by Jasmine Walt
“Do you think we should invite some of the officials to stay at the palace?” Nelia asked.
“The Minister should definitely get an invite,” I said grudgingly—as much as I didn’t like him, he was Iannis’s “boss,” for lack of a better term, and had stayed with us before, on his way to Garai. “There are a few Chief Mages we’ve worked with on fighting against the Resistance who probably also deserve an invite.”
“While part of me agrees with you,” Nelia said cautiously, “it is very possible that you may slight the rest of the Convention if you only invite some of the Chief Mages and not others. Since the palace doesn’t have enough large guest apartments to host all of them, plus the families they may be bringing to the wedding, it is probably best not to extend invitations to a select few. Though you could still send one to the Minister.”
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. “Right. I forgot how touchy these guys can be, always ready to take offense where none was intended. I guess we can invite close friends and family to stay? Not that a lot of people will be taking us up on that—they all already live in the city.”
A small shiver went down my spine as I remembered Iannis’s Tua relatives, but I pushed that aside. They weren’t coming out here—they’d made that clear. There was nothing to worry about.
“I have to admit that I’m glad Thorgana is dead and gone,” I went on. “With so many important people gathered in one place, these events would offer a prime target for the Resistance. If she were still lurking here, as she had in the months before the quake, I shudder to think what she could do.”
Nelia nodded. “Very true. Luckily, without a mastermind to lead them, these days the Resistance is a snake with its head chopped off. There are only a few rabble-rousers left, scattered across the country. Between the Enforcers Guild and Director Toring’s security team, we should be able to fend off any threats.”
Right. I’d forgotten that Garrett was coming, but of course he would—he would have been in charge of Convention security in Dara, so it was only natural that the Minister would put him on the same job here. That meant he would arrive well before the others. “How many agents is the director bringing?” I asked. “Do we know yet?”
“A few dozen, I understand.”
“He’ll need them,” I said, looking out the window at the city, which was still being rebuilt. Solantha had come a long way from the piles of rubble that portions of the city had been reduced to during last year’s big quake, but there were still plumes of black smoke coming up from various parts of the city where steamtractors and other machines were hard at work reconstructing buildings that we had not managed to properly secure in time. “We’re already crowded as it is—with the influx of guests and officials, Garrett will have his hands full. And the enforcers will be working lots of overtime.” Maybe, I reflected optimistically, that extra income would help ease the jealousy between the older and younger crews.
Moving on, Nelia flipped to another sheet of paper on her clipboard and read the day’s headlines to me. With so much to do, I had no time to listen to broadcasts or peruse the news, so Nelia did it for me every morning, then gave me the highlights. As she read them off, I gradually grew more and more annoyed—the newspaper and tabloid headlines had taken a sour turn lately.
When Iannis and I had first announced our engagement, they’d written up the whole thing as a touching romance. Our epic love had been a beacon of hope, proof that two people from vastly different classes and races could come together and make the world a better place. But someone at the Herald must have gotten a bug up their ass, because a few weeks ago they’d published an article saying that Iannis was cradle-robbing. The rest of the human papers had followed suit, and now there was an article popping up nearly every day questioning the suitability of our match. Paparazzi were following us around everywhere, to the point that I rarely left the palace anymore unless I was in disguise. While the papers pretended to champion me, they also threw out subtle digs about the disparity of power between Iannis and me, and made me sound like a poor little orphan girl with no family to support me.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to set the record straight?” I finally asked, my voice simmering with frustration. “I’m getting really tired of the media taking potshots at Iannis and me. Magorah knows we’re not perfect, but this is getting ridiculous! Honestly, who gives a shit about our age difference anyway?”
Nelia sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m afraid there’s little you can do without making it worse,” she said. Since she used to be a journalist herself, I trusted her insight. “The papers always spin things the way they like—they may say that they’re here to report the facts, but ultimately sales are the driving factor, and sometimes just their own bias. The best you can do is keep your head down. This will all be over soon enough, and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying a blissful honeymoon with your new husband while they harass someone else.” She winked at me.
The thought of actually getting away from all this for a few weeks with Iannis did lift my spirits. I held the image of the two of us frolicking on a secluded beach wearing nothing but our skin close in my mind’s eye as I suffered through the rest of my day, packed with meetings and tedious duties. By the time I’d finished with the last one, I was ready to curl up in my bed and shut out the rest of the world.
But I had one last appointment, and she was waiting in my sitting room when I entered. “Mrs. Lawry!” I exclaimed as the seamstress rose from my couch along with her assistant. “By Magorah, I’d completely forgotten.”
“Which is why I insisted upon coming here rather than having you come down to my shop for your fitting,” the seamstress said, clucking her tongue as she rose. “My goodness, you look like you’re about to drop. Do you need a few moments to refresh yourself?”
“No.” I shook my head, looking toward the garment bag that had been carefully laid out on one of the couches, and then toward the kit on the coffee table that I knew was stuffed with sewing supplies. “We should just get this over with.”
“That’s no way to talk about the most exciting wedding dress of the century,” Mrs. Lawry admonished as I began to shuck off my clothing. She and her assistant unzipped the garment bag while I stripped down to my underwear. “I must admit I had some misgivings about the design you settled on, but this is certainly my finest work to date.”
“It is gorgeous,” I said with a smile as I watched them pull out the dress. It was ivory silk, with a halter neckline that wrapped around my neck like a choker. The halter was embroidered with black lace, and that same lace bridged down the spine of my otherwise bare back, then merged with the train, which I’d made sure was detachable. That same lace covered the bodice, making it look almost like armor, and there was a leg slit in the front that allowed for easier movement.
The seamstress nudged me onto the stool she’d brought, and I held still as they secured the dress onto my body. It looked just how I’d imagined, fitting to my curves perfectly. There was nowhere to hide my weapons on the dress, but that didn’t matter. Fenris’s vast repertoire of magical spells included the magical sleeve pocket I’d wanted to learn for so long, and I kept my weapons in there now, along with a few other essentials.
“We’ll need to take it in here a little,” the seamstress said, pinching at the loose fabric around my waist. “You’ve lost some weight,” she accused.
I winced. “I’ve skipped a meal here and there,” I admitted. Or rather, I’d grabbed a handful of beef jerky or whatever else had been available. As much as I’d enjoyed breakfast with Iannis this morning, there were many days these past few months where we’d been too busy to sit down and enjoy a meal together.
“Well, you’d better not skip any more before the wedding,” she warned as she began to stick pins through the fabric while her assistant fussed with my train. “With your fast metabolism, you’ll become skin and bones, and that’s hardly an attractive look for a bride.”
&
nbsp; “Yes ma’am,” I said, studying my reflection in the mirror. Now that she mentioned it, I was looking a bit skinnier, and the shadows beneath my eyes weren’t particularly flattering either. Makeup would hide most of that, but still, she was right. I needed to take better care of myself.
But how was I supposed to find time for that when the responsibilities just kept piling on?
Suddenly, I felt a mad impulse to rip the dress off and run away from it all. To escape to some deserted island like the one Iannis and I had made love on for the first time, and run wild and free. Perhaps I’d even run around in panther form for a good long while.
Remember the honeymoon, I told myself for the umpteenth time today. It was beginning to sound like a mantra. This would all be over soon. I’d been through much worse than this. Surely I could handle a wedding, right?
6
The next few weeks passed by in a blur of constant activity. I bore the stress of prepping for the Convention with a smile, determined not to worry Iannis or let anyone else know how much of a downer all this madness was. Thankfully, I had Nelia to help me juggle everything, and once I rolled up my sleeves and dove into this mess, I tackled things with a combination of ferocity and efficiency that surprised even me. The entire time, I kept my upcoming honeymoon in the forefront of my mind—the shiny carrot I was chasing. This hectic phase would be over soon, I reminded myself. Only five weeks to go.
“Miss Baine?” Nelia called through the telephone intercom to my office in the Mages Guild.
I bit back a sigh and answered. “Is the spokesman for the firefighter union here?” I asked. I was supposed to arrange schedules for setting anti-fire wards with him, freeing up the Mages Guild to deal with the tricky Convention logistics.
“Actually, he cancelled at the last minute because of a fire in some warehouse. Your next appointment was postponed too. You’re free until four o’clock.”
I blinked. Four o’clock? I glanced at the clock on my wall. That was hours away! “Thank you,” I said with a grin. “I’ll be out of the office until then.”
I hung up before Nelia could respond, then bounced out of my chair and left the Guild. I couldn’t remember the last time I had three whole hours of time to myself, and even though there was paperwork I should catch up on, I desperately needed the break. Rushing up to my room, I changed into a pair of shorts and an old but well-loved T-shirt, then called Comenius.
“Hey, Com,” I said when he answered the phone. “Is Rusalia around?”
“She’s off school today,” he said. “Are you finally free to tutor her?”
“I was actually thinking more of a playdate,” I said, “with her, Liu, and Tinari.” I used to spend time with the girls every week before things got so hectic—I tutored Rusalia on controlling her magic, and in general I enjoyed playing with the high-spirited little girls. “Do you think you can bring her by?”
“She would love that,” Comenius said as Rusalia squealed in the background. “She’ll be at the palace within the hour.”
I hung up the phone, then checked in with Janta and Mrs. Tandry. Liu was baking bread right now, but she’d be free soon, and Tinari was nearly done helping Janta catalogue a section of the library. They promised to send the girls straight to the playroom as soon as they were done.
With half an hour left until the girls arrived, I wandered back to the Mages Guild wing to see if I could catch Iannis for a few minutes. He’d already been up and gone when I’d opened my eyes this morning, and my serapha charm had told me he’d left the palace. But he was back now, and after barely seeing him for nearly a week, I missed him.
“Sunaya,” Iannis greeted me with a smile as I opened the door—he was seated behind his desk, with a mountain of papers in front of him. His eyebrows rose a little as he took in my outfit. “Playing hooky today?”
I smiled back. “Two of my appointments cancelled, so I’ve found myself with a bit of free time. You?”
Iannis chuckled. “Free time is the last thing on my agenda,” he said. “I’m glad you came by, though. I have good news. Fenris called earlier.”
My jaw dropped. “He did? And you’re only mentioning this now? What the hell, Iannis?”
“I got caught up in something!” Iannis held up his hands in a placating manner. “It was a very short conversation, so it wasn’t as if I had time to get you. His friend was dying from a rare poison, and he called to see if I could give him the recipe for the antidote.”
“Dying?” I plopped into one of the visitor’s chairs, my head spinning. “What kind of trouble has Fenris gotten into?”
“I don’t know,” Iannis said, sounding frustrated. “But the lady in question sounded like more than just a friend.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. “Are you saying that Fenris has a girlfriend?”
Before Iannis could answer, the phone rang. “Yes?” he asked impatiently as he snatched it up.
“There’s a call coming through to your line from the same number Fenris called from earlier,” I heard Dira say, and my heart leapt into my throat. “Shall I put him through?”
“Right away!” Iannis ordered. There was a click as Dira transferred the line. “Fenris, is that you?”
“Yes,” Fenris’s familiar baritone came through the line, and I felt a swell of relief.
“By Magorah, it’s really him!” I exclaimed, leaning across the table. “Damn you, Fenris, for worrying us like this! Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, and yes, the antidote worked,” Fenris said, and he sounded as grateful as I felt to finally hear his voice again. “I owe you a great debt, Iannis—Mina would have died today if not for you. I’m sorry I cut you off earlier, but time was of the essence.”
“I understand completely,” Iannis assured him. “You owe me no debt, Fenris—you have helped me more times than I can count. I am only glad that you and your lady love are safe.”
“Speaking of lady loves,” I said, snatching the phone away from Iannis. My throat was tight with emotion, and it took me a second to get out the words. “You’ve got to bring her to our wedding, Fenris. I don’t care what we have to do to make it happen—I want you to be there. I miss you.”
“I miss you both, too,” Fenris said, and he sounded as if he meant it. “But I don’t want to put you in any danger—”
“You won’t be,” I insisted, “and I don’t want to hear any excuses. Give me your address so I can send you a formal invitation under whatever alias you’re using.”
Fenris laughed, a tinge of disbelief in his voice. “I’ll get one from you in person, if I decide to go,” he said, though he didn’t sound very convincing. “If I end up unable to make it, you know that my thoughts and wishes are with you both.”
“What happened with the poison?” Iannis asked, wresting the phone back from me. “Have you found out who is responsible? Croialis is not something that one could take by accident.”
“We have suspicions, but no proof yet,” Fenris said. “A large fortune is at stake, and greed is likely the motive.”
“I know you can’t tell us exactly where you are,” I called, “but are you in any immediate danger?”
“No,” Fenris assured me. “Mina is the target, not me. I will be taking extra precautions to ensure her safety, and we will be leaving here as soon as we’ve finished our business. I’ll let you know where I settle permanently when it’s safe to do so.”
“Fine,” I said, holding in a sigh. I wanted to know more, but I knew that this was the best I’d get from him right now. “But please, promise to stay in touch. I don’t think we could handle it if you did another disappearing act.”
“I’ll do my best,” Fenris said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. He was just as happy to hear from us as I was to hear from him, and I blinked back tears of relief and happiness. I couldn’t force him to come to the wedding—I knew that—but just knowing for sure that he was alive, that he was safe…it took a weight off my shoulders that I hadn’t even been aware of
.
We finished up the conversation, and Iannis hung up with a smile. “I’m glad his lady pulled through,” he said. “Fenris sounded distraught when he called the first time. Croialis is no joke.”
“Me too,” I said. “I don’t think I could handle it if Fenris had found the love of his life only to lose her. He’s been through so much—he deserves to be happy.” Maybe Fenris wouldn’t be able to come to our wedding, but I damn well intended to go to his. Once all of this was behind us, I was going to track him down so I could hug him in person and meet the lucky lady who’d managed to snag his heart.
I spent a few more minutes with Iannis, then went down to the playroom to meet the girls. The three of them appeared right on time, dressed in shorts or summery dresses, as I’d told their parents to make sure they were ready for some outdoor playtime. The playroom was an unused salon that I’d converted for the children, and it was filled with toys and games.
“Let’s play tea party!” Tinari cried as she bounced into the room on Liu’s heels. “We brought sweets up from the kitchen, so it’ll be perfect!”
“Ooh,” Rusalia said, her blue eyes wide as she stared at the platter of pastries in Liu’s hand. “Those look really good. Did you make them yourself?”
“Yes, but they’re for later,” Liu said, lightly smacking her hand away before Rusalia could grab one. “I like the idea of a tea party. What do you think, Sunaya?”
“A tea party sounds great,” I said, taking the platter from her. “Why don’t you girls get the teacups and pot and we’ll set everything up?”
The girls eagerly rushed to get the supplies, and I stood back and watched as they put out the lace tablecloth and tiny porcelain dishes. Liu, the natural ringleader despite her lack of magic, directed where everything should go, and I set the pastries on the platter she’d designated.
