Masters of Deception

by J C Kang

  She started to hurry after Rich Girl, but paused. “What’s her name, by the way?”

  “Makeda.”

  Makeda, like the name of the first sorceress in history. It even sounded rich. Jie hurried after the ten members of the city watch. Maybe they’d know where to go, and she could pretend to be guiding.

  When they caught up with Makeda, she was tapping her toe. “Come on, fools.”

  Julius frowned, but took the lead. Jie strode by his side as they traced the waterfront road. Near the entertainment district, he turned up a broad street lined with brightly colored row houses. He and the rest of the guards slowed, their steps becoming uncertain. They must be getting close, given their reticence.

  That, and the handful of eyes which tracked them from several of the windows. Outside the centermost house, which boasted a stone façade painted a nightmarish orange, two men in grey longcoats placed hands on their hilts.

  Feigning an air of certainty, Jie pointed at them. “Don Acerbi’s.”

  Makeda turned to the watch. “You are all unnecessary. Stay here.”

  While Makeda walked to the door, Jie inched back to the side street, to see if there would be an alley behind the building.

  Chapter 17:

  Kindred Spirits

  Sitting next to Cassius in his carriage as it wound up the waterfront road, Brehane looked at Signore De Lucca’s manor. The blush of dawn reflected in the marble columns and façade. How many Geomancers would it have taken to shape such a marvelous structure? Though not as sprawling as Cassius’ villa, it still dwarfed any building in Aksumi lands. A large purple banner with a gold lion hung from a third-floor balcony.

  The short ride from the beach where the Paladins were cremating their master hadn’t provided much time to analyze Makeda’s actions. Was it bravado? The dirty assama wasn’t lacking in that, and it certainly wasn’t charity. Bravado, that was it. Trying to show off to the Diviner that she was in charge.

  Cassius hadn’t seemed to care. He now rested his head on his palm, and his wincing looked like a man losing his virginity to an aggressive, middle-aged woman. The late night and true Divining must’ve taxed him. She’d pestered him with questions afterward: not just to learn more about his magic, but also to prevent him from taking Makeda to bed.

  The carriage rolled to a stop outside a wrought-iron double gate, whose bars twisted up into lion crests. Two Bovyans in chain hauberks stood motionless outside.

  Brehane sighed. Makeda might consider talking with Miss De Lucca idle chit-chat, but no doubt, learning who De Lucca’s father was would get her in Cassius’ good graces. And perhaps this sister was the brains behind the signore’s rise to prominence.

  The driver came out and opened the door. Cassius stumbled out, then turned and held out his hand. His voice lacked all the enthusiasm of the day before. “My lady.”

  Brehane took his hand and hopped out. Though the Bovyans’ eyes were set forward at first, their gazes roved over her. It had been a common occurrence, perhaps to be expected given the rarity of Aksumi in the city.

  “Kind sir,” Cassius said. “Please inform Signore De Lucca that Signore Cassius wishes to speak with him.”

  One of the Bovyans came out of his statue-like stance, like an automaton the Artificer clan matriarch once demonstrated. He motioned toward the manor. Across the small courtyard, up some stairs to the front door, a young man dressed in a black longcoat jerked to attention. He turned and rapped on the door.

  The Bovyan who’d gestured snapped back to his statuesque pose. Nothing moved. It was like waiting on a Pyromancer ritual to finish, where something might explode if someone budged a fraction.

  Then, another man with curly brown hair emerged from the manor and crossed the courtyard. He came to the gate and bowed. “Ah, Signore Cassius. What an unexpected surprise. I will inform Signore De Lucca of your arrival. In the meantime, come in.”

  When he opened one side of the gate, Cassius took her hand and guided her through. No matter how often he’d done this, the strange custom took a while to get used to. The steward ran ahead while they followed at a slower pace.

  Up the marble steps and between the columns, they came to the entrance. Bowing, the young man opened the door and extended an open hand. Brehane looked to the Iridescent Moon. There were only three hours until Cassius’ recommended time of confronting the Acerbi. She turned and entered.

  The foyer, walled with shiny wood panels, might have been a quarter the size of Cassius’, and lacked a stairway despite the height of the house. Their footsteps echoed across the black-and-grey tiles as the man guided them through an archway to the left.

  Large windows allowed the morning sun stream into this new room. The man motioned them to plush chairs of a carved dark wood. Cassius guided her to one, then rounded a low table and plopped down in the other.

  She sunk into the cushions, which felt almost like clouds. What magic was this?

  “Please wait. I’ll be back with some coffee.” The man’s shoes clacked off toward another room.

  Coffee? Brehane looked to Cassius with a raised eyebrow.

  Elbow on the chair’s arm, the Diviner leaned over and rested his head on his palm. His eyes were closed.

  Brehane cleared her throat.

  His eyes flapped open. “My lady?”

  “What is coffee?”

  “A drink I could use right now.” If his grin could get any feebler—

  “Signore Cassius, welcome, welcome,” Signore De Lucca said from the archway. Like the night before, he was impeccably dressed in a red-and-orange longcoat and yellow stockings; but today he wore no make-up to mute his fine, almost elf-like features. If his ears were pointed, he might be mistaken for a half-elf. He bowed. “And Miss Brehane. Thank you again for protecting me from the Paladin apprentice last night. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Signore De Lucca,” Cassius said, climbing to his feet. “Thank you for seeing us with no notice.”

  De Lucca’s high-pitched, grating laugh sounded too similar to Makeda’s as he flashed a smile. “Of course. How could I not want to meet with my savior?”

  Each of Cassius’ nods made it look like a Neuromancer was trying to control his body. “Yes. Please forgive the early hour, but last night, I was Divining. A rare, fleeting situation augurs an auspicious time for new ideas, new beginnings, and new authority. Solaris ascends, while Chaos flees into shadows. Perhaps having Bovyans guard the pyramid is a good plan. I’d like to discuss it with you.”

  Rubbing his hands together, De Lucca grinned. “With no other signores? My, my.”

  Brehane favored Cassius with furrowed brows. He’d said nothing to her about pyramids, just that she needed to learn more about De Lucca’s father from his sister.

  Cassius’ grin was so brittle it would break with a light tap. “Not every ear needs to hear the Gods’ Whispers. Perhaps we should speak in private? Perhaps you would introduce your sister to Miss Brehane?”

  “Of course, of course.” De Lucca looked to her. “If you’ll excuse us. My staff will bring you coffee, and I’ll have my sister come entertain you.”

  Brehane watched them leave. How strange it was for men to discuss business, leaving women for idle talk. Or in this case, finding out about De Lucca’s family. Once she’d progressed in Neuromancy, she could just pry the answers out with mindreading, but for now, she’d just use a charm spell. She watched the archway.

  A servant came back bearing a silver platter which held ceramic cups with bizarre ears attached. Bowing, he set it on the table. “Cream or sugar?”

  Brehane leaned forward and studied the drink. A rich aroma, like Geomancers tilling fresh earth, rose up in curls of steam from the dainty cups. Her eyes widened in excitement. “What is it?”

  The servant’s smile looked more condescending than polite. “Coffee. Imported from the Levastyan Empire.”

  As she reached for the cup, he twisted it so that the ear faced her. He muttered something unintelligible und
er his breath. “Take the handle, my lady. Otherwise you’ll burn yourself.”

  She pinched the loop, lifted the cup, and sniffed. By the Tear of Makeda, it smelled amazing. Closing her eyes, she sipped it. Heat flowed through her, like the channeling of a Pyromancy spell. Then, energy surged up her spine, as if she’d Biomanced a man’s seed.

  The servant bowed and left, leaving her with the cup. She drained it, then took the other on the platter.

  “Ahem,” a female voice said from the archway.

  Brehane looked up.

  Standing there, open book in hand, was a homely young woman with hair the color of goat butter. Her forlorn expression screamed of loneliness. With a stick-thin arm, she took the hem of her frilly purple dress and curtseyed. “I am Signore De Lucca’s sister, Lucia.”

  She looked nothing like De Lucca. Taller than him, she had broad shoulders. Her blunt nose and prominent forehead looked nothing like her brother’s exquisite features. Despite ;her stout constitution, her wan complexion made it appear as if a Biomancer of old had stolen half her energy.

  It would be too easy to use magic on her. Brehane feigned a sip from the empty coffee cup, then choked out the words of a charm spell.

  The Resonance shifted with her words, rippling out from the syllables she’d invoked. It should’ve bent Lucia to her will; instead, the waves just absorbed into the girl. Brehane cleared her throat of the fake cough.

  “Are you all right?” Lucia asked.

  “Yes, thank you.” Heat flared in Brehane’s cheeks. Setting the coffee cup down, she stood and walked over. She took the girl’s bony hands in her own. A grey ring sent a lance of cold, like a Hydromancer’s ice dart, up Brehane’s spine.

  She withdrew and cleared her throat. “Greetings. I am Brehane, daughter of Dhanay. I trust your family is well?”

  The girl raised a painted-on eyebrow. “My family?”

  It was a standard Aksumi greeting, yet foreign to these light-skinned folk. Brehane attempted a smile. “Forgive me, this is how we introduce ourselves in my homeland.”

  “Oh. Not much to say about my family, it’s just me and my brother.”

  This was easier than using magic. Still, the information conflicted with the half-elf’s letter addressed to their father. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “You couldn’t know.” Lucia gestured to the chairs. “Please, sit.”

  Plopping into the cushions, Brehane snuck a glance at the leather binding of Lucia’s book.

  Perhaps her eyes hadn’t been subtle enough. Lucia held it up, making the gold Arkothi lettering easier to read. Taken by Pirates.

  Apparently, this Lucia was a woman of intellectual depth. Brehane nodded in approval. “What is it? The journal of someone captured by the Pirate Queen?”

  If her reading showed intelligence, her giggle was as vapid as that of a young man vying to catch the attention of a woman. “No, no. It’s fiction.”

  “Fiction?”

  “Made-up stories. They’ve been all the craze since a local inventor took apart and reassembled a Cathayi printing press. My brother has a huge collection of fiction at his office.”

  Brehane’s head rose and dropped in slow nods. “So it is a story teaching morality?”

  Lucia’s head swept in equally slow shakes. Chewing on her lip, she looked from the book to Brehane. The internal struggle written on her face looked like an Aeromancer trying to control a tornado. At last, she flipped a few pages and offered the book. “Here.”

  Taking the sacred tome in hand, Brehane looked at the words. He drove in and out… Her back arched… She looked up. “This is spectacular! Except it seems the author got the roles all wrong. Shouldn’t the heroine be flogging the strapping, bound boy?”

  Lucia giggled again. “I am sure there is a market for that kind of book, but I have never seen them in my brother’s collection.”

  Smiling, Brehane clasped her hand. “Find that book. Or write it yourself. Get your brother to print and export these books to Aksumiland, and he’ll get even richer.”

  Lucia flashed a grin and winked. “I’ll be sure to find some for you.”

  They were virtually blood sisters. Brehane couldn’t control her grin. “Back home, we say children are a reflection of their mother. Clearly, you and your brother are knowledgeable. Did you get your love of reading from your parents?”

  Smile drooping, Lucia shook her head. “My parents were just peasants. They were illiterate.”

  “Still, they must have ingrained a strong work ethic for your brother to come so far.”

  Lucia’s head shook even more. “My father worked hard, for sure, but it was back-breaking labor.”

  It didn’t seem possible. Brehane looked at the fine furnishings. “Then how did Signore De Lucca build his business empire? He had to start somewhere.”

  Lucia leaned in and lowered her voice. “Let me tell you a secret: Rafael isn’t my full brother. Nobody knows who his real father was.”

  It would explain why the two looked so different. “Not even your mother?”

  With a sigh, Lucia circled a finger over her ear. “She was stricken by madness. She said the strangest things.”

  “Please, tell me.”

  Lucia looked over her shoulder to the entryway, then shrugged. “I guess anyone back home could tell you. She claimed an angel impregnated her.”

  Brehane covered her mouth. The only time angels had come to Tivara in the past was during the War of Ancient Gods, to teach humans magic so they could overthrow their orc slave masters. Could it even be possible? De Lucca did have exquisite features. “What do you think?”

  “Well, truthfully, he doesn’t look like anyone else in our village.”

  Brehane rubbed her hands together. “A handsome visitor, then.”

  “Nobody ever visits our village.”

  “Except angels, apparently.”

  Lucia leaned back in her chair and laughed. Hers sounded much more pleasant than De Lucca’s. “Yes, except angels.”

  Brehane kept a smile transfixed on her face. With no father in the picture, perhaps the half-elf had gotten the letter from someone else.

  Lucia leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “There’s more to the story. Mother said she had twins, but nobody ever saw the girl. Mother claims the angel came and claimed her right after birth.”

  They were either the ravings of a madwoman, or the…what was the word? Fictional origin story of some great heroine from the past. Sometimes they went hand in hand. “Well, your brother must’ve had some talent and luck.”

  “Both. And he needed both, because of his small size and girlish features. The other boys bullied him, until…” She let out a long sigh. “I remember the day clearly. I was working in the fields, and he’d gone to check his rabbit traps. Instead of a rabbit, he came back with a crystal this big.”

  The spread-out fingers of Lucia’s hands formed a sphere. Brehane sucked in a sharp breath. The only gemstones that large were the Dragonstones atop the pyramids.

  “We came to the city, where he sold it. He used the proceeds to buy and sell spices, and he got rich.”

  It didn’t seem possible that one gemstone could lead to so much, unless the young De Lucca had an eye for doing business. “Do you remember where he sold the gemstone?”

  Lucia shuddered. “That is also a mysterious story. Not long after, the jewelry store that bought it burned to the ground, killing the owner. The gemstone resurfaced years later in a flea market. By then, my brother was rich, and he bought it back. It sits on his desk in his office as a reminder of his good fortune.”

  Through the windows, movement flashed near the gates. Brehane turned and looked into the courtyard.

  The iron gates flung apart, and Teacher Dawit strode through with two of the watchmen from before. Like any man, travelling exhausted him, and no doubt he found the foreign city intimidating. He hadn’t come to the banquet the last night, but he looked refreshed now.

  Back toward the fo
yer, the door swooshed open. Rapid footsteps clicked across the tile. The doorman scampered past the archway. Brehane exchanged glances with Lucia.

  Cassius and De Lucca reached the foyer at the same time as Teacher Dawit and the watch.

  De Lucca’s jaw went rigid. “Julius. What is so urgent that you disturb us?”

  Julius bowed. “Signore Cassius, the Aksumi girl was captured by Don Acerbi. They said if you want her back, her cousin would have to fetch her herself.”

  Captured! As satisfying as it would be to just leave Makeda in the hands of the crime family…

  Cassius looked through the archway, his gaze meeting Brehane’s, before turning to Teacher Dawit. “How fortunate you are here, now.”

  Julius shook his head. “We went to your villa, and your steward said you were coming here. Her teacher accompanied us from there. Still, we lost valuable time, and the Mafia said the teacher could not come. Only Lady Brehane.”

  Cassius looked at her again, then back at the watchman. “What about the half-elf?”

  Julius shared a disdainful look with his comrade. “She disappeared before the Aksumi went into the Acerbi’s den. We haven’t heard from her.”

  Brehane frowned. All doubts disappeared. This Jie was definitely a rogue.

  Teacher Dawit beckoned her. “You must go, Brehane. I know you don’t like her, but she is heir to the Pyromancy clan, not to mention your cousin.”

  “You mustn’t.” Cassius shook his head, eyes wide. “The Mafia are ruthless.”

  Brehane rose. Maybe they’d try to capture her, too, and she’d never used magic in a real confrontation before.

  “Julius, detain her.” Cassius motioned to the guardsman, then met her gaze. “It’s for your own safety.”

  “She must rescue Makeda.” Dawit interposed himself, fingers twitching. Adorable for a scryer, a man no less, to think he could actually make a difference.

  Julius, however, stared at his wriggling fingers with wide eyes.

  Cassius’ expression darkened. He looked at her and sighed. “If you go, then I will too. With guards.”