Brink Mage

by Gideon Mills

  There was one mage in the city that Wyatt didn’t hate. The only one that hadn’t tried to get him to leave and go to their special stupid school. That might be his only option at the moment, or maybe he could reach out to the other two PIs in Imlay and see if they have any info. Both options felt like a last resort, and that was where he was. It infuriated him that his own contacts had refused to help him. He had both paid them well and given them a free pass on a lot of crimes they committed.

  Nothing could be done about that now. It was time to go see Francis Richard III.

  The mage lived up in one of the swankier parts of Imlay. While he was a mage, he was also an earl. His family had been one of the most powerful in the countryside before moving to the city. Here they had plenty of money and power, but not as much as they did in the countryside—too many other nobles in the city to contend with. Though, Francis being both a mage and an earl made him one of the most influential people in the area.

  It grated on many of the other nobles just how much reach he had. How he could get a meeting with the king the same day, when many of the other earls, counts, and marquises had to wait. As if he were a duke, or the king himself.

  That might be why the man never bothered pestering Wyatt and his life choices. The Earl was too consumed by the political game he was in. To Wyatt, it was that, a game. Too many people acting like the lives they were in charge of were nothing more than names on paper.

  The Richard estate was three times the size of the one that Wyatt had attempted to rob just a few days ago. Count Hamlin might be wealthy for a count, but it was still only count money. Not earl and mage money.

  Looking at the mansion made Wyatt for a brief moment regret not taking advantage of the love many had for mages. He could have just as easily moved here and used his influence to get more power and money. Maybe even work for the king, but that just made his skin crawl. The thought of dealing with all the slime and disgusting nobles made him not regret it. Wyatt would much rather be where he was.

  At the massive gate to the property was a guard tower with men in heavy plate armor. The estate was surrounded by a stone wall that was ten feet high and had barbed wire on top. Not even an elf would be able to get in without getting a sliced-up leg.

  “State your business,” one of the guards said.

  “Mage Wyatt Ryder here to see the earl.” Wyatt had put on the traditional mage attire that he didn’t like to wear. It tended to draw way too much attention, and that was bad for his business. Being a private investigator meant blending in and not being noticed.

  “One moment.”

  One of the guards remained, keeping a watchful eye on Wyatt, while the other went into the estate to see if the earl would see Wyatt. In a few minutes, not only did the guard return, but he had the earl with him.

  “This I had to see,” Francis said. He was a colorful man in bright green robes that mages wore. Wyatt’s were much more toned down in color, a muted blue.

  “We need to talk.” Wyatt didn’t want to be out here any longer than he had to. Already, a number of people could have seen him and made his life hell. He was known in a lot of circles, both good and bad.

  “Always straight to business,” Francis said.

  That wasn’t always true, but Wyatt was both uncomfortable in the robes and in the street. “Francis, this is important.”

  The earl nodded. “It must be. You only venture to this part of town and in your robes for dire situations. Open the gates.”

  The guards did as their boss commanded. The cast-iron gates opened up slowly and let Wyatt in. Francis led the way into the large compound. It had several buildings outside of the mansion that he and his family lived in—one for the staff, and a stable for the horses. Not to mention a few others that Wyatt didn’t have a clue about.

  As they walked, Wyatt passed many of the staff. There were a few goblins here still. That was a surprise, Wyatt had seen a few left in the city, but none in the noble parts of town. Only in the gutters, or working for other trades. There were a few elves and even a troll or two.

  In the main building, they walked down a hallway with some of the most exquisite artwork in the country, maybe the world. Wyatt might not be a collector himself, but he could tell it was some of the best. Not only the paintings but some of the sculptures as well. Wyatt had to force himself to not stop and look at it. Some of it was so lifelike that he had no idea how it was created.

  Finally, they arrived in a large study, or rather a library. There were shelves and shelves of books on three of the four walls. Yet another show of his wealth and power. Not many people could even read in Imlay, let alone have this many books. Wyatt was one of the few that could read, but he didn’t own a single book.

  Francis sat down in a plush reading chair and gestured for Wyatt to take the one next to him. Wyatt did, and it was one of the most comfortable seats he had ever been in. The nobles really did have some of the best things in the world.

  “What brought the cagey Wyatt Ryder to my door?”

  Wyatt wasn’t sure how to take being called cagey, but let it go. “I’m sure you have noticed that the goblins are gone?”

  Francis nodded. “I heard, but as you can see, not all of them are.”

  “I noticed, you might be the only noble to not have his goblins rebel and flee the city.”

  Francis smiled. “You know that I’ve always treated them better than the other nobles.”

  That was true, the Richard family had a history of not being like the others and paying slaves well before it was considered the right thing to do. Francis was a strange man among both the nobles and the mages, and yet he somehow managed to gain so much influence and power. That made Wyatt uneasy and dislike being here with him. Not to mention seeking his help or advice.

  “You have been good, but still not many left.”

  Francis nodded. “I know. Way too many have left. That is a concern.”

  “Not to mention that many of the nobles are hiring mercenaries, or that none of the thieves are doing their jobs as often as they used to. Or not a single one of my informants is talking to me.”

  The other mage sat in his chair, watching Wyatt and rubbing his chin. “You aren’t the only one that noticed. The king is upping his protection, and even the lower nobles are talking about the theft from Count Hamlin. Was that you?”

  “I tried, but another PI beat me to it.” A lesser person might try to hide that he was part of it, or that he failed, but that wasn’t Wyatt. One of Francis’s abilities as a mage was to pull the truth if he thought a person was lying. Wyatt would never lie to him.

  “I see,” Francis said. “I’m assuming a goblin had the job done.”

  “Correct.”

  “Something is going on,” Francis said. “But I don’t know what. I’ll see what I can find out and let you know. We might need to bring the brotherhood in on this.”

  Wyatt groaned. “You know I’m not a part of all that nonsense.”

  The other mage laughed. “You could learn a lot, but it’s not for everyone. It did help me.”

  That much was clear, but Wyatt wasn’t about to let them dig their fingers into him. “I’m fine. Just let me know what you learn.”

  They both stood, and Francis led Wyatt out of the house.

  4

  A new Job

  By the time Wyatt arrived back to his home or office—it really didn’t matter what he called it—the day was getting late. He hadn’t learned a thing, and that had angered him. He still wore his stupid mage robes, and many people stared at him the whole way back.

  Mages were such a rare sight in this part of the country and never seen in this part of the city. At least, that was what the people that lived here thought. Even though they saw Wyatt every day. They just didn’t know, or forgot he was one, and that was the way that Wyatt wanted it.

  Now many would see him and know he was a mage. This was going to make his life difficult and cumbersome in many ways. He was angry and annoyed th
at he had done this by the time he arrived at the front door of his place. Standing there was a woman, and she was hot. Her long black hair was pulled back into a very tight ponytail; she wore some of the most elegant clothes that Wyatt had ever seen. If he didn’t know any better, he would have sworn this was royalty, but there was little chance of that being the case. None of the royal family would dare venture to his part of town.

  This was one of the parts of Imlay where they were hated more than others. Outside of the place that the elves or the goblins lived. They truly hated them.

  The woman stood next to the door, very regal in nature. When she saw Wyatt, she smiled, and her bright blue eyes shone. “Good day, Mage Ryder.”

  Wyatt grunted. “No one calls me that.”

  “Then why are you wearing your robes? If I am not mistaken, they show you of the order of the brotherhood, and a powerful one.”

  Wyatt cringed. Whoever this was, she was familiar with a lot of mage ways. He didn’t sense any power in her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t part of the order, or something close to it.

  Wanting to get out of the prying eyes on the street, Wyatt opened the door. “Please come in, ma’am.”

  The stunning woman nodded and followed him in. Wyatt had wanted to change out of the robes right away, but with her here he was forced to stay in them. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

  He gestured to a seat in front of his desk, and he sat on the edge of the desk. With grace, she took a seat. The more that Wyatt looked at her, the more he was sure that he knew her from somewhere. “Do I know you?” he asked. A lady this attractive, he would think he would remember, but it’s possible he didn’t.

  Her face went bright red. “Not that I know of, but I have a face that reminds people of others.”

  Wyatt highly doubted that but didn’t push it. If she didn’t want to tell him who she was he wouldn’t force it. Many of his clients didn’t want to tell him their real names for fear of being punished by the ones they were hiring him to work against.

  “I see,” he said. “Well, what is it you want me to do?”

  She looked to the left in his office, and then back to him. Wyatt saw the nerves running through her. She might be able to pretend she was strong and sure about this, but she was about to ask him to do something that frightened her. This might be one of the cases that Wyatt enjoyed. One that let him be distracted from the job he had been doing. Let him not think about all that was happening in Imlay.

  “I want you to steal from the king.”

  Wyatt shook his head. A lot of jobs had run through his mind, but none of them were remotely that. He had never taken a job that required him to work with or around the king. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t run into the man on some of them. Working with nobles meant he had seen the king or his daughter, who was very much like this young lady. He had never met the queen; she had died while giving birth to the princess. After that, the king changed and turned into the vile man that he was currently.

  “I’m going to assume you have something specific in mind.” Wyatt’s heart raced as he thought about stealing from the king. The palace had more guards than any other building in the country, and his magic wouldn’t work. They had a way to spot him and remove any of the spells he cast to stay hidden—stupid brotherhood of mages helping the king.

  “A document,” she said. “One that proves he is the reason the people are fleeing the city. The man causing the chaos.”

  So much for this job being a distraction for Wyatt and what he was looking into. This was almost too perfect of a job and made him uneasy. This might be a setup, and that was a concern. Not many people knew what he was looking into. He just told Francis, there was no way he would have had the time to set this up. And that wasn’t like him.

  Wyatt just wasn’t sure if he could trust this lady. Just because she was hot, it didn’t mean he should take the job. Even if she might be the damsel in distress. It would be hard to turn that down, and that was another reason for him to stop and think about it.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “I heard the king,” she said. “He has been killing goblins and using them to test on. Elves too. A mage arrived in the city a few months ago and is helping him.”

  Wyatt hadn’t heard of that. He wondered what the mage might be doing but doubted she would be able to tell him. From Wyatt’s experience mages didn’t tell many people what they were doing, or if they did, it was at best a half-truth. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I am.”

  The lady had a look on her face that told Wyatt she believed every word she said. That there was no doubt in her mind that the king was doing wrong. Wyatt didn’t have the power or skills to take the king on himself, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

  “Very well,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thank you.”

  Later that night, Wyatt was out of his robes and in his bedroom. He had wanted to sleep but couldn’t. His mind raced over the job he’d just taken. Not to mention the woman that hired him. He had seen many beautiful women in his life and even bedded a few of them. Yet none compared to her, or to the elf from the day he had failed to rob the count.

  It was strange for Wyatt to be fixated on anyone for this long. He had put the elf out of his mind, and yet she was back. He had also tried to force out the young noblewoman who was trying to hide her status and failing. He had been tempted to follow her after she left his place, but didn’t.

  Instead, he focused on what he should do to start this job. They hadn’t even talked money, and that was rare for him, since he always needed some more coin to support himself. Many people thought since Wyatt was a mage, he could make gold appear out of thin air. That wasn’t the case, and he couldn’t turn other metals into gold. That was all folk legend in the city, or something that Wyatt hadn’t learned. Not that he dared to try.

  Right now, he was staring out the window of his tiny place up to the center of the city. The palace was huge. It was the size of several city blocks and was the center of Imlay, and much more than just one building. There were many buildings and people there. It was, in many ways, a city unto itself.

  It had the palace, which was home to the king and his daughter. Another building that was home for all the servants there. Its own stable, with more horses than any other place in the city. A school was on the grounds for all the noble children to attend.

  There was even more than that, but just thinking about all the factors, buildings, and installations made it a very difficult job. Wyatt would need help to figure this one out and to get to the compound.

  Wyatt dressed and left his place. There was no way he was going to sleep any time soon. It was best to but this energy to use. He could just go to a brothel and burn off the sexual energy he had built up.

  Yet, that didn’t feel like the best use of his time. He wanted to learn something that would help him with this job. He had to find a way in and to have a team for this one.

  That was one of the problems that Wyatt faced over the years. He was known for working alone, and it was biting him in the butt these days. If he had a team, he might have found out about the king himself. Not had to go to Earl Richard and expose himself to owing the mage a debt. As it turned out, that might be a big waste of Wyatt’s time.

  Putting that thought out of his mind, Wyatt went in search of the new private investigator in the city. He had said he would do this and hadn’t forced himself yet. Having two PIs on the case, or in this case thieves, would be a good thing. The elf had clearly shown she was talented. Not many people were able to get something done before he was able to.

  Wyatt had at least been able to find out where she worked out of. It was in a slightly nicer part of the city than his place. As he walked in the direction of her place, the buildings improved in quality and got larger. The houses had less filth on them, and fewer and fewer had broken windows. Not to mention the smell in the air improved, if one liked a more flo
ral scent. Wyatt had grown to like the more pungent odors around his place.

  It was nice on the eyes, but Wyatt liked the charm of the part of town he lived in. This part, and the inner circles that housed the nobles and the royal family, lacked character. Was just too stuffy and pretentious for Wyatt and the way he liked to live. There was a reason men like Count Hamlin ventured to the out rim of the city for their entertainment. Not that it was all good; much of it needed to be fixed.

  There had been many nights that Wyatt had walked the streets angry at the way the people were treated. Many of the workers at the brothels would have cuts and bruises on them. Or much worse. That behavior Wyatt didn’t like.

  It didn’t take long for the mage to arrive at the building he was told housed the newest PI in the city. The only problem was that Wyatt had no idea what she looked like, and if she would be willing to join him in a team-up against the king. She might be a lackey of the royal family or some other noble. It would be just Wyatt’s luck that she’d be some cousin of a duke and would go running to the man.

  It wasn’t unheard of for many of the elves that lived in the city to actually be part human and related to some noble or another. Though mostly, one could tell the difference between an elf and one that was mixed blood.

  Wyatt took a deep breath in and went into the building that housed the elf. The front door was unlocked, just like his always was when he was there. If he was home, even if he was asleep, he would be willing to talk to a potential client.

  A bell rang as he entered the shop. It was different than his own, but just what he expected from a PI, drab and boring. A desk in the center of the room that was the focal point of it all. On either side of the desk were some plants from the forest that Wyatt knew was home to the elves that lived outside of the city. They had a vast nation that most of the regular humans didn’t have a clue about. They thought that the elves all lived in the town with their ancient culture lost to time. That couldn’t be further from the truth; this one might be from there. That boded well for her not being loyal to any of the nobles. Wyatt let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. A knife appeared below his chin, gently pressed against his neck.