by Jane Glatt
“All right,” Santos said. He lifted his hand, and a stream of grass-green mage mist flowed up and over the scroll she still held. “I’ve added a little spell to let me know if this is tampered with.”
“Thank you.” Kara handed the scroll to Reo, who placed it back on the shelf.
She stared up at the shelves, trying to distinguish the intent of the spells that writhed and swirled around them.
“Sorting through all these spells will take some time,” she said. “And since some items here have had magic applied to them for good reason, I will only remove the spells that I am sure mean harm.”
“Yes,” Jacopo replied. “That is what Primus Ungaro wishes. This room, and any spells it contains, must be treated with caution. Not only are the records precious but the spells that protect them are valuable.”
“In more ways than one, no doubt,” Santos replied.
Kara nodded. With a Mage Guild Primus who had such a personal hatred of them, Warrior Guild could have trouble replacing any spells she removed by accident. And their confidence in any new spells they could buy would be very low, no matter what kind of contract was signed.
In the end she only removed four other spells, besides the one Rorik had sent. She was perhaps too cautious—she even left a spell that was Valerio Valendi’s trademark grey-black—but she would be back next month, and the one after that. If her ability to read spells improved to the point where she could make subtle distinctions about the intentions of the spell, she could remove it then.
“I’ve done all I can today,” Kara said.
Reo peeled away from the wall he’d been leaning against, and Santos stepped back from a window he’d been staring out of.
Jacopo, who had been trailing Kara, nodded.
“Then I will escort you back to Primus Ungaro,” he said. He led the way to the door and waited while they filed out before shutting the door and locking it.
Jacopo motioned for them to follow him down a corridor.
“That was a very good start,” Santos said as he fell in beside her.
“I feel like I should have done more,” Kara said. “But I didn’t want to make a mistake.” She leaned closer. “Will it be enough?” She darted a glance at Reo, who was a pace behind them.
Santos sent a puzzled glance over his shoulder before shaking his head. “That has already been settled, you know that. Reo is not returning to Warrior Guild.”
“Are you sure? I thought that if I didn’t—”
“Kara,” Santos said. “It is done.” He sighed. “I should have shown you that contract while we were in the Hall of Records. The terms are unequivocal. Reo is free from Warrior Guild. In return, I and my Apprentice will—exclusively and to the best of our abilities—keep Warrior Guild free from spells that seek to harm them. They do not have the right to terminate the contract as long as we work to the best of our abilities.”
“Oh.” She paused. “That doesn’t seem like a very good bargain for them. What if I couldn’t do anything?”
“It was a risk Primus Ungaro was willing to take,” Santos said. “What is the loss of one Assassin against the potential to even partially ensure the safety and integrity of his hall? His key request was exclusivity. He does not want us performing the same service for any other guild.”
Jacopo knocked on a door before opening it. “Warrior Guild Primus Ungaro,” he said as he led them into an office they’d been in before.
Ungaro looked up from a desk now littered with scrolls and books. Kara looked around but there were no tan or grey-black spells left in the space.
“It went well?” Ungaro asked.
“Yes,” Santos said. “Kara?”
“Here’s what I found.” Kara wiped her palms on her skirt and glanced at Reo, who stood near the door. Even though she was relieved that her report wouldn’t affect him, she was still nervous. Ungaro was a powerful man in charge of a powerful guild. She hadn’t had a lot of good experiences with people in that kind of position.
“There were malicious spells in many of the public spaces,” Kara said. “Many of the spells in this office were sent by Rorik, which I understand will not surprise you. The Hall of Records had the most spells but I removed only a few of them.”
“Thank you,” Ungaro said. “Can I ask just how malicious the spells were?”
“Some, very,” Kara replied. “I can only reliably read the most dangerous spells.” She paused. “These weren’t the most threatening spells I’ve come across but they were sent to do damage.”
“What kind of damage?” Ungaro asked.
“That’s not clear,” Santos said. “Kara’s talent is unique, which is why you are so interested in her services. As she develops her abilities she may be able to tell what a spell is for, but today, it is beyond her. She has only been an Apprentice for a few weeks.”
“Of course,” Ungaro said. “And I am grateful for what you have done for my guild today.” He turned to Jacopo. “Please see our guests to the pier.”
THE TRIP BACK to Old Rillidi was quiet. Reo hopped onto the dock at home and reached out a hand to Kara.
“Thank you,” he said as he helped her up. “For what you did today.”
She nodded, not meeting his eyes, as Santos stepped onto the dock beside them.
“Yes,” Santos said. “Thank you. Now, I think we all deserve the rest of the day off. Kara, I will see you in my study tomorrow morning. What do you think is left for lunch?” He headed off towards the garden and the door to the kitchen.
“Are you all right?” Reo asked. “I thought it important for you to see the contract. From your mother.”
Kara sighed. “It’s nothing I didn’t already know,” she replied. “But it made it more real, seeing a record of it. But I’m glad I did. You were right about that.” She glanced up at him and smiled a sad smile. “But right now, I’m tired. I’ll be at my cabin in case anyone needs me.”
Reo nodded, and she turned, walked the length of the pier, and stepped down onto the rocky shore and the path that led to her cabin. Once there, she sat staring out at the bay until the sun went down and the light faded.
Chapter Two
THE EXIT WAS right . . . here. He reached out to where he thought the passageway would be—where it should be—but his hand found nothing but rough rock walls.
Where was it? Who had moved it? He shuffled forward, his hand trailing along the wall.
It was dark—he thought it must be night time, although it was usually dark in . . . here. Wherever here, was. He didn’t know where he was, didn’t know how he’d gotten here. Right now, he didn’t even know who he was.
“Hello?” someone called from further down the hallway. A light from beyond a bend in the tunnel spilled onto the rock wall. “Are you there?”
“Here,” he croaked, wondering if he’d really heard them. “I’m coming.” He rounded the bend and the glare of a light almost blinded him. Had he found the exit? Was he finally heading outside?
“There you are,” someone said from behind the light. “Did you find the way out?”
“Do I know you?” he asked, squinting past the light at a man with dark skin and long white hair that hung below his shoulders in braids. “Do you know me?” He didn’t remember knowing anyone. But he’d known people at one time, hadn’t he?
“Yes, we have met,” the dark man said. “More than once, I’m afraid. You are a Mage. And you’ve been looking for a way out for days.”
“Days? Have I only been here for days?” He didn’t remember being anywhere else, ever, so how was it possible he’d only been here for days? “A Mage? So, I can do magic?”
“Yes,” the dark man replied. “You can do magic. Do you remember how? That’s the way out. You’ll need to create a spell in order to make a way out.”
“I need the exit,” he replied. “I’ve been looking for the way out. I know it’s around here somewhere.”
“You need to make an exit,” the dark man said. “Through the rock, with
magic. You will not be able to find one. Here,” he held something out to him. “Have some water.”
He eyed the waterskin that was being held out to him. What if it contained poison? But why would it? His companion seemed a reasonable man. He took the waterskin and drank deeply. He handed it back when he’d had enough.
“How do you know I will not find a way out?” he asked.
“I’ve looked,” came the reply. “We’ve both looked. There is no way out.”
“How can there be no way out? How did we get in here?”
“There was a way in,” the dark man said. “At least, there was one from the outside. That’s how I got in here. I came in through it, but once I was inside, I could not see any passageway that leads out.”
“How is that possible?”
“Magic,” the dark man replied. “It was a spell that you created.”
“How do you know I created it?” If he was a Mage, why didn’t he know that? Wouldn’t he know if he really could do magic?
He waved his hand, and the man jumped out of the way. There was a loud crash from further down the hall. “Did I do that? I did that, didn’t I?” He was excited now: he’d done magic. But what had the magic done? He hadn’t tried to make it do anything specific, so what had it done?
“See,” the dark man said. “You can do magic. And I know it’s your magic because I can see it. I can see all of the magic around us and it’s all the same colour. It’s all your colour.”
“I’ll need some time to learn how to use my magic,” he said. “Then I will do as you suggest and create a spell to make a way out.”
He needed darkness for this, he could feel it. And maybe a nap. Then he would wake refreshed and ready to learn how to be a Mage.
AFTER THE TRIP to Warrior Guild, Kara redoubled her efforts to master her talent. It was slow, and there were still so many unknowns, but she was making progress. Even Santos agreed. Usually.
“I think you’re too tired right now,” Santos said. “We should start back in the morning.”
“Just a few more spells,” Kara replied, shoving her hair off her face in order to meet the Mage’s eyes. “I should be able to do this when I’m tired, shouldn’t I? Just like I should be able to ignore distractions?”
“Yes.” Santos sighed. “But I’m tired. I need my supper and then I need to rest.” He stood up and stretched. “I don’t seem to have the stamina I had before I was cursed.”
“Oh Gyda, I’m sorry.” Kara peered at her mentor. How could she have been so inconsiderate? She spent energy on detecting the intent of spells but Santos had to spend energy in order to create them for her. They weren’t completely certain that being cursed had affected his health, but his poor eating habits when he was mad would have. “Are you all right? Can I get you anything?”
“I would appreciate it if you could see what’s for supper,” Santos said. “I fear we’ve missed it again.”
“Right away,” Kara replied, heading for the door of the workroom. “I’ll make you something if there’s nothing left.”
“Pilo?” she called as she entered the kitchen. “There you are. Is there any supper left for Santos?” Kara usually cooked and ate her supper in her cabin, joining the rest of them for breakfast and lunch, but it was late, so she wouldn’t turn down a warm meal she didn’t have to prepare but only if there was enough for Santos.
Pilo turned from the stove, where a pot was still simmering.
“There’s plenty of stew,” Pilo said. “Rabbit this time, thanks to Reo.” She smiled and Kara took a moment to study the younger girl’s face.
The scars were definitely fading, thanks to Santos’ spell. And had the spell thinned out? She took a step towards Pilo.
“Can I take a look?” she asked. “I think it might be time for Santos to create another spell.” She reached out a hand. Pilo flinched, briefly, before she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together.
When Kara’s hand came close, the mage mist became even more transparent until it faded to nothing.
“Now I’ve done it,” Kara said. She hadn’t meant to remove the rest of the spell, but it had been very weak.
“Done what?” Santos asked as he entered the kitchen. “Something smells good. I hope there’s enough left.”
“I’ll get bowls,” Pilo said. “Kara, are you staying?”
“Yes,” Santos replied. “I want to see you eat,” he said to Kara. “You’re looking a little thin.” He pulled up a stool and sat down at the counter. “Now, what is it that you’ve done?”
Kara sat beside him while Pilo served them each a bowl of fragrant stew and thick slices of bread.
“Pilo’s healing spell,” Kara said. “It dissolved when I went to look at it. You’ll need to redo it.” She ate a spoonful of stew and sighed. Even without proper ingredients, Pilo had always been able to cook a decent stew, but now that she had spices and her pick of ingredients, they were exceptional.
“I’ll create a new one,” Santos replied. He spooned some stew into his mouth and chewed. “That will encourage a deeper, more complete healing.” He continued to eat as he studied Pilo, who seemed uncomfortable at being the topic of conversation. “How do you feel, Pilo? Do your scars hurt?”
“They itch, a little,” Pilo replied. “Just as you warned me. But they are so much better. And my fingers.” She held out her hand and spread her fingers. The two that had been fused together with scar tissue were now separate. “I never thought I would have a normal hand. I don’t even remember what it was like. Thank you.”
“I’m happy to help,” Santos said. “Your injuries should have been healed years ago.” He held up his empty bowl. “But to thank me, more stew would not be unwelcome.”
Pilo grinned and grabbed Santos’ bowl. Kara tore off a piece of bread and started sopping up the leftover gravy.
She’d just popped the bread in her mouth when something made her turn around.
Reo stood by the door that led into the house, a serious look on his face.
“Santos, Kara,” Reo said. “I’m sorry to interrupt your meal, but we have visitors. When you’re finished eating, can you meet us in the front parlour?”
“I’ll come now,” Kara said. “Santos can join us when he’s done.”
“Thank you.” Reo turned and left. Kara glanced at Santos, who shrugged as he dug into his stew, before she followed Reo out of the kitchen.
Reo paced beside her as they headed along the corridor that led to the parlour. A large room where comfortable couches and overstuffed chairs ringed an enormous fireplace, it was in the part of the estate that had never been damaged.
“Who is it?” Kara asked Reo. “Does Santos know them? Do I know them?”
“Yes,” he replied. “And it’s you they’ve come to see.” He paused outside the door to the parlour and looked over at her. “And whatever your decision, I will support it—and you—in any way I can.”
Nervous now, Kara entered the parlour. Two men stood near the fireplace.
“Javan Losi?” Kara asked. “Is that you?”
Javan bowed before heading toward her with a grin.
“Kara Fonti,” he said, grabbing her hands. “You are still my most impressive theft: stolen from Mage Guild as they hunted you.”
“I hope it didn’t cause you any trouble,” she replied. She was genuinely happy to see the Seyoyan and would always be grateful to him. He had been responsible for saving her and Reo’s lives; first by plucking them out of the sea and then by keeping them safe from Mage Guild. “And who is your companion—” The smile slid off her face. “Sif Shadae.” Her heart sank. “I didn’t know you and Javan were friends.” She’d met him when she’d first arrived in Rillidi; he’d been with Chal on the ferry.
“You remember me,” Sif said. He smiled a sad smile. “Javan and I were not well acquainted before current events.” He gestured to a couch. “Please, sit down.”
Kara sat down, knowing that she would not like this conversation. “Somet
hing’s happened to Chal.”
“We think so,” Sif replied. “Although we’re not sure what. He was sent to investigate something, and he has not been seen nor heard from since.”
“It was magic, wasn’t it? That’s why Chal was needed, because there was magic.”
“Yes,” Javan agreed. “There are not so many of us who can see spells. Chal was sent because he has stronger skills than I do. And now that he has disappeared, I’ve been charged with discovering what happened to him.” He paused. “But I do not want to blindly repeat his actions and suffer the same fate.”
“Sending someone with a weaker gift after him seemed like a foolish thing to do,” Sif said. “Javan and I agreed that we need someone with more powerful abilities.”
“You want me to go,” Kara said. “Yes.” She didn’t even have to think about it. Chal was her friend. They’d met under difficult circumstances but he’d only ever been kind to her during the months she’d spent with him and Reo. She would help him.
“It will be dangerous,” Reo said.
“I don’t care.” She turned to him. “You’ll come with me.” That’s what he’d meant, when he’d said he would support her and her decision.
“Of course,” Reo replied.
“Then it’s settled,” Kara said. “When do we leave?”
“I see my Apprentice is making plans without me,” Santos said from the doorway. “Again.”
“Santos.” Kara stood and faced him. “Of course, we need your advice.”
Santos walked toward her. He gripped her hands. “But not my permission?” He shrugged. “You must do what you need to do. That’s part of what makes you exceptional.” He let go of her hands and sat in a chair. “Now, I think we should hear the details of what’s happened so we can determine what to do next.”
“It was me,” Javan said. “I saw it first.” He turned to Kara. “How much do you know about Seyoya?”
