Outlaw: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Enforcer of the East Book 2)

by Annabel Chase

  Inwardly, I groaned. Lumin’s love was married to someone else. We’d have to speak to her without being overheard by anyone. “Does her husband work at the inn?” Best to catch up with her where she’d be alone.

  “No,” Bahir replied. “He is a jeweler. His shop is at the other end of town.”

  “That’s helpful, thank you,” I said. We left Bahir and headed in the direction of the inn. Riffat appeared behind us, scanning the area.

  “I don’t think we’re in any danger here,” Callan said. “We’re more of a curiosity.”

  “Make no mistake, wolf,” Riffat said. “You are perceived as a threat.”

  He craned his neck to see her. “Because I’m a werewolf?”

  “No, because you do not belong here.”

  The Lantern Inn was obvious with its sign in the shape of a lantern and the foreign characters illuminated by the magical flame behind it. The moment we crossed the threshold, I spotted Amalia. With her cascading auburn hair and porcelain skin, she was hard to miss. She greeted us with a bright smile and my first thought was that her teeth were as perfect as Lumin’s had been.

  “Amalia?” I said.

  “How many rooms?” she asked. “I do not wish to make assumptions.”

  Callan and I reached the counter. Riffat hovered by the door, monitoring movement inside and out.

  “No rooms,” I said. “I’m afraid we come with upsetting news.” My stomach twisted into knots. Lumin’s image flashed in my mind. I’d been the last one to see him alive—not Amalia. Not his love. Guilt lodged in my throat.

  Her smile faded and I noticed the tears already glistening in her eyes. “Lumin?”

  I swallowed my feelings. “I’m sorry. He’s…not coming back.”

  She inclined her head. “He is dead?” When I nodded, Amalia didn’t burst into tears as I expected. In fact, she showed very little emotion, except for the death grip her fingers had on the edge of the counter. She was clamping down. Hard.

  “Do you know what happened to him?” she asked. “He has been missing.” She forced the words out like each one was painful on her tongue.

  “We’re trying to piece it together, so any information you can provide would be appreciated,” Callan said. “All we know for sure is that someone bound him to an opal and he ended up in the bottom of a river in Terrene that leads to the underworlds.”

  Amalia choked back a sob. The details were too much for her to bear. “He was bound? Are you certain?”

  “He was also spelled not to communicate,” I said.

  Amalia’s hand flew to cover her gasp of dismay. “Who found him?”

  I hesitated. “I did.”

  Amalia turned away for a moment. She seemed to want to get a grip on her emotions before continuing the conversation. When she finally faced us again, her cheeks were pink but her eyes had blinked away their tears. “How did he die?”

  “I’m afraid that’s confidential,” Callan said, before I could answer.

  “Did he have any enemies?” I asked. “Anyone willing and capable of doing this to him?”

  Amalia pressed her full lips together. “No. Lumin was so very loved in this community. In this entire colony.”

  Callan leaned over the counter and dropped his voice. “Not even problems of a personal nature?”

  Amalia seemed to understand. “No. Definitely not.”

  “Do you think there’s any chance he left of his own free will?” I asked. “Maybe got himself in trouble in Terrene?”

  Amalia didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely not. Lumin would never have left without taking me with him. Never.”

  Callan eyed her closely. “You would’ve gone, had he asked?”

  “Without question,” she replied. “And Lumin knew as much.”

  “Had you ever discussed leaving the realm?” I asked.

  Her gaze drifted to the door where Riffat still stood sentry. Amalia was no doubt concerned about her husband entering the inn at an inopportune time. “We sometimes talked about leaving the colony, but not the realm. We both knew it was a fantasy, though. Lumin loved the stage. Our life here was good enough as it was.” She exhaled softly and pressed her palm flat against her chest. “This hole in my heart will never be filled again.”

  “We’re sorry for your loss,” Callan said.

  Amalia’s eyes glittered like two jewels. “Please catch the party responsible for this. With the king’s permission, I will wield the final blow myself.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind,” I said.

  We left the inn and began to search the street for a place to eat. Callan’s hunger pains couldn’t be ignored. As we were about to enter a well-kept pub, fingers grabbed my sleeve. I turned to see an elderly woman dressed in black. Her head was a crown of short dark curls.

  “You are searching for information about Lumin’s disappearance,” she said. Her voice was scratchy, as though she were perpetually on the verge of a cough.

  “That’s right,” I said.

  Riffat stared intently at the woman’s hand on my arm and she released her hold on me.

  “Do you know something?” Callan asked.

  The elderly woman licked her cracked lips. “Not here.” She cast a furtive glance around. “Inside.”

  Callan nodded and looked at Riffat. “Keep watch out here, would you?”

  “What if she’s hungry?” I asked.

  “Duty first,” Riffat said. “I have ample rations.”

  I’d be sure to stuff a few bits of food in my pockets for the guard. We seated ourselves as close to the entrance as possible but far from the other tables so as not to be overheard. The old woman was thin and her wrinkled skin tinged with yellow. Callan ordered her a meal as well.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Lara,” she replied. “My husband has been missing. I think it might be related to Lumin Nasaaf’s disappearance.”

  Callan and I exchanged looks. “Did they know each other?” I asked.

  “No, though my husband was a great admirer of Mr. Nasaaf’s,” Lara said.

  “Then what makes you think they’re connected?” I asked.

  Lara scarfed down half her meat and vegetables before answering. “He whispers this to me in my dreams.”

  “Anything more concrete than that?” Callan asked.

  “Pytor came home from work one night. He was in a foul mood so we did not speak much.” She shrugged her bony shoulders. “Such things happen when you are married for as long as we have been. The next day he was gone.”

  “Gone?” I repeated.

  “I never saw him again and he never showed up for work,” Lara said.

  “Where does he work?” Callan asked. I noticed that his plate was already scraped clean.

  “The royal armory,” Lara said. “He has been there his entire career. We spoke of retirement, but Pytor feels we cannot afford to miss his wages.”

  As sorry as I felt for Lara, I couldn’t see a connection between the two djinn. It was likely an unfortunate coincidence.

  “Does your husband have any unsavory habits?” Callan asked. “Gambling or something else?”

  Lara wiped the sauce from her mouth. “No, not Pytor. He is quite dull in that way.” She managed a small smile. “Part of what has made him dependable all these years. An honorable djinni.”

  “Do you have any clue what might have happened to him?” I asked.

  Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the inside of the pub for eavesdroppers. “I have heard tale of roaming bands of Ghuls.”

  “You think Lumin and your husband were kidnapped by a roaming band of Ghuls?” The king had made a comment along the same lines when he addressed me.

  “Such things are not without precedent,” Lara said. “And I think the king is keeping this information from us.”

  Now she had Callan’s attention. “Why would he do that?”

  “He does not want to alarm the community,” Lara said. “He knows Shaitans will demand vengeance. There is no lov
e lost between our castes.”

  “What would Ghuls do with the missing Shaitans?” I asked.

  Anger sparked in Lara’s eyes. “Bleed them dry and use their bones in soup. Ghuls are depraved djinn and we are quite close to their border here.”

  “Have you reported your husband missing?” Callan asked.

  “I received an inquiry from the castle when he did not show up to the armory after a couple of days,” she said. “They are aware.”

  “And what do they think happened?” I asked.

  She made a disgusted sound. “They know the truth. They are probably relieved he is gone. They will not want to draw attention to his absence. Pytor had been complaining for weeks of increased activity in the armory. I know this is the reason. Ghuls are coming for us. We must defend ourselves.” She picked up her plate and licked off the last of the sauce. I couldn’t imagine how hungry she must’ve been to do that.

  “How will you survive without him?” I asked.

  “I am staying here in town with my son’s family for now, though his wife does not care for an extra mouth to feed. Never mind that I raised her husband to be the djinni she fell in love with.”

  “Thank you for sharing what you know,” I said.

  She nodded. “You did not hear any of this from me. I do not wish the king’s guards to come for me.” Her eyes turned downcast. “Without my beloved Pytor, though, I might welcome Ghuls.”

  “If we learn anything,” Callan said, “we’ll send word.”

  Her lips parted in a smile and I noticed the gaps between her teeth for the first time. “May good fortune rise to meet you.”

  “Same to you,” he replied.

  Callan paid with coins given to him by the chancellor before they arrived in the realm. “Just in case,” she’d apparently said. We joined Riffat outside and I gave the guard the bread and raw carrots that I’d plucked from the meal. No meat, sadly. Riffat seemed pleased with the offering anyway.

  “We need to pay a visit to the Ghul colony,” I said.

  Riffat began to choke on a carrot. “Why?”

  “Because we have a lead,” Callan said. While I wasn’t convinced it was a good lead, it was all that we had right now.

  “That is far too dangerous,” Riffat said. “I cannot permit it.”

  “The king didn’t restrict our investigation to this colony,” Callan said. “If we need to follow a lead into Ghul territory, then that’s what we do.”

  Riffat flinched. She knew we were right. I was given a week to prove my innocence. If the proof might come from Ghuls, then we had to visit the neighboring colony.

  “What is the lead?” Riffat asked.

  I dug the tip of my shoe into the dirt. “It’s not very specific. Just that there are rumors about roaming bands of Ghuls and the king knows. He’s quietly beefing up his soldiers in preparation for…something.”

  Confusion rippled across Riffat’s features. “How would such a woman know this?”

  “Her husband works in the king’s armory,” I said. “He went missing after Lumin. He told his wife about the increased activity.”

  Riffat seemed to process this development. “I have a contact among the Ghuls called Kystra,” she finally said. “We will visit her.”

  “You’re friends with a Ghul?” I asked. “Is that allowed?”

  “She is a Shaitan spy, not a Ghul,” Riffat replied. “She takes the form of a Ghul in order to obtain information. We must not blow her cover.”

  “She’s not doing such a hot job if any of what Lara told us is true,” Callan said.

  Riffat ignored him. “I will have to prepare the mounts for a longer journey.”

  “That’s no trouble. Finish up your chores,” Callan said. “We’re not in a rush.”

  I cut him a sharp look. “Says the guy without a temporary stay of execution.”

  Callan fixed me with a hard stare. “No one’s executing you, Cerys. Don’t think for one second I’m going to let that happen. If we have to blow through every village in this realm to absolve you, then that’s what we’re doing.”

  Riffat sniffed. “You are in the djinn realm now. You have no power here.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Callan said.

  Chapter Ten

  The border between the two colonies featured large boulders with faces carved into them on either side. They bore open mouths and wide eyes. The expressions seemed designed to suggest unbearable pain. As we passed between two of the boulders, I looked at Riffat. “Why are these here?”

  Her jaw hardened. “A warning to the caste on the other side. A reminder of what might happen should you cross your neighbor.”

  “Not very friendly.”

  The difference in landscape was both immediate and remarkable. Whichever djinni had called this colony a wasteland wasn’t kidding. Trees that looked like red cacti sprouted from the dry earth. Other than that, there was very little in the way of plant life. I tapped into my magic to determine the level of earth energy available to me. Inwardly, I sighed with relief. It was here, albeit faint.

  Callan trotted behind us in his wolf form. The stallions and the mule seemed to be growing accustomed to his presence. They were far less skittish now than when we began the journey.

  “Where does Kystra live?” I asked.

  “In a place called N’hal,” the guard said. “She runs a tavern called The Crossing. A high traffic area where information is often exchanged within earshot of the staff. If Ghuls are truly coming into our colony and kidnapping caste members, then Kystra will have heard tale of it.”

  “If she does know, is there any reason she wouldn’t have passed the information along?” I asked.

  Worry lines appeared on Riffat’s brow. “Only if she is dead.”

  “How will you recognize her if she’s disguised as a Ghul?” I asked.

  “I can see her true form,” Riffat said. “It is a trick of the mind. She only appears as a Ghul to other Ghuls. One of the skills of many Shaitans.”

  “Can you do it?”

  “No,” Riffat replied. “My skills lie elsewhere.”

  “Then why can you see through her illusion?” Up ahead, the mist drifted above the ground, making visibility a problem.

  “Because we are of the same caste,” the guard explained. “Her tricks do not work on other Shaitans.”

  Interesting. “What do you think of the rumors? Do you believe Lara’s story?”

  “I am the king’s guard,” Riffat said, straightening her back. “It is not my job to believe or disbelieve.”

  The mist thickened around us and the temperature seemed to drop at least five degrees. Riffat didn’t seem bothered, so I didn’t comment on it.

  “Do you think King G’lur is the type of monarch that would try to hide information that endangered his subjects?” I asked.

  “Such talk is treason,” Riffat said. She refused to look at me. “I will take no part in it.”

  The wolf howled an alert, but it was too late. Ghuls emerged from the mist as though it served as a gateway. Six hulking Ghuls, larger than most Shaitans I’d seen. They looked like trolls’ bigger, uglier cousins. Their eyes were small and their noses were wide and flat. They didn’t bother to ask questions—they simply attacked.

  Callan snarled in his wolf form and launched himself at the closest Ghul. The giant djinni managed to hold his ground as the wolf’s jaws clamped down on his thick shoulder.

  I summoned my earth magic and felt a surge of relief when it rose to greet me. The energy coursed through my veins and I focused my will. I pulled needles from every red cactus within range and fired them at the Ghuls. They were small, but they were also quite sharp. They provided enough of a distraction so that Riffat could dismount and unsheathe her sword. I remained on my stallion because I had a better vantage point than I would from the ground. My petite stature was a definite disadvantage right now.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the blade of Riffat’s sword was engulfed in gre
en flames. It shouldn’t have surprised me that her weapon was spelled.

  A Ghul lunged for my stallion and my magic tore at the ground beneath his gigantic feet. The earth cracked and he stumbled into them. I concentrated on closing the gaps while his bulging feet were still lodged inside. The Ghul swiped at the empty air in front of me as I guided the stallion out of reach.

  A quick count revealed three Ghuls left to fight. Callan was already busy with one of them. The remaining two advanced on Riffat. She slashed at both of them, but the fiery blade seemed to have no impact on the Ghuls’ massive chests.

  I concentrated on drawing more magic from the earth. The rocks contained the most energy. The ground rumbled and the Ghuls seemed momentarily taken off-guard. Riffat surged forward and swung her blade at the closest Ghul’s neck. Blood squirted from the wound and his massive hand clutched his neck, trying to stem the tide. He swayed and dropped to the ground.

  The final Ghul lunged at Riffat and knocked her sword to the ground. His mighty fist struck a blow to her head and she fell. My stomach lurched. I couldn’t let him kill Riffat.

  Callan must’ve had the same thought. Before I could act, he pounced on the Ghul from the side and tore the last Ghul to pieces. I pushed down the swell of nausea and focused on Riffat. The guard dragged herself to her feet as Callan battled the Ghul. Although the wolf wasn’t as large as the Ghul, he was strong. His fangs pierced the Ghul’s skin and the djinni struggled to free himself from Callan’s massive jaws.

  Riffat’s attention was fixed on Callan when the bleeding Ghul sprang up from the ground and grabbed the guard from behind. I didn’t have time to focus. I simply shoved as much pent-up magic as I could at the Ghul. The earth rose up around him and encased him in solid rock. With his contorted expression, he looked like one of the carved boulders at the border.

  Callan shifted back to human form and Riffat quickly averted her gaze. “There are spares in the bag, thank the gods,” she said.

  Callan sauntered over to the mule and retrieved a change of clothes.

  Riffat fixed me with a cool stare. “You used magic.” The accusation was clear. You deceived me.