by Jasmine Walt
We got off the streetcar and entered a restaurant the hotel’s concierge had recommended for an early dinner. It was still fairly empty before sunset, so we were able to get a window table with an excellent view of the city without having a reservation. As we sipped wine and admired the view of the sparkling ocean beyond the city skyline, we switched to verbal communication and discussed our plans for the next day.
“We have an appointment tomorrow at ten with Mr. Ransome,” I said. “When I called earlier, he was quite eager to meet me as the fictitious buyer for your mansion. I imagine he will be very surprised when the heiress he is trying to declare legally dead shows up instead.”
Mina smiled. “Part of me is looking forward to his reaction,” she admitted. “From the two letters, he seemed pretty sure I was never coming back. I must get him to tell us exactly why he was so certain of my demise, and what my aunt and uncle told him after I disappeared.” Her brow creased, her expression turning somber. “I wonder if they even searched for me at all.”
“They likely did, for appearances’ sake,” I said, “but probably not very far, or very thoroughly. If your aunt and uncle truly did not care for you, they might have been secretly relieved when you disappeared.”
Mina’s eyes briefly shone with tears, and I immediately regretted my tactless comment. But she blinked them away, regaining her composure. “I was terrified of pursuit that first year,” she said quietly, tracing the rim of her glass with her forefinger. “I kept my head down as much as I could, fearing they were hunting me down and would drag me back. If I had known they wouldn’t even bother looking for me outside Innarta, my life would have been much easier.” Her voice was thick with irony.
“We don’t know yet what they did. We ought to check with the local paper and see if your disappearance was, in fact, in the news,” I suggested. “Since the Chief Mage recognized your name, there was probably some report. We should verify how they recounted the story. A young, pretty heiress disappearing in the middle of the night should have made for a juicy morning read or two, but perhaps it was hushed up for whatever reason.”
Our food arrived, and we lapsed into silence as we enjoyed the gourmet fare—roast duckling and lamb. The meat was quite tender, but the quantity was not nearly enough for a shifter with my appetite, so I ended up ordering a second plate. The server eyed me with amazement when I then proceeded to order dessert—clearly, he was not used to old mages tucking away food as though they were starving young men. I would have thought it strange, too, in his position.
“Well, well,” Gelisia’s voice sounded from behind me, and my shoulders tightened. Turning in my seat, I hid a grimace when I saw her winding her way through the tables toward us. “Imagine the two of you dining in my favorite restaurant! What a pleasant surprise.”
“Miss Dorax.” Mina gave her a superficial smile. “How nice to see you again so soon. Would you like to join us?”
“Indeed I would.” Gelisia pulled up a chair and sat down between Mina and me, far too close for my comfort. Her cloying perfume stung my nostrils, and I had to fight back the urge to sneeze. How had I ever found this witch attractive?
Gelisia ordered a cocktail from the server, then settled back in her chair with a feline smile. “I planned to interview you tomorrow, but since you’re here, I might as well use the occasion to ask a few questions that came to me after you left. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all,” Mina said, and I had to admire her unruffled composure. I didn’t even scent a hint of fear from her. “Anything to help the case along.”
“I love how cooperative you are,” Gelisia cooed. “I’m sorry if I came across as skeptical earlier—but as Finance Secretary, it is my job to be suspicious of anyone trying to claim substantial amounts of money, especially inheritances. I’m sure we’ll have this all sorted out soon enough.”
Mina smiled. “I don’t mind you doing your job,” she said as she forked up a bite of chocolate cake. “Now, what questions do you have for me?”
Gelisia spent the next few minutes asking about Mina’s past—where she went to school, how long she had lived with her grandmother, and where she had gone while she was living abroad. Mina answered the questions calmly and concisely, and I did my best to remain as unobtrusive as possible even as my gut knotted with tension.
“It was very gallant of you to take Miss Marton in the way you did,” Gelisia purred after Mina told her how we had met by chance. Gelisia turned her seductive gaze on me, and I barely suppressed a grimace when she laid her hand on my forearm. “I’m certain Tamina did not want for anything while she was in your care.” Her fingers subtly brushed against the gold threading of my robe, and I had no doubt she was sizing up my wealth and stature. She might have even dug into my assumed family’s history already.
“It was the least I could do,” I said, then turned the conversation back on her. I did not like all these probing questions—she seemed friendly enough, but I suspected she was hunting for a weakness in Mina’s armor, anything about her story that did not add up. “You seem quite young to be a Finance Secretary, Miss Dorax. How long have you been working here at the Innarta Mages Guild?”
“Oh, a few years now.” Gelisia waved a manicured hand. “I started as deputy, but I have a very good head for finances and was promoted within six months.”
“Six months? That’s impressive,” I said, injecting an admiring note in my voice. In reality, I was quite put out—I’d expected a larger setback in her career. The Lady knew she deserved it, after what she’d done to me. Did she move to Innarta because the Chief Mage, like me, was unmarried? I wondered if she was waiting for the chance to blackmail him—I had no doubt she was up to her old tricks.
Across the table, Mina eyed the two of us—there was a distinctly annoyed look on her face, and I felt a flash of amusement at her jealousy. I would have to reassure her when we were alone that she had nothing to fear—there was no force in Recca that could compel me to fall for Gelisia’s wiles a second time.
“It is a pity you are not yet a full mage,” Gelisia said, turning back to Mina. “I am surprised you are as behind on your studies as you claim—I graduated when I was only twenty-three.”
“Well, that is very fortunate for you,” Mina said coolly, narrowing her eyes. “Perhaps I would have graduated early, too, if I had been lucky enough to have supportive guardians and a real master to teach me.”
Gelisia stiffened at the censure in Mina’s voice. “I would take care with the tone you use around me,” she said. “Whether you recover your fortune or not is entirely dependent on keeping my favor.”
“Is that so?” I said as a flash of anger ignited in my veins. “Surely you will report the truth, whatever you find it to be, and the Chief Mage will be the one who makes the ruling.”
Gelisia shrugged. “Certainly. But there are many ways to shade the truth, and we can talk later how to ensure I will make it favorable for your ward here.” She gave Mina another cat-like smile. Mina merely stared back, stone-faced.
“I would not dare to try to bias you in any way,” I said, refusing to take the bait. It sounded like Gelisia expected me to buy her off, and while that would make Mina’s life easier, I refused to fall in with her machinations.
Gelisia frowned. “Well, this has been fun, but I really must be going.” She stood, hitching her small handbag on her shoulder. “Enjoy your evening.”
Mina and I exchanged looks of profound relief as Gelisia walked away, and I lifted a hand to signal the waiter.
“She never paid for her cocktail,” Mina murmured.
“Typical,” I grumbled, and ordered another drink. I felt like I’d just entertained a snake at dinner, and I needed a brandy to wash the sour taste from my mouth.
11
Fenris
After we’d finished dinner, Mina and I caught a cab back to our hotel room and prepared to settle down for the night. We’d booked two hotel rooms for appearances’ sake, but they had an adjoining
door. It was not difficult for her to slip into my room after the two of us had entered through our respective doors.
“We definitely can’t trust Miss Dorax to make a fair assessment of the case,” Mina said in mindspeak. She sat down in the small sofa by the window, looking pensive. “I will have to keep an eye on her and make sure that she is not twisting the evidence.”
“I would strongly advise you keep your distance,” I told her, alarmed at the very idea of Mina tangling with Gelisia. “She is dangerous, and far more devious than you could ever imagine. It would be much better if you left her to me.”
Mina crossed her arms over her chest. “And just how is it that you know this?” she asked aloud, her eyes gleaming with challenge. “You can’t keep stalling forever—if you have information about this woman, you should tell me. I need to know what I am dealing with.”
I winced—that was true enough. And it was clear Mina would not allow me to keep her in the dark about my past forever. She had trusted me enough to confide her painful family problems. If I refused to reciprocate, it would only drive a wedge between us.
“Very well,” I conceded. I conjured a privacy bubble around the room to keep anyone outside from overhearing, dropped my mage illusion, and sat down in the chair across from her. “I’ve indeed met Gelisia in the past, in a different guise than the one I’ve been wearing today. She was the Finance Secretary in another state and had designs on the Chief Mage’s position. I know her to be very crafty and devious, and not above leveraging other people’s circumstances to get what she wants. I just so happened to be in her crosshairs. She damaged my reputation severely and forced me to flee the state.” That was true enough, though it was a very abbreviated version of what had happened to me.
Mina’s eyes were wide. “She is the reason you are in hiding?”
“Partly, though mostly I have only myself to blame,” I admitted. “Running across her again is most unfortunate, and we must be very careful. I cannot be seen in public as anything but the old mage, and we must keep the curtains drawn whenever we are here at the hotel.” That was the first thing I’d done when we returned. “She likes to use animals to spy on her targets, and even uses a magical spell to record from afar what people say and do. We must take every precaution we are not overheard when we discuss anything that could reveal my identity.”
Mina nodded, her expression grave. “Should we keep to our rooms while we are here, then?” she asked reluctantly. “So long as we are indoors, and careful, we should be able to avoid her machinations.”
I shook my head. “It would not do for us to be holed up in here all day—you need to be out and about, showing your face to as many people as possible. Haralis may be large, but word travels fast, and you are bound to be recognized. It will be more difficult for your relatives to deny your claim if multiple witnesses back you.”
“True enough,” Mina agreed. “Maybe it would be good if I learned the privacy spell, too.”
I spent the next twenty minutes working with Mina on a simpler version of the spell I had used on the room—she was not yet advanced enough to use the same spell I did, but the one I taught her would create a bubble around herself and a person of her choice so the two of them could speak without being overheard. Mina should only need to use it when talking to others—when she was with me, we could use mindspeak.
“Very good,” I said as she successfully conjured the bubble for the third time. “I think we can leave off for tonight.”
Mina dissipated the bubble with a wave of her hand, then leaned against the wall. Her face was flushed with exertion, but rather than looking tired, her silver-gray eyes were bright. “It is…quite gratifying, being able to channel my powers effectively,” she said, pushing a strand of hair away from her face. “I can’t tell you enough how much it means to me that you’re helping me with this.”
“It is my pleasure, I assure you.” Entranced by the glow in her face and the way her eyes sparkled, I closed the distance between us so I could cup her cheek. “You are a quick student,” I murmured, brushing my thumb across her lower lip. “I have no doubt you will complete your training well before the usual ten years.”
Mina’s lashes fluttered as she tilted her chin up. “No doubt,” she agreed, sliding her arms around my neck. I kissed her, and a growl rumbled from my chest as she pressed her willowy curves against me. The scent of her arousal was already stirring the air, and I breathed it in deeply, along with her lavender and sunshine scent. Her soft mouth was divine. As primal hunger awoke inside me, I teased the seam of her lips with my tongue. She opened for me eagerly, as anxious to taste me as I was her, and I slid my hands beneath her rear to lift her up and carry her to the bed.
In a matter of moments, I’d divested her of her blouse, leaving her upper half bared to my gaze. “Mmm,” she moaned as I took one of her dusky nipples into my mouth, gently swirling my tongue around it. She gasped when I bit down, her fingers digging into my shoulders. Another bolt of lust surged through me, making me impossibly hard, and I wanted to be inside her so badly I nearly shredded the rest of her clothes off.
Instead, I used my magic to make them disappear.
“Oh!” Mina’s eyes flew wide as she realized what I’d done. Her lips curved into a smile as she ran her hands down my suddenly bare chest. “You’ll have to teach me that trick,” she said, her hands sliding down to wrap her fingers around me. I groaned as she squeezed gently and then began to stroke the underside of my length with her thumb.
“You’re getting quite good at that,” I gasped as she continued to pleasure me.
“I would hope so,” she said, tangling her free hand in my hair. She kissed me hard as she stroked me, and my body trembled with the urge to take her.
But Mina was not taking any contraceptives—they were hard to come by in Abbsville, she’d explained to me. I couldn’t risk impregnating her. Not when there was still the possibility that she might find a more suitable partner, one she could be with openly.
Instead, I let her finish me, saturating myself in the taste and smell of her until she brought me to a roaring climax. And then I crawled down her body and feasted on her until she’d come so many times she was begging for mercy.
12
Fenris
Once Mina was gone, I stretched out in my bed, utterly satisfied. How in Recca had I ever been attracted to Gelisia? I wondered as I stared up at the ceiling. Next to Mina’s gentle nature, the woman was as fake as a wooden doll. I had been a fool to allow Gelisia to worm her way into my office and take up such a critical position in the Nebara Mages Guild. At least we had never been lovers, despite her blatant invitations. A few dates and kisses were as far as things had gone.
But I am not the only fool, I thought with a spark of wry amusement. The Chief Mage of Innarta had also been taken in by Gelisia’s charms, and I had no doubt she was going to make a play for his seat, just as she had done with me. It would be in Mina’s and my best interests if I found a way to eliminate her, but there was no easy way to do so without drawing attention to myself, which I could ill afford.
Gelisia would dig into our backgrounds, searching for whatever dirt she could find. That would be difficult with my fictitious overseas background, but there was always a chance she might discover my alias was fake. If that happened, I was in a world of trouble. Mina, on the other hand, would be easier to investigate, but I doubted Gelisia would unearth anything incriminating, unless there was something about Mina’s past she had not yet divulged to me.
She’ll also likely spy on Mina, I thought, frowning. Mina would have no way of knowing whether Gelisia’s familiars were nearby—she could be vigilant and watch out for suspicious animals, but Gelisia was clever and would keep her spies unobtrusive. Wondering if there was any way to repel her, I mentally rifled through my magical repertoire. Unfortunately, some of the more difficult spells that would come in handy in this situation were beyond my current magical strength. I might eventually be able to perform them a
gain—my power had gradually increased in the four years since my transformation—but for now, I would have to stick to less taxing rituals.
I wondered how Sunaya was coping with all the spells I’d given her. It had been a good eight months since I’d gifted her with my knowledge and memories. While she would have had time to start sifting through my memories, there was no way she could have tried out even a fraction of my vast magical repertoire. After an apprenticeship with one of the most accomplished mages in the Federation, I had continued to study and learn spells for well over a century. Some of them were considered long-lost, and I was the only one who’d known them before I passed my knowledge on to Sunaya.
Eventually, I settled on a protection spell, the strongest one I could still manage. Rising from the bed, I sat on the floor, cross-legged, then reached into the magical pocket that hovered just beneath my left elbow and pulled out a lock of Mina’s hair I’d taken one night while she’d been sleeping. I felt slightly guilty for taking a piece of her without her knowledge, but I had worried I might someday need it for a tracking spell should something ever happen to her.
It’s a good thing I took it, I thought as I pulled out a mother-of-pearl-handled knife. She’ll need all the protection she can get now that Gelisia is in the middle of this mess.
I sliced the knife along the palm of my left hand, opening a wound deep enough that my shifter abilities would not heal it instantly. I dripped a few drops into a cup, then added the hair and some other ingredients also conveniently located in my magical pocket. Once finished, I held the cup in both hands, then chanted the Loranian spell to power it.
Closing my eyes, I envisioned my magic pouring into the cup, holding a picture of Mina in my mind’s eye. The cup hummed with power as I lifted it high, and I opened my eyes just in time to hear the whoosh of flame as the contents ignited. The scent of burning hair and magic stung my nostrils, and I resisted the urge to sneeze as smoky tendrils of power formed in the air. They snaked beneath the adjoining door, where they would bind themselves to Mina while she slept.