Damn it, he thought, turning and walking towards the door. Something else to worry about.
He’d have to go to the Grand Sorceress. She’d be being bombarded with advice and demands for action and he would have to add his voice to them, or risk losing influence at the palace. The gods knew that Deferens or Lady Lakeside would be happy to edge him out, particularly in light of recent events. There were times, he privately admitted, when he wondered if his quest for wealth and power for his family was really worth the price.
“Summon my coachman,” he ordered the maid. He scribbled a quick note to Charity, ordering her to remain inside tomorrow until he spoke to her, then passed it to the maid. “I’m going to the palace.”
***
“They used magic to hide their tracks,” the forensic sorcerer said. “I can’t even get a hint of their auras, let alone anything we can use to track them.”
Elaine nodded, unsurprised. Anyone who killed a magician knew that the Inquisitors would come after them – and that they had the right to use truth spells and even torture to draw answers out of possible suspects. A drop of blood found at the scene of the crime would be enough to track them down and then prove their guilt; no matter how much magicians were hated, it was rare to see one murdered outside a duel. But this killer had put a great deal of forethought into the assassination.
It struck her as odd, a moment later. She’d assumed that it was a revenge killing, perhaps carried out by the Levellers, but why would they use magic? And how would they obtain it to use? The answer struck her a moment later and she scowled. There was no shortage of seedy magicians who might be prepared to work the spells for them, in exchange for gold and promises of future favour. Maybe some of them would be deterred by the thought of assisting in the murder of a fellow magician, but others merely wanted money and cared nothing for how it was earned.
“Probably,” Dread said, when she asked him. “We will challenge the shadier magicians in the city, but I doubt we will find a lead. They would not have left him alive and free.”
Elaine took one look back at the body, then nodded. “I don’t think there’s much more I can do here,” she said. Whatever help she might have offered had been amply matched by the forensic sorcerer. “If you don’t mind, I’m going back home.”
“It should be fine,” Dread said. “I have to go to the palace to provide the Grand Sorceress with a full report. I’ll send you an update when I know what’s happening.”
Elaine scowled as she made her way out of the building, down towards where her carriage was waiting. The Grand Sorceress would come under immense pressure from the rest of the magical community, who would demand harsh action against the Levellers and anyone else who might be involved in the murder. At best, it would strain relationships between magical and mundane citizens still further; at worst, it would lead to all-out war. The mundanes couldn’t win, but they did control much of the Empire’s economy. A war, no matter how short, might be disastrous.
It also makes the Grand Sorceress look weak, she thought, remembering just how many kings and princes still held dreams of independence. If they think that she is unable to keep the Golden City under control, they might start declaring themselves free of the Empire.
It was a chilling thought. The Empire didn’t have large armies to maintain its will; the near-monopoly on magic the first Grand Sorcerer and his followers had possessed had ensured that resistance would only end badly. But now, with so many magicians dead in the Golden City – and others influenced by the kings and princes they were supposed to watch – it would be harder for the Court Wizards to keep their rulers under control. And that would only lead to further chaos.
She climbed into the carriage and stared out of the window as the coachman took her back towards the Great Library. The streets were almost deserted, even away from the crime scene; the entire Golden City seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something to happen to break the spell. It was said that the city never slept, but now it seemed to be frozen, not daring to move for fear that it would cause a disaster.
The Great Library was always quieter at night, although it never closed completely. It was a relief to see students flocking through the corridors, desperately trying to revise prior to their exams. Elaine remembered her own years as a student and scowled, recalling how hard she’d had to work to earn her grades. She felt a flicker of sympathy for four students who were being escorted out of the library for daring to eat in one of the reading rooms, which she ruthlessly quashed. No matter how hungry they became, they couldn’t be allowed to drop food all over the books.
She walked into her quarters and stopped as she saw Johan lying on the sofa, a book in his hand. For a moment, she stared in horror, then recalled that she had left him there when she went to see Dread. Even so, it was still a fright. Shaking her head in annoyance, she rescued the book before it could fall from his hands and glanced at the title. Sex Rites for the Young Magician.
“Oh,” Johan said, blearily. “I ...”
He blushed bright red as he saw that she was holding the book, then somehow managed to work up the nerve to ask a question. “Do those rites actually work?”
“Yes and no,” Elaine said, feeling the knowledge shimmering through her brain. “The sorcerer who designed them merely added sex to the instructions because he rather liked having sex. You can strip out at least half of the instructions – including the sex – and they would still work.”
She smiled at his embarrassment. “He was a typical teenage boy.”
Johan couldn’t have blushed any brighter if he’d tried. “How do you know what’s vital and what isn’t?”
“Good question,” Elaine said, in approval. “With most rites and rituals it’s hard to see what is necessary and what can be left out ... and research into the subject rarely leads to a long life. But for me ... I see all of the known rituals, allowing me to cross-check. In this case, the sorcerer actually derived most of his rites from older rites; they’re still there, just hidden between the sex.”
She snorted. “And besides, for some of them, you would have to be an athlete to actually perform the rites as he specified,” she added. “It isn’t considered advisable to try.”
Johan managed to stand upright, holding his hand in front of his face as if he were trying to hide his blush. Elaine had to admit that it looked endearing, although she knew better than to say that out loud. Daria had told her that men liked unstinted praise, but not being told that they were cute. She had never bothered to explain why.
“I’d stay away from sex magic if I were you,” Elaine advised. “Even normal magicians tend to try to avoid it. The results can be unpredictable.”
“I was just worried,” Johan said. “What if the date goes really well and ... well, you know ...”
Elaine was tempted to let him embarrass himself a little more, but she was supposed to be his mentor, not his tormenter. “I think you have to ask her out first,” she said, dryly. “And you really don’t want to go to bed with her on the first date ...”
She stopped, crossly. He was a teenage boy; of course he wanted to go to bed with her on the first date. If he just wanted sex, he should have gone to Red Street ... not that Elaine would have allowed it, not now. And his father had kept him a virtual prisoner inside the house.
“You should give the relationship time to develop,” she said, feeling a twinge of guilt at her hypocrisy. It hadn’t taken her long to decide to sleep with Bee – but then, she’d expected to die. The new Grand Sorcerer might not have tolerated her existence, not with a head stuffed full of forbidden knowledge. Somehow, taking time to build up a relationship had no longer seemed to matter. “If she likes you, she will go out with you again and again. By the time the relationship becomes sexual, you’ll have a solid foundation for future development.”
“I’ll do my best,” Johan said. “But what if ...”
Elaine wanted to roll her eyes. Instead, she sighed. “There are contraceptive potions
you can take that will ensure that she doesn’t fall pregnant,” she said. “Either one of you can take the potion, but I would advise both of you to take it. Most students learn to brew it in their first year.”
Johan scowled. “Why isn’t it sold?”
“It is,” Elaine said. “But most students and qualified magicians prefer to brew their own. It tends to work better that way. For you ... if you really insist, I’ll have some sent in for you.”
“Please,” Johan said.
“Very well,” Elaine said, sending the order into the wards. There was no point in telling him that she’d kept a small supply for herself, at Daria’s insistence. Without her friend, she rarely left the Great Library. “Tomorrow ... I want you to study your books.”
Johan blinked. “Again?”
“I will probably be summoned back to the palace,” Elaine said. She filled him in on what Dread had shown her. “Sleep in, if you like; eat breakfast, then read your books. I hope that we will have time to do more experiments tomorrow afternoon, but it will depend on what happens in the morning.”
She watched him go, then undressed and headed into her bedroom, where she threw herself down on the bed. There was no time for anything but sleep. Knowing her luck, Light Spinner would summon her at the earliest socially acceptable hour.
With that thought, she fell asleep.
***
When Johan opened his eyes, a note was lying on the bedside table addressed to him. He picked it up and saw that Elaine had indeed been summoned to the palace. It included a list of books he might like to read and suggested that he order them from the library staff, in addition to the ones he already had. It took him a moment to realise that she was trying to help, in her own way. Jayne would be bringing the books to his rooms.
He rolled out of bed, took a shower and dressed in comfortable clothes, then ate a leisurely breakfast. The broadsheet that the staff had placed on the breakfast tray included a detailed article on the death of a magician – they’d got the name wrong, Johan saw – that was long on hysterics and short on any actual information. There was no shortage of speculation about what the magician had been doing – there were even suggestions that he had been engaging in forbidden sex rites, which made him smirk – but nothing actually useful. The article concluded with a plea to the Grand Sorceress to catch the murderer or murderers as quickly as possible.
The next page reported in calm, matter-of-fact tones that Jamal and his accomplices were still in jail, something that made Johan let out a sigh in relief. Even now, he was still terrified of his elder brother, fearing what Jamal would have done if his father had died. After all, Jamal had actually suggested that Johan should be killed. But if Jamal broke free ...
I can fight, Johan thought, remembering what he’d done to the terrorists – and Jolie. The expression on his younger brother’s face had made up for everything he’d suffered over the years. He’s never met anyone like me.
But he knew that it wouldn’t be that easy. Jamal could set protective wards up around himself that stayed in place, Johan’s only seemed to stay where he wanted them to stay when he was concentrating on them. He would need to practice much more before he was ready to face Jamal, if it did come down to a fight. Somehow, he doubted that his brother would face the headsman. He was just too good at getting out of trouble.
The thought depressed him until he ordered his next set of books – carefully not looking at the pile of books he still had to read – and Jayne entered the room, pushing a trolley in front of her. Johan nervously helped her unload, then pick up the books he had read.
And then he took the plunge. “Where would you like to go eat tonight?”
Jayne blinked in surprise – he felt his heart sink – and then smiled. “Somewhere quiet,” she said. “And not somewhere too popular.”
“My family only came here six months ago,” Johan said. It wasn’t entirely true – his siblings had been in the city for much longer – but it explained why he wasn’t familiar with the city yet. “Can you pick a place?”
“I could pick somewhere expensive,” Jayne said, with a wink. “How about Joan’s Grill? It’s not that large, but it is supposed to be good.”
“Why not?” Johan said. She’d agreed ... and yet he still felt desperate. What if she changed her mind? Come to think of it, he didn’t even know where the place was. “Where do you want to meet?”
“Outside the library will do,” Jayne said, thoughtfully. “I have classes this afternoon, so I’ll get dressed afterwards and meet you at sunset. Is that all right?”
“Yes,” Johan said, who would have agreed to almost anything she asked. “I’ll see you then.”
He watched her leave the room, then sagged in relief. He had a date! Jamal and Charity had never had any trouble finding partners, but he had barely even laid eyes on a girl who wasn’t a direct relative ... not until now. But fighting the terrorists had given his confidence a real boost ...
“Now I have to find something to wear,” he told himself, as he walked over to the wardrobe and sighed. Jamal had hundreds of different outfits and Charity seemed to have thousands of dresses, but he’d never been allowed to develop taste. At least Elaine’s staff had provided him with a handful of suits. “What do I wear tonight?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Congratulations on your date,” Elaine said.
“Thank you,” Johan said, nervously. He’d not managed to get much studying done, not after she’d said yes. He’d spent too much time fantasising about the date or, alternatively, about just how many things could go wrong. But his father had often told Charity that she couldn’t go out until she had finished her work. What would Elaine say? “I know, I should have studied more ...”
“Probably not, in your case,” Elaine said, eying the pile of books. “The problem is that much of the basic knowledge is useless to you. We can and we will work on exercises, but additional knowledge may hurt instead of help. And at least you got the packing done.”
Johan nodded. They were supposed to be leaving tomorrow, unless something else came up to stop them from going. He’d packed carefully, but he couldn’t avoid the feeling that he’d missed something. Elaine would have to inspect his work later.
Elaine scowled, her mind clearly elsewhere. “But there are more important matters to discuss,” she added. “Where are you going?”
“Joan’s Grill,” Johan said. “Why ...?”
“I’ll be there too,” Elaine said. “And an Inquisitor or two, if I can swing it.”
Johan blanched. “You can’t be there,” he started to protest. “I ...”
“I won’t be sitting at the table with you,” Elaine said. “But you do realise that you are a target? And you will become more of a target as the news continues to spread. Your protection is my first priority.”
“That’s why you attacked the terrorists,” Johan mused. The thought left a warm feeling in his heart. No one had ever placed their life on the line to protect him before, not even Charity. “But I should be fine.”
“You don’t know that,” Elaine cautioned. “Your date won’t know that you’re not alone, I promise.”
She stepped backwards and looked him up and down. “I went to Joan’s Grill once with Daria,” she said. “It isn’t very pretentious, so you don’t need a fancy suit or finest robes, but make sure you take a large napkin. You don’t want to get food on your clothes.”
“Thank you,” Johan said.
Elaine picked a vial off the table and passed it to him. It was unmarked, but contained a greenish liquid. “That’s the potion,” she added. “It takes effect immediately and lasts for roughly two days. I’d take it just before you go, if I were you. But don’t take her for granted.”
“I understand,” Johan said, fighting down his embarrassment. “Are there any books on dating?”
“Not in this library,” Elaine said, ruefully. “I could have used them too.”
Time went by faster than Johan had expected
and, almost before he knew it, it was time to get ready. He pulled on a simple pair of black trousers and a white shirt, which – Elaine assured him – would be sufficient for where they were going. She gave him a pair of napkins, checked the bag of money she’d given him earlier and then watched as he drank the potion and passed her back the vial. Surprisingly, it tasted good.
“They don’t want to discourage people from taking it,” Elaine commented, when he asked. “If a mundane woman becomes pregnant, the pregnancy could be terminated with no ill effects, but a magician would suffer greatly if they killed their own child.”
Johan nodded. He’d been looking up family magic in some of the older books and, while the authors never seemed to state anything for certain, they had been clear that intentionally harming or killing other members of the family tended to result in disastrous consequences. He wasn’t sure how seriously to take it – Jamal never seemed to suffer for what he’d done to Johan – but killing a helpless unborn baby had to be far worse. Drinking the potion seemed a small price to ensure that the magician didn’t have to abandon her studies or career to raise a child.
“You won’t see me,” Elaine said, ruefully. “I don’t think Jayne will be happy to see her boss at the next table. But I will be there.”
She passed him a small amulet. “Joan’s Grill is on Westlake Street,” she said. “If you speak the street name out loud, the amulet will guide you there. Do the same for the Great Library when you want to come home. I’d suggest walking her to her apartment block, but not going inside. You will be asked questions by her roommates.”
Johan scowled, then nodded. “And I’ll see you later this evening,” he said. “Thank you for everything.”
Surprisingly, Elaine flushed “You’re welcome,” she said. “Just be careful.”
Bookworm II: The Very Ugly Duckling Page 22