The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3
Page 63
I gazed at Mehara and thought she would tell me whatever she had told Master Lan, but when I saw her cross her arms, I gestured toward her. “Mehara, be a dear and come with me.”
She nodded in understanding and rose from her seat. Master Skye observed us. “I’ll never figure out why ladies like going everywhere together. They always need a friend to go with them and powder their noses, and, apparently, to get dressed.”
I gave him a wry smile and grabbed Mehara’s hand, pulling her along with me up the staircase. When we made it to the room Dani reserved for me, I shut the door and turned to face her. “So what’s going on?”
She crossed her arms again. She looked uncomfortable. “I can tell that your former mind seal has been destroyed. I’ll give you a new seal. A stronger one.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I doubt that’s what you told Master Lan. I know you told him something, mentally.”
“I suppose now that Klaus and Dierk are gone, you’ll want to darken your hair. I’ll get that started for you.” She spoke in her haughty tone which she usually reserved for men. She opened the door and slipped out before I could say anything else to her.
After showering and dressing, I draped a dry towel around me and let Mehara change my hair color with a paste she had gotten from Dani. No wonder the man had lush, dark hair. When we were done, Mehara had me sit at the vanity mirror. I stared at my reflection and wished I had never gone along with the hair cut.
“Ready for the mind seal?” She hovered her hands above my head.
“Go ahead.”
Just like the gypsy Nena had once done, Mehara sent a burst of energy toward me that began weaving a protective mind seal. I felt pressure around my head and in my ears, as if I were under water. I was thankful that Mehara had proper training, because it took her less than five minutes to finish weaving the spell, and the process didn’t feel like a battering ram was hitting me. Any other mentalist who tried probing my mind would have a difficult time getting in.
“To a mentalist, other people’s minds are like an open book.” She stood behind me, brushing my hair.
I rubbed my left temple, feeling the residual headache left by the mind seal. “So how do you keep the book closed?”
“A mind seal is only the first step. Most people make the mistake of trying to force out a mental invasion.”
“Guilty as charged.”
She raised her arm and used the brush to groom her long, dark tresses. “Instead, you should use it to your advantage that the other person is in your mind. It’s like a thief breaking into your home.”
I nodded. “I never thought of it that way.”
“If you control where the mentalist can go in your mind, and how, then you’ll have the upper hand.”
“Then what should I do?”
She began plaiting her hair into a single large braid. “Create a maze and make him go in circles, or direct him on a highway to the most mundane or irrelevant memories. People are so afraid of their thoughts and secrets being exposed that they throw up improper defenses and forget mentalists grow exhausted like any other wizard.”
We both locked gazes in the mirror, and I didn’t have to be a mentalist to figure out the next question I had was one she had asked herself. “Do you think that’s good enough to work against Octavian?”
She flashed an uncertain smile. “Master Priya was a very strong mentalist. He could walk into a room and have each person do or say what he wanted without so much as a word.”
When Octavian and his warlocks attacked the Gray Tower, he had drained and killed one of our Master Mentalists, Leto Priya. I shuddered at the thought of having to face him, especially now that he had acquired such a powerful ability. “Would you think any less of the Drifter if she told you that she’s afraid?”
Mehara shook her head. “We’re all afraid.”
“So...who is that Gregory guy, and did you sense the same thing I did from him?”
She nodded. “He’s a wizard, but...I feel as if he’s had a terrible curse placed on him.”
“His magical aura just screamed broken to me.” The shaggy-haired man had departed last night, but I kept thinking about him. I was grateful he had helped shield Izsak and the boys, but his odd magical aura unsettled me.
“Is that what you told Master Lan about?”
She shook her head. “It was about Allan Skye.”
“He’s okay, isn’t he?”
She opened her mouth, but hesitated. “I...it’s probably not appropriate...”
“Mehara, what’s wrong?”
She frowned. “So you could detect Gregory’s broken aura, but you haven’t picked up anything odd from Allan Skye?”
My eyebrows shot up. “What’s wrong with Master Skye?”
There was a knock at the door. Mehara went over and opened it. “Come in. She’s ready.”
“Ready for the opera, Isabella?” Dani was in his full suit. He gave Mehara a flourishing half-bow and kissed her hand. “And how is my beautiful Moroccan flower today?”
She grinned at me. “I like this man.”
Dani gestured for us to walk with him. “Your Master Wizards are ready to leave for Zagreb. They wanted to say goodbye.”
We accompanied him downstairs and saw the two men standing in the living room. Lan looked a little tired, while Master Skye had a huge smile on his face.
Master Lan presented us with the small black case I saw him carry in. “I wanted to leave this medical kit with you in case you needed it. There are also some medicinal herbs for Dani, since his shoulder is still causing him pain.”
“Thank you,” I said. “So...we’ll probably see you in Zagreb?”
Lan nodded. “We lost five wizards in last night’s raid, four others broke away and we haven’t heard from them. The remaining wizards from our group are at a nearby hotel.” He inclined his head toward Dani. “Thank you, for helping us.”
He pointed at his shoulder. “You helped me as well.”
Skye’s eyes were distant, but he managed a half-smile when he addressed me. “I’ll be going with Lan and the others, but you know I couldn’t leave without saying a proper goodbye.”
“Take care of yourself.” I pulled him into a hug.
He gave me a tight squeeze and then drew back. “Are you really going to stay behind to chase down some old page? You should leave with us today.”
His gaze seemed to say that I should leave with him today. I cleared my throat. “Either way, we’ll all end up at the same destination. Right?”
He nodded. “Then hopefully I’ll see you soon, Isabella. I appreciate everything you did.”
I smiled at him and tried to subtly reach out with my senses to gauge his magical aura. When he furrowed his brows in response to my attempted reading, I retreated like a dog running away with its tail between its legs. The heat of embarrassment crept up my neck and spread through my cheeks.
“Ready to go, Allan?” Lan looked slightly anxious.
Skye glanced down at his weak leg. “Are you sure this will work?”
“As long as I redo it every week or so, you can run on it, jump on it...anything you want. You won’t need a cane.”
Skye jabbed his thumb in Lan’s direction. “This man’s a genius. He constructed a thin-layered cast that melded with my skin. It feels funny, but I’m getting used to it.”
“I’ll hand you your bill when we reach Switzerland,” Lan said with a wry smile.
Skye snorted a laugh. “If you take pennies and beer, then it’s a deal.”
The two Master Wizards said goodbye once more before heading out the door. Mehara gazed at me with an expression that asked me if I had sensed what she did about Master Skye. When I shrugged, she forged a mental connection with me so Dani wouldn’t hear what she wanted to tell me.
He uses nature magic to hide it, but I could smell it...taste it. It’s very subtle, but I swear it’s there.
I grabbed my purse and smiled at Dani as he went to open the front door. Mehara,
he’s tired...maybe still a little ill. He’s just in a rut; he’ll get out of it.
Mehara sighed. I thought the same--at first. However, spending time with him this morning only confirmed my suspicion. I’ve already alerted Master Lan to the potential danger.
I let out a low breath. What are you talking about?
Allan Skye is tainted. I don’t know how, or why, but he’s tainted.
“Ready, ladies?” Dani’s warm voice asked.
I stared at Mehara in astonishment, but I knew deep down that she wasn’t lying or being melodramatic. If that’s what she sensed, then there was a very good chance there was something more to Skye’s mysterious illness. Perhaps that was why he had trouble last night, fighting Klaus and Dierk.
“Isabella? Is something wrong?” Dani’s bright smile faded.
I shook my head. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”
Mehara insisted we drop her off at the tarot parlor so she could say goodbye to the old woman who had been nice enough to let us use the space during our stay. The parlor was down the street from the Hungarian State Opera House, on Andrássy Way. It took just a few minutes to reach the magnificent neo-Renaissance building. Lamps wrought from iron stood along the stone staircase of the main entrance, and when I saw the enshrined sculpture of the composer Franz Liszt above the main door, I wistfully thought of my mother, who used to teach Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody to her piano students. News about what happened to the Gray Tower would’ve reached her by now in the United States, and I wondered if her reaction was one of shock, grief, or the one she usually reserved for me--disappointment. Though our last conversation ended with me accusing her of hating me, and asking me not to return home, I would’ve liked to think she’d at least shed a few tears over me.
“You look as if you are about to cry,” Dani said as we walked into the main hall. He laced his arm with mine and put on a smile for a few associates who waved in his direction.
“I’m...thinking about my family. They haven’t heard from me and probably think I’m dead.”
“I can get a message to them, if you wish. It will be through safe channels, and just to let them know you’re alive.”
I nodded and sniffed. “Thank you.”
We walked up the main staircase and past a throng of well-dressed patrons. I could taste the bronze in the enormous chandelier hanging in the center of the main hall. Dani pointed out a few murals and then escorted me to my box seat on the third tier. The auditorium was dark, but the stage was brightly lit. The ballet performance had already started, with its dramatic music and dancers flowing gracefully across the stage in colorful costumes.
“Don’t underestimate Bela Jakab,” he said, helping me ease into my seat. “I own half the buildings in the business district, on the other side of the river, and I can influence politicians...and even I do not cross him. At least, not openly.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Good luck, Isabella.” He squeezed my hand in a parting gesture and left.
I sat for a few minutes, watching the performance before leaving my seat in search of Jakab. He would most likely be on the same tier Dani took me to, as I was sure his life of crime paid him well. When I didn’t find him, I grew a little anxious and headed out to the foyer. I hesitated when I saw the broken wizard, Gregory, just a few feet away and being approached by security. While I was surprised to see him here, I wasn’t shocked that he was being harassed--his dingy clothes hung loosely on him, and his shaggy gray hair seemed to stick out in four different directions.
“Let him be,” I told the two broad-shouldered men. They looked ready to toss Gregory from the opera house. “I know him.”
At first ,the men looked ready to ignore my request, but then they told me that Gregory wasn’t properly dressed and would have to leave. It sounded like this wasn’t the first time they had to eject someone who “didn’t belong” from the building, and their tone of voice betrayed their frustration. When I assured them that I’d take care of it, they walked off and left him with me.
“Thank you.” Gregory self-consciously ran a hand through his shaggy gray hair. “I...I hope I’m not bothering you, but there’s something I need to talk with you about.”
I frowned and wondered if he had been tracking me. “This isn’t the best time. I’m sorry.”
He clasped his hands. “I apologize...it’s just...”
“It’s not about Cliff and Sadik, is it? Is everything okay?”
“They’re fine. It’s about me.” He reached for my hand and sent a gentle rush of energy swirling up my arm. He wanted me to read him.
Okay, this just went from awkward to creepy. I pulled my hand away and forced his energy down my arm and through the tips of my fingers. It felt like peeling off a glove. “Listen, I appreciate what you did for the boys, but I’m not sure if I can help you.” Did he think I could lift whatever curse had torn at his magical aura? Whatever was broken about Gregory, I didn’t think even the Drifter could fix it.
I tensed when I glanced to my left and saw Jakab’s henchman, Nikolas, smoking a cigarette and staring at me with his beady eyes. I faced Gregory. “I’m sorry. I have to go. Perhaps we’ll talk later.”
I knew Nikolas was still watching us, so I stuffed some money into Gregory’s shirt pocket and gestured toward the exit. Gregory gave a curt nod and went along, though I could tell he was disappointed. I looked in Nikolas’s direction, and his gaze was still locked on me. It was the same way he had stared at me when Jakab last visited Mehara and me at the tarot parlor. Jakab had been irate, to say the least, about his sunken ship. Nikolas had gladly walked in, brandishing his gun and saying that he was ready to “shoot these witches.”
Nikolas stood outside a balcony that had a gold-trimmed red curtain draping halfway across it for semi-privacy. A tall beefy man in a suit and tie stood across from him. The beefy guy’s dark hair was slicked back, and he wore a disinterested expression. I approached the balcony, congratulating myself for not shoving Nikolas aside, though I did glare at him. As I reached for the curtain to pull it back, Nikolas rushed over and blocked me.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Past the curtain,” I said.
“Go down to one of the box seats or stalls.” He waved dismissively.
I turned to the big guy on the left. “Is this a private area?”
He looked up and concentrated a little too hard. “Eh...no.”
“Is there a problem with me going through?” I asked.
“Uhmm...”
Okay, keep working on that answer, big guy.
“Do you know who’s in there?” Nikolas asked.
“Who?”
“Bela Jakab. And he doesn’t like to be disturbed.”
Jakab emerged from behind the curtain, and his gaze fell on me. “Sometimes I make exceptions, Nikolas. Who is this?”
“A girl looking for her escort,” I said, shouldering my way past Nikolas. “He apparently abandoned me here. I thought perhaps he had slipped into one of these balcony areas.”
“Whoever would leave you deserves to be shot and thrown into the Danube River. What is his name?”
“His...name isn’t important. But my name is Eva.”
He tentatively took my hand and shook it. “Pleased to meet you.”
Nikolas cleared his throat. “Mr. Jakab, I was trying to send her away. We don’t know who she is.” He gave Jakab a knowing look.
Jakab hesitated and released my hand. “Forgive me, Eva, but I should get back to watching the performance.”
Nikolas flashed a triumphant smile, but I pressed on. “Of course, Mr. Jakab...” I paused for a moment and thought of what I could say to draw him in. “This is my first time at an opera house, and I love it already. I...believe that it’s important to open ourselves up to new experiences.”
Jakab’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you say a new experience?”
“Yes, when was the last time you opened yourself up to a new experience?”
Nikolas cursed under his breath and conceded defeat, walking back over to his post and eyeing me with contempt.
“My name’s Lukas,” the big guy said.
“Indeed,” I said, smiling at him.
Jakab rolled his eyes at Lukas. He turned his attention back toward me. “Come inside. You can see the performance from here.”
“I’d love to.” I clutched my purse and walked past the red curtain. The auditorium was still dark and now the mood of the music and dancers had grown somber. As I leaned against the railing to watch the performance on stage, Jakab slid next to me and whispered in my ear.
“This is called La Bayadère--the Temple Maiden.”
I continued observing. “She’s choosing death,” I said, as the ballerina playing the bayadère refused what looked like an antidote after being bitten by a snake.
“Her beloved is going to marry another, so she cannot bear life without him.”
“Will he return and save her from poisoning herself?”
He shook his head. “She dies. He marries the other woman, and then the gods take revenge and destroy them all.”
“A little depressing...”
“Life is depressing.” He gazed at me and took my hand. “But not right now. Let’s have dinner.”
My hand slipped from his grasp. “I’m sorry, I have plans.” I turned and walked back out to the foyer. Seduction was a funny thing. People who always got what they wanted couldn’t stand not getting what they wanted. I didn’t have time for a week of dinner dates--I needed to go to his house tonight.
He caught up to me as I was about to descend the staircase. “I hope you don’t have plans with your so-called date who left you here.”
I feigned an embarrassed laugh. “You may think I’m insane for telling you this, but a gypsy woman stopped me on the street and told me that I would meet a man today, with a mark on his face--” I traced the jagged scar running from his forehead to his left eyelid. “Do you believe in that sort of thing?”