The Book of Betrayal

by Melissa McShane

  I smiled even more broadly and put my arms around his neck. “I won,” I said, and kissed him where everyone could see.

  21

  “The place is as clean as it’s going to get,” Judy said. “Stop the nervous sweeping.”

  “I’m almost positive Ms. Stirlaugson voted in my favor. I feel like I owe her gratitude.”

  “But you don’t owe anyone servility.” Judy took the broom away from me. “You’re wearing a groove in the floor.”

  “All right. I’ll stop.”

  “Only because I took the broom away. And no dusting either. You’re getting that suit all dirty. Why didn’t you change?”

  “Because she said she was coming and…I’m being servile again, huh?”

  “Little bit.” Judy disappeared with the broom. I settled on the stool and fingered the cash register keys. It all felt so unreal to be back in Abernathy’s as if I hadn’t nearly lost it forever. Only a few magi had come in, mostly ones who lived in caves and hadn’t heard about my tribunal, and I’d laughed and joked with them until they started to look a little nervous. Now I made myself sit quietly. I was composed and calm and everything. I just couldn’t stop smiling.

  “What are you and Campbell doing to celebrate?” Judy said when she returned.

  “I don’t know. Malcolm said it was a surprise, and just to be ready to be picked up at 6:15. He wouldn’t even tell me what to wear—said it didn’t matter. I’m a little nervous, honestly. I’d be satisfied with staying in and watching a movie.”

  “You’re sort of boring, you know that, right?”

  “I like boring. Boring is nice. Nobody ever gets eaten by invaders when it’s boring.”

  “Invaders don’t generally happen to people even when they’re not boring.”

  My phone rang, startling me. “Congratulations,” Lucia said. “You live a charmed life.”

  “Thanks. I feel fortunate right now. I almost can’t believe I won.”

  “Neither can I. The Board changes for no one, especially not a disobedient custodian. You must have some powerful allies.”

  “If I do, I don’t know who they are. I mean, I think Ms. Stirlaugson was in favor of me remaining custodian, but as far as changing the Accords goes, I don’t know how that voting went down.”

  “I’d bet a month’s salary at least a few of them were already inclined toward your point of view.”

  “I can’t afford to take that bet, but you’re probably right.”

  “Yes, I heard about your fine. I don’t suppose even your famous chutzpah extended to asking for a raise?”

  “How do you know about that?”

  “I have my sources.” It sounded sinister enough I decided not to press. “I called to see if you’re open today, given the extreme stress you were probably under.”

  “I am.” I decided not to bitch about Ragsdale to Lucia. She couldn’t do anything about it, and if it got back to him, he might decide to double down on the hell he intended to rain down on me. Not that I thought Lucia was loose-lipped at all. I was just paranoid. “Do you need an augury?”

  “Do I need an augury. Davies, I need all manner of things, starting with more enforcers and including an augury telling me how best to use them. I’m satisfied we’ve either uncovered all the traitors in my jurisdiction or forced them to flee. But that doesn’t tell me what they plan to do next, and Washburn only knows so much.”

  “What about the factions? What are they doing?”

  “Parish is still having to defend himself against rumors that he’s secretly a traitor. It’s stirred up the Ambrosites to the point that some of them have petitioned the Archmagus to replace him. If the Mercy wanted disruption, they got it.”

  “They also got seventy-six deaths. What I don’t understand is why they didn’t follow up that attack with something else.”

  “According to the ones we’ve interrogated, the magical cost was higher than anticipated. It threw their organization, such as it is, into chaos. And for all we know, some of the ones who fled are like Washburn—changed their mind about their loyalties. But it left us weakened enough that we can’t press the attack either.”

  “So what are you doing? If it’s not too nosy of me to ask.”

  “Your nosiness pleases me. We’re retro-engineering the magic that affected the steel magi and investing every magus with protection against similar attacks. I’ve got my people investigating the names the traitors gave us—under duress, so who knows how valuable that intelligence is, but we can’t afford to ignore any information.”

  “I thought I read somewhere that torture was useless.”

  “You ought to remember we don’t use torture. Magic to encourage someone to speak, sure, but even that can only go so far. And those traitors were resistant to influence. Some of them suicided rather than talk, and I think it might have been an induced response. Like Matt McKanley last year. We thought it meant he had an accomplice working with him on the illusion attacks on the oracle, but now I wonder if it wasn’t something his masters embedded in him.”

  “I remember.” I’d never forgotten the mottled face of the man who’d kidnapped me and tried to kill me.

  “At any rate, once we’ve finished protecting our people, it’s time to take the fight to the Mercy. Stupid name. They’re no longer in a position to operate secretly among us, so they’ll have gathered somewhere—several places around the globe, no doubt. And large gatherings of magi are easier to spot than a few individuals.”

  “But won’t that mean dividing your forces? The teams will still have to hunt invaders.”

  Lucia sighed. “Try not to mention that logical conclusion to anyone, will you? We’re trying to boost morale.”

  “Sorry.”

  “I’m not eager for this fight. There’s too much about Wardens fighting Wardens, even traitorous ones, that makes me sick. But they won’t go easy on us, and God only knows what kind of advantages the invaders give their human puppets. It’s not a fight we can refuse.”

  “What can I do?”

  “What can you do?” Lucia laughed. “Davies, one of the things I like about you is your absurd willingness to throw yourself into battle, armed with nothing but your sense of justice. Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re a walking miracle as far as the Warden community is concerned. Don’t let them down.”

  “I…” I swallowed to moisten my suddenly dry throat. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me, thank whatever divine force protects you,” Lucia said, and hung up.

  “What was that about?” Judy said. She didn’t bother pretending she hadn’t been listening to my half of the conversation.

  “Does Lucia’s approval fill you with more dread than her antagonism, or is that just me?”

  “I think having her attention at all makes most people walk softly.”

  “And to think she actually has superiors. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she ruled the magical world.”

  The door swung open, the bells jangled triumphantly. “Good afternoon,” Stirlaugson said. She was accompanied by the redheaded woman and Chukwu. “I take it things have been quiet.”

  “Yesterday I told everyone the store would be closed today on account of not knowing how long the, um, tribunal would take.” I hopped off the stool and came around the counter to shake hands. “So there were only a few people.”

  “Well, this shouldn’t take long. I thought, as long as I’m in town, I would come in personally and save a stamp.” Stirlaugson removed a folded piece of paper from her purse and handed it to me. I kept myself from bowing and retreated into the oracle.

  I stopped a few paces inside and unfolded the paper. How can we best take the fight to the Mercy? Excellent question, and one I’d have been happy to deliver an answer for even if I hadn’t felt unnatural, yes, even servile gratitude toward the asker. I wandered through the aisles, not exactly taking my time, but not hurrying either. It just felt so satisfying to be where I was meant to be, to know the Accords were changin
g and I didn’t have to give Malcolm or the oracle up.

  There, in the distance, a blue light burned. I picked up the pace just a little. Textiles of South America, the spine read, and I pulled it off the shelf, reveling in the tingling feeling of an augury. I flipped it open to the title page. Laverne Stirlaugson, it said, and below that—

  I sucked in an astonished breath. Impossible. She’s never going to believe it. I read the number again, counted the zeroes, then closed the book and headed for the exit.

  Ms. Stirlaugson and the Board members hadn’t moved, just chatted quietly. Judy sat on the stool with the ledger and receipt book ready to hand. “Ms. Stirlaugson,” I said, “I have your augury. But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  Stirlaugson’s eyes narrowed. “Why is that, Ms. Davies?”

  “Oh, it’s not the augury, it’s the price. The oracle—” I swallowed. “The oracle says it will cost you five million dollars.”

  The redheaded woman gasped. Chukwu’s eyes went wide. “Five million?” he said.

  “I swear I’m not making it up. You don’t have to pay for it if you don’t want. It’s more than it’s ever charged for an augury before, even the Ambrosite Archmagus’s augury.”

  Stirlaugson’s expression was perfectly calm. “Five million,” she said. “Ms. Davies, how much do you make from each augury?”

  “Um…one percent?”

  “And one percent of five million is fifty thousand dollars, am I correct?”

  “Yes, but—oh, you don’t think I’d lie to you just to make money?”

  Stirlaugson shook her head. Then she laughed. It was the most spontaneous sound I’d ever heard out of her. “Ms. Davies, tell me something,” she said when she regained control of herself. Her companions stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “How much money did you need to pay the rest of your fine?”

  I joined Chukwu and the redhead in staring at the madwoman. “Fifty thou—” Then it hit me. “But I really didn’t make it up!”

  “I don’t believe you did. I do think the oracle has some strong opinions about you. Don’t disappoint it, young lady.” Stirlaugson patted the augury gently. “I’ll need to arrange for a wire transfer. Hold that book for me, and I’ll return in the morning.”

  Chukwu nodded politely to me as he followed Stirlaugson out the door. The redhead lingered behind. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” she said. “Ariadne Duwelt. I admit to some curiosity about what you’ll do next.” She smiled and waved goodbye, closing the door quietly behind her.

  Judy and I stared at each other. “The oracle just extorted money from the Board to pay your fine,” Judy said. “That has to be a first in all of history.”

  “So maybe it really did intend all of this,” I said. “Though I can’t imagine why it would care about my personal life.”

  “If it cares about its custodians…you never have learned what prompted Silas to abdicate. Suppose it wanted him to have a different life and arranged for that to happen?”

  “Or maybe it just wanted the Accords changed.”

  “Then why pay your fine with the Board’s own money?”

  “I don’t know.” I sighed. “I’m slightly afraid someone’s going to see how happy I am and do something to screw it up.”

  “Way to look on the bright side,” Judy said.

  It was quiet enough I felt safe scampering upstairs and changing out of the suit, which was pretty but uncomfortable, and into dress pants and a blouse. Malcolm’s breezy statement, when he dropped me off at eleven that morning, that it didn’t matter what I wore made me even more anxious about the matter. So I dressed as nicely as I could while still remaining comfortable and hoped it was enough.

  I called Viv around 5:30. “How are you doing?”

  “We’re both fine. Jeremiah’s off being interrogated again. He’s really the greatest guy—so patient about the whole thing. I love him so much.”

  “Has he been able to give Lucia much information?”

  “The revelation that he was supposed to assassinate her was more than enough. They—the Mercy—operate in what he calls cells, isolated from one another, but he gave her what names he could, and one of them was someone Lucia was able to pick up and interrogate. In less nice a way than she did Jeremiah.”

  I shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about that.”

  “Me neither. But I’m nervous about tomorrow. Jeremiah offered to let the bone magi analyze his brain to see what the invaders did to him.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  I heard a distant thumping, as if Viv were dragging a chair over a linoleum floor. “He says part of the alteration made him more capable of communicating with the intelligent invaders, to let them speak to him in his dreams. He’s hoping the magi can shut down that means of communication, just in case they can do more than communicate. Lucia thinks her people might be able to reverse it, use it to communicate with the invaders.”

  “That seems pointless.”

  “Not if you’re putting thoughts directly into their brains. They might be able to use it as a weapon. But I’m worried about Jeremiah’s safety. It doesn’t sound like a non-invasive procedure.”

  That made me shudder. “Jeremiah’s braver than I am. I don’t think I could do that. Almost as bad as having a needle inserted into your heart.”

  “Is Malcolm recovered from that?”

  “Fully. As far as I can tell, anyway. It’s so weird to think how badly injured he was three weeks ago, and now he’s walking around like it never happened. And the sex is wonderful—so much better than when we had to be a secret.”

  “Jeremiah and I have discovered there’s a limit to how much sex is enough. Don’t tell him I told you that. He’s very private and doesn’t understand there are things girls talk about with their girlfriends that have nothing to do with their boyfriends, right?”

  “I guess that’s true. I’m getting nervous about where Malcolm is taking me tonight. It feels so weird not to have to hide anymore.”

  “I can imagine. Does it feel like everyone’s staring at you?”

  “Yes. Exactly.”

  “Well, they’re probably staring at how cute a couple you are, so don’t worry about it.”

  Judy passed me on her way out the door and waved. I waved back. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it. And there will probably still be Nicolliens who give me the hairy eyeball because I’m with Malcolm, but I can endure that too.”

  “Hairy eyeball, what a disgusting image.”

  I grinned. “I got it from Harry Keller, who is a fount of all sorts of disturbing metaphors.”

  “Ew. Oh, Jeremiah’s coming back and we’re going to dinner. Talk about being stared at. It’s like being the last fish in the bowl when there’s a cat in the room.”

  “How much longer will you have to stay there? Lucia can’t expect the two of you to live in confinement for the rest of your lives.”

  “I’m not sure yet. At least a week, while they finish this brain analysis. Then…do you think it’s crazy that Jeremiah and I are talking about moving in together?”

  I gasped. “Viv! Isn’t that sort of sudden?”

  Viv’s voice turned serious. “It’s been almost three months. That doesn’t seem unusual. It’s just…I’ve never thought about settling down in any way, but Jeremiah is more than capable of defending himself, and he’s certain I’m going to need protection at least for the next few months. He says if I’m going to need a bodyguard, he wants it to be him. It’s romantic, and scary, and…I think I’m going to do it.”

  “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you both.”

  “I’m excited and nervous all at once. I’m not the easiest person to live with. I scare away all my roommates eventually. I think you and I lasted as roommates for all of three days.”

  I remembered those long-ago days and suppressed another shudder. “That was when we were much younger and stupider. I’m sure you and Jeremiah will do just fine.”

&n
bsp; “Just so long as we have our own spaces. He doesn’t want to hear my music all the time, and I don’t want to know what happened on Battlestar Galactica, either the old one or the really old one.”

  “There has to be at least something he’s into that you like.”

  Viv laughed. “Surprisingly, it’s this cartoon called Cowboy Bebop. It has the greatest jazz soundtrack, so if I get bored I just close my eyes and listen.”

  I laughed. “That’s the kind of compromise I can get behind.”

  22

  It was ten ‘til six. The sun was turning the clouds pink and gold, sidewalk traffic had almost dried up entirely, and I thought seriously about closing up early. Then I remembered Ragsdale’s face, how pleased he’d been at the thought of auditing me, and decided I was safer playing by the rules. So I sat at the counter until exactly six o’clock, then locked up and went upstairs to wait. The apartment was cool and quiet, for once, and I sat on my couch and thought about how nice it was that it was still mine.

  6:15 came around, and no Malcolm. I played some solitaire and tried not to fret. At 6:20 I texted Malcolm: NOT TO BE IMPATIENT, BUT WHERE ARE YOU?

  About a minute later, I got the reply CAR STUCK IN TRAFFIC, ALMOST THERE. WAIT OUT FRONT.

  I sighed and grabbed my jacket. Malcolm was certainly going out of his way to be mysterious.

  It was windy and cold outside, the icy breath of an invisible creature tickling the back of my neck. I huddled into my jacket and tried to control my impatience. Streetlamps were coming on up and down the street, making a tracery of light that would be beautiful and delicate from two hundred feet up. I watched a flock of birds wheel and dip above me and wondered what they made of all this human activity. Where were the river birds I’d seen outside the tribunal building now?

  Cars passed slowly in both directions. Rush hour hit us even this far from the freeway. I watched as a gray Lincoln Town Car, far too expensive for this neighborhood, approached and then, to my surprise, came to a stop in the middle of the lane. The driver got out and came around to my side, ignoring the honks of the car behind him. He opened the rear passenger door and bowed. “Ms. Davies?”