Equal to his gratitude, he wondered why she would risk herself, her business, and her livelihood on his word alone that the city was in danger, and that the guards were the foot soldiers of a tyrannical king and a wicked sorcerer. Were he in the dark and unaware of it all, he would have dismissed the claims from another person.
“The city watchmen as well as the Royal Guards of Enimura fuck everyone, sir. They don’t like my kind any more than they like you.” Her features softened. “Something very bad is going to happen, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll do my part to help.”
They spent the next half hour cleaning together in silence, though Xavier coughed throughout most of it and was aware of Moiranna’s sympathetic glances.
She truly was a good soul, and his gut said they could trust her. They needed allies and others on their side right about now, because everywhere he looked, he saw danger on the streets, whether from Royal Guardsmen or the city watch who had tossed his shop in either a legitimate search for a dragon in the city or as a scare tactic to intimidate him. Maybe even both.
When he walked her to the door of his shop for her to return to her own establishment, the smell of smoke on the wind assaulted him. Burning flesh and smoldering wood scented the air. He turned toward the smell and peered toward the gray plumes of smoke rising skyward.
“Now what?” He took comfort knowing Rosalia wasn’t involved. He’d told her to stay inside the lair.
A heavily perspiring man with soot on his clothing charged into the lane from around the corner. His “There’s been an attack in Gold Valley! Everyone run for your lives! Grab anything valuable and evacuate the district! The flames are heading this way, and no amount of water will quench them!”
Water quenched all flames save those of the most powerful magical sorcerers and creatures. Apprehension settled deep in the core of Xavier’s gut. “Hold a moment! Just one moment! What led this attack?”
“A bloody flamin’ woman came out of the shadows is what they’re sayin’. The guard were after her, now there’s fire everywhere. Fire and flames crawling across Gold Valley. Could only be worse if that blighted dragon soared overhead and toasted what’s left.”
Rosalia wouldn’t set fire to the district. Xavier knew that for a fact. She also hadn’t gained the control over her abilities needed to summon fire on a whim, and he was willing to bet it was the crown’s next effort to turn her into a public enemy, blaming her for crimes committed by their side.
She wouldn’t be in Gold Valley.
The sharp tingle of magic reached his nose with the acrid odor of smoke and hot sand, a smell he specifically associated with djinn fire. He grew less certain, and no matter how much he told himself Rosalia wouldn’t be there, he found himself rushing from the store toward the lane winding down into the next area of the district. Moiranna followed on his heels.
“Where are you going? Why are you heading toward the fire?” she demanded.
“I need to—” Xavier cut himself short and glanced back at her. “I plan to offer my spellcrafting aid if necessary. A magical fire requires a magical solution,” he said evenly.
He saw by her expression that she wasn’t convinced and hated that the nosy little folk were skilled at ferreting out dishonesty, for they didn’t lie themselves often. Or with any skill.
Moiranna didn’t question him again and followed as his silent companion until they reached the edge of the lane where clusters of merchants desperately tried to extinguish the fire, passing along buckets of water from a nearby well and rushing with jugs they tossed on an unquenchable fire. Instead of rushing forward to help as he’d promised, he eased in and out of the crowd and listened to the conversation, searching for anyone who might have had information.
“Excuse me, good sir. How did this begin?” he asked a fellow in a blacksmith’s apron.
The man shrugged. “I’m on the opposite side of Gold Valley. Barely escaped in time, but hell if I know what happened here. I heard it was a woman.”
“A woman?”
“Beyond that, I know no more than you do.”
Xavier stared at the wall of flames, sparks traveling from one rooftop to the next, embers carried by the powerful wind. If it continued to burn uncontested, it would take the entire lane with it and spread into the district’s upper shelf. As much as he didn’t want to stand idly by, he couldn’t risk the expenditure of magic. Not yet.
Not when it was altogether possible he may need his strength.
Moiranna tugged his sleeve. “Wait here.” Then the gnomish woman vanished—she didn’t go truly invisible, but she melted into the crowd and was no longer seen at all, lost in a sea of average-sized people dwarfing her petite frame.
Some time later, the fire brigade arrived to combat the inferno, though the area appeared suspiciously lacking in guild members from the magic school. Usually at least two of them were summoned to put out magical fires, a rare occurrence that happened on occasion if an enchanted goods merchant didn’t store their magical goods correctly.
At last, when he’d begun to wonder if he would find out anything at all, Moiranna appeared at his side again and tugged, indicating he should follow her. They wandered off together.
“The fire brigade will handle it. They never notice us small folk unless they’re actually looking for us, so I snuck into a cluster of them resting from battling the flames and had a good listen.”
“And?”
“They scrounged spare undine tears from the city armory to neutralize it.”
“Small blessing.” The words escaped his lips before he could stop himself.
If Moiranna took offense, she didn’t show it. She peered around him toward the crowd then turned her face up again. “I also heard it was a woman who started it, the one the watch are after. They said she self-immolated and took the entire lane with her, businesses and all.”
Xavier’s stomach clenched at the thought. Why? Why would she do this? He reined in his gut reaction to charge away, and forced a neutral expression to his face. “Whyever would she do that?”
“No telling. But they also said this: they’ve got an order for the arrest of the mage guild mistress herself. The word among the city watch is that the enchantress aided and abetted a murderer, and the Royal Guard will gather all the extra men they can afford to storm the tower later.”
6
Hereditary
Adriano settled on the chair. “We were fortunate that I’d come to hire the guild for matters concerning the navy and arrived some time ago to begin negotiations,” he explained, having been present since that morning to commission and assortment of to improve his vessel. “I didn’t expect to find you here when you ought to be in hiding.”
“About that…”
Rosalia told him everything that happened, her aborted mission to meet him, the assault from the ice elemental, and the subsequent rescue from exposure and capture by Elora. And then, as if the tale she’d just told hadn’t been stupefying enough, she told him the truth about Xavier and his near-assassination by dragon slayer.
Palpable astonishment ebbed from Adriano like a summer heat wave. His brows curved upwards as he gaped openly at her, seemingly stunned into silence for a long, stifling moment. His stillness dragged onward to the point that she began to worry he was in shock. Rosa opened her mouth, preparing to ask if he’d heard her or if, perhaps, he’d mastered the talent of a horse and had fallen asleep with his eyes open, when he finally spoke.
“What?” The single word was flat, surprise melting away in an eerie fashion that reminded her of the wraith and its temporary demise. “He’s a dragon? It wasn’t the elf’s blasted vault keeper that rescued you from execution. It was him all along.” Groaning, he dropped his head forward and placed one hand on his brow. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, she would have laughed at his reaction. “Of course, he would be a dragon.” Adriano seemed to find humor where she could not, as he suddenly burst into a fit of laughter
, his smile board and cheeks dimpled.
Despite the open amusement the man displayed, there was an abundance of emotions that flitted across his face, some passing too quickly for her to truly distinguish. Curiosity made his eyes sparkle, even if he looked oddly sad for the briefest of moments. “You always had a knack for getting into the most troublesome situations, haven't you? No wonder he laughed at my threats.”
A breath Rosalia hadn’t realized she’d been holding finally broke free from her chest, shoulders slumping ever so slightly with relief, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why she was relieved. “Yes, I suppose I have.” His tired smile was soft around the edges, understanding in a way she’d worried he wouldn’t be, all things considered.
The reality of the situation was that, besides Xavier, Adriano was all she had left of her life before. He was all that remained from a time when her world made sense, and her support system consisted of more than one dour dragon. His loyalty meant more to Rosa than she would likely ever admit aloud, though she hoped the gratitude was properly conveyed on her face. “Thank you,” she murmured, not quite meeting his eyes.
“Always.” Something unspoken passed between them. So much more remained unsaid between them. She had a thousand more things to tell him and just as many questions to ask.
Rosalia put those things off until their next reunion. Soon, she’d need to track down the next stone, which meant finding an elusive tribal people known for evading agents of the crown and soldiers from their kingdom.
The Moritta had no love for King Gregarus, and they gave no fealty to those beneath him.
“I should leave. You have your own business here to complete, yes?”
“I do.” Adriano leaned forward and caught her hand, a quick, reassuring squeeze all that was offered. It was a fleeting touch, but the meaning was received all the same. They would see one another soon; it was less of a goodbye and more of a good luck.
And by the gods, they needed all the luck they could take.
Providence had brought Elora to Rosalia’s side in the nick of time, and providence was what reunited her with Xavier. Not long after Adriano departed the enchantress’s personal chambers to attend to the naval matters assigned to him, she encountered her dragon on the winding staircase.
“Rosa?” The surprise coloring his voice mirrored her own shock. She stopped short of the steps and blinked at the man ascending them to meet her. The position placed him just beneath her, with her looking down upon him in a reversal of roles she greedily drank in and enjoyed for every second. It was a nice change of pace, though she kept those thoughts to herself.
She smiled at him, feeling frayed around her edges and yet just the sight of the man eased the tension in her muscles until she wanted to tip forward into his arms.
What a difference a few hours had made. The last she’d seen Xavier he’d looked absolutely dreadful, and while he didn’t look fully recovered quite yet the improvement was dramatically noticeable. Any joy that had sparked within Rosa at the sight of her lover was instantly stamped out by his following statement.
“They’re saying that you set fire to the entire district.”
“What? I wouldn’t ever—the entire district?”
At Xavier’s grim nod, a knot tightened in her belly. An entire district went up in flames because of her? When they’d left, it was only a few harmless sparks. Nothing that the fire brigade should have failed to extinguish.
“How bad is it?” she asked quietly.
“A complete city block and one part of another. If the fire raged for another half hour it may have swept through all of Gold Valley and left nothing behind at all. What happened?”
“There was a wraith.” The lack of accusation in his voice meant everything to her. She didn’t know if she could have endured him looking at her as he would a murderer. Not now. “She attacked me. I didn’t have a choice.” Rosalia’s voice was tight, her throat clenching with every word. While instinctively she knew something didn’t add up, she couldn’t help but feel at fault for the destruction that took place. How many families had lost their homes because of her flames? Guilt sat like a heavy stone in her stomach.
“A wraith,” Xavier repeated.
“Yes. Made of ice. She created a blizzard and almost froze me to death.”
Xavier became suspiciously silent.
“What?” she asked.
“Was she an elf, by chance?”
“Maybe. Probably. Her ears were long. Xavier, what is it?”
He dragged in a deep breath. “Because I may have been the one to kill her. Do you remember how I said I had a great many things to tell you?”
He had. Then the dragon slayers sprang their trap and there had been no time for any of that. He’d left soon as he recovered—before he truly recovered, if she was honest about it—providing little information about the events that transpired before their reunion.
On the way back to Elora’s suite, Rosalia listened to his tale of a thwarted assassination attempt and magical battle in the alleyways. The matter-of-fact way that he described freezing the elf woman solid made her blink.
All along, she thought he’d judge her.
In hindsight, Rosalia realized her worries had been unfounded and foolish. Xavier had scorched a company of Royal Guards to bone.
Rosalia raised a hand to rap on the door and tapped empty air instead as Elora swung it open to stare at them.
“They’re coming for me, aren’t they?”
Xavier nodded. “Aiding and abetting an assassin. That isn’t the only reason why I needed to speak with you. The wraith Rosalia encountered—I’m the one who took her life.”
The older woman raised one slim-fingered hand to her temple. She sighed. “Then I fear your work is soon to become even more complicated.”
Rosalia looked back and forth between them, waiting for someone to provide answers. “I don’t understand. Xavier should be able to banish her, shouldn’t he?”
“It isn’t that simple,” he said.
“As he is the source of her desire for vengeance and the cause of her death, no magical spell cast by Xavier shall harm her,” Elora said gently. “She takes her power from him and will draw strength from his spellcraft.”
“His dragon’s breath. He can breathe fire.”
“Magical fire breathed from a dragon is no better than that summoned by elvish hands. This vile ritual has bound her in eternal slavery, and it feeds on the very bond between murderer and fallen.”
“He didn’t murder her. He defended himself.”
“That matters none when it comes to ancient, primordial magics. He slew her, and their lives are irrevocably connected. No act from him can harm her spiritual body, whether he uses magic spells, rings, or potions. This is why the creation of a wraith is absolutely forbidden.”
Dread dropped a lead weight in the pit of Rosalia’s belly. Every time they took one step forward, another dilemma pitched them five steps back again. “You said I dispelled her for now. How long do you suppose it will be until she reforms?”
“A day or so, perhaps. But she’ll have to find you. I suggest you both get moving now and into the desert. She won’t be able to tolerate the heat of day in the open desert.”
“About that…” Xavier cleared his throat. “I may have killed two more along with her, by fire.”
“Then if I know my former pupil at all, you had better be thankful neither of you burns easily. Visit Bonare and let him know that you both need waterskins of freezing.”
“Elora, can I ask one last thing before we go?” The severity of the situation hung heavy in the air until it was nearly tangible, the taste bitter and overbearing in Rosa’s mouth. Despite the sudden turn to urgency in the atmosphere, Rosa had just one more question.
“Of course, darling. What is it?”
“These clothes I wear and the armor you’ve given me—how are they in my size?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Elora’s smile provided the answer she alrea
dy knew in her heart. “They were all your mother’s. She left them here for you.”
7
The Way
Rosalia and Xavier set off shortly after they bid farewell to Elora. They collected the last of the guild’s gifts for the journey from Bonare along with enough provisions to wander the desert for two weeks, but even that wasn’t enough for Rosalia to feel prepared for what lay ahead. They had been traveling for several hours now, the silence that hovered between the pair and all the things left unsaid a loud contrast to the unbearably silent desert night.
Only two minutes earlier, she’d stumbled in the dark on loose pebbles in the sand and he’d caught her hand, keeping her upright as if she were weightless. He’d yet to let it go. Her gaze flickered down to where their hands were joined, fingers entwined so perfectly it was almost as if they were two parts of a puzzle, always meant to fit together. She’d realized sometime around hour three of walking in the dark with Xavier that she wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to accompany her on this journey, and that had to mean something, didn’t it?
The moon hung high in the night sky, a half crescent that illuminated the land they traversed with a soft, silver glow just strong enough for them to make do without any artificial forms of light. At some point the landscape had changed, tree line thinning away into nothing as dirt paths turned into sand dunes. The cold was just as intolerable and merciless as expected, but the man beside her radiated heat.
Greedily, Rosalia moved closer to bask in his ambient warmth. She wasn’t sure how much longer they had to go before her exhaustion caught up with her, but she was willing to follow so long as it was Xavier leading the way.
“I’ve been thinking,” Rosa cleared her throat, feeling as if she had swallowed a handful of sand. “Maybe once the eyeglass is safe, we could revisit our conversation about a family.” There was no tactful way to say something like that, so she wasn’t too surprised when he stopped short, turning abruptly to look down at her in astonishment.
Diamond in the Rough: a Fantasy Romance (Daughter of Fortune Book 3) Page 4
