot.” Judging by the way they had treated Fenris, I did not have much trouble imagining that some enforcers in Solantha sympathized with the Resistance. After all, the majority of them were human, and they seemed to resent the mages’ higher authority.
“Could be one of his associates somehow managed to slip into the prison and commit the murder,” Barrla suggested. “The Resistance has many sympathizers.”
Marris shrugged. “Yes, if it was a murder. But speaking as a Resistance sympathizer, not all of us are up for underhanded killing. It’s not the same as fighting openly, face to face.”
“That’s a good point,” I said.
“I should probably say goodbye to my buddies today,” Marris said, pushing out of the chair he’d been lounging in. “Since the plot has been foiled, they’ll be leaving soon. Some of them will be pretty angry, so I’ll have to be careful not to be seen with any of you until they’ve left town.”
“Watch yourself,” Barrla said as she stood up to kiss him. As they embraced, I decided to seek out Fenris and see what he thought about this unexpected death. If Barrla’s instincts were right, perhaps we’d been premature in thinking all danger had passed…
27
Fenris
“I hope Mina’s suspicion is wrong,” Iannis said as he hung up the phone. He sat back in his office chair and pressed the tips of his fingers together, his expression pensive. “With your wedding and the Minister’s reception tomorrow, and the Convention for the entire coming week, we don’t have time to hunt down the culprit if this suicide was faked.”
“It’s just a hunch,” I said, though I was not so certain that was the truth. Mina had come to me with her and Barrla’s suspicions, and after consulting with Iannis, we’d asked Sunaya to look into it. She had intimate knowledge of the enforcers and their cells, and had immediately set out to interview all witnesses. So far, she had not discovered anything suspicious about the man’s suicide—he’d hanged himself from his belt, without witnesses. The only tangible result of her foray was the return of my purse and the news that Enforcer Meltin was currently residing in a cell, pending the result of an investigation into his activities. It seemed Captain Skonel had bestirred himself after all.
Iannis looked like he was about to say something else, but the phone rang. “The Minister is here for his courtesy visit,” Dira said. “Shall I send him in?”
“Yes, please, in one minute. If he has brought any staff with him, ask them to wait outside.” Iannis hung up the phone. “I suggest you shift now, Fenris, and get under the desk before the Minister comes in.”
Frowning, I did as he asked, reaching for the beast that always lay dormant, just waiting for the chance to come to the surface. My wolfish side sprang forth eagerly, and a pale glow engulfed me as my body stretched and reformed. It took only seconds for the change to complete, and just in time—the door opened right as I darted beneath Iannis’s huge desk. This felt strangely like old times, but I did not entirely like it. My days of skulking and hiding were over after this, I decided as I rested my lupine head on my paws.
“Lord Iannis,” the Minister said by way of greeting. I tried to peek beneath the sliver of space between the desk and the floor, but all I could see was the hem of the Minister’s robes and his shoes. “I am glad to see that you’ve returned safely, though you cut it pretty close.”
“Thank you, Minister,” Iannis said politely. “The journey was unexpected and we returned as soon as we could, believe me. I am grateful that you kept an eye on things in our absence. Sunaya and I look forward to your reception tomorrow night. I do hope that the aborted plot did not cause any issues with the preparations?”
“Everything is well in hand,” the Minister said. “I leave the details to my underlings.”
Iannis poured a drink for both of them, and they spent the next few minutes discussing various state matters, particularly the legislation that was being voted on this week by the Convention.
“I don’t want to keep you too much longer,” Iannis said, “but before you go, I have a request, and I am hoping that you will grant it as a wedding present.”
“Oh?” The Minister sounded curious. “What did you have in mind?”
“As you know, my friend Fenris is the son of the late Polar ar’Tollis. He may be illegitimate, but he is Polar’s only heir, and he is about to be married to a respectable young lady mage. It would be a generous gesture if Polar could be pardoned posthumously, so that Fenris and his bride need not begin their marriage under the shadow of having an outlaw ancestor.”
“Pardon Polar? You cannot be serious,” the Minister protested indignantly. “Even if I wanted to, I could not wipe his slate clean—he committed a grievous offense against the Great Accord and must be punished to the full extent of the law. I truly don’t see any need for this—Fenris and his bride will not be persecuted for his father’s crimes. Perhaps if we had confirmation that Polar was dead I might consider it, but there is always a chance that he survived. If he were to resurface after the pardon, it would make a mockery of all we stand for!”
“I am very sorry you feel that way,” Iannis said coolly as my heart thundered in my chest. What in Recca was Iannis thinking, bringing up something like this now? “I had hoped you might have a more flexible outlook on the matter, as I have recently learned that you yourself have not always followed the tenets of the Great Accord. Is it not true that mage marriages are permanent, and can never be broken?”
>
A deathly silence filled the room, and I held my breath, silently admiring and cursing Iannis at the same time. It was just like him to leverage the Minister’s dirty secret on my behalf rather than using it for his own political gain. But what if the Minister did not bite? This was a very dangerous game Iannis was playing—if the Minister did not play along, he would almost certainly come after both of us.
“In case you were wondering,” Iannis said in a friendly tone, “I did not learn of this from Mirrine. Your wife is a lovely, intelligent woman, and knows that it is safer for her if she is the only one who knows your secret. She does not know that I am aware of the truth.”
“Is the pardon really all you want?” the Minister asked stiffly. I could scent his fury, but it was overshadowed by the acrid smell of panic. “I had been planning on naming you my successor, but in light of this…this blackmail, I am far less inclined to do so now.”
“I have never been interested in your position, as you well know,” Iannis said blandly. “I far prefer the temperate clime of Canalo to Dara’s snowy winters. I am perfectly content with you naming Garrett as your successor, once you sign and seal these documents.”
Iannis pulled a file from one of the drawers and passed it to the Minister over the table. The Minister said nothing, and I gathered by the sound of shuffling papers that he was reading the documents Iannis had prepared in advance. Jittery excitement filled my nerves, and I had to force myself to remain very still lest the Minister become aware of my presence.
“You’re asking me to give an unconditional pardon to not only Polar, but also to anyone who may have helped him in any way, for any action involving him after he fled Nebara,” the Minister said flatly. “That sounds an awful lot like you are the one who helped him escape.”
“Whether or not I had anything to do with Polar’s disappearance is irrelevant at this point.” Iannis sounded utterly unconcerned. “There is no evidence to support that claim, whereas I can produce proof of your bigamy at any time. I’ve already taken precautions to ensure said proof is published, should anything happen to me following this conversation.”
“Besides,” he went on as the Minister sputtered, “this doesn’t really have anything to do with Polar. I strongly suspect he is dead, and even if he somehow survived he would be a fool to show his face in the Federation. This is for the benefit of Fenris and his bride, who have done nothing wrong.”
“Very well,” the Minister said grudgingly. Relief swept through me as I heard the scratch of pen on paper, and all the tension bled from my muscles. “Signed and sealed, as you ‘requested.’ I must say I am not looking forward to tomorrow’s reception as much as I was before I came in here,” he added tartly.
“I’m sure you will manage,” Iannis said lightly as he tucked the documents back into his desk drawer. “Good day, Minister, and thank you for visiting. I shall see you tomorrow at the Formal Opening of the Convention.”
There was a beat of strained silence, and I had to choke back a laugh as I imagined the look on the Minister’s face as Iannis summarily dismissed him. But the moment passed, and the Minister rose from his chair and left without another word.
I stayed where I was for another minute, listening as the Minister’s footsteps faded outside the hall. Only when I was certain that he wasn’t coming back did I nudge Iannis’s legs out of the way so I could get out from under the desk.
“You are absolutely insane,” I told him after shifting back into human form. “What if this entire thing had backfired and the Minister ended up throwing us all into prison?”
Iannis laughed. “Come now, Fenris,” he said, pouring another drink for both of us. “We both know the Minister values his position far more than I do mine. Yes, there was a chance he would have refused me, but he knows that he cannot afford to have his relationship with Mirrine publicized. From his perspective, this was the only logical solution.”
“True enough,” I admitted as I swirled my glass of scotch around. I took a small sip, and the liquid burned down my throat, filling my stomach with warmth and banishing my lingering nerves. “You don’t think that I should start going by Polar now, do you?”
“No,” Iannis said. “You may have the legal right to do so, but assuming your true identity would cause more trouble than it is worth. Besides, you are not truly Polar anymore. Your years as a shifter have turned you into a new man.”
“Yes,” I agreed, smiling. “I am quite content to let Polar ar’Tollis remain missing or dead. Those who matter to me are the only ones who need to know the truth.”
“I do wish I had known about this secret earlier,” Iannis said ruefully. “We might have been able to avoid the transformation spell entirely. It is too bad that the change is irreversible.”
I shrugged. “I quite like being Fenris, actually,” I assured Iannis. “I don’t think I would want to change back even if it were possible. I have long made peace with who I am now—I may not have all of my magical strength, but the shifter abilities I’ve gained were worth the tradeoff. Besides, it seems like my powers are slowly regenerating.”
“Is that so?” Iannis asked, his violet eyes lighting up. “You should document that, test the rate of improvement at regular intervals. Perhaps in a few years we can unearth some of the more experimental spells in my archive and try them together.”
I laughed. “Let’s focus on getting through our weddings first,” I suggested, lifting my glass to him. There would be time enough to think about magical experiments after all this excitement was behind us.
“About that wedding,” Iannis said, his expression serious. “Are you sure Sunaya is not rushing you and your bride? I know that Mina said she wants it to be soon, but two days is perhaps sooner than she thought—and what about you? There is a reason mage engagements are supposed to last for at least a year. Minister Graning is a case in point. If you say the word, we can always wait a few more weeks.”
I stared at him. “By the Lady, Iannis. You know me better than to think that I would rush into marriage just because Sunaya arranged to get us married now. Mina may be young, but we are both absolutely certain of our feelings. We’re already living as man and wife anyway—it would be insulting for me to turn around and tell her to wait, when it’s so obvious she wants this as much as I do. If anyone has a problem with that, they can go straight to hell.”
Iannis grinned. “That was all I needed to hear,” he said. “Now, are you sure you’ve got your wedding vows memorized?”
28
Mina
“Oh,” Barrla sighed as the mage temple shimmered into view. “It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined.”
“Yeah, that was my reaction too when Iannis first brought me here,” Sunaya said, and I silently agreed. The three of us stood outside the temple at the top of Hawk Hill, preparing to enter. Fenris, his parents, and the rest of our friends were waiting inside, and my stomach was a bundle of nerves. I wish I’d had more time to prepare—Fenris and I barely had time to choose our wedding vows and practice them.
“Stop fretting,” Barrla said, squeezing my hand. “You look gorgeous, and you’re going to do great. As long as you actually get to the ‘I do’ part, everything will be fine.”
Sunaya laughed. “I don’t think she’ll forget that part,” she said, her green eyes sparkling in the setting sun. She and Barrla had agreed to be my bridesmaids, and both of them wore matching blue silk dresses. They looked radiant, and I could already imagine how magnificent Sunaya would look on her own wedding day in just another week. She had shown me the dress yesterday—it was a work of art, though not entirely conventional.
The door to the temple opened, and Marris came rushing out. I smiled at the sight of him in a three-piece navy suit with a red tie—it was probably the fanciest thing he’d ever worn in his life.
“There you are,” he said, grinning. “You look perfect. Are you ready?”
He offered me his arm, and I stared down at it, a lump forming in my throat.
I wished my father had been alive to see this day—he would have been the one to give me away. But Marris had kindly offered to do so in his stead, so I smiled and laid my hand atop his forearm.
“I’m ready,” I said.
Slowly, we entered the sparkling dome, the doors opening of their own accord to admit us. Normally there would be other worshippers here, kneeling on the floor and praying to the statue of Resinah that stood proud and tall in the center of the temple.
Instead, the temple had been cleared of all worshippers and was filled with our friends. Fenris’s parents, Comenius and his family, Director Chen, Janta the librarian with two little girls at her side, Elnos, and a few others were seated in white chairs that had been brought out. Somewhere off to the side, a string quartet played a soft, melodious song that was often used at weddings.
I registered all of these things peripherally—my gaze went straight to Fenris, who stood before Resinah’s statue with Iannis on one side and the priest on the other. He looked positively regal in his gold and ivory robes, and his yellow eyes were shining with pure adoration that was echoed in my own chest as I approached. I’d never before seen him in robes, but he carried them with pride.
I reached the end of the short aisle, and Marris gently placed my hand into Fenris’s waiting palm. He inclined his head to both of us, then took a seat near Director Chen and Kardanor as Barrla and Sunaya took up their positions next to me.
“Family and friends of the bride and groom,” the priest said, his sonorous voice echoing through the dome. “Welcome to Solantha Temple, where we have gathered today to witness the joining of these two souls in holy matrimony. In this sacred place, before the Creator and the First Mage, we take ourselves out of the usual routine of our day to be here for this unique moment in the lives of Fenris and Mina, where the two finally become one.”