Betrayed by Magic: A New Adult Fantasy novel (The Baine Chronicles Book 5)

by Jasmine Walt

  Janta smiled a little, amused at my enthusiasm. “For some reason, the relevant page was missing, but, fortunately, we keep a duplicate that was still intact. A mage by the name of Haman ar’Rhea filled out the form about a year before your birth. He came from Castalis to Solantha to study for some months with Jonias Ballos, an eccentric old mage who is well known for his mastery of divination and binding magic. According to the form, Haman ar’Rhea lived in Ballos’s house the entire time. That would have been the only way to learn from him, because Ballos has not left his home in several decades.” Her nose twitched again. “He seems to be something of a hermit.”

  “Well, I guess Haman probably didn’t stay in Ballos’s house the whole time,” I said dryly, “or he never would have met my mother.”

  “No, I imagine not,” Janta agreed with a sigh. She pushed her spectacles up her nose, then flipped over several notes of research until she came upon a photograph of a man who resembled Coman. He had thick, curling dark hair that brushed his broad shoulders, and his handsome, aristocratic features shared the shape of my eyes and my full mouth. He wore some kind of ceremonial robe with a thick chain across his chest, and looked as though everything he surveyed belonged to him. Smug bastard. So this was supposed to be my father? I wanted to deny it, but the resemblance was unmistakable.

  Janta did not notice my reaction. “Ballos cannot have been very stimulating company for a comparatively young mage, used to exclusive parties and entertainments. And perhaps Haman enjoyed the anonymity of a foreign place where nobody knew his ancestry, where he thought he could let his hair down safely.”

  Yeah, I could imagine that.

  “I surmise that your father visited Rowanville during his stay here, as many tourists do. The experience must have been especially exotic for him, as there are no shifters in Castalis.”

  That shocked me. “What—none at all?”

  “There never were all that many, and one of Haman’s ancestors, the High Mage of that time, drove them from the country about two hundred years ago. They were given one week to leave, taking only what they could carry. It is in all the Castalian history books.”

  “No wonder none wanted to go back,” I muttered. Already, I hated the whole fucking ar’Rhea family.

  “It is said the edict was issued in anger at an affair of his daughter with a shifter. The daughter was also exiled.”

  My cheeks burned hot with anger, and it was all I could to do hold my tongue. Somehow, this knowledge made Haman’s affair with my mother even worse.

  “Be that as it may,” Janta said briskly, after clearing her throat, “Haman must have run into your mother somehow, then engaged in an affair. There is no way to prettify it—his actions were most reprehensible.”

  “Affairs between consenting adults are common enough,” I admitted reluctantly. I was definitely not entitled to cast the first stone there, and my mother had been older than Haman. But the fact that he’d abandoned me, his child…

  “Yes, but what makes it so dishonorable,” Janta lowered her voice, “is not the affair as such, but that he was engaged at the time.”

  “What?” I leaned forward, gripping the arms of my chair tightly. I’d known it was highly likely that my father had a family of his own by now, but the idea that he’d dallied with my mother when he’d been promised to another stung. “He had a fiancée?”

  “Indeed,” Janta confirmed, disapproval clear in her voice. “As you are aware, betrothals between mages are an extremely serious matter, and even more so in his case. His bride, and current wife, was the daughter of the former High Mage of Castalis. For the last ten years, Haman himself has held that office. Those two families have more or less monopolized the power in Castalis for several centuries.”

  I snorted—I could easily see how the other mages in Castalis chafed under that cozy arrangement, not to speak of the humans.

  “I can only imagine your mother must have been very alluring to Haman,” Janta went on, “because jeopardizing his future marriage and career through an affair with a shifter was an extremely foolhardy move. He must have taken great pains to hide his relationship with her, so that neither his own family nor his betrothed’s would ever find out.”

  “I guess that explains why my clan never knew who he was,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely certain that Mafiela didn’t know my father’s identity. She and my mother had been very close. “So he returned home and married the woman he was engaged to?”

  “Yes, Lady Aria Ragir,” Janta confirmed. “They married the year you were born, and have three children now.” She pulled an article from a celebrity Northia magazine in Dara and pushed it across the table to me. “Here is a picture of them.”

  I looked down at the well-dressed family, standing on the front steps of the Capitol Building with Zavian Graning, the Federation Minister. My father’s wife was a stunning woman with almond-shaped eyes and dark skin, who must have had Sandian ancestry somewhere, and their children shared a healthy mixture of both their traits. Two daughters and a son. I couldn’t tell their eye color from the black-and-white photo, of course, but the lightness of their irises suggested they had green eyes, just like mine. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea that I had half-siblings running around, halfway across the world somewhere.

  “What would happen if the truth of my parentage came out?” I asked, pushing the article back to Janta. “If some journalist discovered that Haman ar’Rhea is my father? Would it be a big deal?”

  “Well, as I said, Haman is the High Mage of Castalis—the equivalent of a Chief Mage, except that Castalis is one country and not split up into different states like the Federation. That means he technically outranks Lord Iannis, though Canalo is just as big. He wasn’t the High Mage when he was here in Solantha, as his father-in-law had not stepped down from the position, but he was being groomed for the job. It would have been a terrible scandal if it had come out he had an illegitimate daughter with a shifter. His brother, Daram, would have almost certainly gotten the position instead of him, and he would not have been married to his lovely and extremely wealthy bride.”

  “That makes sense,” I reluctantly conceded even as resentment bubbled inside me. I could understand my father’s decision, though that didn’t change the fact that he was a selfish bastard. He should have fucking kept his dick in his pants if he didn’t want to face the consequences.

  But if he’d done that, then you wouldn’t exist, a voice whispered in my head.

  “So now that he’s all happily married and has been the High Mage for over a decade, would you say that it’s no longer a big deal if the world found out I was his daughter?” I wondered aloud. I needed to pin this down for sure, because I wanted to be absolutely certain that my father wasn’t going to decide to come out of the woodwork and claim me before I married Iannis. He could do whatever the hell he wanted after that, but for now, I wanted him as far away from my life as possible.

  “Oh no, I wouldn’t say that at all,” Janta said, her silver eyebrows winging up. “As I mentioned, the ar’Rhea family prides itself very much on the purity of their lineage. If it were found out that you were his daughter, it might not only ruin his social and political status, but also that of his children. The loss of reputation, the lack of integrity and judgment he demonstrated, would taint the entire family. Lady Aria herself would be humiliated and furious beyond belief, her family eager to avenge her. No,” Janta concluded, shaking her head, “I don’t believe your father would risk claiming you, if he even knows of your existence. He does live across the ocean, after all.”

  “True,” I agreed. “I’m glad he lives so far away—we’ll probably never run into each other.” There was little chance of the two of us meeting so long as he stayed away from the Federation and I stayed away from Castalis. I put that country on my list of places to never visit, which was a shame because I’d heard it was very beautiful there.

  “That does not mean there is no cause for concern at all,” Janta warned. “
Of course I will not tell anyone about your heritage, but as technology continues to expand, we have exposed ourselves to more eyes around the world. It is entirely possible that someone may see your face in the paper and notice your strong resemblance to Haman. You should be aware of that, and perhaps try to minimize the number of photos taken by the press until after you are married.”

  “All right,” I said, though I had no idea how I was going to do that. Sure, I could refuse to take photos at interviews, but there would be celebrity photographers lying in wait on the streets, hoping to snag a shot of me.

  “I’m afraid that is all I have for you,” Janta said, closing the file. “I daresay you will want to discuss it with Lord Iannis, who may know more of the ar’Rhea family. Would you like to take this with you, or shall I keep it?”

  I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the file. “No,” I decided, pulling my hand away. “You keep it. That information is probably way safer under lock and key here, than it is in my rooms.” I stood, then inclined my head to her. “Thank you very much for your assistance, Janta. Once again, you have proven to be an invaluable ally.”

  “You’re welcome, Sunaya,” Janta said, a twinkle in her pale blue eyes. “I could say the same about you, considering the success of your recent mission. Do let me know if you need anything else.”

  I left the library, wondering if maybe I should just set fire to every single camera that was pointed in my direction. Sure, that seemed a little extreme, but my relationship with Iannis was worth any price. Guess I’d have to ask him about it during our lesson and see if he had a better solution.

  27

  “So where exactly are we going again?” Rylan asked in my head as we raced through the Mages Quarter on my steambike. “And why couldn’t we have grabbed some food first?”

  I rolled my eyes, even though nobody would be able to see them behind my bike helmet. “I already told you—we’re going to Jonias Ballos’s house to see if he can tell me more about my father.”

  “I would have thought you’d want to draw as little attention to your relationship with your father as possible, after what Janta told you,” Rylan said, tightening his grip around my waist as I whipped around a corner faster than strictly necessary. I could feel the disapproving glares of the residential mages on my back, and I grinned a little. I knew they hated the sight of my rebellious steambike racing through their genteel streets, and I made a point of doing it as often as possible to let them know I wasn’t going anywhere, and they were just going to have to deal.

  “That’s true, but since Ballos is a hermit, he isn’t going to run around and tell everyone. And since Iannis cancelled our lesson, I don’t have anything better to do.” Some dignitary had unexpectedly popped in for a visit, leaving me with a bit of free time. Rylan and I could have sparred or something, but my need to learn more about my father had been gnawing away at my thoughts until I could think of nothing else. Better to get this over with now, so I could move on to more important things.

  “I hope this doesn’t backfire on you somehow,” Rylan said, uncharacteristically serious. “After all that you’ve been through, I just want you to be safe.”

  “I know.” My heart warmed, and I found myself once more grateful for the fact that I had a family member who loved me. “I just think you might be being a little optimistic, considering my track record.”

  Rylan laughed. “I guess you’re right.”

  We arrived at Jonias’s house in short order. It was on the outskirts of the Mages Quarter, close to Maintown, and sat on an acre of land that looked like it was in serious need of a gardener. The grass was several feet high and had swallowed up the footpath leading from the gate to the house. Ivy grew up the walls with reckless abandon. The house itself was large and stately looking beneath said ivy, though the pale yellow siding was chipped in places, and many of the white roof tiles were cracked. The wrought-iron gate that surrounded the place was showing signs of rust, and made a loud screeching noise as I pulled it open.

  “Nice digs,” Rylan remarked as we waded through the grass. He sneezed as the scent of magic grew stronger. “If not for my nose, I wouldn’t have guessed this was a mage’s residence.”

  “I told you he was a hermit,” I said, shrugging. I didn’t understand why Ballos’s house looked like crap either. I mean, yeah, maybe he didn’t go outside much, but surely he had the funds to hire a gardener and repaint the walls every once in a while. Or did he just not care?

  I grabbed the heavy brass doorknocker and pounded on the door once, twice, three times. My nose caught the faint, but fairly recent, whiff of an elderly human male, so I assumed there was at least one servant around to answer the door. When no one came, I knocked again.

  Eventually, I heard the shuffle of footsteps in the hall, and the scent of elderly human grew stronger. The locks disengaged, and the front door slowly opened to reveal a skinny, white-haired man with rheumy eyes, dressed in an ancient-looking black suit.

  “Good evening,” he said in a warbling old-man voice, and I suppose it was, since it was nearing five o’clock now. “How can I help you?”

  “I’m from the Enforcer’s Guild, here to speak with Mr. Jonias Ballos.” I held up my bracelet as proof. “Is he in residence?”

  “Yes,” the old man said, squinting as he eyed us up and down. “Though I don’t think he’ll see you.”

  “Tell him I just need to ask him a few questions.” I held up my bracelet, and he leaned in closer so he could peer at it. “My bodyguard and I won’t take up too much of his time.”

  “An enforcer with a bodyguard, eh?” he said, shaking his head. “My, how times change. I will go and see if he will speak with you. Please wait here.”

  To my annoyance, he closed the door on us instead of letting us in to wait in the hall. Sighing, I tapped my foot as I looked around, wondering where the strong magic smell was coming from. Did Ballos keep a lot of magical artifacts in the house? Or was there some kind of spell set upon the grounds? I wondered if there was a spell that would magically keep a garden trimmed. If so, this guy seriously needed to learn it.

  Nearly ten minutes went by, and I was about to explode in frustration when at last I heard the butler’s footsteps shuffle back down the hall. Was he only capable of walking at a snail’s pace?

  “I’m sorry, but Master Ballos is in the middle of an important research project and cannot be disturbed,” the butler said. “You may feel free to call another time when he might be more available.”

  “I’m here by order of the Chief Mage of Solantha,” I said through gritted teeth, even though that wasn’t strictly true. If I had to suffer through this yearlong engagement, I was at least going to throw around the Chief Mage’s title every once in a while. “He will be very displeased if he has to come down here himself.”

  The old man hesitated. “I will relay this information,” he said reluctantly, moving back inside again. “Please, wait here—”

  “Oh, hell no,” I growled, planting my foot on the threshold. I wasn’t going to wait another ten minutes to get another bullshit answer! “I’ll just come with you—”

  A loud buzzing noise sounded as the air super-heated around me, raising the hairs on my arms as a ward activated around the perimeter of the house. Before I could get clear of the threshold, an unseen force threw me back, and I went flying. I grunted as I hit the ground, hard, the overgrown grass cushioning my fall somewhat.

  “Oh, dear,” the butler said as Rylan hurried over to help me up. “Master Ballos has set a spell on the house that bars access to all individuals he has not given express permission to enter. You cannot get inside.”

  “A little warning would have been nice!” I shouted, accepting Rylan’s offer of a hand up. I dusted off my leather pants and straightened my jacket, then approached the man again. “If not for your overgrown lawn, I might have broken something!”

  “I do apologize,” the old man said, bowing stiffly. “I’m afraid I am not as young as I used to
be, and we are terribly understaffed here. Please wait just a little longer, and I will get the Master for you.”

  “Thanks,” I said, softening my tone a little. The butler disappeared back inside, and as I listened to him shuffle off, I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for him. Was he seriously the only servant here? If so, no wonder the place was in such disrepair. What was Ballos thinking, leaving it up to one elderly man to take care of this big house? I wondered why the old butler hadn’t simply retired at this point. Maybe he needed the money, or felt some sort of loyalty for the mage who’d employed him all these years.

  Eventually, the butler came back again. This time, he seemed more relaxed. “Master Ballos will see you,” he said, opening the door wider. “Please, come in.”

  I stepped over the threshold cautiously, waiting for the ward to kick in. But, thankfully, it didn’t, and Rylan and I passed into the foyer unscathed. The butler led us down a hall, and we passed through rooms of expensive, but dusty furniture and rugs. My nose twitched as I fought against the desire to sneeze, and Rylan looked like he was pretty uncomfortable too. I didn’t smell a single other person in this place aside from the butler, and another male scent that I imagined belonged to Ballos.

  “Master Ballos,” the butler said, knocking on the door we stopped at. “Your visitors are here.”

  “Very well,” a gruff voice barked. “Let them in.”

  The butler opened the door into a large study filled with bookshelves and several desks piled high with leather-bound notebooks, stacks of paper, and what looked to be manuscripts. The place seemed to be in some kind of organized chaos, with Ballos at his desk in the center of the storm, bent over a long piece of aged parchment as he peered at it, muttering to himself. He was as unkempt as the rest of the house, dressed in a pair of faded brown robes. His grey hair and beard were in urgent need of a brush—no way would a comb get through that tangled mess. A pair of horn-rimmed glasses perched on his hooked nose, and though he had the appearance of a madman, the dark eyes behind those glasses were sharp and brimming with intelligence as he immersed himself in whatever magical research he was conducting.