by Jasmine Walt
Table of Contents
Mina
Fenris
Glossary
About the Author
Also by Jasmine Walt
Saved by Magic
Book Three of The Baine Chronicles: Fenris’s Story
Jasmine Walt
Dynamo Press
Copyright © 2017, Jasmine Walt. All rights reserved. Published by Dynamo Press.
This novel is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [email protected]
Cover illustration by Judah Dobin
Cover typography by Rebecca Frank
Edited by Mary Burnett
Electronic edition, 2017. If you want to be notified when Jasmine’s next novel is released and get access to exclusive contests, giveaways, and freebies, sign up for her mailing list here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Created with Vellum
Contents
1. Mina
2. Fenris
3. Mina
4. Mina
5. Fenris
6. Mina
7. Fenris
8. Mina
9. Mina
10. Mina
11. Fenris
12. Mina
13. Fenris
14. Mina
15. Mina
16. Fenris
17. Fenris
18. Mina
19. Fenris
20. Fenris
21. Mina
22. Fenris
23. Mina
24. Mina
25. Fenris
26. Mina
27. Fenris
28. Mina
29. Fenris
30. Fenris
31. Mina
Glossary
About the Author
Also by Jasmine Walt
1
Mina
“Oh!” I cried as I felt a mighty tug on the end of my line that made me overbalance and slide forward on the slippery deck. “I think I’ve got one!”
“It seems that you have—whoa!” Fenris dropped the flounder he’d just caught into the bucket, then lunged forward to grab me by the waist as I was nearly yanked overboard. I cried out as my knees slammed against the railing of the fishing boat we’d rented and nearly lost my grip on my fishing pole.
“By the Lady,” I hissed as Fenris hauled me back into the center of the boat, very thankful for his shifter strength. I tightened my grip on the pole and gave another tug, and whatever was on the line yanked back so hard, I was nearly torn from Fenris’s grip. “What did I catch, a whale?”
Fenris chuckled in my ear and reached around to grasp my hands atop the pole. “We’re about to find out.”
With Fenris’s considerable shifter strength, combined with mine, the two of us managed to haul the fish into the boat. It thrashed viciously the whole time, all five feet of it, and Fenris was forced to sever its head with a machete lest it accidentally capsize us.
“We need a bigger boat,” I panted as we laid the giant fish down on the bottom. Even if we cut it into pieces, it would never fit in the bucket we’d brought to hold our catches. “What in Recca did we catch?”
“A giant sea bass, I believe,” Fenris said, staring down at the fish in amazement. “Quite the accomplishment, considering this is your first fishing trip. I’ve never caught anything so big myself.”
I laughed a little. “I think it’s safe to say that we’re done for the day.” I looked out onto the sparkling blue waters of the Western Sea and smiled. It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water, and I’d readily agreed to Fenris’s suggestion that we spend our first morning in Canalo here. But now that our boat was filled with fish, and my skin was beginning to turn pink despite the protective cream I’d slathered on and the hat I wore, I was ready to turn back.
Fenris steered the boat back to the marina, where the dock staff exclaimed over our catch. They were very impressed when Fenris told them that I had wrangled the beast, and they took the fish back to the hotel restaurant, where it would be cooked and served for dinner. I grinned when one of them asked if he could take me out on his next fishing trip since I clearly brought good luck, and laughed when Fenris hooked his arm neatly around my waist and dragged me back to the hotel for a much-needed shower and change of clothes.
“Blast it,” Fenris muttered when I walked back into the bedroom, one towel wrapped around my waist and another over my wet hair. “I still haven’t been able to reach Iannis.”
“I’m sure he’ll turn up soon,” I assured him as I sat down on the bed next to him. We’d tried contacting Iannis several times before leaving for Canalo, and again when we’d arrived, but each time the secretary Fenris spoke to told him that he and Sunaya had to leave on an urgent matter and would be back soon. “His wedding is within a fortnight—he can’t very well miss it after inviting the entire government, and half the world besides.”
Fenris sighed. “I hope you’re right. When Iannis and Sunaya get called away on an ‘urgent’ matter, it usually means they’ve involved themselves in something dangerous and life-threatening. And this time I’m not with them.”
I bit my lip. I could understand Fenris’s worry—if Barrla, my own best friend, had gone off somewhere without notice and there was a strong chance that she was in danger, I would be figuring out how to track her down and get to her. But no one would say where Iannis and Sunaya had gone. Since they had been missing for days, from a crowded city, even Fenris’s shifter nose would hardly be able to track them. The safest thing to do was wait until they returned—especially since the trouble we’d come to warn Iannis about was happening right here in Canalo.
“From everything you’ve told me about your friends, I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I assured Fenris. “They seem perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. You should put it out of your mind for now and go take a shower to wash off all that sea salt.” I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve seen of Canalo so far, and we may as well continue to enjoy it while things are still peaceful.”
Fenris smiled. “You’re right,” he said, turning his head to kiss me back. He rose from the bed and shucked off his clothes. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Alone in our suite, I dressed for the day in a peach-colored dress, then brushed out my blonde hair and left it loose on my shoulders. Our hotel room was beautiful, decorated in shades of sea green and sea-shell white, which was fitting considering we were at the Marwale. We were pretending to be already married, Mr. and Mrs. Shelton, and if I had anything to do with it, this would be true before much longer. I had never cared for the mage custom of year-long engagements, and since Fenris was now technically a shifter, there didn’t seem to be a good reason to abide by it.
Fenris and I had settled on this beachside hotel an hour away from Solantha because every room and couch within the capital was booked solid. We would have preferred to be closer, but we couldn’t very well stay in the Palace in disguise without an invitation from Iannis and Sunaya. Besides, the guest rooms there were doubtless filled by all the officials who were coming for not just the wedding, but also the Convention. For Fenris’s safety, it was best to keep as far away from his former colleagues as possible.
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I expected Fenris to be finished with his shower by the time I was dressed, but the water was still running. I imagined Fenris was using the time to think, as I also liked to do sometimes. Not wanting to disturb him, I left a note on the desk, then wandered out to the lounge for some much-needed tea.
The lounge was a gorgeous outdoor area located on the hotel rooftop. Dozens of charming seating areas were grouped around fire pits that would light up every night, and beyond them was a spectacular view of the ocean. In the center of the rooftop lounge was a bar and café, and as I approached, I noticed with delight that they had a selection of mini cakes behind a glass display case. My stomach grumbled—it was only mid-morning, but Fenris and I had risen very early for our fishing expedition, which had been surprisingly exhausting. A cup of tea and some cake sounded like just the thing.
“An excellent choice,” the cashier said with a smile as she rang up my selections—a small pot of chai and a slice of lemon cake, which would be brought to the table of my choice. I was just about to settle in one of the seating areas when a staff member appeared at my elbow, seemingly out of thin air.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Shelton, but there is a man here to see you,” she said. “He claims to be an acquaintance of yours?”
The way the woman’s eyebrows rose, and the hint of censure in her tone, told me that the “man” in question was not the usual caliber of person who frequented the Marwale, and that if I didn’t vouch for him, he would be thrown out.
“Did he give his name?” I asked, curiosity winning out over my need for tea and cake.
“No, he only said that he knows you and must speak to you urgently.”
I frowned. “Well bring him up here, then.” I wasn’t sure who could be calling on me, but if I had to accept a visit from a stranger without Fenris around, I’d rather do it out here in the open, with witnesses.
The staff member nodded, and I found a seat to enjoy my tea and cake while I waited. A few minutes later, she reappeared, this time accompanied by a sandy-haired young man wearing travel-worn clothes and a knapsack slung over his broad shoulder.
“Marris!” I cried, jumping out of my chair so I could hug him. He smelled like sweat and dirt, and I quickly pulled him over to sit down next to me. “Please, get my cousin some refreshments, and book a room for him—you may put it on our account.” I placed a silver coin in her hand.
The employee went off, shooting a dubious glance over her shoulder at my guest, and Marris let out a deep sigh as he sank into the chair cushions. “This place is lush,” he said, looking around, and there was awe glimmering through the exhaustion in his eyes. “Where are you staying, in the basement?”
I snorted. “Of course not,” I told him, then took another sip of tea. “We have a room, and so do you, now that you’re here. Why are you here, exactly?”
Marris ran a hand through his already-disheveled hair. “I meant to stay home, I really did,” he said, sounding apologetic. “But the constable warned me shortly after you and Fenris left that the mages were still sniffing around, pestering him about my whereabouts. It was too dangerous for me to stay, and my presence was putting him in a difficult position. So I thought I’d come out here and try to make myself useful.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Does Barrla know you’re here? And how did you manage to track us down?” We hadn’t told anyone in Abbsville which hotel we were staying at.
Marris gave me a sheepish smile. “Barrla’s the one who told me. A friend of hers overheard Fenris on the phone at the inn, when he was booking your trip. She wanted to come along, but I told her it was much too dangerous. I left before she could get me to change my mind.”
I winced. “She’s going to skin you alive if you ever go back to Abbsville,” I warned. Barrla would be furious—she hated being left out of anything, and would feel especially slighted considering her closest friends were the ones leaving her behind. It had been one thing for Fenris and me to go, since we were a couple, but for Marris, the man she was dating, to leave her in the dust? No way was she going to stand for that.
Marris grimaced. “I’ll have to make it up to her somehow. But if there is going to be bloodshed and mayhem in Solantha, I can’t have Barrla here. She doesn’t know the first thing about protecting herself.”
I opened my mouth to answer, then closed it again at the sight of Fenris weaving his way between the tables toward us. “There you are,” he said as he came up from behind Marris. “Making friends already?”
“Fenris?” Marris turned in his chair to greet Fenris, then froze, his mouth agape. I cringed at the shocked look on his face—Fenris had used his magic to change his appearance slightly. He was a few inches taller, his hair was a shade of honey-brown, and his shifter eyes were now human-blue. Different enough that he would not instantly be recognized as Iannis’s friend…but close enough that Marris could see plainly who he was, and what he’d done.
“Marris?” Fenris stared back at Marris, equally astonished. “What in Recca are you doing here?”
“What…you…” Marris spluttered. Knowing that the game was up, I took Marris by the elbow and led him to the other side of the rooftop, which was practically deserted. Fenris snapped his fingers and engaged the privacy bubble around us for good measure, and Marris’s eyes narrowed as he watched the air around us shimmer with magic.
“You’re a mage,” he said flatly.
“We both are,” I said before Fenris could respond. “Fenris has been hiding his magic because shifters aren’t allowed to have any, and I’ve been hiding mine because I’ve been passing myself off as a human, for different reasons.”
Marris looked at me as though I were insane. “Why in Recca would you want to do that? Everyone knows that mages live in wealth and comfort. You’d have to be crazy to want to live in Abbsville and work every day like ordinary people.”
“I was running away from my family, and the easiest way to keep them from finding me was to pretend I was a human.” I sighed at the skeptical look on Marris’s face. It was clear he felt betrayed, but at least he was still listening. “If you would please sit down, I’ll tell you all about it.”
Marris warily did as I asked, and I explained to him about my sordid family history, and how I’d been forced to flee Haralis, my hometown, in order to escape my abusive relatives. “It’s only these past weeks that I’ve finally been able to wrest my inheritance back from them and use my legal name without fear,” I explained. “And why I can afford to stay at this ‘lush place,’ as you call it,” I added dryly.
Marris shook his head. “Then why did you come back to Abbsville, if that was all handled? How do I know that you both aren’t secretly spying on us for the mages?”
Fenris scoffed. “If I had been, don’t you think I would have turned you, Cobil, and Roth in the moment I found out about the counterfeiting? I risked my life to keep you all safe, and you know it.”
“I do,” Marris said, looking chagrined. “But still…this is…”
“I know it’s a shock,” I said. “Believe me, I was shocked too when I learned that Fenris was a mage as well as a shifter, but he does have mages in his family, so it isn’t that strange that he can use magic too. If the law allowed it, he would probably be living openly as one.”
Marris blew out a long breath. “That must be awful, having to hide your true nature all your life,” he finally said. “Something else we can thank the mage regime for, eh?”
“Yes, but that still does not mean I hold ill will against all mages,” Fenris said sternly, reading the expression on Marris’s face perfectly. “The Chief Mage of Solantha and his bride are close friends of mine, and we have come to Canalo to ensure that nobody harms them at their wedding. If you are here to join up with your ex-Resistance buddies and cause trouble, we will be on opposite sides.”
“Opposite sides?” Marris echoed bleakly. “I thought we were all part of the League of Justice.”
“Yes,” Fenris said, “and the League of
Justice should not be involved in what amounts to a terror attack.”
“This is unbelievable.” Marris shot to his feet. “You…you…” He pointed at Fenris, then me, then whirled on his heel. “I need some time to think about this.”
Fenris and I exchanged worried looks as Marris stomped off, drawing expressions of censure and annoyance from the staff. “I hope he doesn’t go off and tell anyone about this,” I said, then bit my lip. Fenris and I were posing as humans at this hotel—since Fenris was a shifter, and I wasn’t a fully trained mage, we hoped this would prevent awkward questions. Our role as rich humans should also make it easier to infiltrate the plot we were investigating, if we ever got that far. “Marris may not know that you’re wanted by the Federation, but if he tells the wrong person he might still cause harm.”
“I believe Marris’s good heart will ultimately prevail,” Fenris said, but he looked concerned. “We’ll let him think on it the rest of the day, and if he doesn’t come to us then, we’ll just have to seek him out and talk some sense into him.”
2
Fenris
True to my word, I did not attempt to hunt Marris down after his abrupt departure from the lounge, though I could have. His scent was distinctive and easy to follow—he was probably out on the beach somewhere or in the room Mina had rented for him. But talking to him now would not be productive. He needed space and time to sort out his feelings, to come to grips with the revelation we’d blindsided him with.
