by Jasmine Walt
With that in mind, I pulled on a pair of leather pants and a teal-colored shirt, then strapped my weapons onto my thighs and my pouch belt onto my hips. Steel-toed boots covered my feet, and I shrugged a leather jacket on over it all despite the summer weather outside. I’d be taking my steambike out later, and it didn’t pay to ride without protection.
Before I left the room, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and smiled a little. I might have come a long way from where I’d been when I first arrived at Solantha Palace, but I was still Sunaya Baine. And I was going to show the world that I could be Sunaya Baine and a mage at the same time.
It did not take me long to reach the library, on the lower level of the Palace. “Good morning, Miss Baine,” a youthful voice greeted me, and I started at the sight of an unfamiliar female mage sitting behind the front desk of the library. Dressed in grey robes, the emblem of an open book inside a circle stitched above the left breast, she had dark, glossy brown hair and a polite, welcoming expression.
“Umm, good morning.” I glanced around the library, a huge room with towering bookshelves and soaring ceilings. Unlike the last time I’d been here, most of the gleaming wooden desks with their green glass lamps were occupied by mages—apprentices studying new spells, and Guild employees doing research. More grey-robed librarians moved about between the shelves, placing books that had been returned, or retrieving them for someone else. It was slightly disconcerting, but I was nonetheless happy to see that a sense of normalcy had returned.
“Do you know where I can find Miss Urama?” I asked, referring to Janta by last name. The last two times I’d come here to see her, she’d been manning the front desk as the only librarian present, while her subordinates were out fighting the Resistance. “I need her help with an important matter.”
“I believe she’s in the back, cataloguing a new shipment of books,” the librarian told me. “I can see if she’s available, if you’d like.”
“Please.”
I clasped my hands behind my back and tried to wait patiently. I could feel the gazes of several mages on me, but when I turned to return their stares, they hastily dropped their eyes back to their books. I’d always been an object of rumor and speculation amongst the mages, and even more so since my engagement to the most powerful man in Canalo. Bets were being placed to see how long it would take for the engagement to be called off, and much as I wanted to be angry about that, I couldn’t blame them. A marriage between a powerful mage and a shifter was unprecedented, and my half-mage heritage was the only thing that allowed the mage community to swallow it in the first place. On top of it all, Iannis and I were also master and apprentice. I doubted we’d be able to get away with that part either if Iannis wasn’t the Chief Mage.
By Magorah, what a mess this was. If I didn’t love Iannis, I’d be tempted to ditch the entire affair and move somewhere else where nobody knew me.
Of course, that would mean leaving my friends behind. And Solantha itself, which I loved despite the city’s flaws. The shifter community was still in shambles after the war between the Mages Guild and the Resistance. Someone had to bridge the gap between mages and shifters if there were going to be any kind of peace between us. I was starting to think that the thankless job would fall on me, since I didn’t see anyone else stepping up. But not today. Today, I needed to finish putting together all the pieces of who I was. And that meant finding out the identity of my father.
“Good morning, Miss Baine.” Janta’s, dulcet tones drew me away from my thoughts. I turned to see her coming toward me, the front-desk librarian in tow. Unlike the last time I saw her, she wore the same grey robes with the book emblem as the other librarians. Hers were hemmed in silver at the throat, wrists and collar, marking her higher position. The outfit went very well with her silver hair, which she wore twisted into an elegant knot near the top of her head, and the silver spectacles perched on her straight nose. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Good morning, Miss Urama.” I smiled, genuinely happy to see her. I didn’t know her very well yet, but she was on the gradually expanding list of mages who treated me like a real person. “I was hoping you could help me with another research project.”
“Certainly.” A hint of worry entered her pale blue eyes. “Is it something to do with the Resistance?”
“No.” I hesitated, not sure it was wise to say more when I knew that at least some of the other mages were listening. “It’s regarding a personal matter. Is there somewhere private we can talk?”
“Of course. Right this way.”
Janta disappeared between the bookshelves, and I followed. She led me down several rows, to a glass-partitioned section of the library. A sign across the door said ‘restricted area’. She pulled a key from her belt and unlocked the door, then stepped back to let me through first.
“Why is this place restricted?” I asked as she guided me to one of the tables. Other than the partition, this part of the library looked exactly the same as the rest.
“Many of the books on these shelves are very old and rare. We keep them back here to protect them,” Janta said as she sat down across from me. “Besides, some texts contain forbidden or extremely dangerous spells, and they can only be checked out with special permission.”
“That makes sense,” I murmured, scanning the shelves with apprehension and curiosity. What sorts of spells were so dangerous that they had to be kept under lock and key? And would I be able to learn any of them, now that I was betrothed to the Chief Mage? I imagined my new status would afford me some privileges other than riches and comfort. But that was a thought for another time—I was hardly in any position to start learning spells of that caliber.
“Now, what is this personal matter for which you need my assistance?”
“I’m looking into my parentage,” I explained. “Specifically on my father’s side. I’m trying to embrace my heritage as a mage, and I feel I can’t do that unless I know more about that side of my family.”
“I see.” Janta was quiet for a moment. “Have you asked the Chief Mage about this?”
“He’s been very busy,” I evaded. It wouldn’t do me any favors to tell Janta that Iannis didn’t want me to know my father’s name. After all, he was her employer, and she wouldn’t want to do anything to anger him. “Lord Iannis lost a significant amount of time when he went missing, and again when he rescued me from that island, and he’s still got his hands full with the fallout from the failed uprising. I don’t want to trouble him, if I can find the information elsewhere.”
“That’s true. He must be overburdened with duties just now.” Janta’s voice briefly softened in sympathy, then became businesslike again. “Do you have any information that may help narrow our search?”
I thought for a moment. “My mother lived in Solantha before my birth, and did not travel during the time she would have conceived me, as far as I know. It is likely that she met my father right here, but how, and who he was, is a mystery. Hookups between shifters and mages are really rare, even in Rowanville. She would never tell me, and none of her surviving family ever said anything about him.”
“Is there anyone who might remember their affair?” Janta pressed.
“My aunt Mafiela. She and I haven’t had the best relationship, and she would never speak a word of anything to do with my mage heritage. But she and my mother were close, so it is possible Mother confided some detail or clue to her. Perhaps if I asked her to lunch, she might be willing to divulge something now.”
“That would be helpful.” Janta eyed me speculatively. “Your eyes and coloring must come from your father rather than the Jaguar Clan,” she noted. “That may help narrow things down, as there are not very many mage families known for such brilliant green eyes.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed as a memory popped into my head. “I did meet someone in Dara, a mage, who bore an uncanny resemblance to me. His name was Coman ar’Daghir, and, last I knew, he was the Rhodea Mages Guild’s Legal Secretary. He did not act a
s though he knew anything when we met, and he is too young to be my father—I think. But he might be a relative of some kind.”
“That is very helpful indeed,” Janta replied, pulling a notepad from her sleeve. She extracted a pen as well, then wrote the information down. “We have an up-to-date genealogical section. I should be able to trace his family history and connections.”
“That’s great!” Excitement bubbled up inside me, but it quickly faded as I recalled Iannis’s warning about my father. “Is…is there any way my father could pose a problem for my upcoming marriage to the Chief Mage?”
“Most certainly,” Janta said, her eyebrows rising. “Your father could prevent the marriage if he decides he does not want his family allied with Lord Iannis’s.”
“What!” I shouted, then winced as Janta frowned. “Sorry,” I said, lowering my voice. “But how could my father do such a thing? He gave up his right to be my father the moment he walked out of my mother’s life. Surely he has no legal authority over me.”
“I’m afraid that’s not how it works,” Janta said, sympathy in her eyes. “Regardless of whether or not your father raised you, you are of his bloodline. You would not have your magic if that were not the case. That you no longer have a living mother only strengthens his claim, should he choose to exercise it.”
“And just what claim is that?” I asked, doing my damndest to keep my voice even. Janta didn’t deserve my fury—she was just the messenger. “I’m an adult, aren’t I? Why does he get to decide who I do or don’t marry?”
“Well, by shifter standards, you most certainly are an adult,” Janta allowed, a small smile briefly curving her lips. “But mages don’t reach their majority until they are thirty years of age or finish their apprenticeships, whichever comes first. If you were done with your apprenticeship, your father would not have a say, but considering your late start, I doubt that will happen anytime soon. Therefore, your father unfortunately has every right to disallow the match, should he find Lord Iannis an unsuitable candidate for any reason.”
I snorted. “That’s so ridiculous. He’s the Chief Mage. Magorah knows that the majority of Canalo doesn’t think I’m a suitable match for him, but I doubt anybody would claim that he isn’t good enough for me.”
Janta nodded. “That is true. However, I assume you don’t wish to count on your father’s benevolence, considering his track record with you.”
“No,” I admitted, my jaw tightening. “I have no idea what kind of man he is.” For all I knew, he would gloat at the chance to strike at Iannis, should he prove to be some kind of rival or enemy. “I need to find a way around this.”
“I’m not sure there is one,” Janta said gently. “Even if you weren’t years behind in your mastery of Loranian, any shortcuts you might take have severe consequences.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I winced a little—Loranian was the language of magic, used in spell casting, and I was nowhere near mastering it. “What kind of shortcuts are you referring to?” I asked, curious despite myself.
Janta pursed her lips. “They are not worth speaking of.”
“Oh, come on. You can’t just say that and not tell me anything.” When she just stared at me, I gave her my best puppy-dog look. “Please?”
She frowned. “Very well, if only to dissuade you. One such method involves transferring the knowledge and memories of an older mage into your own mind. You would instantly gain mastery of Loranian as well as any spellcraft he knew and practiced.”
“By Magorah!” My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. “You can do that?”
“Yes, but it is hardly recommended.” Janta’s lips thinned. “The procedure has been known to alter a person’s character, and the newly gained knowledge is not always easily assimilated.”
“Yeesh.” I made a face at that—I certainly did not want to take on the personality of some cantankerous old mage. “Why was such a procedure even invented?”
“It was mostly used in wartime, when a master was near death and had not yet imparted all his knowledge to his favored apprentice. But such a scenario has not occurred in quite some time, at least not in the Federation.”
“Really? Even though war recently broke out here in Solantha?”
An uncomfortable expression flitted across Janta’s face. “If it has happened as a result of recent events, I do not know of it.”
I let out a small sigh. “Oh, well. It doesn’t really matter—I don’t think I’d be comfortable trying such a thing, even if I could find a volunteer mage.”
“Agreed.” A thoughtful expression crossed Janta’s face, and she reached into her sleeve again. A moment later, she pulled out a small text bound in light blue cloth. The title Spellcraft for Beginners was embroidered across the front in gold thread. “This is a basic primer a friend of mine had printed for his daughter when she was young. He was a notable Federation mage. Not many copies exist, as unsupervised practice is generally frowned upon. I do hope you’ll be careful when you practice with it.”
“Oh, thank you!” I took the book carefully from her, then opened it. To my delight, it was written primarily in Northian, and the Loranian spells all had a pronunciation guide. “So this has all the basic spells that mage children learn?”
“Nearly,” Janta said. “And I’m sure Lord Iannis will teach you anything that’s missing.”
“Is that trick where you pull large objects out of your sleeve one of those spells?” I asked, staring pointedly at Janta’s sleeve. I’d seen Iannis do the same thing multiple times, and I really wanted to add it to my list of skills. I could carry much more food around, which would be handy because using magic always left me famished.
A knock on the door sounded before Janta could answer, and we turned to see Fenris standing on the other side of the glass.
“Sunaya?” he asked, surprise flickering in his dark eyes as Janta opened the door for him. “What are you doing here?”
I folded my arms and arched a brow. “I could ask you the same question.”
He huffed. “I came here looking for Miss Urama. Lord Iannis asked me to retrieve a book from the restricted section.” He smiled briefly at Janta. “I was told she was already back here, but not that she was with you.”
“Miss Baine wanted to find out more about mage weddings,” Janta said smoothly, saving me from having to lie to Fenris. He was a friend, sure, but he was still more Iannis’s friend than mine, and he probably wouldn’t approve. “I was explaining to her about the legalities involved.”
“Ah.” Fenris’s expression cleared, and he shut the door behind him. “Thankfully, you won’t have to deal with the usual contracts and endless negotiations between mage families, but you will still need to observe the proper protocol expected of any Chief Mage who marries.”
My heart sank a little. “What kind of protocol?” By Magorah, I really did not want this to get any more complicated than it already was.
“A man of Lord Iannis’s position would be expected to invite the other Chief Mages in the Federation to the ceremony,” Fenris explained. “Some couples choose to have the ceremonies held in Dara when the Convention is in session, since the Chief Mages will all be gathered in one place anyway.”
“Ugh.” I made a face. “I’m definitely not a fan of that idea.” I wanted my friends to come to the wedding, and I didn’t know if that would be possible if we held it in the middle of the Convention. Besides, I didn’t want to have to travel across the country to get married—I wanted to do it right here, in my hometown.
“Well, if that’s the case, you’ll need to let the Chief Mage know,” Fenris said. “After all, the invitations must go out at least six months early. To send them later would be an insult.”
I rolled my eyes at that. All these rules! “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Yes,” Fenris said, his lips twitching as he sensed my annoyance. “Since the ceremony is magically binding, it will be conducted in Loranian. So you’ll need to improve significantly.�
� His smile widened when I groaned. “Thankfully for you, Iannis has instructed me to tutor you in Loranian for at least two hours a day,” he added in mindspeak. “So you should be more than prepared.”
“Just great,” I muttered, tucking the primer Janta had given me into my leather jacket. “Thanks so much for your advice, Miss Urama. Please let me know if you have any other helpful information for me.”
“I will,” Janta said, her eyes twinkling knowingly. I strongly suspected that she knew of my desire to keep Fenris in the dark about my true purpose for being in the library, and I made a mental note to send her fancy chocolates or something—the woman was a true godsend.
“I’ll see you later,” I told Fenris as I headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To Witches End,” I called over my shoulder as I left. I had time to kill before my lesson with Iannis, and I wanted to check in with Comenius. Hopefully, he would have news from Annia and Elnos. I hadn’t forgotten my promise to help them ensure Noria’s safety, and it was about time I made strides toward that end.
3
I rode my new steambike down to Witches End, enjoying the freedom of having steampower beneath my legs once more. No, it wasn’t the steambike I’d lost in Turain, the one I’d scraped and saved to own, but it was an engagement gift from Iannis, and it was pretty fucking cool. The machine belched a hell of a lot less smog, making the ride cooler and more pleasant, the seat was made of smooth, custom calf leather, and there were strong protection spells laid into it that would activate if someone tried to attack me.
I’d tested the spell myself by lobbing a fireball at the bike to see what would happen. It had deflected the threat easily, and nearly singed my eyebrows off in the process. I wondered if there was a way to make the bike absorb attacks rather than deflect them, so innocent bystanders weren’t harmed. Perhaps I would ask Iannis during my lesson this afternoon.
