by Holly Evans
I knew I wouldn’t be making that mistake any time soon.
“As much as this was fun, we’re supposed to be meeting the familiar.”
I didn’t miss the venom in Tyn’s tone on the word familiar.
“Do try to contain your excitement, you’re embarrassing yourself,” I said to Tyn with a grin.
He raised his eyebrow and gave me one of those slow feline blinks. I widened my grin in response. He muttered something under his breath, but I didn’t ask what it was. I did have some sense and restraint.
25
Tyn led us around the edge of the city with the wide-open sea to our left. I wasn’t much of a fan of the water. I could swim well enough to get myself out of trouble, but I’d never trust the water or what lived in it. Erin nudged me as I watched the waves crashing against the large rough-hewn rocks.
“Are you worried a sea serpent is going to leap out and take a bite out of you?” she teased.
I lifted my chin and smiled at her. “Of course not.”
“It’s the fear merchants you should be watching for,” Tyn said.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
The fear merchants were a branch of the water elementals, much like the knowledge merchants were air elementals. They didn’t deal just in fear, they also traded in courage. I didn’t miss the fact that Tyn was leading us to a small port where a fear merchant ship had moored.
“Don’t worry, Kaitlyn, we’re heading to the bar near there. I’m sure they’ll play nice with such a charming alchemist as yourself,” Tyn said with a wicked glint in his eye.
I rolled my eyes. I knew he was just playing with me, but I still didn’t want to be in the same room as the merchants. They could steal any courage I had, or draw out my fear and drown me in it. I rubbed my arms and looked away from the sea towards the city itself. It was a harsh and rigid place, which was hardly surprising given the surrounding landscape. The people had fought tooth and nail to create lives there. That did nothing to ease my increasing nerves, though. I looked up towards the bright clear sky and thought of the freedom that came from the skies. Something about the wide-open sky soothed and calmed me. Perhaps one day I would seriously pursue the knowledge merchant career path.
Erin hooked her arm around mine and gave me a broad smile.
She leaned and whispered conspiratorially, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”
Tyn smirked at me and whispered, “forbidden fruit,” in my other ear.
I bit my bottom lip and restrained myself from replying to either of them. I was just glad they were both relaxing. I’d feared a trip full of tension and passive aggression.
The familiar had chosen to meet us in a small bar. Tyn led us into the dimly lit space which had dark wooden floors and heavy stools with thick metal legs. I noted that the stools had been tinker designed. A small mechanism sat on the broad feet of each stool. I stooped down to look more closely. Tyn lifted the stool quickly, and the mechanisms shot large bolts down into the floor which dragged the stool back down to its position on the floor.
“Replacing stools on a regular basis gets expensive,” Tyn said.
I ran my fingers along the mechanism and was delighted to feel the cool zing of tinker magic. They dealt mostly with metal magic and got their name from tinkering with inventions and gadgets. They delighted in creating new contraptions.
“Must you touch everything?” Tyn asked.
I stood and grinned at him. “Yes.”
Erin laughed and took the seat to my left. Tyn shook his head and gestured for me to sit on the stool before me.
“He’s late. I’m sure he’ll be here shortly,” he said with a growl of annoyance.
I assumed he was referring to the familiar.
“Three icebergs,” Tyn said to the broad-shouldered barman.
I watched as the barman turned and walked away, giving a very nice view of his pert ass. I could get used to a view like that.
“We’re working,” Tyn said pointedly.
I gave him a devilish smile. “We’re waiting for your familiar.”
He shook his head. “Didn’t you get laid a couple of nights ago?”
I shrugged. “What can I say? I have a healthy appetite.”
“I’ll keep that in a mind,” a deep growling voice said.
I turned to see a tall muscular man with thick dark blond hair and glacial blue eyes. He held out his hand to me with a sharp smile.
“Gunnar, the familiar your little cat mentioned.”
I took his hand and noted the callouses. His grip was firm without trying to prove a point.
“I must admit you’re the first familiar I’ve had a chance to speak to,” I said.
His gaze hadn’t left mine since I turned to face him. Typical wolf.
“I’m a dire wolf familiar, bonded to Dante.”
“Do you have somewhere we can speak freely?” I asked.
It would have been so easy to flirt with him, but business came first.
“Drink your icebergs, then we will talk.” He nodded to the drinks the barman had set behind us.
Tyn knocked his back in one long gulp. I eyed the pale blue drink with white swirls in it with far more caution. I didn’t want to walk into an important meeting drunk.
“I thought you were all about adventures,” Erin said as she held up her drink.
Now that was a challenge I couldn’t turn down.
I tapped my glass to hers and drank it down in one long drink. The cold coated my tongue and fresh mint slid down my throat before the burn kicked in. I could see where it had gotten its name from.
“Put them on Dante’s tab,” Tyn said to the barman.
The familiar fixed Tyn with a predatory stare that Tyn returned.
“Gunnar, they’re waiting,” a man said sharply.
“Be a good boy,” Tyn said with a razor-edged smile.
Gunnar handed the barman a couple of notes and walked over to the new man. Where Gunnar was blond, the other man was dark haired with lean muscles and razor-sharp bone structure.
I hopped off my stool and approached him with a friendly smile. “You must be Dante.”
The man looked down at my outstretched hand. His mouth thinned into a line before he exhaled slowly.
“And you must be the alchemist.”
“Kaitlyn Felis.”
He shook my hand quickly, too quickly for me to really feel his magic, before he turned on his heel and led us back out into the city, where the wind clawed at me and threw salt water in my face. I was getting the impression that my increasing dislike of the city was mutual.
26
Dante moved at a quick and efficient pace. He held his back straight and kept his eyes front and centre. People moved out of his way and dropped their eyes when he approached. We walked the coastal path, past the dock with the fear merchant ship in its bold blues and greens. Erin hooked her arm around mine and held me close to her as we went past the boat. I’d sooner face down a herd of hungry kelpies than meet any of those merchants.
Gunnar dropped back from Dante’s side, much to Tyn’s annoyance. The wolf familiar fell into step on my other side.
“Tell me about alchemy, not many alchemists dare come out this way,” he said.
His eyes flicked down to mine, and I weighed up exactly how to answer him. His tone had been enquiring rather than demanding, but you get more with honey than vinegar.
“Tell me about your magic,” I said with a charming smile.
Dante glared at me. I gave him my most innocent expression which made him break out into a genuine smile.
“Fein warned me you’d be trouble,” the witch said.
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.
Tyn snorted.
“Something you’d like to add, Tyn?” I asked sweetly.
“Nothing at all,” he replied in an equally syrupy tone.
“Your alchemy,” Gunnar pressed as we followed Dante down a narrow road towards the mount
ains.
I shrugged.
“I’m sure you heard all about alchemy in school. Do familiars go to school?”
He smiled down at me.
“Yes, we go to school, and yes, we were taught the basics.”
“We don’t cover familiars in school, so you’re at an advantage over me. That’s rather unfair, don’t you think?”
The wolf laughed, a rumbling growling laugh that made smile.
“Careful, alchemist, he may appear to be gentle, but he’s still a dire wolf,” Dante said with a smile of his own.
“I do enjoy a challenge,” I said.
Dante opened the door to a boxy white building with a deep-green door and sky-blue roof. It looked much like the other buildings on the narrow street.
“After you, cat,” Dante said.
Tyn strode through the door into the darkness with his head held high. I followed him with Erin close behind me. The lights came on and blinded me for a moment. Once my vision cleared, I saw the space was clean and efficient with off-white walls and dark wooden floors with small square windows looking out over the ocean. The furniture was all heavy dark wood with thick metal legs. It was sparse, with a long narrow table on the far side and a small selection of cupboards near the door.
“You wish to find the Seers Stone,” Dante said.
I turned to face him to find he was standing in a wide-based stance with his arms crossed and his gaze curious. Gunnar slowly circled around us with his gaze remaining on Tyn, who tucked his hands in his pockets and exuded an air of complete relaxation.
“You already know that, you spoke to Fein,” I challenged.
Dante gave a slow nod.
“One of our matriarchs has agreed to share those stories with you. First, you must learn some of our ways so you do not cause offense.”
Gunnar completed his circle and stood casually near his witch. Dante relaxed slightly with his wolf near him. I could almost feel Gunnar’s desire to touch Dante, to reassure him.
“You will stay in a guest room tonight and meet Roslin and her familiar tomorrow. Her familiar is more prone to staying in her arctic wolf form. Do not touch her, she is not a pet. Do not try and touch their magic. Do not try and pry more information from them. Listen when Roslin speaks and do not make eye contact with her wolf. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Erin, Tyn, and I said as one.
Dante smiled.
“Your room is upstairs, we will show you there now. Food has been left in the room. You’re free to wander the city, but Roslin will send for you at sunrise. Do not be late, as there will not be a second chance,” Dante said.
The idea of having a meeting at sunrise sounded like cruel and unusual torture. I began to realise how tired I already was. Although some of that fuzziness could have been the iceberg, perhaps a nice early night would be the best plan.
Gunnar gestured for us to go to the staircase that sat on the other side of the cupboards. We headed up the steep stairs to a large sparse room with three good sized beds in it. Platters of fish, cold meats, and cheeses sat on the oval table under the middle window.
“Have a good night,” Dante said.
“But Gunnar was going to tell me all about familiar magic,” I said to Dante with a smile.
Yes, I was pushing, but it was what I did.
“Kaitlyn. We’re going to get a good night’s rest,” Tyn said.
“Good night, Kaitlyn,” Gunnar said with a smile.
The wolf and his witch left before I could try and get more information out of them.
“We have one chance at this,” Tyn said.
“I’m aware,” I said as I dropped my bag onto the closest bed.
“You should have been a knowledge merchant,” Erin said with a gentle smile.
“It’s still a possibility,” I said.
Tyn looked at the beds with dismay before he dropped his bag at the foot of the bed closest to the windows and resigned himself to the situation.
“Don’t worry, I won’t bite,” I said.
“No, but I might,” he said.
He cracked a smile, and I began picking at the food, deciding it was better to hold my tongue and leave things on a positive note.
27
The building felt cold and lonely. The silence filled the space and pressed down on me. I was aware of the magic whispering to the back of my mind. As long as I remained focused, it wouldn’t go any further than a little niggling sensation during the quiet moments. The magicians had their magic networks that they were a part of, and they reported being able to connect to their magic at will. Alchemists didn’t have any inherent magic, but we could feel all magic if we could make physical contact with it. There was a theory that the reason alchemists were somewhat prone to magic addiction was because we had some form of vacuum within us, which was what allowed us to work with all forms of magic to some degree. When we did our alchemy, we were taking the component magics of things around us and forging something new.
There was an ongoing argument between magicians, alchemists, and fae. As with most things in life, people tried to form some sort of hierarchy. Fae, such as elves and inccubi, believed they were at the top of this hierarchy, as they were born with innate magic and could also wield magician’s magic. Alchemists argued that, as we can forge new things from any form of magic, we’re superior, not beholden to some magic network. It was all very tiring. I turned my attention to the situation around me for fear of my thoughts turning too intensely to magic.
Wispy finally woke up and pressed himself against the bars of his cage while emitting a low-pitched whistling sound. He wanted to check the perimeter and make sure it was safe. I opened the door and let him out. He slowly explored the edges of the room and hissed at the windows. The magic seemed to be bothering him as much as it did me. Watching the little wisp helped me relax. It was a nice familiar experience.
I turned my attention away from Wispy.
“Did you know Fein brought in Logan on this hunt for the stone?” I asked Tyn.
The Cait Sidhe shrugged and bit into a piece of dried salmon. “I was aware that he felt you would work better if you had some competition.”
Erin laughed at that.
The idea niggled at me. I didn’t need competition to work to the best of my abilities. I wasn’t going to deny that I enjoyed competition, but to suggest that I required it was insulting.
“Don’t look so petulant, it adds a little more fun to things,” Tyn said as he handed me the plate of cheeses.
Wispy shot over when he saw that the food was being handed out. He circled Tyn’s head excitedly, having concluded that he was in charge of the food. Tyn ignored him entirely and continued filling his own plate while I put Wispy’s food onto a separate plate.
I settled down at the table and bit into the slice of pale brown cheese, surprised to find it remarkably sweet and creamy. Food was one of the easier points to explore within a culture. How a culture dealt with food and what they produced was fascinating, although in truth I just really liked trying new things. I went to get another slice of the brown cheese, but Erin beat me to it, and Tyn took the last slice while I was focused on Erin.
We each ate what called to us of the food the witches had left for us. Tyn was unsurprisingly taken by the salmon and caribou, whereas Erin preferred the sweeter foods. I wondered if that was her fae blood. The fae were fond of sweet things. I didn’t ask her. As much as my curiosity was strong, I did have some sense of decorum and limits.
Once we’d eaten our fill, I texted Logan.
KAITLYN: Any luck?
LOGAN: I found a water elemental who’s rather eager to help me relax, but otherwise, none.
Well, that wasn’t bad news. That meant there was still a chance that the witches either had or knew where the stone was, which would mean a quick and easy retrieval. I chewed on my bottom lip at that prospect. I’d been so looking forward to an adventure. Was it so bad that I’d be disappointed, if it were as simple as that?
I put my phone away. “No, he’s not had any luck in Paris.”
“Jealous, then?” Tyn asked, that feline smirk was back on his lips.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Jealous of what, exactly?” I enquired.
“Something bothered you. He hasn’t found the stone, so that leaves him screwing some other person…” he pushed.
I rolled my eyes and dug out my nightclothes.
“We both sleep around, I haven’t been jealous to date.”
He tilted his head and watched me. His jaw had tightened and a sadness crept into his eyes.
“Your past was that shitty, huh?” I asked as I pulled my cami top and shorts out of my bag.
He shrugged. “What’s done is done.”
Judging from the fact he’d shut down tighter than a ceremonial’s vault, he was far from over his past. My guess was he’d been intensely sexually abused. The sadness in his eyes and spikey way of pushing me when the topic of casual sex came up suggested that he wasn’t anywhere near healed yet. I wanted to hug him and help him work through his issues, but he’d been explicit on his boundaries.
Erin gasped when Tyn removed his shirt and revealed a network of crisp white scars on his back. They sliced through his lean muscles and painted a picture of incredible agony. Judging from the colour differences between the scars, it looked as though the abuse went on for an extended period of time. He turned to face us. The scars continued over his abdomen and upper arms.
“I was in a blood brothel. They were careful to only scar the places that could be easily covered,” he said bitterly.
Erin and I looked at each other. What did we say to that? My instincts told me to hold him, but that would only make it worse.
“I thought blood brothels were a myth,” Erin whispered, her eyes glued to Tyn’s scars.
He snorted and bared his teeth.
“Fein has shut down all blood brothels in the Czech Republic and Germany, but there are many left throughout Europe and no doubt around the world.”