Saved by Magic: a Baine Chronicles novel (The Baine Chronicles: Fenris's Story Book 3)

by Jasmine Walt

  I smiled. “Am I that transparent?” I asked as I crumbled some salted crackers into my own soup.

  “Not to anyone else, perhaps, but I’m learning to read you better every day.” Mina smiled briefly. “It will be at least another day until we hear from Marris, and we don’t know if he’ll find out anything useful.”

  “We are putting him in a difficult position, forcing him to spy on his comrades,” I murmured as I stirred my soup. “Marris was never a highly ranked member of the Resistance, so I doubt he will be told anything too important. But still, he may furnish some useful clue to follow up on, tell us something we might not otherwise learn.”

  “Who do you think is behind all this?” Mina asked, her silver-gray eyes narrowed in thought. “The Benefactor is dead. Or is she, really? Could it be that her death was faked, like your own?”

  “She did fake it when she escaped from the prison in Dara, and dozens of other people were killed in the fire her accomplices set,” I said. “I was already gone from Solantha when her body was discovered, but from the media reports, I was under the impression that she was definitely confirmed dead. Iannis and Sunaya would have made sure of it. Sunaya knew Thorgana before she was unmasked, and her shifter nose could not be fooled.”

  “Then is there anyone else with the resources and intelligence to muster the Resistance again, reunite it for a big attack?”

  “There are probably several in the human community who could rally them again,” I said, “but I am not well-versed enough in human circles to guess who. The Benefactor was very good at weaving her web of deceit and lies—she had many wealthy businessmen and politicians as her friends and supporters. Any one of them could have decided to take up the cause in the wake of her death.”

  “Hmm.” Mina chewed on her lip. “Did she have any family? Any sons or daughters?”

  “No children, but she did have a husband, a millionaire businessman in his own right. He was fat and boring, not really a revolutionary type—but then the same could be said of Thorgana, who fooled everyone with her bird-witted socialite act. He fled the continent when Thorgana was caught, taking some of his fortune with him. I doubt he’ll be risking his neck by returning anytime soon, when he’s still on the most wanted list.” I drummed my fingers on the table. “I think I’ll pay a visit to Rylan, Sunaya’s cousin, to see if he has heard anything about the plot through his former Resistance contacts.”

  “That seems like a long shot,” Mina said. “Didn’t you say that he’d turned on the Resistance after he was captured?”

  “Yes.” I smiled wryly. “I myself convinced him to help Sunaya in exchange for a reduced sentence. He saved thousands of lives in doing so, but many in the Resistance will have branded him a traitor. Still, he might know something. We know from Marris that former Resistance soldiers still stick together and exchange information. It would be foolish not to ask.”

  “Do you want me to come with you? He sounds like an interesting guy.”

  “I’m not sure you’d want to,” I admitted. “Rylan is a charmer, but his mother, Clan Chieftain Mafiela Baine, is something of a battle-axe, and probably still suspicious of mages.” I hoped I would not run into her—she might be reconciled with Sunaya now, but I had yet to forgive her for the cruel treatment she had meted out to her niece when she’d been an orphaned cub. “She would quickly realize your true nature, since you have been using magic recently. As you are not wearing robes, she might suspect we are trying to fool her.”

  Mina snorted. “Never mind, then. I’ll do some more exploring in the meantime—I wasn’t quite done looking around Witches End when we left. I’ll meet you back at the parking lot at six o’clock.”

  We finished lunch, and I kissed Mina goodbye before hailing a cab to Shiftertown. Unfortunately, it turned out that Rylan was away on business. The butler asked, rather snootily, if I wanted to present myself to the Clan Chieftainess, but I opted to make my excuses and leave.

  Remembering that I had other contacts in the area, I walked over to Shiftertown Inspector Book Lakin’s house, only six blocks from the Baine household. Lakin was at home, and very surprised to see me when I knocked on the door in my normal guise.

  “By Magorah,” he exclaimed as he let me inside the house. “I never thought I’d see you again! Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Sunaya tell you that I was alive?” I asked as I followed him into his living room. He didn’t look at me as if I was a wanted man, to my relief. “I talked to her and Iannis on the phone only a few weeks ago.”

  Lakin huffed. “Sunaya and I haven’t spoken much in the past six months. She’s got her hands full with all her new responsibilities, and I’ve moved on with my life.”

  “I’m very happy to hear that,” I said, pleased at the sincerity in his tone. Lakin had been infatuated with Sunaya once, and I’d been worried that he might not be able to let her go. “Who’s the lucky lady?” The scent of female shifter was all over the house. There also were some very feminine touches, including a woven rug on the floor that I suspected was handmade and some charming figurines on the mantel that I couldn’t imagine Lakin buying himself.

  Lakin laughed. “No one you would know,” he said. “But I am the lucky one, not her. I’m very glad I accepted the offer to move to Solantha. But enough of that—why don’t you stop stalling and tell me why you’re really here?”

  “I’ve learned of a plot to gather ex-Resistance members here in Solantha for a major operation,” I told him. “I’m not sure if the attack is going to target the wedding reception, or the Convention, or something else entirely, but the news came from a trusted source. I’ve already sent warnings to Iannis and Director Chen. I originally came down here to see if Rylan knew anything about it, but he’s out of town. Then I thought that perhaps you might have heard something.”

  “I’m afraid not,” Lakin said, frowning. “If I had, I would have gone to the Mages Guild right away. And so would Rylan, these days. He wouldn’t let anyone harm Sunaya. In fact, his close association with her is pretty much a guarantee that nobody would have told him about a plot like that. You think Sunaya is in danger?”

  “She was one of Thorgana’s main enemies,” I reminded him. “If someone is out to take up the Benefactor’s cause, or avenge her, Sunaya and Iannis would be prime targets. But even if they aren’t directly targeted, they are in danger anyway—whatever these fellows are planning, Iannis and Sunaya will be in the thick of the action.” If they came back home in time. I almost wished they would stay away, but that would mean they were dealing with even worse problems wherever they had gone.

  “I’ll definitely keep my nose to the ground and let you know if I hear anything,” Lakin promised. “Most of the shifters have no love for the Resistance after they learned that Thorgana planned to turn on us, but there might be one or two morons who still support the cause. I’ll sniff around.”

  “Thank you.” I stood. “I should get going—no need to take up too much of your time. If you do learn something, send a message to Comenius’s shop and he’ll forward it. I’m trying to keep a low profile, in case I get a chance to infiltrate these plotters.”

  “Yes, I won’t be discussing your visit with anyone but Sunaya, if I get the chance,” he assured me. “And Rylan.”

  “Thanks.” I rose to take my leave.

  “Oh, wait!” Lakin raised a hand, stopping me. “I knew there was something I should tell you, and I’ve just remembered. An elderly mage came by here a couple of weeks ago asking about you.”

  My heart jumped. “About me?” Was it someone from Garrett’s office, looking to apprehend me? But no, his agents were all young and keen. It would be most unlike him to employ anyone older than himself or encourage his people to disguise themselves as elderly.

  “Yes. He was anxious to find you—or rather, your grave, since he’d heard that you’d died. Thought that I might know where it is, since you were a shifter.” A sad expression crossed Lakin’
s face. “He seemed pretty dejected, and very disappointed when I couldn’t help. From the way he reacted, I assumed he must be a good friend.”

  I frowned. “I don’t know any elderly mages who would have been deeply affected by my passing. Do you know what the man’s name was?”

  “He left me a card,” Lakin said, patting his jacket pockets. “Let me see if I can find it.”

  Unfortunately, Lakin was unable to find the mage’s calling card, but he promised to send word to me at Com’s shop if he did find it, or if the mage came to visit again. As I left, I puzzled over the small mystery. Mostly, though, I was thankful that Lakin had received me as an old acquaintance rather than an enemy. He was smart and discreet, a good ally to have, though he clearly did not know anything about the gathering plot in his own city.

  I’d better be careful not to show my face in front of Garrett Toring or the Minister, though, I thought as I took my leave. I had no doubt that they would be far less lenient if they discovered I was back in town.

  6

  Mina

  After Fenris and I separated, I took a cable car back to the pier and returned to the gulaya shop that had caught my eye earlier. This time, there were no customers at all when I walked in—just a bored-looking salesman standing behind the counter and the gleaming wares displayed on tables and shelves all around the premises.

  “I’m sorry, Miss, but this establishment caters exclusively to mages,” the man, who looked no older than thirty, said in a patronizing tone. “If you’ve taken a wrong turn, I am more than happy to help you find where you are going.”

  “I am exactly where I want to be,” I told the man in fluent Loranian, and he frowned.

  “I…I’m afraid I don’t recognize that language,” he said, and I laughed.

  “So you’re not a mage yourself, then,” I said. “Is there someone else in this ‘establishment’ that is?”

  “That would be me, the owner,” a young man said cheerily as he stepped through the door behind the counter. Unlike the salesman, he wore robes of deep blue, and I was taken aback by how fresh-faced he was, with a mop of curly hair and freckles on his pale skin. He couldn’t be much older than me—in fact, I strongly suspected he was younger. His blue eyes twinkled behind his spectacles with good humor as he extended a hand to me. “Elnos Ragga, at your service.”

  “Mina Shelton,” I said, shaking his hand with a firm grip. “Are you more willing to sell me a gulaya than this gentleman here?” I gave a pointed look to the salesman, who blushed.

  “Zarin, why don’t you go and catalogue the stores in the back,” Elnos said. The salesman inclined his head, then hurried into the back of the store. “Sorry about him—working in a magical shop seems to have given him a bit of an inflated head. He doesn’t realize that not all female mages like to wear robes. I wouldn’t do so either if I could wear a pretty dress like that.” He winked at me.

  I laughed. “You seem very adult despite your youthful looks,” I said. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you’re flirting with me.”

  Elnos smiled. “Recent events have forced me to grow up a bit more quickly than I would have liked,” he said, and a shadow briefly flitted through his eyes. “Now, what sort of gulaya were you hoping to purchase today?”

  “Have you been creating gulayas very long?” I asked as I let my eyes wander along the shelves. “I’ve heard they’ve only recently become legal.”

  “No, gulayas themselves have always been legal,” Ragga explained, “but until recently, they could not be charged—or recharged—without using a highly illegal substance that was also used in death magic. That’s why they had gradually fallen out of use, despite their obvious advantages. Even if you obtained the substance on the black market for exorbitant prices, and at considerable risk, it was only good for one trip. Plus, the ritual of recharging took several hours, and it was all too easy to make some mistake. That meant the whole thing had to be started over, using up more of the expensive ingredients.”

  “I see.” What he told me matched up with what Fenris had said earlier. “But you got around those limitations?”

  “Yes, although I cannot personally take the credit for this innovation,” Elnos told me. “I am friends with Lord Iannis, our Chief Mage, who came across this new and easier way to recharge gulayas in an old diary. Apart from being a great Chief Mage and warrior, he is also interested in magical history, and unlike most other mages understands the scientific method. I’m the first one to license the process from him, and the only one with a specialized gulaya shop, as far as I know. We’ve only been open for about four months.”

  “Well, that explains why they’re so expensive.”

  Elnos smiled. “Supply and demand, Miss Shelton. To be honest, this is somewhat of a side venture to me—I’m really an inventor, and I spend most of my time in my workshop in the back, tinkering with various ways to bring magic and technology together. That is why I hired a salesman,” he said wryly, and I laughed again. “Though for the right kind of customer, my gulayas tend to sell themselves.”

  “Is it Lord Iannis’s decree that the gulayas only be sold to mages, or yours?” I wondered aloud.

  “A bit of both,” Elnos said. “The initiating spell requires a small amount of magic from the user, and unless we modify that feature, humans cannot use them. The Chief Mage does not want them to fall into the hands of criminals, which limits the sales potential somewhat. Even so, I am doing quite well, and I have a variety of gulayas that suit most needs.”

  I asked Elnos more questions about his merchandise, and he explained to me that the gulayas on display in the storefront were simple, pre-keyed ones that were tied to various landmarks in Solantha. There were also double-strength ones that could transport two people if they were holding onto each other. The first three recharges were included in the price.

  “Is it possible to get one keyed to a location other than the ones you already use?” I asked.

  “Yes, but that is custom work and more expensive, especially if it is over a long distance,” Elnos said. “It will also take longer because I need to send a qualified mage to the desired location for the initial charge. If you are looking to get something within a relatively short period of time, I recommend one of our pre-keyed options.”

  In the end, I decided to purchase two double-strength gulayas that were keyed to a beach just outside the city. Elnos promised to have them ready for me the following afternoon—they took twenty hours to charge.

  As he rang up the sale, I noticed a flyer on the counter advertising the Chief Mage’s upcoming wedding. It featured a picture of Lord Iannis and Sunaya, arm in arm, and I picked it up to study it further. The Chief Mage was a very good-looking man, tall with long hair and sternly handsome features, and Sunaya was a fierce beauty with a mane of black curls, piercing green shifter eyes, and a curvy figure that I couldn’t help but envy.

  “Mr. Ragga,” I asked as I noticed the Chief Mage and his bride wore twin necklaces with a single small stone attached to the chain. “What are Lord Iannis and Miss Baine wearing here?”

  “Ah.” Elnos smiled. “Those are serapha charms. Like the gulayas, they had gone largely out of fashion in the past century, but they are coming back in vogue thanks to the happy couple.”

  “Yes, fashions do come and go. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them.” I had a feeling that, as a mage, I ought to know what these were, but I’d missed out on a lot when I was forced into hiding.

  “They are typically exchanged between two people who are going to marry or are already wed, and they bind a piece of one’s soul to the other,” Elnos explained. “The charms can be used to find one’s beloved and check on their well-being. As I said, they are quite popular now—I’ve actually been making some to sell here in the shop, as more than one person has asked for them recently.”

  “Do you have any I can buy?” I asked eagerly. If Iannis and Sunaya had them, then I wanted a set for Fenris and me. In truth, I was starting to feel a li
ttle jealous of Sunaya. She was bold and beautiful and fierce, not to mention powerful. And she had known Fenris far longer than I did.

  Don’t be silly, I thought as Elnos went into the back to retrieve the charms. Sunaya is clearly in love with her own man. And Fenris loves you, not her.

  Elnos brought out a case of necklaces with a variety of stones ranging from simple topazes to dazzling opals. I selected a pair with pretty blue stones that matched the illusion ring Fenris fashioned soon after we’d met. I no longer needed the illusion magic, but I still wore the ring on my right hand anyway, as it was the first thing Fenris had ever given me. Elnos handed me a card with instructions on how to activate the charms, then boxed up my necklaces.

  “I can tell from your southern accent that you’re not a native,” Elnos said as he rang up my purchase. “What brings you out here to Solantha? The wedding, or the Convention?”

  I hesitated, not sure what to tell him, then remembered Mirrine’s story about why she was attending. And the Haralis paper I’d visited in my hometown had been sending someone too… “Both,” I told him. “I’m a reporter from the Deros Globe, and I’ve been sent to cover the event—mostly the wedding, that is. I just arrived yesterday.”

  “An unusual occupation for a mage,” he commented, “but then, so is being an inventor.” He grinned.

  “I think we mages ought to be a bit more adventurous in our occupations, don’t you?” I asked as I took my package from him. After all, being a veterinarian was equally unusual for a mage. “We’d learn so much more about the world if we stuck our heads out of our ivory towers more often.”

  “I completely agree,” Elnos said. “And you aren’t the only reporter mage in town anyway. I’ve run into quite a few of your colleagues in the last week. If you’re looking to find more of your kind, you should head over to the Solantha Press Club.”