God of Magic 6

by Logan Jacobs

  “It’s an important mission,” I assured her.

  “Well, certainly you all seem to believe that,” she said. She sighed and looked around at the group again. “But it doesn’t matter if I believe that you had a vision from Theira or that there’s some new god out there somewhere. I agreed to help you and I will.”

  “Good,” I declared. “We could really use your expertise to get in and out of the tower with harming anyone.”

  “Do you know where in the tower they’re being kept?” she asked.

  “Not yet,” I replied. “But I’ve been taking lessons at the University to find out.”

  “They’re not going to be somewhere a student could just walk in and find them,” Imogen pointed out.

  “I know that,” I said as I tried to hide my exasperation. “I’m taking personal lessons from the High Mage. He’s the one who has possession of the Shodra.”

  “He’s probably got them in a hidden vault or room,” Imogen pondered. “But a place like the Academy will be riddled with secret places.”

  “That’s true,” Emeline remarked. “It’s sort of a rite of passage among the students, to see if you can find a hiding spot that no one’s discovered before.”

  “Is there a map or anything that shows which spots the students have found?” Imogen asked.

  “I think so,” Emeline replied with a frown. “The librarian always posts when someone has found a new spot. It doesn’t happen very much any more.”

  “We should look at whatever the librarian has,” Imogen said thoughtfully. “I’ll also need to see any architectural drawings that exist. The older the better, but I’ll take anything that’s been drawn up in recent years as well.”

  “I can copy everything that’s in the library,” Emeline said.

  “And our current architect has done work at the Tower,” Maruk added. “Maybe I can get some notes from him.”

  “Dehn, what about your friend who works in the city records department?” I asked.

  “I can ask her to take a look,” Dehn agreed.

  “It’s a start,” Imogen said. “We’ll need to begin planning out all our moves. It’s not enough to be able to slip in and remove the Shodra. We need to know where we’re taking them and how we’re going to get there. We also need to have multiple routes worked out.”

  “As long as we don’t have to climb down any more walls,” Emeline murmured.

  “But we might have to,” Imogen replied. “And we need to be prepared for that. No offense, but the show last night was totally amateur. You got lucky, and if we’d stuck to your original plan, we’d probably all be sitting in the city jail right now.”

  The Shadow Foxes began to voice their own opinions of last night’s operation, and I had to whistle to get their attention. When the last of the grumbling died down, I nodded at Imogen.

  “You’re probably right,” I said. “Our route would have brought us dangerously close to the search parties, and we always knew it was likely that we would be spotted by someone. Our usual approach would have been either to try to talk our way through, or fight our way through, neither of which was really a valid option since we need to be able to return to the city with no one the wiser to our plans. You saved us last night, and I appreciate that.”

  “Subtlety is often the best answer in my field,” Imogen acknowledged with a small nod. “The fact that you recognize that now will make much of what we’re about to do that much easier.”

  “All right,” I agreed. “Let’s have dinner, start working on the next phase, and then tomorrow, most of us should return to the city. Lavinia, you stay here with Imogen to work out routes we can take.”

  “Why me?” Lavinia protested.

  “Yes, why her?” Imogen asked with a slight huff.

  “Because she’s good at finding paths,” I replied. “She’s gotten us safely through mountains, swamps, forests, and everything in between. She’s the person I trust to work out where we go next.”

  “And I have quite an extensive map collection here that you can use,” Yvaine added.

  “I’ll check what you have, and then send along anything from the guild library that might be helpful,” Emeline said.

  “I didn’t agree to this,” Lavinia growled. “Are you making me stay here because I’m pregnant?”

  I started to deny it, but the ladona’s fiery gaze cut me off.

  “It is,” Maruk said, “But only in part. We need someone who can watch Imogen, watch the property, and still work out our next steps. And you have to do all that while pregnant. It’s a difficult task, but I believe you can do it.”

  Lavinia looked only slightly mollified. Imogen looked offended at the idea of having a handler.

  “I can come back,” Dehn finally grumped. “Once I check in with my friend, I can bring whatever she finds on the tower back with me.”

  “Great,” Lavinia sighed. “And what am I supposed to do with you?”

  “I still have some moves to show you,” Dehn replied. “Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass.”

  “No, it means you’ll never kick my ass,” Lavinia retorted, though I saw the smile that played at her lips.

  “And you can bring back any other plans or maps we find,” Emeline added.

  “Aerin and I will check the black market,” Lena offered. “Not just for maps, but any information on the Tower.”

  “Be careful how you do that,” I replied. “We don’t want people to know that we’re interested in the Tower.”

  “Don’t worry,” Aerin said. “I know how to ask without really asking.”

  “Maderel will be expecting me in two days, but in the meantime, we should resume our watch over him,” I pointed out. “We’ll be down a man with Lavinia staying out here. Two, once Dehn comes back.”

  “We can still manage,” Maruk replied. “He doesn’t leave the city that much, which helps.”

  “He doesn’t leave the Tower that much,” Aerin added.

  “You’ve been spying on Maderel?” Imogen asked.

  “We’ve been following him,” Maruk corrected. “We had hoped he might lead us to the Shodra.”

  “But you said they were in the Tower,” Imogen said.

  “We’re pretty sure they’re in the Tower,” I replied. “But he might have someplace else he’s keeping them.”

  “We need to establish where these Shodra are, and we need to do so quickly,” Imogen announced. “It’s unlikely that Maderel hasn’t already spotted your surveillance. He’s not going to lead you to the Shodra that way.”

  “We’ve been extremely careful,” Maruk sniffed. “We have yet to be spotted.”

  “Wellll...” I hesitated. “He did see you in the field that first day.”

  “He did not!” Maruk exclaimed in a deeply offended tone.

  “He did,” I replied gently. “He hasn’t said anything about seeing anyone else though. Oh, and he does know that we keep a puca.”

  “Trust me,” Imogen said. “He knows you’re watching him.”

  “So, what, we just stop following him?” Aerin asked. “But we were getting so good at it. I even bought a wig.”

  “Don’t stop following him,” Imogen replied. “That will just make him even more suspicious. Keep at it for now. We may be able to use this in our favor.”

  “She’s right,” Lavinia grudgingly admitted. “If he knows we’re watching him, it will only make him more careful if we stop.”

  “This is getting confusing,” Aerin sighed.

  “Yeah,” Dehn agreed. “It’s a lot easier when you can just bash a few heads together.”

  “Don’t worry,” Lena soothed. “I’m sure we’ll be able to do that again soon.”

  Rezo appeared as if on cue and quietly whispered in Yvaine’s ear. She nodded and thanked the man as he left the room without a sound. I remembered the amulets I had shoved into my pocket and wondered if Rezo had something similar.

  “Well, the rest of us shall have our tu
rn in the bathtubs, and then cook has prepared a simple dinner,” Yvaine announced.

  “Define simple,” Aerin demanded.

  “Only four courses,” Yvaine replied as she stood up. “It seems cook wasn’t able to find enough cleric cabbage for the salad.”

  “Hate salad anyway,” Dehn mumbled.

  “Yes, we know,” Yvaine said. “You’ll be able to fill up on extra servings of venison instead.”

  “And dessert,” Lena sighed. “They always have the best desserts here.”

  “I’ll be sure to pass that along,” Yvaine replied as she led the recent arrivals from the room. Emeline followed soon after, intent on exploring Yvaine’s map collection. Dehn left with a mumbled excuse about visiting the armory hall, though I suspected he was really heading for the kitchen in the hopes of scoring an early taste of dinner.

  “You look marvelous,” I laughed as Lavinia fussed with the dress. She tossed me a scowl as she shifted in her seat and tried to find a comfortable way to sit.

  “So, who’s the father?” Imogen asked.

  “What do you care?” Lavinia replied as she nearly ripped the hem when she tried to kick some of the fabric out of her way.

  “There aren’t many ladonae in Ovrista,” Imogen pointed out. “I was just wondering if it was someone I know.”

  “Who said it was a ladona?” Lavinia challenged.

  “Who else could it be?” Imogen laughed. “Unless you’re going to tell me that Everun decided to spend the night with you while Theira was talking to Gabriel.”

  Lavinia had finally gone still and had locked her death stare on Imogen. I suddenly found my fingernails to be of great interest.

  “What, are you saying that you’re having a mixed child?” Imogen finally said. Her eyes were enormous, and she looked at the other ladona like Lavinia had just sprouted an extra head.

  “I am,” Lavinia snarled. Her voice had dropped dangerously low.

  “That’s not possible,” Imogen stammered. “You must have miscalculated…”

  “I’ve only slept with one man in these last few months,” Lavinia replied. “It can only be his.”

  “Who?” Imogen asked as she shook her head in denial.

  “Gabriel,” Lavinia replied.

  Imogen looked at me in surprise.

  “It’s mine,” I agreed.

  “How--” Imogen stammered.

  “Does it matter?” I asked.

  “It doesn’t,” Lavinia stated.

  Imogen looked back and forth between the two of us.

  “I’ll say this, Gabriel Vega,” Imogen noted, “Life with the Shadow Foxes isn’t dull.”

  Chapter 8

  My next lesson with Maderel was delayed by a day. He sent word in the morning that he had unexpected business to attend to but he thought he could squeeze me in late in the afternoon the following day. Lena and Aerin were near the Tower, and I sent them a coded message to be on the lookout for Maderel. Then I walked to the stable to saddle my horse and wait for word from the elves.

  An hour later, Lena sent a message that Maderel was on his horse and on his way towards the gate. I managed to just slip through ahead of the high mage, and I was slowly sauntering along the road when Aerin sent a note that Maderel was outside the wall and on the main road heading east. I turned my horse around and picked up the pace.

  Despite the chill that was still in the air, the road was busy today and I was able to slip behind a small convoy of carts laden with winter vegetables. I could just see Maderel up ahead, keeping pace with a small carriage. I couldn’t see the occupant, and I didn’t recognize the sigil on the side of the carriage, but Maderel would sometimes lean in close, as if the person inside were talking to him. Maderel himself never spoke, just rode alongside and shot icy daggers from his eyes at anyone who ventured too close.

  The carriage turned off the road about an hour later, with Maderel still trotting alongside. I rode past the turnoff, still safely hidden among the carts. I found an old track ten minutes later and turned onto that. Once I was out of sight of the road, I gave a low whistle. A crow with shiny black feathers landed in a nearby tree and cawed.

  “Very nice,” I complimented the puca. “Did you see where they went?”

  The crow cawed again and dropped onto my shoulder.

  “Was it an estate like Yvaine’s?” I asked as I thought about the carriage.

  The puca bobbed his head, and I wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a yes or a no. I urged the horse onward, and the narrow track soon widened. The scraggly trees that had lined the path gave way to ancient oaks, and the noise of traffic along the road was replaced with the sound of wind blowing through the branches. The ground was still covered in snow in these more wooded areas, and I shivered as a burst of wind whistled around me.

  We reached a fork in the road, and Merlin shifted back into puca form. He sniffed the air, then pointed towards the right with his nose.

  “Are you sure?” I asked. The road to the right looked overgrown and unused, and I suddenly had a vision of a werehound bounding out of the darkness. Merlin simply sniffed and pointed towards the right again.

  I sighed and turned the horse onto the track. My horse wasn’t any happier about the decision, and I promised him an extra carrot when we returned to the stables. Our path soon joined up with another wider road, and I could see recent carriage tracks, as well as hoofprints from a horse riding alongside.

  I pulled back into the trees and followed the road as best as I could without actually using it. Another ten minutes passed, and then I reined the horse to a halt. I could just see the edge of a roofline ahead, so I dismounted and tied the horse to some shrubs that still had enough leaves to hide him from view from anyone passing on the road. I crept forward as close as I dared and took a peek.

  It was indeed a manor house, though not as large or as fashionable as Yvaine’s. It looked more like a large, stone box squatting on the edge of the woods. There were no gardens to speak of, and no attempt to make the place more graceful or welcoming. Even the stairs were gray and utilitarian. There was no sign of the carriage, but a halfling stood in the cold, holding the reins to Maderel’s horse.

  I debated whether to wait for Maderel here, or to return to the road. Despite all my magical items to assist me avoid being detected, the place was so quiet in here that I was afraid he would hear me if I followed him. On the other hand, there weren’t a lot of good hiding places along the road at the moment, thanks to all the winter weather, and someone just sitting on a horse in the cold would draw attention. I was starting to understand Imogen’s point about good planning, and I had to admit, we were more than just a little lucky to have made it this far on just our seat-of-the-pants philosophy.

  The decision was made for me when the massive door swung open, and Maderel and another man stepped outside. It was hard to guess the man’s age from this distance. He was bent over like an old man, but his face was unmarked by wrinkles, and his hair was still a lustrous brown. He and Maderel exchanged a few more words, and then the man shuffled back inside. Maderel stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, apparently lost in thought. Then he strode down the steps, took the reins from the halfling, and neatly leapt onto the back of his horse.

  He made a clicking sound, and the horse responded by shifting into a canter. I pulled back as far as I could and pulled my cloak tightly around me. Despite that, I saw Maderel gaze straight at my position as he rode past. I was certain that he must have seen me, yet he didn’t slow or turn around. He kept on as if nothing had been wrong.

  I took a deep breath and waited until the halfling was gone from view before I crept back to my own horse. I pulled myself into the saddle and set him on a slower trot back through the trees. Merlin, now in his favorite hawk shape, flew high overhead. When we were almost to the main road, the puca returned to me. He swooped in and changed into his cat form just as he settled on the saddle behind me.

  “Is he going back to the city?” I asked.


  “City,” Merlin agreed. He scrambled up my back and wrapped himself around my neck.

  I stopped long enough to send a message that Maderel appeared to be on his way back to the city, and that someone should watch the gates for him.

  Maruk wrote back that he would take his turn, and he would wait just inside the gate for Maderel’s return. I had to grin. Despite his best efforts, Maruk had yet to find a way to remain unobtrusive. If Imogen wanted Maderel to know that we were still watching him, then there would be no doubt in Maderel’s mind now.

  I had to admit, I was still a little on edge myself. There had been a moment when Maderel’s gaze had been locked on my little piece of forest, and I could have sworn not only that he had seen me, but that he had looked me straight in the eye. I played the scene over and over, and I was convinced that he had known I was there.

  Gray clouds had settled over the city by the time Merlin and I returned. I took my horse to the stable and made sure he had extra carrots with his oats. Merlin’s attempt to steal one was met with a pair of gnashing teeth that sent the puca scurrying for cover.

  “He knows you too well,” I laughed at the black cat that peered out from beneath a tangle of saddles awaiting repairs. The horse whinnied and threatened Merlin with another bite before burying his nose in his feedbag.

  The lighthearted moment passed, and as I walked back to the guild hall, I felt as if someone were still watching me. I glanced around the streets, but there were too many people around. With another round of snow brewing, the city’s populace had decided now was the time to lay in supplies. Merlin seemed to sense it as well. The puca chattered nervously from his spot on my shoulder, and I gave him a quick scratch between his ears as I scanned the streets.

  The guild hall was welcoming if noisy. Yvaine was locked in a room with the contractor so I couldn’t ask her about the symbol I had seen on the side of the carriage. I didn’t hear any hammering for a change, but I could hear the workers yelling at each other, and the occasional thud as something heavy hit the ground.