by Jasmine Walt
There was a long pause. “You can do that?” Captain Galling asked, and there was no mistaking the surprise in his voice. “Don’t you think I have already tried everything? I was told repeatedly that such an advanced liver disease was beyond the skill of magic healers.”
“As it happens, I’m one of the most talented healers in the country,” Iannis admitted without a hint of hubris. To him, he was simply stating a fact, not bragging. “There are very few maladies I can’t heal, but because I am unable to heal everyone, I do not advertise that fact.”
“Well, it would have been nice if you’d offered before now,” Captain Galling grumbled. “My wife has been suffering for years.”
“I did not know,” Iannis said. “But I am more than happy to help her now.”
There was another long pause. At last, Captain Galling grunted. “Very well. I’ll help you. I don’t like the way the Resistance is dealing with things anyway. So much unnecessary chaos and destruction does not bode well for us, and if they should actually seize power…” He trailed off. “I’ll help you,” he said again, more firmly.
“Excellent.”
I listened as they hashed out the details further. Captain Galling grudgingly agreed to haul the enforcers back in line, getting them to police the looting and withdraw their support from the Resistance. In exchange, Iannis promised to release a public apology for all the wrongful arrests, and to double the bounties for looters, rapists, murderers, and other miscreants while the crisis lasted.
“I believe we’re done here for now,” Iannis said at last, followed by the sounds of chairs scraping back from tables. “Make the arrangements to have your wife transported to the Palace without delay. Director Chen, please find two mages to go with her as an escort. I would hate for something to happen to Mrs. Galling along the way.”
“Yes, sir,” Director Chen acknowledged.
The door opened, and I hastily deposited myself into one of Director Chen’s visitors’ chairs, wincing as the carved dragons dug into my back. I didn’t want her to know I had been eavesdropping, even though I doubted I’d heard anything all that confidential aside from the bit about Galling’s wife. And even if I had, Director Chen knew she could trust me. Or so I hoped.
A few minutes later, the door to Director Chen’s office opened, and the woman herself walked in. Her waterfall of fine, dark hair was pulled up into a high bun secured with ivory chopsticks, and the robe she wore today was emerald-green silk, with tiny, golden petals scattered across the fabric.
Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she caught sight of me. “Miss Baine. Who let you into my office?”
“I let myself in,” I said casually, looping my left leg over the chair’s arm as I twisted to face her. It creaked under the unorthodox distribution of my weight, and predictably, Director Chen’s eyes flashed, though her impassive expression did not otherwise change, and I bit back a tight smile. If she was going to force me to sit in such a shitty chair, then I was going to abuse the hell out of it.
“I believe that when a door is locked, it’s a signal that the occupant does not wish for others to ‘let themselves in’,” she said stiffly, gliding around the cherry-wood desk to sit in her own high-backed and much more comfortable leather chair.
I shrugged. “The sign in the hall said to report to you for special assignment, so here I am. Give me an assignment.”
Director Chen took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Simple enough. Your assignment is to stay out of the way.”
I straightened in my chair. “Excuse me?” I couldn’t be hearing that right. “You want me to sit back and do nothing?”
“I didn’t say that,” Director Chen said tersely. “You are free to join the enforcers in their efforts to restore order in the city, or help any of the secretaries, since we are badly understaffed. But I need you to stay away from Lord Iannis.”
I nearly toppled out of my chair at that. “Why?” I spluttered. “Have you forgotten that I am his apprentice? He’s supposed to give me direction! I almost lost him, Director Chen, and I’m the one who found him. Until my magical training is complete, I’m not leaving his side.”
Director Chen sighed. “I am grateful you recovered Lord Iannis safely, and I’ll even apologize for not taking you along on the rescue mission, as you had requested. But I am now thinking of Lord Iannis’s best interests, as you should be too. Rumors are spreading throughout the city that the two of you are lovers, and they will only be exacerbated the more often you two are seen together in public.”
“T-that’s ridiculous,” I sputtered, heat rising to my cheeks. “We’re not lovers.” Kisses don’t count, I reminded myself firmly. Sure, they’d been some of the hottest, most erotic kisses I’d ever experienced, but they were still kisses. No actual lovemaking had ensued. Yet.
“I believe you,” Director Chen assured me. “The Chief Mage would never forget himself to the point of engaging in carnal relations with an apprentice. But Lord Iannis is reasserting his control over the state of Canalo, and such scandalous allegations are most unhelpful at this critical juncture.” She plucked a copy of the Herald off her desk, flipped it open to the social section, and passed it to me. “Take this article, for example.”
I took the paper from her and quickly scanned the piece. It detailed how the Chief Mage had taken his ‘feline mistress’ to the Convention and shocked the other delegates by dancing with her in public view. There was even a photograph of the two of us waltzing, and I blinked, hardly recognizing myself in the resplendent ball gown I was wearing. We made an incredibly handsome couple, I admitted to myself, and the way our bodies were pulled so close together, nearly touching, certainly suggested ‘carnal relations’ as Chen had put it.
Too bad appearances could be so deceiving.
“Other papers across the country are displaying similar stories,” Chen said, drawing my attention back to her. Her lips were pressed into a thin, disapproving line as she stared down at the image, and anger flared in my chest. I was tempted to tell her just how wrong she was about Iannis and me, but what was the point? He still hadn’t made a decision whether we should become lovers and the last thing I needed was to go around telling people we had a relationship, only to later find out that he’d rejected me. The humiliation would be devastating.
“There is great public interest in Lord Iannis right now,” Chen went on, “so upholding his reputation is more important than ever. Taking on a hybrid apprentice has already raised too many eyebrows as it is. Lord Iannis needs unified support from the Canalo mages. If they believe this is anything more than malicious gossip, it could ruin any chances of advancing his political career, or making more eligible connections.”
“I see,” I said slowly. “So you’re saying if I wasn’t a hybrid, that if I were a full mage like yourself, this wouldn’t be a problem?”
Director Chen nodded. “Affairs between master and apprentice are frowned upon under any circumstances, but it is the fact you’re a hybrid that pushes the issue over the edge. I’m sure you understand.”
“I do,” I said, and this time, I couldn’t quite keep the anger from entering my voice. I got the subtext loud and clear – Chen was saying Iannis needed a respectable career mage by his side, someone like her. “But you know what?” I added, leaning forward a little to pin her with a stare that told her I knew what she was up to. “I think the Chief Mage is old enough to decide what he wants and needs.”
Chen’s eyes widened with pity and astonishment, and she let out a half-laugh. “You foolish child. How could you imagine that Lord Iannis would ever ‘need’ a hybrid like you? You may be growing into your powers, Miss Baine, but you are little more than a charity case in the Chief Mage’s eyes.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but my heated words died on my lips as I caught Iannis’s scent. Footsteps sounded in the hall, followed by a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called, mostly to annoy Director Chen. She shot me a venomous glare, but quickly masked he
r expression as the door swung open and the Chief Mage stepped inside.
“I didn’t realize this was your office, Miss Baine,” Iannis said mildly. His expression was unreadable, as usual, but the briefest hint of amusement in his iridescent violet eyes made me grin.
“It’s not,” Director Chen said, drawing Iannis’s gaze away from me. Her dark eyes brightened, almost imperceptibly, and I clenched my jaw. I’d suspected she had feelings for him, and I was seeing them now, loud and clear. She wanted Iannis for herself.
And why shouldn’t she? a voice whispered in my head. She’s much better suited as a politician’s consort than you’ll ever be. If that weren’t the truth, Iannis would have claimed you already.
“Is there something you need from me?” Director Chen asked him.
“Actually, I came in here looking for Miss Baine,” Iannis said. “I have a few matters I need to discuss with her.”
“I was just about to assign her something –” Chen began.
“That can wait until later. Unless whatever task you were planning to assign is of paramount importance?” Iannis arched a brow.
“No, it’s not.” Director Chen’s voice was smooth as a glassy lake as she inclined her head in deference. But the smile in her voice was gone. “Of course you are free to take her, Lord Iannis. I can always speak with Miss Baine later.”
“Excellent. Come along,” he said to me, then turned and strode out the office.
I hurried after him, pausing only to shoot a smug grin over my shoulder at Director Chen. I should probably have been worried at the fact that she was glaring daggers at me, but at the moment, I didn’t care. I would be damned if I was going to let her tight, uppity ass come between Iannis and me. If Iannis wanted to keep me at arm’s length, that was his decision, not hers.
I stepped into Iannis’s office across the hall and shut the door behind me. His Guild office was much larger than the study he kept in the West Wing – the study was smaller, more personal, with only his workspace and shelves of books. This office was clearly meant for receiving guests, with a large picture window overlooking the gardens behind a magnificent desk, a sitting area in front of a fireplace, and even a small bar. Gold and blue was the décor here, of course – those were the state colors, after all. I wondered how many diplomats and Chief Mages had sat on the couches or in the visitor’s chairs, sipping tea or drinking cognac as they discussed matters of state with Iannis.
“So,” I began, but before I could ask what Iannis wanted to discuss, he pushed me up against the wall and crushed his lips against mine. My mouth opened in shock, and he took advantage, nipping my bottom lip as his tongue stroked mine, filling me with his dark, exotic flavor. The kiss was somehow gentle despite his aggressive body language, savoring rather than trying to devour. Warmth ignited low in my belly, then spread through me like wildfire, and I dug my fingers into his broad shoulders, clinging to him as my body begged for more. I was perilously close to heat, and I knew if Iannis decided to take things further, I would be powerless to stop him despite the ultimatum I’d given him back in Dara. The one where I’d said I wasn’t going to sleep with him until he made a decision as to whether or not he wanted to be with me.
Eventually, Iannis broke the kiss, but his hands remained firmly curled around my waist. His violet eyes seared me as they searched my face, and more warmth flooded me as I realized that beneath the burning desire was relief.
“When I returned to the Palace and discovered you were sleeping in your room instead of your apartment, I asked an aide to do a little investigating,” Iannis said. “They only told me the news a few minutes ago. Are you all right?” he asked, stroking my cheek. “Did those bastards hurt you in any way?”
Oh, I could just melt. The way he was looking at me, as if he could not bear the thought of losing me, made me want to just sink into his embrace and never let go. But I couldn’t let that happen, not until he told me, with real words, how he actually felt. Besides, we had more important things to worry about.
“I’m fine,” I told him, pressing the heels of my hands into his shoulders – a subtle sign that I wanted space. He moved slightly, but not enough to cool the inferno he’d sparked. “The Resistance set fire to my apartment to draw me out so they could kill me. But I got everyone out of the building and made sure to stick close to the crowd so they couldn’t get a clear shot at me. I was disguised as an old woman, and with so many witnesses, they didn’t want to risk killing bystanders, when they couldn’t tell if they had the right target.”
“Smart,” Iannis said. “But they never should have come so close. And even if you have nine lives, Sunaya, they must be nearly used up by now. I’m assuming you’ll abandon this foolish idea about living outside the Palace now? You’ll be much safer here.”
“Only until the crisis is over,” I said coolly, folding my arms across my chest. I wasn’t about to let Iannis think I was moving back in permanently. If he decided he didn’t want me as a lover, that we were only going to be master and apprentice, then I most definitely wasn’t willing to live in the same building as him.
Iannis’s eyes darkened. “You’re being ridiculous,” he insisted. “Life would be easier for both of us if you lived here. We could –”
“If you start telling me that we could get more master-apprentice stuff done if I lived in the Palace, I’ll punch you straight in the nose,” I warned. Shock flared in his eyes, and I used the opening to plow forward. “You know damn well you’ve only got so much time in the day, especially now that you’re out fighting the Resistance. How am I supposed to move on if I’m constantly living in your shadow? Hearing your voice? Inhaling your scent? And watching you and Director Chen make eyes at each other when she seduces you?”
He blinked. “What? That’s not –”
The intercom speaker on Iannis’s desk crackled to life. “Sir, the Minister is on the phone for you. He says it’s urgent.”
“Very well. Put him through.” Iannis sighed, then moved away, giving me much-needed breathing room. “We’re not finished with this conversation,” he warned before picking up the ringing phone.
“No,” I said softly as I slipped out the door. “I imagine we’re not.”
4
My feet took me from the Guild offices to the library on the lower floor of the West Wing. I’d been here before, seeking out Fenris so he could help me with the bank investigation I was conducting only three weeks ago. An investigation that had eventually led to the discovery of a group of kidnapped shifters who were forced into illegal fighting matches. Perhaps I’d find Fenris in the library again – he was generally a calming influence, and great for bouncing ideas off when I had a puzzle to solve. I had hardly seen him since Iannis and I returned from Dara, and truth be told, I missed him.
Unfortunately, the library was completely deserted, aside from a grey-haired librarian who sat quietly behind her desk, a fragile old tome open as she hand-penned notes from it. I glanced around the huge room that could have easily fit the entire Shifter Courier building inside it, scanning rows of bookshelves so tall they nearly touched the soaring ceiling, and wondered if there was anything in here that might be of interest to me.
You could always research the Tua.
Huh. That was an interesting idea. Not exactly relevant to the current catastrophe, but interesting. I’d recently discovered that Iannis was part Tua, and had extra abilities this heritage afforded him. I wondered if researching the mystical, long-lived race of his grandmother might give me better insight into Iannis himself.
Probably not. But what else do you have to do? It’s not as if Director Chen is going to assign you anything useful.
“Excuse me, Miss Baine,” the librarian said in a firm but friendly voice. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Oh!” I turned around to look at her, a little flustered that she knew me. The nameplate on her desk told me her name was Janta Urama, and that she was the head librarian of the Palace. A prestigious positi
on… was she sitting at the reception desk because her staff was off fighting the Resistance? Her middle-aged appearance was unusual for mages, who could assume youthful beauty whenever they pleased, but perhaps she cared more about research and learning than her looks. “Umm…” I scrambled to come up with something, because Iannis had told me of his Tua heritage in confidence, and I did not want to accidentally reveal that to her. “The Chief Mage sent me here. He wanted me to research gulayas, as part of my apprentice training.”
“Gulayas?” The woman’s steel grey eyebrows rose in surprise. “That is advanced magic indeed for an apprentice in her first year of training.”
I forced myself not to fidget underneath her searching gaze. Before Argon Chartis, the renegade mage who’d signed up with the Resistance, had used a gulaya to escape Iannis’s wrath, I’d never even heard of them. It figured that they’d be an obscure subject. “Yeah, well, we came across one during the recent rescue mission, and I wanted to know more about them. So he said I should look here.”
“Ah, I see.” The librarian’s face cleared, and she stood up. “We have an excellent encyclopedia of magical items that should have the information you need. Come, right this way.”
She led me over to a low shelf that was fitted directly into the wall beneath one of the windows. The shelf was filled with a series of white, leather-bound books with the titles stamped on the spines in gold – twenty-six volumes total, one for each letter in the alphabet. Carefully, she selected the ‘G’ volume, then placed it on a bookstand on top of the shelf and opened it to a specific page.
I sighed as I scanned the small print. I knew it was the right entry because at the top of the page was a stylized drawing of a gulaya that looked very similar to the star-shaped object Chartis had used to vanish before our eyes. But the text was written in Loranian, the difficult language of magic I was still trying to master.