by Logan Jacobs
“Maybe you should try it on Maderel,” Aerin suggested.
“I guess I could,” I replied. “Though I don’t think I want to know his deepest, darkest secrets.”
“Sadly, I don’t think she has any more left,” Maruk replied. “And I’m not sure if she can lay her hands on the ingredients very quickly. She was muttering something about finding more Fachan blood.”
“Well, then, it’s up to me until Lena can replicate her brownies,” I declared.
“Damn brownies,” Dehn muttered as he joined us in the kitchen. “What was that crazy elf thinking?”
“Did she want them to start revealing their secrets?” Emeline asked.
“That’s the best part,” Dehn replied. “She was trying to create something that would make someone want to eat more potatoes.”
“Why would you want to make someone eat more potatoes?” Aerin asked.
“How would I know?” Dehn demanded as he pulled out a chair and sat down. “Did you have any luck at the Academy?”
“Maderel’s agreed to teach me,” I said.
“Good,” Dehn replied. “We’ll have to work out a schedule for following him.”
“What?” Aerin and I asked at the same time.
“Well, obviously, you won’t be around him every minute,” Dehn said in what passed as his most scholarly voice. “We’ll have to set up surveillance.”
“Why would we do that?” I asked.
“So he’ll lead us to the Shodra,” Dehn replied.
“Right,” I said as I glanced at Maruk. Maruk was suddenly engrossed by his fingernails. “I thought the plan was for me to get the information from him.”
“That could take too long,” Dehn declared. “This way, we can see what he’s doing when he’s not at the Academy. We’ll probably find the Shodra a lot sooner.”
“Okay, first,” I protested, “I’m pretty sure he’s hiding them somewhere in the Academy.”
“Why?” Aerin asked. Her brow was furrowed as she thought about it. “The only reason we assumed that is because he said he was taking them to the tower. But we don’t know what he did.”
“True,” I admitted. “But, even if they’re not there, it’s not like he’s going to be popping by every day to visit them.”
“We don’t need him to visit them every day,” Dehn replied. “Just once.”
“All right,” I conceded as I looked back and forth between the orc and the halfling. “So whose idea was the surveillance?”
“Mine,” Lavinia’s voice said as she strode into the room. “You did say I would have to do something else besides chasing down bad guys.”
“Even if I agree it’s a good idea,” I replied as I looked at the ladona, “I’m not sure we have enough people to pull off this around the clock surveillance on the guy. I mean, we do have to at least appear to still be taking bounties.”
“We’ve already started working on schedules,” Lavinia stated. “We can do this.”
“The other thing is that we can’t get caught,” I pointed out. “He’s going to get suspicious if he keeps seeing members of our guild every time he turns around.”
“I know how to be sneaky,” Dehn declared with a loud thump on the table that sent a pair of oranges rolling towards Aerin.
“He knows all of us,” I added.
“We’ll figure it out,” Lavinia insisted.
“After all, your lessons don’t start for two more days,” Maruk agreed.
“Maybe Lena could turn us all into blue pixies or something,” Emeline suggested.
“Ugh,” Aerin complained. “I wonder what the side effects of that would be.”
“Probably eating more potatoes,” Dehn smirked. We stared at the halfling in surprise, since he wasn’t prone to cracking jokes, and then we all burst out laughing.
“He did say he had business outside of the city tomorrow,” Aerin mused. “Maybe we could use that as a dry run, see if we can pull this off.”
“And if he spots us, we’ll just say we’re on a bounty,” Lavinia added.
I looked around at the Shadow Foxes and saw that they were really excited about this suggestion. Much more so than the idea of me going undercover in the tower. And it definitely had its pluses. For one thing, it might mean me spending less time with Maderel. It would also give us greater access to his life without the High Mage even realizing it. That opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. At least, in theory. It was hard to shake the fact that he knew all of us by sight. And there was only so much you could do with a disguise, especially for certain members of our crew.
“All right,” I finally agreed. “But we need to work out some plans tonight. We can’t all just follow him around the countryside. We need to have teams, and a way to follow him discreetly from a distance. And we’ll need to be able to communicate to each other.”
“Already working on it, boss,” Lavinia said with a smirk. “And if these workers would ever clear out, we’d be able to have a team meeting to discuss it.”
“They’ll be leaving at their regular time,” Maruk sniffed. “It’s bad enough that we lost a day of work in the nursery.”
I heard a pounding noise, and it took me a moment to realize it was the door knocker, and not someone with a hammer.
“I’ll get it,” I volunteered as I stood up from the table.
“Expecting someone?” Lavinia teased.
“Always,” I laughed as I hurried towards the front hall. I opened the door to find a child standing on the doorstep, staring suspiciously at the two plumbers who stood on the sidewalk, reviewing a set of plans. He looked like an extra from a Charles Dickens novel, complete with a grimy face, soot-covered clothes, and shoes that were about two sizes too big.
“May I help you?” I asked the child.
“Is this the guild hall for the Shadow Foxes?” he demanded. At least he didn’t have a Cockney accent.
“It is,” I replied. I waited for the boy to say something else. He still seemed doubtful that he was in the right spot, and he looked back at the plumbers.
“We’re having some work done,” I finally sighed.
“I have a message for a… Gabriel Vega,” the boy said.
“I’m Gabriel,” I replied.
“I’m to give the message only to him,” the boy added as he looked me over.
“I swear, I’m Gabriel Vega,” I insisted. The boy still looked doubtful, and I wondered if I would be required to dig my old California driver’s license out. Though I wasn’t altogether sure where it was anymore.
“Gabriel,” one of the plumbers finally called. “We may have to adjust some piping to make room for Maruk’s additional features.”
“Do what you have to,” I sighed. I’d given up on trying to keep track of all the work that was being done, and I usually just directed any and all questions to either Maruk or Yvaine. Still, the workers often sought me out first, a fact which irked Maruk to no end.
The plumbers nodded and headed back inside. The boy looked slightly more convinced of my identity, and after a moment, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and held it out towards me. I started to reach for it, and he pulled it back. He held out his other hand, palm up, in the universal request for money. I sighed, dug around in my pockets, and finally found a few coins that I dropped into his hand. He sniffed at the money, then held the note out to me. I snatched it before he could decide that he needed a bigger tip.
I closed the door and glanced at the envelope. It had been sealed with wax, and my name was written along the flap in a very precise hand. Certainly, I knew a fair number of people in Ovrista and the surrounding area now, but this was the first time anyone had ever sent me a letter. Most correspondence we received was sent simply to the Shadow Foxes.
I opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper. The same writing graced the page. It said simply, “I know what you are. If you help me, I will help you.” The signature at the bottom of the page was Imogen Kurlew.
Damn.
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br /> I’d knew she’d been suspicious about my air mage claim. She’d known that I hadn’t knocked her down with a blast of wind. I wasn’t sure if she really knew or simply guessed that I was a manipulator, but she was smart and clever, and she knew I wasn’t an air mage.
I debated what to do and I decided a visit to the prison might be in order. If nothing else, I might at least get a better idea of what Imogen Kurlew thought she knew about me.
I was angry at the thief, I had to admit. I’d been so careful, all this time, never to do anything that looked remotely like a manipulator spell while we were in Ovrista, or anywhere with too many witnesses. We’d also been careful not to leave any tracks for the Academy to follow, though I knew they were looking for a rogue mage.
I’d managed to build a good life here, and even with Theira’s quest looming over my head, I wasn’t about to lose everything because of some accusations made by a criminal hoping for a lighter sentence.
I snatched my cloak from the hook where I’d left it and returned to the streets. A few snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky as I hurried past the few people who had also ventured outside. The stablemaster who kept our horses spotted me and waved. I waved back, and tried for a smile, but I could feel that my mouth barely moved. The man didn’t seem to notice, and I hoped I didn’t run into anyone else I knew. Maybe I could just blame my bad mood on the weather if I did.
The prison looked even darker and danker than usual. The pigeons had apparently found warmer digs for the winter, so the frieze was poo-free at least. Unfortunately, the ice and snow made it look like they’d all been hit with a blast from Mr. Freeze’s weapon of choice. The figures looked less like the good citizens of Ovrista singing in harmony, and more like the unnamed victims of a Batman villain.
I ventured inside and was surprised at how warm it was. It was also surprisingly well lit. There was a lone guard on duty at the desk, and he stared at me with two very bored eyes.
“Um,” I said as I glanced around. I’d been so angry that I hadn’t really developed any sort of plan beyond talking to the thief. The fact that she was sitting in a jail cell hadn’t really registered as a problem until I’d walked into the office of the city guard.
“May I help you?” the guard asked in a voice that clearly hoped I wouldn’t need any assistance.
“Is Rufus around?” I finally queried.
With a monumental sigh, the guard stood up and disappeared through one of the doors. It wasn’t the one to the cells, I knew that much after our last visit. Maybe there were offices back there. A moment later, the guard reappeared, and resumed his post. He didn’t say anything, and I wasn’t sure if I should leave or stay.
The door opened again, and Rufus stuck his head out. He glanced around the room and then spotted me still standing in the center of the room.
“Vega, isn’t it?” Rufus said as he strode into the room.
“It is,” I replied. He had his hand out, and we shook. His grip was strong, but not bone-crunching.
“Catch another thief?” he said with a grin.
“No,” I replied sheepishly. “Actually, I was hoping I could talk to the one we already caught.”
“Huh,” Rufus said. “Well, we don’t usually just let people wander in and talk to the prisoners. Especially dangerous ones like Kurlew.”
“Ah, yes,” I fumbled. “That makes sense.”
“What did you want to talk to her about?” Rufus asked.
“Um, well, I think she was using magic,” I lied. “I wanted to figure out what she did.”
“Hmm,” Rufus said as he scratched at the stubble on his chin. “There’s nothing on any of the wanted posters that says she’s a mage. Though it might explain how she’s been able to keep going for so long.”
“She might be a rogue mage,” I replied.
The guard at the desk sat up straighter and listened more carefully to our conversation.
“If she is, we’d have to add some seals or something,” Rufus said as he glanced towards the cell. “I mean, we have some that were placed when the place was built, and they’ve always worked before, but mages are usually taken to the Tower.”
“Well, I’m not sure she’s a mage,” I backtracked. “She could be like me, just someone without much training. Maybe she’s just picked up a few tricks that we don’t have around here.”
Rufus glanced at the door again, and I counted to fifteen before he looked back at me.
“Tell you what,” he offered. “I’ll let you talk to her if you can check whether she’s got magic.”
“I’ll go with that,” I agreed.
Rufus nodded and led the way to the door that I knew led to the cells. He pulled the door open, and we were in a dark hallway with cells along one wall. We walked past several cells, all of them empty.
“Not many guests,” I observed.
“Just had court for the day,” Rufus replied. “Mostly drunks, a couple of guys who got in a fight over an i.o.u. Judge didn’t want to hang around too long today, so everything moved quickly.”
“And the ladona?” I asked.
“Well, that’s a class two felony,” Rufus replied. “A much more serious business. Not to mention all the other locations that are vying for a trial. They’ll put together a rock solid case before they bring that one to trial.”
“Not to mention her own lawyer,” I added.
“And that,” Rufus agreed.
We arrived at the last cell in the block. Rufus turned up the flame on a lamp near the cell, but it did little to relieve the gloom. I could barely pick out the shape of someone sitting inside the cell.
“You’ve got company,” Rufus called out.
“Fifteen minutes,” he said to me as he turned and walked away. I waited until I heard the door close, and then I used my mana to create a mage light similar to the ones I’d seen Emeline create. They weren’t as strong as hers, but they did the job. A few more weeks, and I figured I could light the whole town without setting it on fire.
“You came,” the ladona observed. She was sitting on a bunk, back pressed against the wall. I saw a bruise along her jawline, but no other obvious injuries.
“I was curious about your letter,” I shrugged. “What exactly is it you think you know about me?”
“Well,” she said as she stood up. She walked to the bars, her gaze studying me. “There must be some secret you want to keep hidden, or you wouldn’t have come so quickly.”
“I don’t have anything else to do at the moment,” I shrugged. “And it’s not like the city is overflowing with entertainment options right now.”
“Uh-huh,” she agreed.
“How did the kid get the note?” I asked to switch topics.
“For the promise of a few gold pieces, even a member of the city guard will do something as simple as pass along a note,” Imogen said as she sauntered back to the bunk and sat down.
“You’re in jail,” I pointed out. “You don’t have any gold pieces.”
“Not on me,” she agreed. “But I happen to have quite a large supply in safe locations.”
“Of course,” I said. “From all those heists you pulled.”
“You’re not an air mage,” she said suddenly.
“What do you think I am?” I asked after a moment.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. After another long look, she said, “That’s not entirely true. But what I believe can’t be true, so that leaves me with I’m not sure.”
I laughed, but it sounded false, even to my ears.
“Have you ever given a straight answer?” I asked.
A slow smile crept across her features. And there, nearly unseen in the darkness of her eyes, was the red fire that I knew so well from Lavinia’s eyes.
“When it suits my purpose,” she replied.
“And what is your purpose in bringing me here?”
“I know how to keep a secret,” she noted. “And I can keep yours, if you help me.”
“Help you how?” I a
sked.
“Oh, surely you don’t need me to spell it out for you,” she chided.
“You intend to break out,” I guessed.
“I’ve done it before, in far more heavily protected places than this,” she stated. “But it always goes more smoothly when you have outside help. Especially when that help has… unusual talents.”
We stared at each other, and an idea began to grow in my head. A dangerous, crazy, over-the-top idea.
“If we help you, then you have to help us,” I insisted.
“I’ve already said--” she began.
“No, not that,” I said. “Well, not just that. We have a quest, and I think we need someone with your skill set to help us pull it off.”
The ladona finally looked surprised. She stood up again and approached the bars.
“What game are you playing?” she hissed.
“No game,” I replied. “Help us with the greatest heist this kingdom has ever seen.”
The ladona stared at me, the red fire brimming just on the edges of her eyes. I fought the temptation to step back, and remained pressed against the bars, exchanging hard glares with her.
“How long will you give me to deliver an answer?” she finally asked.
“Two days,” I answered quickly.
“Two days,” she agreed with a nod. She retreated back to the bunk and refused to say another word. I heard the hallway door open, and I started the long walk back towards the offices.
Rufus met me about halfway along and tipped his head towards the cell where Imogen Kurlew sat in silence.
“Anything?” he asked.
“She’s not a full mage,” I said, my voice tinged in disappointment. “I think she has a few tricks she picked up, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.”
“That’s good then,” Rufus replied as we returned to the warmth and light of the main desk. “Will we be seeing you and the rest of the Shadow Foxes at the party?”
“What party?” I asked though my mind was still busy sorting through various scenarios involving Imogen Kurlew, and how the Foxes could take advantage of this opportunity.