Breaking Bard (Guardians of Terath Book 3)

by Zen DiPietro

  Finn crossed the room and stood a good distance behind Azure, watching the same monitors. Luc followed suit and did the same. Which left her alone on the other side of the room, the only person who wouldn’t be able to interpret any of the data.

  Instead, she fine-tuned her mana sense to a needle-sharp focus and concentrated on Kett’s body, waiting to perceive any change in him. His brain, specifically. She couldn’t read medical equipment, but no one could sense mana like she could.

  She waited through four and a half minutes of inactivity, but then she felt a flutter of mana circulating through his body and moving up toward his head. More flutters appeared and they all rushed to the same location, surging through what she assumed was Kett’s blood and collecting in his brain. She felt them pooling there. Though the mana was an infinitesimal amount, it was as tangible to her as one of the beakers on the lab table. She felt it coursing around Kett’s brain and centering in one area. She remembered that spot. It was precisely where she’d burrowed into Meli’s brain to still her, ensuring that the woman would never use mana again.

  The pool had collected in the mana center, but Kett had no ability. The structure in Meli’s brain that had allowed her to hold mana simply didn’t exist in Kett’s.

  Kett sighed and a dopey smile spread across his face. His body had loosened into total relaxation. Clearly, he was feeling pretty good. He continued to smile, lying quietly with his eyes closed.

  “Kett, are you awake?” Azure asked.

  “Mm-hm,” he agreed.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Fantastic. No worries. Wish I felt like this all the time.” He didn’t bother to open his eyes.

  The doctor and the two scientists studied the monitors, while Kassimeigh continued to focus only on the mana in Kett. Once situated in his mana center, it simply sat there, unchanged.

  “Finn, could you move the cerebral scanner into place? I want precise thermal readings on his brain.” Azure didn’t take her eyes off the monitors to make her request.

  Kassimeigh’s attention remained focused on the mana in Kett, but she saw Finn fiddling with the machinery in her peripheral vision. He returned to stand with Azure and they murmured to one another over the readings.

  Their technical jargon meant nothing to Kassimeigh. She had no useful purpose there other than to sense the mana, which continued to do nothing different. But she felt an odd sensation in Kett’s brain, where the mana rested. Like a tiny twitch or a pulse. Like the tissue was doing something.

  “Azure?” she called. “That spot. Something’s happening.”

  “I see it.” Azure hissed out a curse and her hands flew over the bio-bed’s controls. “It’s an aneurysm.”

  Several seconds passed and the doctor gave some terse orders to Finn, then stepped away from the controls and around to face Kett. She put her hands directly on his forehead and closed her eyes. “I can see it forming. It’s starting to swell like a balloon.” She gritted her teeth. “It’s so small . . . ”

  “Kassimeigh, over here! Link with me!” Azure barked.

  In three steps, Kassimeigh had her hands covering Azure’s and merged her mana sense with the doctor’s.

  Kassimeigh saw, with Azure’s help, what needed to be done. On her own, Azure couldn’t get the focus sharp enough. Kassimeigh could sharpen the focus, but she didn’t know what to do with it. Together, with their mana senses merged, they anticipated each other’s intentions. Kassimeigh maintained the sharp focus, creating a laser-sharp scalpel of mana. She yielded the use of it to Azure, who expertly drained the blood filling the vessel in Kett’s brain and transmuted it into the atmosphere. She eased the blood away from the area, then neatly reinforced the weakened wall of the vessel. Kassimeigh was impressed by the doctor’s exacting skill.

  She sensed when Azure had completed her task, but opened her eyes and scanned Azure’s face before stepping back and withdrawing her link. Azure dropped her hands as well, letting out a breath and moving back around to the monitors.

  From Azure’s expression, Kassimeigh judged that the equipment confirmed what she and Azure had both already known.

  Kett let out a loud snore, further confirming it. He was fine, and they had exactly the data they needed. Kett had nearly died for them to get it, but without his crisis they wouldn’t know what they now did.

  When a person lacked the necessary structures to hold mana, the tiny bit of energy within sparkle could cause a fatal aneurysm. Even if someone had used sparkle before with no ill effect. Perhaps repeated use could even increase the likelihood of such an event. That would be up to Azure and Finn to determine.

  Kassimeigh looked to Luc and found him watching her intently. Her eyes met his, and she knew that he understood everything that had happened.

  “We need to talk to Ina.” She didn’t really need to say it, because she was sure he was thinking the same thing. But it broke the silence and put them all back into work mode.

  A week of outward routine and quiet inquiries culminated in Ina’s event. Kassimeigh had outlined her strategy, but she had to leave the real planning to Ina and her staff. Officially, the magistrate was hosting a banquet in Capital as a way to connect with members of the community on a more personal level.

  Such banquets were common for the magistrates. Occasionally two or three would join together to hold one, but more often it was an individual effort. Of course it was only polite for Ina to invite the other magistrates, and at least a couple would probably show up at some point.

  Guests of such an event might be loyal supporters or members of communities that the magistrate wanted to hear from. Anyone might get an invitation, really, so such a banquet was the perfect front for the operation that Kassimeigh wanted to run. She smiled to herself as she, Arc, and Izzy approached the venue. If everything went as planned, she would have the information she needed to rip out the guts of the sparkle operation. If everything did not go as planned, she might end up ripping out some other guts. Either way, the evening looked promising. The itch of defiance ran the length of her spine. She brutally suppressed it, plastering a benign smile on her face.

  Kassimeigh had discussed with Ina and Izzy whether to invite Arc. Though his presence wasn’t truly required it would seem strange‌—‌both to him and to the other attendees‌—‌if he weren’t invited. Magistrates’ families were usually included in such events if they were available. Arc could potentially prove helpful, as well. In the end Kassimeigh decided that she finally had reason enough to bring Arc into the group of people involved with the sparkle investigation. When she’d explained it all to him, she’d found that he’d already figured out a lot of who was working with whom. He just hadn’t been able to determine why.

  He was glad to be part of the team and embraced the endeavor as if he’d been in on it from the beginning. Dressed in a formal suit of light gray, he looked remarkably handsome. Though Kassimeigh kept a careful eye on the posh lobby for new arrivals, her attention repeatedly drifted to Arc. She’d never seen him in formalwear, and the look suited him remarkably well.

  Likewise, he’d rarely seen her in a dress. Unlike the stylishly flamboyant dress she’d worn to the Minstrel Awards, she now wore an elegant off-the-shoulder black gown. She’d pinned her hair away from her face. Izzy wore a marine blue sheath dress that complemented her hair nicely.

  “Don’t we all look very respectable,” teased Arc as they took turns moving through the security checkpoint. Halls designed for events like these provided discreet but top-notch security.

  “We do, so try not to ruin it,” agreed Izzy. She was the last to verify her identity, and a suave usher escorted them to the correct room.

  Kassimeigh smiled as they followed. The banter was just like old times. As they entered, Kassimeigh got a look at the other attendees. She glimpsed Ina, holding a glass in one hand and chatting with a slick-looking man. The set of his shoulders told Kassimeigh that he had a motive.

  She took a moment to find her center, the ca
lm state of reason and rationality that shivs spent their entire existence finding and honing. She’d relied on that hard-won serenity for the majority of her life. It served her well.

  Ina had noticed them coming in the door. She shook the slick-looking man’s hand, then strode in their direction with impeccable dignity.

  “It’s so good to see you three,” she said in a formal voice, meant for others to hear. “I’m pleased you could make it.”

  “We wouldn’t miss it,” Arc returned, and Kassimeigh gave a simple nod of agreement. She wondered how many of these stuffy events Arc had attended in his lifetime. Too many, she felt sure. She had nothing against politics, but aggressive politicking disguised as socializing left her cold.

  “Thank you for inviting us,” Izzy returned, continuing the expected pleasantries.

  It was terribly boring. If she weren’t too well trained to indulge herself, Kassimeigh’s eyes would be scraping across the whole room, seeking out the faces she’d only seen on the comm. She’d done her research and knew exactly what she was looking for.

  But she was well trained. She kept her gaze right where it should be and made the expected smiles and nods to a succession of people who came to meet them. For the purposes of the evening, Kassimeigh had requested that Ina introduce her only as Arc’s date. If someone recognized her and tried to talk shop, she’d simply deflect any questions by insisting that the evening was only about Ina.

  Finally, she received the introductions she was waiting for. Nik Greer and Ainsley Fields didn’t appear to recognize each other, as far as Kassimeigh could tell. She knew Izzy was keeping her empathic attention on those two, and would tell Kassimeigh if she perceived anything noteworthy.

  Greer barely took the time for a perfunctory greeting to Kassimeigh and Arc. He took a little more time with Izzy, shaking her hand and openly admiring her. He promised to find her after the meal. Izzy responded with a broad smile, as if the idea delighted her.

  Ainsley Fields seemed distracted, clutching his hand comm in one fist and exchanging handshakes with the other. Kassimeigh didn’t need Izzy to tell her that the man was nervous. His eyes darted around the room and a slight sheen of perspiration dotted his forehead. He was a nice-looking man for his age, which Kassimeigh knew to be fifty-four. His voice had a deep timbre that she was sure served him well during his lectures at the university. After greeting them, he hurried off into the crowd.

  She remained with Arc as they endured yet more introductions. She had no idea how Ina tolerated this stuff. It took a particular kind of patience to be a magistrate. A kind that Kassimeigh did not naturally feel. She was a person of action. Get things done, move on. She was not someone who suffered hours of superficial socializing well. If this were not Ina’s event and there weren’t goals that Kassimeigh intended to achieve, she’d be tempted to liven things up in some way. She was pretty sure she could come up with something good.

  Izzy slipped away, making her own introductions here and there. Even without looking in the reader’s direction, Kassimeigh knew that Izzy was causing a stir, with her cheeky remarks and teasing eyes. Perfect.

  Another half hour of pointless chitchat and sipping a glass of wine finally culminated in the dinner. At least the wine was worthwhile. It was just the right balance of sweetness and crispness, with a fruity acidity that burst on her tongue.

  The relentless noise of so many voices droning on had already begun to rub at Kassimeigh’s nerves, but she pushed that irritation away. It was not worthy of her attention at the moment.

  She found her name marker at one of the elegantly set round tables and took her seat. Arc had been assigned the chair to her left.

  “Oh, hello, Professor Fields.” She smiled at the man seated to her right.

  Three tables away, she saw Izzy smiling at Nik Greer. He leaned toward her, affording her all of his attention.

  “Hello again.” Fields offered a weak grin. “Please, just call me Ainsley.” He wiped his forehead with a checkered handkerchief, then tucked it back into his jacket pocket. The man did not look comfortable.

  “Lovely room, isn’t it?” She cast a long look around the space. It was just more of the benign small talk expected at events like these, but that did not make the observation less true. This was a place for people who had important guests to entertain. Twenty tables with seven seats each spread over a floor of the best synthetic marble tile that credits could buy. The walls were a stark white which must have been cleaned and repainted frequently to stay so pristine. The severity of the clean whiteness was offset by the abundant large, potted plants, which brought a more natural feel into this sophisticated space. Old-fashioned chandelier-style lights hung from the ceiling, with a multitude of tiny mana-powered bulbs on each.

  The tables themselves were covered with the sleekest synthfabrics, designed both for superior looks and performance. The place settings stretched around the table with exacting precision of each utensil and dish.

  The professor did not look at any of this. He glanced at his hand comm, then gave Kassimeigh another attempt at a smile. “Yes, very nice.”

  She placed her napkin in her lap as the servers came around, delivering large bowls of crisp salad. “I understand you work at Western University?” she asked as she took up her salad fork.

  “Yes. I do.”

  “What do you teach?”

  “Literature.”

  She paused with her fork in midair, as if struck by a thought. “I have a friend who went there for literature. Maybe you know him. Kett Silver? In fact, I thought he was supposed to‌—‌” She broke off as a late guest approached. The right one, fortunately.

  “And here he is,” she said with a light laugh.

  Kett quickly took his seat to the right of the professor. “Excuse me for being late,” he told the table. “I missed my monorail by about ten seconds and had to wait for the next. Good to see you here, Ainsley. Kassimeigh.”

  She nodded to him and casually took a bite of her salad.

  The professor smiled at Kett in obvious relief. “I didn’t know you were coming to this.”

  Kett leaned toward the professor and said in a low voice, “Not my usual kind of thing, but I figured it could be interesting. Why are you here? It’s really not your kind of thing either.”

  Fields took a long drink of his wine. “It isn’t. But it was suggested to me that this could be a good opportunity to meet people who might be interested in donating to the university’s literature program.”

  Kett nodded. Though she’d never studied at university, Kassimeigh knew that disciplines outside of science received far weaker funding. Perhaps that was unfair, or perhaps it was only practical. Either way, it was how universities operated.

  Kett and Fields chatted, and though Kassimeigh engaged in polite conversation with Arc and the others at their table, she remained focused on Fields. He relaxed a great deal after Kett’s arrival. His suspiciously nervous behavior seemed to be a simple case of social anxiety. Within a few minutes, the professor had relaxed enough to join the rest of the table in idle chatter.

  Near the end of the meal, Ina made a lovely speech about how pleased she was to see everyone, both new acquaintances and old. She made the expected assurances of how hard the Council worked and how much they cared about being in touch with the people and representing them fairly. Somehow, she made it all sound genuine and heartfelt.

  After the superb dinner, people drifted away from their tables and walked around introducing themselves to new people or chatting with ones they already knew. Unlike other types of parties, magisterial dinners did not usually include dancing. That left Kassimeigh free to circle back around to Fields while Kett chatted with a middle-aged woman and Arc told some jokes to a man who seemed to appreciate them.

  “Are you having a nice time?” she asked Fields.

  “It’s better now.” He leaned against a wall, looking at the group of people on the other side of the room.

  “You seemed tense, ea
rly on.”

  “I get nervous when I’m in a large group of strangers.”

  She nodded.

  “You said you know Kett?” the professor asked.

  “Yes. He’s a good guy.”

  “He really is. I don’t usually make friends with former students, but as you said, he’s a good guy. Are you in literature, as well?”

  “No. I’m a justice.” She sipped her wine.

  He froze, seeming unsure whether she was joking or serious.

  “Really,” she said with a smile.

  “Oh. I, uh . . . ” His nervousness had returned.

  She smiled disarmingly. “Relax. Unless you have something to feel guilty about.” She chuckled lightly again, indicating a joke.

  He smiled, but took a step back. She caught Kett’s eye. He finished his conversation and joined them.

  “The professor is nervous about me being a justice,” she told Kett in a low voice. No one else was close enough to overhear, but a shiv could never be too careful.

  “Well, I can vouch for that. Don’t worry, Ainsley,” Kett reassured the older man. “Kassimeigh is looking into an issue, but I’ve told her that you wouldn’t knowingly do anything wrong.”

  The professor paled. Kassimeigh glanced around the room, ensuring they weren’t drawing any attention. It wasn’t ideal to have this particular conversation out in the open, but if it went the way she expected it to, it would be both convenient and expedient.

  She leaned in closer, turning her back to the room. “I’ll get straight to the point. You gave Kett a substance called sparkle. Correct?”

  He nodded.

  “Did you buy it?”

  “No.” His voice was soft, but decisive.

  “Who gave it to you?”

  Fields’ eyes met hers, then slid off, moving back and forth over the room until they stopped and stared at one spot. “Him.”

  Kassimeigh half turned, following his gaze. Across the room, she saw Nik Greer’s back as he leaned into Izzy’s personal space, apparently saying something for her ears only.