I cleared my throat awkwardly. "No one, my lady. The pendant really was just sitting there inside the jewelry box. Anyone would have noticed it."
"Still. What made you think to open the jewelry box? Somehow you stumbled on a tempered relic in this entire shop of junk. There was more than just luck involved there, dear."
I shrugged, pushing down the panic fluttering in my chest. "Honestly, it was just sitting there. It's not that big of a deal."
"What is your name?"
I swallowed hard and debated lying. But she seemed the type to find the answers, regardless of what I told her. "Kaiya Maderoth, my lady." I dipped into a quick curtsey.
Mr. Harlsted stepped up to my side. "I'm sorry, Lady Frexin, but is she in trouble for something? She's under my care."
The lady glanced at him, then quickly returned her gaze to me. It felt like she could see straight into my soul, and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. "Miss Maderoth, what do you know about Seekers?"
I swallowed hard. "Just that they are able to sense the magical affinities of people."
"Precisely." She laughed merrily. "You see, dear Miss Maderoth, there are some people who can ‘feel' where things are, just like the Seekers can sense mages. This category of people doesn't have full affinities like normal mages, of course, but they can feel it in a way that most cannot. Does that sound familiar?"
It did. But I couldn't tell her that.
A clock ticked in the background. One second. Another.
Finally, she rolled her eyes and clasped my arm, pulling me away from the counter and towards the back. "For gods sake. I'm not going to report you because you're good at finding things, Miss Maderoth."
Mr. Harlsted stepped to my side and grabbed my elbow, pulling me from the strange woman's grip as my stomach did somersaults.
We almost had this mess with Lady Ellingsworth figured out. Had I ruined it all?
Lady Frexin shifted her gaze to Mr. Harlsted, narrowing it for a moment before smiling and turning back to me.
This was no happy smile, though. It reminded me more of a gremlyn just before pouncing on its prey.
"I'd like to hire you, Miss Maderoth."
Hire me? I stared at her, slack-jawed. "I don't understand …"
She pulled a small card from her purse and passed it to me. "I run the Science Division under King Torsten and have special permissions to explore things as I see fit. Some of that work involves locating special objects like this relic you found. I'd like to hire you for that team."
My stomach felt very heavy all of a sudden.
Surely she couldn't be serious? I'd never heard of a Science Division, but looking at the proprietor and the respect he'd given Lady Frexin, it certainly felt real.
A job offer, though? She didn't even know me!
I turned to look at Eli. But he was no help. He looked just as confused as me.
"What would the pay and job entail?" I asked, the words slipping from my lips unbidden.
Lady Frexin's smile widened. "Good question, Miss Maderoth. You'd be an apprentice for a year — but after that, you'd work directly under me. My team faces certain … dangers, so they are compensated appropriately. The newest takes home around a thousand pounds every year."
My body went numb. That much money was unheard of amongst the working class.
But being part of the Reapers was dangerous enough, and they were completely separate from the Kings.
If I were to join her team, I'd be working directly for the King Torsten, the leader of the military. Could I actually stay hidden there?
A thousand pounds per year, though …
Gods. That would completely change Aunt Grace's life! It might be worth it.
Wait … did she say apprentice for a year?
"A year with no income?"
Lady Frexin nodded, nose wrinkling. "Unfortunately, even I can't prevent my team from going to basic training. It's required for every branch of the military. We can sometimes find grants to help provide housing, but they're measly. If you rushed through, perhaps you could be done in six months? It is an intensive training, though. I've only heard of a few people making it through that quickly."
I grimaced, remembering the long list of repairs needing to be done at home, and Aunt Grace's plea to help more. There was no way that I could stay away that long.
At least not with Lady Ellingsworth breathing down our necks.
Perhaps after we got it all situated, though …
No. It really was too dangerous until I was able to shield like Lynk and Eli did.
I dropped into another curtsey. "I'm very sorry, Lady Frexin. While I truly appreciate the offer, I cannot accept it at this time. There are responsibilities at home that make such a long amount of time without pay impossible."
She studied me for a moment, then nodded and reached into her reticule to pull out a second small card. Clucking her tongue, she passed it to me. "Well, I cannot pretend I'm not disappointed. But I do understand. If anything ever changes," the way she paused gave me an eerie feeling, "you can contact me there."
Without waiting for my reply, she turned to the shopkeeper. "Treat this girl as if she was me, Tiernan. You will give her whatever she requests. Do you understand? Just bill the team as usual."
My eyes widened, and I started to disagree, but Eli's hand on my arm stopped me from saying anything else.
Lady Frexin grabbed her shawl from the manservant we'd seen in the back and turned to us once more. "I'll be seeing you, Miss Maderoth. But in the meantime, be careful. And don't forget to reach out when you need it!"
Then the door chimed, and she slipped out, calming pendant relic in hand.
I slumped against Eli's shoulder. I'd been offered a job under King Torsten in a special branch of the military that would pay a thousand pounds a year, and I'd turned it down …
Gods. It was a strange day.
Tiernan stared at me speculatively, then motioned for us to follow him.
I stood up and let out a deep breath. I just needed to focus on the problem at hand.
It was risky, but this might have been just the break we needed …
31
Kaiya
"Kaiya, Eli … what have you two gotten yourselves mixed up in?" Mr. Harlsted said, his voice barely above a whisper as we followed Tiernan.
"I'm so sorry. This wasn't what you had in mind for your visit to Ellesmere today, was it?"
His lips curled into a half smile and he twisted his mustache. "Mrs. Harlsted would kill me if I didn't help, though."
I smiled at him. My mind was spinning, still trying to process Lady Frexin's words. This was all spiraling out of control so fast. What would I owe her for the use of her influence today?
Eli obviously didn't care, because he was smiling and asking Tiernan questions already. Sighing, I rushed to his side. "I'm sorry. What did I miss?"
Tiernan shook his head, lips pursed. "I'm very sorry, miss. I was just telling your young man here that I don't know who brings the pearls in. A man in a cloak delivers them every Thursday, like clockwork. Sometimes, he takes money for them, and sometimes he takes relics."
"Relics?" I asked. "You mean he sells you relics?"
Tiernan shook his head sharply. "No, miss. He buys them — anything that comes in with a magical bent, he buys."
My jaw dropped, and I turned to Eli. He was staring at Tiernan, eyes wide. "But why?"
The owner shrugged. "I'm not sure. The man puts me on edge, but I can't turn away our biggest source of income. My wife thinks his boss might even be one of the owners."
"And do you have any information on this man?" I asked.
Tiernan chuckled. "Miss, if we kept records like that, we'd be out of business instantly. Like I said, the man comes in, we trade, and he leaves. That's it."
I leaned closer. "Can't you give me a little more information, though? Perhaps just what the servant's crest looks like, or some small detail about him?"
Tiernan grimaced."Fine. fine.
He's enormous. I'd almost say a giant, if those still existed."
I had to hold back my excitement. That sounded just like Lady Ellingsworth's manservant. Like we'd hoped, she was dealing in more than just the pearls!
"Thank you." I said. "I'll tell Lady Frexin how helpful you've been today."
He dipped his head, and I motioned for Eli and Mr. Harlsted to follow me outside.
The news wasn't what I expected, but it was progress.
We stepped into the fresh air, and Mr. Harlsted motioned for us to follow him again. When we stepped through the stone archway, he tipped his head towards the main road. "I trust you can see yourselves safely home? Mrs. Harlsted will worry if I'm not home by dinner. Please be safe, though?"
I nodded.
He reached out and patted my shoulder. "I'll send your aunt a message letting her know you're safe. I'm guessing you didn't think to do it yourself?"
I nodded. I really should have told her what was going on when I had the chance. At least I'd have some good news for her, though …
He waved at us once more, and then he was gone, swallowed by the buildings crowding the street.
Eli put his arm out for me, ever the proper gentleman, and we strolled through the edge of town.
"Is there anything we can do?" he asked.
"I don't know. Just knowing the manservant is involved isn't enough to press any charges. It does tell us that those rosaries are the eggs, though."
I thought back to Solyn in the caves.
We had to get her out of there and stop Lady Ellingsworth before she grabbed more of the vrytra pod again. Eli's fix would only last a couple days.
"Why would the Ellingsworths be collecting relics? I mean, they had an entire library full … why risk buying more?"
He tapped his chin. "I don't know. But they must have a good reason. Having that many would be dangerous if the Seekers ever searched them."
Holy shit. He really was brilliant! "What if we had them searched, then?"
Eli shook his head, green eyes wide. "It's too dangerous! What if the Ellingsworths found out beforehand and came after you? What if we're wrong?"
"Like you saw with the Seeker who checked you, there is some … animosity … between the Seekers and the Ellingsworths. What if we used that to convince the Overseeker to protect us? In exchange, we could give him the information he needs to get rid of them?"
"Perhaps." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "But, we should wait for Lynk. What if this interferes with his plan?"
I grimaced. "No. He has his own job and his own motivations, Eli. Besides, it wasn't like he included us in his plans. Why should we tell him ours? Respect goes both ways."
Eli rolled his eyes and sighed. "Gods. Sometimes there's just no reasoning with you. Is there?"
I waggled my eyebrows. "Only when I know I'm right."
He laughed, those lines beside his eyes crinkling in a familiar way that sent a strange twinge through my body.
"Fine. I still think we should wait for Lynk, but the plan has a chance of working. Plus, I know you'll do it regardless of whether I go along with it."
He knew me well. I grinned and grabbed his arm. "Well then, we'd better get going. The Seeker Institute is a good thirty-minute walk from here."
Eli grumbled, but followed along.
I was finally going to fix everything.
32
Eli
We turned off on a small street at the edge of town. It was close enough to Fort Gleyma that I could hear the people inside doing their nightly drills from across the river.
Jaiel was going to kill me, but I had to protect Kaiya. If we went to the Overseeker and he did have a grudge against Ellingsworth, surely he'd have enough sway to give her and her aunt protection?
"You ready?" she asked at the entrance of the Seeker Institute.
"Last chance to back out," I said. "I have friends I could call to help rescue the vrytra. And we can figure out some other way to keep you and your aunt safe. Plus, who knows — maybe Lynk's plan will actually work out."
She shook her head and stepped ahead of me, smiling over her shoulder. "It's probably a terrible idea, but it's mine and I think it just might work."
I basked in the smile for just a moment, then motioned towards the gate. "Let's do this then. For better or worse!"
Once this was all over, I'd get permission from Dimiri and tell her I was part of the Rogues. She had a definite bias against them, but perhaps I could convince her to join. We were fighting against the Empire she hated, after all. Plus, with her magic, she'd be a fantastic addition to the cause.
I'd seen how excited she was when Lady Frexin had tried to recruit her, but Frexin's team was dangerous.
We heard stories of all the mages who died working for her …
I'd tried to explain earlier, but Kaiya hadn't wanted to hear it — understandably. Gods. She had enough on her mind.
I just — I hated lying to her.
Kaiya stepped up to the looming metal gate and pulled the bell. Her hands shook, but other than that, she looked calm. I wanted to force her to stay out while I took care of everything, but she needed this.
She needed to know that she'd fixed things.
The gate swung open slowly, and we stepped in. As it closed behind us, I couldn't help comparing it to the way a trap sprung closed after it was tripped, though.
"You've got this, Kaiya," I said, voice soft.
She nodded, striding towards the tall brownstone in front of us. The Institute.
It towered over us in shades of black and brown, as though even its design was meant to be imposing.
The Empire built them in each city a few decades after The Fall. This was one of the smaller ones, though, being so far outside the Capital.
Still, it sent a shudder down my spine to step through those open doors.
We emerged into a large, surprisingly bright entryway …
"Come in." A small man to our right held out his arm and motioned towards Kaiya's shawl. "I'll take that."
She swallowed and passed it to him. He had a King's mark on his left cheek, the swirling black tattoo marking him as a mage — but he wore no Seeker cloak.
Perhaps he was retired? I felt ashamed at how little I knew of this branch of the government — that was more Jaiel's job — but it was still no excuse.
I passed the man my cloak as well.
"How may we help you today?" he asked.
My heart raced, but Kaiya just dipped into a curtsy. "We're here to see Overseeker about a private matter."
The man's eyebrows rose, but he nodded and gestured down a hallway to our left. "His office is at the end. You won't be able to miss it."
We nodded and set off as I forced my breathing to slow. What had I been thinking? Was my shield strong enough? Gods. I hoped so.
There were double doors leading down each side with names on plaques outside.
Most were blank, though. Were these the Seeker living quarters?
I couldn't help wondering what their lives were like when they weren't hunting and torturing us …
Finally, we reached a door with a sign on the front "Overseeker."
I nodded towards Kaiya, and she pushed the door open, squaring her shoulders and pasting a calm smile on her face.
Good girl.
I copied her and stepped in.
I'd expected something dark and depressing, but this study was like something I'd have seen in any wealthy lord's house. Bookshelves covered the walls, and a fire burned in the stone fireplace. I half expected to see a hound lolling in the heat there.
A man stood behind the desk, his bald head glinting in the firelight as he gestured for us to sit. He was not at all what I expected, and judging by his tattoo-less face, he was not a Seeker.
So, they had humans in charge of the Seekers?
I supposed it made sense — no one trusted Seekers. They were too close to being mages.
"What can I do for you kids?" he asked
, voice pitched low.
Kaiya smiled and held her hand out. "Thank you for seeing us today, sir. We are here to help with a problem you've been having."
His eyes widened, but he shook her hand and then mine before dropping into his seat. "I see. And why have you chosen to go through me and not the normal channels?"
Kaiya shifted awkwardly. "It's a rather delicate matter."
He nodded and leaned forward, his fingers steepled. "Go on."
"You see. I believe we have a common problem … the estimable Lord Ellingsworth."
His eyebrows lifted. "I see. And what leads you to that conclusion?"
Kaiya leaned forward, shoulders straight. "It's not exactly a secret, sir."
The older man laughed, the sound low and happy. "Well, I suppose that's accurate. We've had some … issues … lately with Seekers disappearing, and some questionable happenings in the Ridge. All the evidence points to one person."
I swallowed hard. He'd come out and said that? If so, it meant that there was a lot more to it than we knew.
"Exactly. And that's why we came to you." Kaiya shifted in her seat. "I know you care most for keeping magic at bay — keeping the other humans such as us safe from Forsaken influences."
He nodded.
"I'm assuming that you haven't moved forward with your accusations because of lack of evidence?" She paused, and he motioned for her to continue. "Well, what if I said that we have a map to the evidence you need?"
His eyes lit up and his brows rose as he leaned forward, the chair creaking beneath him. "A map, you say?"
Kaiya nodded sharply. "However, we cannot give you said map without some assurances."
He chuckled softly and his lips twisted into a wry smile, eyes flashing dangerously for a moment. He was not a man to mess with. "Girl, if you have evidence and you don't tell me, you will be branded a mage conspirator and I need merely take you into custody and 'encourage' you to share anything you know — including said map."
Kaiya tensed beside me. We'd known this could be an issue. I'd never heard of a Seeker protecting people outside of their normal work.
Forsaken Secrets: A slow-burn new adult fantasy romance (Isle of the Forsaken Book 1) Page 16
