The Scofflaw Magician (The Artifactor Book 3)

by Honor Raconteur

  “I’ll pass.” She took it as a compliment that he said so and grinned regardless.

  Xald hauled the man to his feet and roughly searched his pockets. On the inside of his vest, two leather purses came out, both of them fairly fat and jingly. “Gautum, I rather doubt these are yours.”

  “They were lent to me!” Gautum protested, eyes darting about nervously. “For a business venture.”

  “I’ll make sure to talk to those partners of yours later. But for now, we have some questions to ask you about the day you were in the courtyard outside of the Small Court.”

  This statement terrified the thief and he scrambled to get away. But his sandals found no purchase on the paving stones, and Xald was strong enough that he could brace himself and hold the man’s arms. Neither man moved an inch.

  Tiring of this, Sevana moved to face the man. “I am Artifactor Sevana Warran. I have questions about the day you were in that courtyard. Not about what you stole, but about what you saw. You will answer my questions.”

  Gautum licked his lips, head jerking in a shaky denial. “Wasn’t there.”

  “You will answer my questions,” she continued inexorably. “Or I will turn you into a toad.” As if considering this, she lifted her head to squint at the sun. “In this heat, you’ll be baked in about an hour. I wouldn’t recommend the experience.”

  The thief also darted a look at the sun, as if weighing that option. He looked near to fainting as he realized that a frog in this sort of environment really wouldn’t last an hour. And he didn’t want to be a toad to begin with. Faintly, he croaked, “What do you want to know?”

  Sevana propped her feet up on a barrel, letting her hat sink lower over her eyes, feeling like everything was throbbing. Gautum the thief had been short on information. He had only been able to tell her who was legitimately there on business and who he knew was there causing mischief. The mischief makers were noted and Xald would take care of them later, but it didn’t give her the information she needed. After handing him off to the city guard, they went back to their list. She and Xald had crossed back and forth across the city at least a hundred times, ferreting out the missing people, or trying to. They’d crossed eight off the list, and right now, she didn’t feel like they’d get to a ninth person. Even with multiple potions and spells, her feet were aching, and the sun felt like it had penetrated through her eyes and burned the back of her skull. Forget custom, wearing a hat was a simple necessity in this country. She’d have been sun blind and burned without it.

  Xald, unfairly, didn’t seem as affected as she was. He’d settled her into a cool corner of a pub of some sort, then gone to fetch her a drink. The man was tougher than a bed of nails.

  Coming back, he plopped a plate on the table but handed the drink directly to her. Sevana accepted it with both hands and drained half of it in one long pull. She didn’t care what was in it, it was nirvana to her parched mouth. Setting it down, the taste finally hit, and she swiped her tongue over her lips. It wasn’t something she was familiar with.

  “What is this?”

  “Lemon water with mango slices. It’s a popular drink here.” Xald slouched into the chair next to hers, briefly showing his own fatigue. “You like it?”

  “I do,” she answered, surprised as she said it that it was the whole truth. “It’s light and refreshing. And what are these?”

  “Curry naan.” He lifted a thin slice of bread up and bit into it. “A simple snack, but we need to eat something.”

  She had no idea what it was, but was hungry enough to not care about that either. Ripping off a piece as he had done, she popped it into her mouth. To Sevana’s taste buds, it tasted spicy and exotic but delicious. Smiling for the first time in days, she ripped off a bigger chunk and stuffed that into her mouth as well. “You better order another plate.”

  “We have bowls of curry coming,” he answered around a full mouth. “This is just to hold us off.”

  “Smart man.” She ate a whole slice of bread, if that was the correct term, and drained the rest of her drink before feeling human enough to ask the obvious question, “We’ve been at this, what, eight hours?” It had to be near that as night was in danger of falling.

  “Near abouts.” Xald drained his glass as well and sighed in satisfaction. “Master!” he called to the bar, “another! Two glasses and a pan of naan!”

  The master, who looked like he was in his seventies, gave a grunt of acknowledgement before passing on the order to a girl that must be his great-granddaughter, with those looks.

  Turning back to her, Xald continued, “I recognized one name on the list. The ninth man we’re looking for, Hamar, is known to eat here in the evenings. I expect him to come at any point, as the master said he hadn’t seen him yet.”

  “Ahh, that’s why you insisted on stopping here.”

  “Why go chasing after a man when you can wait for him to come to you?” Xald had a sly smirk on his face. “Besides, I wasn’t sure if you would last much longer.”

  “Your country is too hot,” she informed him crossly.

  “All foreigners say that.”

  “And you’re insane to live here,” Sevana added, not relenting. “I feel baked.”

  “You look it, too.”

  She eyed him sideways. He only seemed to be half teasing. Granted, her skin did feel a little stretched and tender, but most of it had been covered as a precaution against the sun. “How much?”

  “Your nose, chin, hands, the patch in front of your neck. The hat didn’t do well in shielding you from the sun.”

  Growling, she lifted her kit onto her lap and shifted through it. But no, luck was not with her. She hadn’t brought any potions or salves that would deal with sunburns. That was a severe oversight on her part. She’d have to go back to Big tonight and fetch something.

  A man burst into the pub, head swiveling about madly as if he were searching for someone. He was well dressed for this section of town, his shirt and pants of fine linen, the robe over it all of silk. His skin was darker than usual, like a merchant’s would be, which was somewhat at odds with his silks. He had the look of a more humble man with that soft chin line and thick nose too. When he spotted their table, he came directly to them, looking only a little relieved. A dark crease of worry was in his brows.

  “Bodyguard Xald and Artifactor Warran?”

  “That’s us,” Sevana affirmed, standing. “Who might you be?”

  “Blessings upon the both of you. I am Petran, Sixth Lord of the Seventh Ring.” He bobbed a quick bow to them as he introduced himself.

  The title meant little to her. Sevana could only infer that he was a minor nobleman of some sort. “Blessings, Master Petran. You have business with us?”

  “I do,” he said hastily, nearly shifting from foot to foot in anxiety. “May I…?” he gestured to the only free chair at the table.

  “Please do,” she invited, reclaiming her own seat. Now this was interesting, what had he come chasing after them for?

  He sat, but his nervousness didn’t abate. Instead, he wrung his hands together, gripping and releasing his fingers in a rhythmic way. “I am told that you are searching for the missing princess.”

  “Yes,” Xald answered simply.

  “And that it might have been someone at the palace that has since left that did it?” Petran pressed.

  “That’s our theory at the moment.” Sevana tapped an impatient finger against the table. What was this about?

  “In truth, my son is also missing. It’s been over a month now. At first we thought he had just run off—he’s in a rebellious stage—but we’ve looked all over and can’t find a trace of him. He’s been spirited away, just like the princess has.”

  Sevana’s attention sharpened. Was this one of the missing people that Firuz had mentioned to her in passing upon her arrival? “Is that right. You think they’re connected?”

  “There was a musician that came through, very skilled, and performed for my household. We enjoyed her p
erformance so much that we gave her a reference to the king and she performed in the palace as well.”

  Xald whipped out their creased list and flung it flat on the table. “Can you point out this woman’s name to me?”

  Petran used a finger to trace through the list before he stabbed the page. “This. This is her.”

  Xald pulled a pencil out and marked it. To Sevana he said, “She’s one of the people we haven’t tracked down yet.”

  “That makes her a prime suspect, until we can prove otherwise.”

  “Oh?” Petran said, surprised.

  Sevana’s eyes cut to him. “Oh? What oh? You recognize another name?”

  “I do,” Petran responded slowly, his finger hovering next to another name. “This man. He painted a portrait of my son right before he disappeared. His skills were good, but I didn’t think them amazing enough to recommend him to the king. I wonder how he came into the palace?”

  Xald cocked his head sideways so he could read easier. “Ah, him. Not much to look at, that man, and you’re correct—his skills were nothing to boast about. He was invited to come in and audition for role of court painter, but he didn’t make it. I think he only stayed a week.”

  That was two connections. “Mark him too. Sir, your information has been sound. Thank you for tracking us down.”

  “You’ll look for my son too while you’re searching?” he beseeched.

  Sevana felt a pang of pity. “I will. Now that I know to look for him. Give me his name and description.”

  “Murad, he’s fifteen, tall but thin, and he was wearing all white with a purple turban the last I saw him. He’s very dark skinned, but eyes are light.” Petran’s voice cracked at the end.

  Xald put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Be strong, man. We’ll find him.”

  Petran hunched in on himself, looking very lost for several moments. “Pray do. Pray do. Otherwise I will never be able to face my wife, my children, my parents. They blame me, as we fought the day he disappeared.”

  “If he’s truly been spirited away the way the princess has, it doesn’t have anything to do with you,” Sevana informed him, tone matter of fact. “And if he’s been taken the way she has, I’ll find him along with her.”

  With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, he looked back up at her. “You think so?”

  “It’s inevitable.” She leaned in closer, eyes locked with his. “I tell you this. This magician is smart, and crafty, and he’s made me repeat I don’t know all week, and I HATE saying that. He’s challenging my skills, and I will not rest until I have unraveled what he has done. Mark my words. I will not stop working on this problem until I have retrieved everyone he has spirited away.”

  “This is the woman that saved Prince Bellomi and King Aren in Windamere,” Xald inputted quietly. “You can take her word as truth.”

  Petran grabbed one of her hands with both of his, his palms sweaty, grip desperate. “I will help you in any way I can.”

  Sevana opened her mouth, about to say he couldn’t help, when a thought struck. “Petran, how strong is the magical influence in your house? You have shields and protections up?”

  “Some, yes.”

  Some. But not as strong as the palace, she bet. “I will come to your house tomorrow morning. I want to see if there is any lingering magic there that will give me a hint of what happened. I couldn’t get any readings at the palace, that place is choking on magic signatures.”

  “Of course,” he agreed instantly. “I will meet you at the main gate after breakfast toll and guide you myself.”

  Good enough. “For tonight, go back. Tell your family I’m coming, and don’t disturb anything; I need a clear picture of what your house was like when your son disappeared.”

  He bobbed his head several times. “I will, I will, thank you, Artifactor.” With a last bow to the both of them, he scurried out again.

  Sevana tapped a finger against her lips, watching him go with narrowed eyes. “Xald. We might have just gained an important lead.”

  “You believe him, that his son has magically disappeared?”

  “I give it fifty-fifty odds. But if nothing else, I want to be in a household that has had two of our missing people in it. I have a notion a clue of some sort has been left behind.”

  Xald blew out a weary breath. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  Their drinks arrived with two steaming bowls. Sevana didn’t recognize it, but this must be the ordered curry. She took a cautious bite and her eyes nearly crossed, the spices were that strong. People ate this regularly?!

  The bodyguard must have read her expression as he grinned and suggested, “The bread and the drink both cut out the fire.”

  She promptly drank a healthy swallow, her mouth feeling almost numb around the edges. “Is everyone in Sa Kao spice addicts?”

  “This isn’t spicy,” he objected, still grinning.

  Looking down at the bowl, she made plans to bring food back when she went to Big tonight. If this dish wasn’t spicy, she was in trouble.

  Xald abruptly went still, his focus on a crowd of men that came through the front door. They were an amiable group, discussing something between themselves as they headed for a table, and Xald shifted in his chair to track them.

  Sevana noted this behavior and paused while ripping a piece of naan free. “Has our man arrived?”

  “Yes, I think that’s him. Black turban, the one sitting with his back to us.”

  From her pouch, Sevana drew her box lens and lifted it to her eye, focusing it by using the dials on the back. It glowed a soft blue as she activated it, and the world turned interesting shades, as if everything around her was overlain with spirals and lines of energy.

  “I’ve seen you pull that out several times now,” Xald said in a questioning tone. “But you still haven’t told me what it’s for.”

  “To read magical signatures.”

  He ruminated on that for a moment before offering, “Didn’t you tell me before that magicians can tell with the naked eye if magic is about?”

  “Normally, yes,” she answered absently. “But if it’s camouflaged or under a glamour, that’s not always the case. Our evil magician, whoever he is, was able to get in and out of the palace without the court wizards being able to tell what he was. That means that he has a very powerful glamour of some sort on him. This lens will tell me if something is off or possibly let me see through a part of the glamour.” It was the easier option for her even if it was obvious what she was doing. The only other method was to do some long incantations and spell work, and she didn’t have the energy for that.

  It took seconds for her to do the fine adjustments on the lens so that she could truly examine every part of him. Then the answer was obvious and she lowered the lens with a sigh, turning it back off before returning it to the pouch.

  “Not him,” Xald stated, not needing her to say anything.

  Sevana braved another bite of the curry. “Mark him off. Aside from our two suspicious people, we have three more to find. Can we do that tonight?”

  “Likely not.”

  “Then let’s finish our dinner and head back. We’ll start again in the morning, after we go see Petran’s house.”

  They ate in amicable silence for several minutes before Xald spoke again. “What you told the king and queen earlier, about what has happened to the princess, is that truly what you think has happened?”

  She gave him a quick glance before focusing on the naan. It was the safest thing to eat on the table. “Yes. Why?”

  “You don’t think the little princess is dead?” he pressed.

  Ah, that was what he was worried about. “I don’t. Xald, I’m not kind enough to lie to people or give them false hopes. I don’t believe in that.”

  He let out a soft breath of relief.

  Incredulous, she slapped a hand against the table. “You thought I had! You idiot, would I really be dragging you around the city like this, getting sunburned, if I thought she was dead alread
y?”

  “You are upset that a magician has crafted a spell you can’t decipher.”

  Alright, well, he had a point there. Sevana was mad enough about being intellectually stumped that she would likely keep pursuing this even if she thought the princess was dead. “Still, I wouldn’t be doing a dog and monkey show just for the sake of putting those two at ease. I’d pursue this man by other means, even though it’d take longer.”

  “These words soothe my heart. I am glad.”

  Sevana snorted and took another bite of curry. “The idea, really.” To her horror, she realized mid-chew that her mouth could no longer taste anything, her taste buds having shut down in self-preservation. Dropping the spoon down in disgust, she went back to the naan. “How do you people eat something this spicy?”

  Xald chuckled and pushed the naan closer to her. “You’re an amusing woman, Artifactor Warran. I now understand why Prince Bellomi and King Aren and Princess Hana are all so fond of you.”

  “They’re strange, addled people,” she informed him, soothing her burning mouth with more of the lemon-mango drink. “I wouldn’t trust their opinions.”

  “As you say,” he replied, eyes dancing.

  “And call me Sevana, would you?” she requested. “I have a feeling we’ll be working with each other for several weeks before we see the end of this problem. No reason to stand on ceremony.”

  His eyes softened into a gentle expression. “It is my honor to do so.”

  Not being able to get much sleep due to aching muscles, Sevana did not laze about in bed but instead got up early. It turned out that most of the city chose to rise early, and even though the sky was barely light enough to see by, the city was for the most part awake. It took her only a moment to realize that most people would choose to work in the pre-dawn hours and then retreat into their homes during the hottest part of the day. It was the only sane decision to make, in this high desert.

  Xald was downstairs and tucking into a breakfast as she came down, and he quickly got up and fetched her food, of the non-spicy variety. They ate companionably before leaving the palace and tracking down the rest of the people on their list. Or trying to. They were only able to find two before the breakfast bell rang throughout the city, the sound long and ponderous. Then they quickly retreated back to the main gates, not wanting to miss their appointment with Petran.