“I don’t know how.” But Mari tried, pretending she could see the thread, thinking feverishly of Alain.
“I…sense something,” Asha said. She pivoted slowly, pointing into the city. “That way. It…feels like Mage Alain.”
Colonel Faron pointed in another direction. “The Mage Guild Hall in Julesport lies that way.”
“That is well,” Mage Dav said. “Any attempt to assault a Mage Guild Hall by those of us here would be futile. But if Mage Alain is held elsewhere, there is a chance.”
Faron pointed again, this time in a different direction. “That’s about where the Mechanics Guild Hall is. So he’s not there, either.”
“Let’s go,” Mari said. “Now.” She grabbed the Mechanics jacket that Alli offered, shrugging into it and then taking an offered rifle.
“Lady—” Colonel Faron began, alarmed.
Mari spun to face him. “I know. I also know that there’s likely to be some kind of fight when we find Alain. And a fight could spark the sort of unrest in this city that none of us want. But if the people of Julesport see that it is Mechanics and Mages involved, they won’t think it has anything to do with them.”
“Lady, if they see Mechanics and Mages working together they will know that only one person could be responsible!”
“Then…that should calm them, too, right?” Mari didn’t wait for an answer. “Who’s coming?” she asked the others.
Mechanics Alli, Bev, and Dav were already carrying rifles. Mage Asha and Mage Dav stood by the railing, clearly waiting to leave.
“Thank you,” Mari said. She spun toward the side of the ship, pausing as she finally noticed the captain of the Gray Lady standing not far away. “Get all the supplies you need aboard and do it as fast as you can. We may be leaving very quickly when we return.”
The captain nodded, as if hasty departures from port were routine for his ship. Then he spoke reluctantly. “There’s the matter of funds—”
“No, there isn’t!” Mari snapped. “It’s taken care of. Any supplies you need that haven’t shown up already should be here soon.”
With a resigned look, Colonel Faron led the way back down the ladder. The launch was slightly overloaded with everyone aboard, but made it to the quay without incident. “How could they have surprised Alain?” Bev asked. “He’s pretty sharp.”
“Concealment spells,” Mari said. “Mages can make themselves invisible to everyone.”
“Except other Mages,” Mage Dav advised. “We can see a Mage using such a spell. Not as the person they are, but as a pillar of light being reflected from the Mage. Mage Alain should have sensed another Mage using such a spell near him.”
“Maybe he got knocked out,” Mechanic Dav said, “before the guards were killed.”
“That would require one of the guards to have betrayed us,” Colonel Faron said, his mouth a thin, angry line. “But it is the best explanation we have at this time.”
As she pulled herself quickly up the ladder and stood on the quay again, Mari remembered something and gazed out across the harbor. “Has there been any extra smoke from that stack, Alli?”
“Not yet. The Senior Mechanics must still be oblivious.”
Colonel Faron was issuing orders to some of the cavalry, who dashed off in a rattle of hooves. “Some of the other shipping in the harbor is about to reposition,” he said. “The other ships will block the movement of that Mechanic ship if it tries to get underway.”
“Won’t that cause the Mechanics Guild to target you?” Mari asked as they walked quickly toward land.
Faron looked regretful. “For what? We’re just dumb, foolish commons who can’t do anything right.”
They paused at the place where the quay joined land, nearly a full troop of cavalry jostling nearby, the tips of their lances flashing red from the rays of the setting sun.
Mage Asha stopped and looked around. “I must focus,” she told Mari, the Mage voice sounding so strange in its lack of feeling. “We must walk.”
“Fine,” Mari said. “Let’s walk.”
Asha started off a fast pace that startled Mari. She caught up and tried to match Mage Asha, but after two weeks of idleness on the ship Mari found herself straining to keep up. For her part, Mage Asha walked without any sign of exertion.
Alli caught up as well. “She’s in really good shape,” Alli puffed.
“All Mages are like that,” Mari said, most of her attention focused on thinking of Alain. “Their training as acolytes is extremely physically punishing.”
“Keep your thoughts centered on Mage Alain,” Asha told Mari.
“I am!”
They were walking up a broad avenue leading into the city, a detachment of cavalry riding a little ways ahead and contriving to clear the road without revealing who they were clearing it for. Citizens of Julesport were pausing to look, puzzled by the sight of Mechanics jackets and Mage robes together. Mari tried to block out awareness of the growing buzz of conversation, keeping her mind centered on Alain.
The sun set off to the west, plunging the city streets into gloom that was partially dispelled as lamplighters began their work.
Asha came to a stop, then turned herself slowly, as if, Mari thought, she was an antenna trying to pick up a faint signal. She pointed to the right. “They are trying to block his presence, but he lies this way.” She turned abruptly onto a side street, leaving the cavalry racing to get ahead again. The small group of Mechanics and Mages moved through the crowds of common folk who would have made way for members of the Great Guilds anyway but were particularly eager to avoid the grim-faced Mechanics carrying rifles as well as the impassive menace of the Mages walking with them.
As Mari checked her rifle again, she heard amidst the crowds the words she had been fearing to hear.
“…daughter…”
“…must be…”
“…it’s true…”
But then Asha turned quickly once more. The street they were on now was much narrower, barely wide enough for two carts to pass each other. People were lined up along the sides, staring at Mari’s group, further reducing the space available.
“The elders at the Mage Guild Hall will hear of this,” Mage Dav said.
“The Senior Mechanics will, too,” Mechanic Bev added.
Mari just nodded, keeping her focus tightly on thoughts of Alain.
“If I know my Senior Mechanics,” Alli said, “they’ll hold a meeting to decide what to do, and then likely call to Guild Headquarters in Palandur for guidance before acting. That should give us a few hours.”
Asha came to a sudden halt before a three-story structure that stood slightly apart from a similar building on one side, a narrow alley separating them. A vacant lot with only an old foundation overgrown with weeds was on the other side.
Colonel Faron rode up next to Mari. “It’s a former hotel. Now a place of ill-repute. You! Over here!”
The police officer summoned by Faron came running over, holding his helmet on with one hand and a hardwood club in the other. Like most police, he wore only a lacquered leather chest plate as armor over his uniform. “Yes, sir?”
“What can you tell me of this place?”
“We make arrests outside of it nearly every night but haven’t been able to prove anything against the owner.”
“The owner is paying off the police,” Mage Dav said, the coldly emotionless voice of a Mage even more intimidating than usual. “This shadow reveals it.”
“I…I…” Terrified to be the focus of a Mage’s attention, the police officer backed away.
Faron looked at Mari. “There are laws in Julesport. We would need a warrant to get that door open.”
“I don’t need a warrant,” Mari said. “I’ve got Mechanic Alli.”
“But—”
“You don’t see me, right? Aren’t those your orders?”
Colonel Faron paused, then smiled. “And I must follow my orders.”
“Alli, we need a door down,” Mari said, looking a
“Right here,” Alli announced, sounding cheerful. She had a small lump of something in one hand and was poking what looked like a large stick into it. “Stand back.”
Everyone pushed away from the door as Alli pressed the explosives against the lock, did something to the fuse, and then ran back to rejoin the others. “How did you know I’d have some explosives with me?” she asked Mari.
“Seriously?” Mari said. “Mage Asha, are you sure that Mage Alain is inside there?”
Asha nodded.
“Four, three, two…” Alli counted down.
The explosion wasn’t large, but it was enough to leave the heavy door sagging on its hinges. Mechanics Dav and Bev hit the door with their shoulders, knocking it open. Mari found herself pushed aside by Mages Dav and Asha as they followed the Mechanics, long knives out.
She rushed after them to find a tall, thin man standing in the center of the room, his mouth agape. “How— How dare you!”
Asha was turning, her gaze sweeping the room. She stopped, eyes intent, then stepped forward, her long knife swinging in a fast, vicious arc. It rebounded from something unseen with a clang of metal on metal, but Asha whipped her knife around in a reverse circle that ended when the knife stopped in mid-air.
A man appeared, his mouth open as he grunted with pain from a deep cut in his side. A knife fell from his own hand as he staggered back.
Mage Asha pulled back her knife for another slash, but before she could strike again Mechanic Dav stepped forward and swung his rifle butt against the man’s head.
“This is no Dark Mage,” Mage Dav said as the injured man collapsed. “It is Mage Niaro. But there is another here.”
Both Mages swung to face another corner of the room. “Another hides there.”
Bev took two steps, leveling her rifle at the apparently vacant corner. “Should I just kill him?”
An older man appeared where nothing had been, his face a strange mix of Mage impassivity and terror, dropping to his knees with hands upheld in supplication. “No! I will not resist! I have money! You can have it all!”
“See if you can buy off Colonel Faron after you killed his soldiers!” Mari snarled. “Asha! Where is Alain?”
Asha swung slowly again, then pointed up a flight of stairs on one side of the room. Mari took the stairs two at a time until she reached the top and a locked door there.
She swung the butt of the rifle against the lock with all of her strength, shattering the wood around it. The door slammed open, Mari dashing inside so fast she barely stayed clear of it.
The sparsely furnished room was dominated by a bed. Mari faltered for a moment as she saw Alain lying on it face up, apparently unrestrained and wearing almost nothing. Standing next to him was a woman much older than Mari, who had obviously been startled in the act of undressing Alain. “Get away from my husband, you witch!” Mari yelled, her mind flaring red with rage at the unexpected scene.
“Dark Mage!” Asha warned as she entered after Mari, but Mari didn’t hesitate, rushing forward and slamming the barrel of her rifle against the Dark Mage’s head.
The force of the blow hurled the Dark Mage against the wall, where she fell to lie unconscious. Mari, all of her fears and angers of this day concentrated on the Dark Mage before her, brought her rifle up and centered it on the woman.
A strong hand grasped the barrel and pushed it to one side, holding it there while Mari tried to bring the weapon to bear again. “Alli! Let go!”
Alli shook her head, maintaining her grip. “Mari. You don’t want to do this.”
“Yes, I do! Let go!” Mari struggled, but couldn’t shake Alli’s hold.
“Mari,” Alli said in a voice strong enough to penetrate through Mari’s anger. “Remember what you said to me? About how you were afraid you’d change? That you would become someone else because of everything that was happening?”
Mari stopped struggling, gazing back at Alli. “Yes,” she panted, suddenly short of breath.
“Would Mari shoot a helpless woman? Even a Dark Mage? You put a bullet in her and you’ll feel good for maybe five seconds. Then you’ll hate yourself for the rest of your life.”
Mari stared at her friend, took a deep breath, then stepped back as Alli finally let go of the barrel of the rifle. “Thank you.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Alli said. “I’ll take care of—”
“Let me,” Mage Asha said. She walked over to the unconscious Dark Mage, who was lying against the outer wall. Asha tensed as she cast a spell, and a section of that wall disappeared, leaving an opening about the size of a person. Asha placed one foot on the Dark Mage and pushed, rolling her out of the opening.
Mari heard the thud of the Dark Mage hitting the ground as the opening vanished, leaving a once-again solid wall in its wake.
“That’s gonna hurt,” Alli said with a grin.
“Mage Alain is my friend,” Asha said.
“Are you guys all right up there?” Bev called from below.
“We’re fine,” Mari yelled back, then raced to the bed to look at Alain. His hands were tied but he wasn’t fighting the bonds, instead lying limply, his eyes partially open.
Alli leaned close. “Drugged?”
Asha nodded. “It is one of the weapons of dark Mages. They sought to discredit and humiliate Mage Alain, altering his mind by physical abuse so that he would become feeble and irrational. They must have been hired by the Mage Guild here to strike at him. It is not enough that Mage Alain die. The elders want him shown to be a weak Mage before then.”
“Let’s get him dressed and get out of here,” Mari said, grabbing Alain’s shirt from where it lay beside the bed.
Alli grunted with frustration as she tried to help. “I can’t get his arm through this sleeve. He’s got his fist clenched and I can’t budge it.”
“Why would his fist—?” Mari looked. “It’s his left hand.” She felt tears starting. “Even when drugged he clenched his fist to keep them from taking his promise ring!” Her voice broke on the last two words.
Alli rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Even when one of you is unconscious, you two are still nauseating.”
“It’s love, Alli!”
“I know what love is. I just think you two go a little overboard on the whole thing.”
“Jealous,” Mari said, her heart still pounding from recent events. “We’ll just get Alain into his robes. That shouldn’t be too hard.” She realized that it should have felt weird to have two other women helping her to dress her husband, but at the moment Asha and Alli felt a lot more like sisters.
Once his robes were on, the three women hoisted Alain and began carrying him out of the room. “Wow,” Alli commented, looking at Asha as they headed for the stairs. “You’ve got some muscle hidden under those robes.”
“All Mages prepare for any physical demands,” Asha said, impassive even while helping to maneuver Alain’s limp body down the stairs. “All physical effort must be as nothing.”
They paused to adjust the load at the bottom of the stairs, Asha maneuvering Alain’s head so that his eyes were pointed toward the Mage who had been injured. “Mage Niaro, working with Dark Mages. You see, Alain,” she told him even though he showed no sign of being aware. “That is how the Mages found you in this city.”
Mari stared at the fallen Mage, whose blood was forming a widening pool. “Shouldn’t we help him? He’ll die.”
“He is nothing,” Asha said.
“No. Nobody is nothing. Not even this Niaro.”
Bev knelt down, looking over Niaro. “Well, this guy is nothing now. He just died. Hey, Dav, help me drag him out of here.”
Together the two Mechanics pulled Niaro’s body through the door as the others got Alain out as well. Bev laid out Niaro straight, his arms folded across his chest, as if he were anyone else who had died and needed to be laid out properly. She dug in one pocket and pulled out a coin, placing it on Niaro’s chest in the old ritual.
“Why are you doing that for him?” Mechanic Dav asked.
“I’m doing it for me,” Bev said. “So that I know I’m not like he was.”
Mari saw that the Dark Mage who had surrendered was standing blank-faced, his arms bound, amidst Colonel Faron’s soldiers. Some other soldiers were busy binding up the woman Mari had knocked unconscious.
The owner of the building followed them out, shouting angrily. “You will pay! This was illegal!”
“Hold on a second,” Bev said. She brought her rifle to her shoulder, causing the owner to stagger back and cover his head, but her shot went into the building and resulting in a tinkle of breaking glass. “Darn. My weapon went off and hit that oil lamp.”
“Did you do that for you, too?” Mechanic Dav asked.
“Nah. I did that for Mari.”
Firelight was already flickering within the doorway as Colonel Faron turned to a detachment of police officers who had just arrived. “It is unfortunate that you won’t be able to save this building.”
“If the fire wardens get here quickly enough—” one of the officers began saying.
“You won’t be able to save this building,” Faron repeated in a way that made it clear no more argument was allowed. “Don’t let the fire spread to any other buildings, though.”
Mari, suddenly feeling very tired, blinked at an empty, open-topped carriage sitting in the street.
“My unit is supposed to take this carriage down to the quay,” Colonel Faron said as if talking to the air.
“Get in,” Mari told everyone. It took some work to get Alain up and inside, but he was soon sitting limply between Mari and Asha.
Only then did Mari notice how crowded the streets were, how many people were there, all of them gazing silently toward the Mechanics and the Mages. A low buzz of conversation started among the crowd, and Colonel Faron turned a pleading glance her way.
“What do they want?” Mechanic Dav asked, glancing around worriedly and fingering his rifle even though the weapon would be useless against so many.
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