by Jasmine Walt
“Outside. I forgot my invitation and the guards won’t let us in. We have a theory that the Resistance may have found a way to smuggle in bombs and are planning to blow up the concert hall tonight.”
“Fucking hell,” I swore. A possible attack? I’d thought we were past all this!
“Excuse me?” the socialite said, sounding highly offended. I ignored her, stalking away from the crowd so I could duck behind a pillar and take advantage of the relative privacy.
“What’s going on?” I asked Fenris, plugging my fingers into my ears to try and drown out the ambient noise.
“This is just a hunch, but Barrla thinks there could be a bomb hidden somewhere inside the concert hall,” Fenris said urgently. “With all the recent construction done on the building, it is entirely possible one could be hidden inside a pillar or behind a wall. We already know for certain that the construction companies are behind the plot—it isn’t a stretch to imagine that they rigged this place for the attack.”
“Shit.” I bit my lip—the venue owner had offered the hall at an absurdly cheap rate, which was why the Minister had chosen to host the reception here. “We didn’t find anything like that during the security check, but I’ll speak to Iannis and Garrett immediately. We can’t evacuate the place based solely on a hunch, but if we find anything suspicious I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks,” Fenris said, and then the connection went dead as I moved back into the crowd. Looking around me at the glittering throng, I had to admit that if the Resistance wanted to decapitate the entire mage regime with one fell swoop, tonight would be the ideal occasion. Everyone of power and influence in the Federation was assembled in here, drinking and dancing and chatting. All the late Benefactor’s worst enemies, gathered in one spot.
And yet, from what I gathered, Fenris and his friends merely had a hunch—a suspicion—and no proof whatsoever. I sniffed carefully but could not detect anything amiss, not the slightest whiff of explosives or gunpowder. The vast amount of power concentrated here would easily take care of any attack, unless we were completely blindsided, taken by surprise. Surely the Resistance would know that.
And yet…
Scanning the crowd, I quickly found Garrett standing just a few paces away. I caught his eye, and he moved closer to me at my gesture.
“How carefully did your people vet this venue?” I muttered, leaning in close enough to be heard over the music and buzzing conversation. “Is there any chance you might have overlooked some bomb? Perhaps hidden in the walls or floor?”
He scowled, looking affronted at the very idea. “Sunaya, you know me better than that. We went over everything carefully only this morning, and the guards have been here ever since. Do you really think I would take the slightest risk with the Minister’s event? You are perfectly safe—relax and enjoy the party.”
“I’m not normally one to be paranoid, but Fenris is outside, and he seems to think there’s danger afoot.” I briefly explained the theory to Garrett, knowing full well what his answer would be.
“We can’t shut this whole place down based on some hair-brained theory,” Garrett said firmly. “Like I said, my men and I scoured this place thoroughly. If there was a bomb, we would have found it.”
“Right.” There was no point in pushing Garrett on this—he was right. But still…my blood was humming now, and I found myself moving toward the entrance. I might as well let Fenris and his friends inside. They could look around while I was stuck here with these politicians.
But when I got to the entrance, Fenris and his party were no longer there, and the majordomo didn’t know where they’d gone. The hairs on the back of my neck rose—Fenris wasn’t one to give up. If he thought we were truly in danger, he would have found another way to get inside.
“Iannis,” I said urgently, striding back inside to where he was standing, deep in some conversation with a Southian diplomat. “There’s something wrong.”
Iannis lifted his head, meeting my gaze across the room. “What do you mean?”
“Iannis, are you there?” We both paused at the sound of Fenris’s voice, clear as a bell once more. He must be inside, past the wards. “I need you and Garrett to come down to the basement. We’ve found an intruder.”
“I’m on my way. Is anyone hurt?”
“No. But come quickly.”
“Excuse me,” Iannis said to the diplomat as I finally reached him. “Sunaya and I have an urgent matter to attend to.” He slipped his arm into mine, and we hurried across the room toward Garrett.
“Come quickly,” I said, grabbing his sleeve. He whirled to face me, an annoyed look on his face, and I couldn’t blame him—he was in conversation with a stunning brunette who was batting her incredibly long eyelashes at him. “Now.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve actually found a bomb,” Garrett muttered as he reluctantly allowed me to pull him away.
“I don’t know, but Fenris said that he found an intruder in the basement.”
“Where are the three of you going off to?” the Minister demanded, planting himself in front of us. He had a plate of canapés in his hand, and was frowning heavily. “This is supposed to be a party in your honor, Iannis.”
“I’m afraid this trumps any celebration,” Iannis said. “In fact, you’d better come with us, Minister. We have a security issue.”
The Minister sputtered, but Iannis steered him toward the basement, explaining the situation as we went. We hurried down the staircase together into a dingy storeroom that looked like a tornado had swept through it. Boxes and party supplies were scattered everywhere, and the far wall had been smashed open. I frowned at the sight of a light switch, which had obviously been covered up by plaster. Was that some sort of trigger?
“Thank the Lady you’re here,” Fenris said, sounding relieved. His friend Marris was on the ground, straddling a man who had been bound from head to neck with rope. “You’re just in time.”
“What is the meaning of this?” the Minister demanded, looking at the prisoner and then at the wreckage. “What was this man doing in here?”
“He was paid by the Resistance to come in here and flip that switch,” Fenris explained. “He had just uncovered it in the wall when Marris and I caught up to him. It would seem that the whole contraption was arranged while the concert hall was being renovated.”
“A walled-in switch?” Garrett echoed. He stalked over to the wall, a scowl on his face. “Damn. These wires could be connected to explosives at any place in the building. It will take some time to trace the wire and disarm whatever trap they’re connected to.”
“Bloody hell,” Iannis swore, echoing my sentiments perfectly. “We need to evacuate the hall at once.”
“Yes,” Garrett said in a clipped voice. He shook his head, looking absolutely furious. “I can’t believe I missed this. We checked this venue thoroughly.”
“You’re not at fault here,” I said to Garrett, tactfully deciding not to mention his earlier refusal to look into Fenris’s hunch. “You had no reason to tear the walls apart looking for bombs, and stuff like that isn’t easily visible. I couldn’t even scent anything when Fenris warned me just now. I still don’t scent anything suspicious here.”
“Let’s not stand around here, then,” the Minister said impatiently. “The last thing I need is for someone to accidentally trip and hit that switch. Let’s get on with it!”
After Garrett ordered two of his agents to guard the switch with their lives, and another pair to take charge of the terrified prisoner, we dispersed. Fenris and Marris explained to me that they’d caught the man who they believed was behind the attack, and I went outside with them to see for myself while everyone else was evacuated. Mina, Barrla, Comenius, and Elania were waiting just beyond the side entrance, along with a group of enforcers.
“Miss Baine.” The enforcer in charge inclined his head. “We’re ready to transport the prisoner to a holding cell.”
“His name is Rubb Slade,” Mina explained to me. “I met h
im at the Solantha Press Club.”
“Let me have a look at him,” I said. The name didn’t at all sound familiar, and I was curious to meet the man who had taken up Thorgana’s banner.
Two of the enforcers dragged Rubb forward. He was a thin man with sandy hair and an unpleasant face, and he bared his teeth at me as I leaned in to sniff at him. A familiar scent hit me, and I recoiled in shock.
“By Magorah,” I said, looking him up and down again. “You’re not Rubb Slade at all. You’re Curian Vanderheim, Thorgana’s missing husband.” He looked completely different, but there was no mistaking the scent. I’d worked Thorgana’s parties as a bodyguard enough times to have imprinted her husband’s scent in my mind.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the prisoner said stiffly.
“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped. “You might weigh thirty pounds less and wear a different face, but you stink just like before. You should have hired a mage to change your scent. It’s a good thing you’re not as bright as your late wife was.”
“I knew there was something off about him,” Mina cried, her eyes shining with triumph. “Both times I met him he was always talking about how much he hated mages.”
“And now we understand why,” Fenris said grimly.
“Well, now that we’ve got all this sorted, why don’t you come back with us to the palace?” I said with a grin. “After all, you’re a very important person, Mr. Vanderheim. And we certainly wouldn’t want you to mysteriously commit suicide in your prison cell, would we?”
Now that the threat had been identified, Iannis and Garrett acted with typical decisiveness. The switch was guarded by Federal Agents, and the guests were evacuated to the palace, where the reception continued. Garrett’s people, assisted by enforcer specialists, would work to find out what kind of bomb the switch was connected to, once the wire had been safely cut.
I sighed in relief as Vanderheim was dragged away in manacles, finally realizing how close a shave we’d had that night. If not for Fenris and his friends, all of us could be mangled bodies under the rubble of the concert hall by now. Putting the thought out of my mind, I slung my arms around Mina and Fenris and herded them toward a waiting carriage. I wasn’t one to let my enemies ruin my fun, and tonight sure as hell wasn’t going to be any different.
Despite our efforts to keep the plot under wraps, the news that they had all just escaped mayhem soon reached the guests, and the party in the palace turned almost wild, with everybody consuming vast quantities of booze to take the edge off the near miss. After a quick council meeting in which everyone gave their reports and we debated how to deal with the aftermath and tighten security measures, Iannis and I joined the guests once more. When the celebration of our survival finally wound down, at nearly two in the morning, we made our way to Iannis’s suite at long last only to find an unexpected guest waiting for us in Iannis’s sitting room.
“Annia!” I cried as my best friend got to her feet. She looked a bit dusty from the road, in jeans and a red leather jacket. There were circles under her eyes, but the smile on her face was genuine. “You’re back!”
“And right on time, too,” she said as I wrapped her up in a fierce hug. “I wasn’t dressed for that society shindig you had going on out there, and I’m definitely not in the mood for a party after all this travel, but Director Chen was nice enough to let me wait up here for you guys.”
“Of course,” Iannis said with a warm smile. “You are always welcome in our home.”
“I’m so glad to see you,” I said, blinking back tears as I pulled back to look at Annia. The exhaustion on her face had worried me initially, but there was a quiet satisfaction in her eyes that made me relax. “I’m guessing you found Noria? Is she okay?”
Annia nodded. “She’s on a ship to the Central Continent now,” she said. “It was an adventure, tracking her down and getting her on that boat, but at least she’ll be safe now.” She looked over my shoulder at Iannis. “You’re not going to send agents after her, are you? Or punish me for abetting her?”
Iannis shook his head. “So long as she stays on the other side of the pond, she won’t hear from me,” he said. “With any luck she’ll carve a new life for herself and stay out of trouble. I would have pardoned her already if she had shown the least willingness to renounce further subversion. I don’t suppose she has seen the error of her ways?”
“She is stubborn as she ever was.” Annia sighed. Tears shimmered in her eyes for a moment, but she cleared her throat and blinked them away. “I would have come sooner, but getting all the way back here from the East Coast was a real bitch. I hope you don’t mind if I spend the night?”
“’Course not,” I said, slapping her on the shoulder. “Besides, that way you and I can get ready for the big day together.”
Annia blinked. “Am I still going to be in the wedding?”
I grinned. “I’ve had your bridesmaid dress ready and waiting for months.” She looked a bit leaner than her usual slim self, but Mrs. Lawry, my dressmaker, would quickly take care of any changes needed.
Her face burst into a broad smile. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week. Where is it? I’d better try it on now and make sure you’re not making me look fat!”
Iannis and I exchanged amused glances. “You can always sleep later,” he said, laughter in his voice, as he turned to find the familiar flask and glasses. “Here, give some of this to your friend as well. We don’t want either of you falling asleep during the ceremony.”
“Mmh,” Annia said as she drank the potion. “This stuff tastes pretty good. I’m already feeling a nice boost.”
“It’s too bad you missed the dancing tonight, but the wedding party the day after tomorrow will be even better,” I said as I pulled her to my sitting room, where her dress was hanging. “Now that you’re back in Solantha, and Noria is safe, are you going to resume working as an enforcer?”
Annia shrugged. “Eventually. It feels kind of strange, catching criminals when my own sister is a fugitive from justice. But maybe something more interesting will turn up.”
As she admired the dress, holding it up against her slim figure, Trouble came flitting into the sitting room on noiseless wings and settled on the back of a chair to observe what we were doing in the middle of the night.
“Here, let’s see how it fits.” Using a few Words, I magicked Annia’s travel-worn outfit to the sofa and put the bridesmaid dress on her. Annia slowly turned around, the silk skirt swinging with her movement.
“Prrrettty,” Trouble commented, approval in his high-pitched voice. Did he really have an opinion?
“You’re gorgeous,” I agreed, looking Annia up and down. The mysterious antique golden choker she never took off sparkled against her skin. “I hope the matching shoes fit, but if not, I can adjust them. My magic is pretty versatile these days.”
“So is mine,” she said, skimming a hand over the fabric. As I watched, the slight looseness in her waist and bust disappeared, the dress molding itself to her willowy curves like a glove.
I opened my mouth, questions bubbling in my throat, then closed it again. I was curious about her new abilities, which she’d never explained in detail, but could see that despite the potion, she was weary. And if I was honest, I was more eager for my bed than for answers. The questions could wait.
After settling Annia in a comfortable guest room, I stared at Trouble, who had come along companionably. “You, my friend, are clearly able to distinguish a pretty bridesmaid from an ugly one.”
“Prretty,” he repeated.
“Don’t act like you’re only capable of parroting. I know better.” I squinted, scrutinizing him with magic senses—now heightened and clearer, thanks to the knowledge that I’d absorbed from the Tua. Trouble had been intelligent and able to understand all along, I saw, but was hampered by a limitation I’d set when I first created him, because at the time I was intent on forming merely a stupid, temporary ether pigeon.
“Come here
, Trouble.”
He squawked, then flapped his wings and soared over to me. As he settled on my left wrist, I caressed his throat with the fingers of my right hand, removing the limitation and strengthening his memory and vitality at the same time.
“Better now?” I asked.
“Much better, Sunaaaya. Thththannkss.” I grinned—his pronunciation was still bird-like, but that was the first real, complete sentence he’d ever uttered. He was capable of much more now, and I was looking forward to seeing what else he could do.
But not now, I decided with a yawn. It had been a very long day, and Iannis was waiting for me in our bed.
“Good night, Trouble,” I said, stroking him one last time as I headed for the bedroom.
“Good niiight, Sunaaaya.”
23
“You’re quiet tonight,” Iannis said as we sat in the carriage, on our way to yet another reception. “Is everything all right?”
I smiled. “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am to have you,” I said, leaning my head against his shoulder.
“As am I to have you,” he said, putting his arm around me in a gentle hug. I sighed a little, sinking into him, content to enjoy these quiet few moments while we still could. The reception we were attending tonight had been organized by the ancient Order of Master Mages, which Iannis had joined some five centuries ago. The event was going to be full of powerful mages—arrogant old coots, for the most part—who would no doubt look down their long noses at me because of my youth and lack of mage credentials. A mere apprentice marrying one of their senior members—I could just imagine their acidic comments. But I was determined not to let that spoil my mood. I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t be ungrateful for the life I had if I ever got back home, and I wasn’t about to break that promise now.
“It’s funny,” I said as I mused over the events of the past two weeks. “I thought about killing your grandmother more times than I can count while she had me in her clutches, but now that that’s all behind me, I almost feel grateful to her.”
