"Come. Enough adrenaline for the day. You all passed with flying colors. We're not far from a way out of the Undercity. We'll be back in the Honeycomb in no time, and you can take a break from taxing your imbuements," said Instructor Pennywhistle.
"No way, ma'am," said Portia.
"What do you mean, Portia?"
Portia held her tongue against her teeth. "My imbuement is getting a long workout tonight."
Chapter Five
Fourth Ward, August 2014
Knowledge is free, but wisdom ain't cheap
From where he was standing on the steps of the City Library, the steady noises of the morning rush hour filled Zayn's ears like the cicadas of Varna. Tires screeched as a blue luxury Aladdin nearly hit a ghost taxi that had pulled out from the curb, followed by a hammered horn and the muted shouts of an angry driver.
"I don't think that guy is going to get the satisfaction he wants," said Keelan from the step below, hand shoved in his pockets as he squinted into the morning sun at the traffic on the wide street.
"Sometimes we have to try something, even when it might not matter," said Zayn.
"Why'd you drag me out to the City Library?" asked Keelan. "I swear every time I feel caught up on studying, they dump another truckload of books on my desk."
"Research," said Zayn, heading inside and going straight to the back of the enormous building complex. He'd scouted the library on the Internet, so he knew exactly where he needed to go.
The inside of the City Library had a classic Greek appeal with nooks for reading along every wall. The quietness was starkly different from the bustle outside, but strangely soothing, making Zayn sad that he hadn't had the chance to join a different hall than the Academy, one more esoteric or academic. But he doubted that another Hall would be equipped to help him with his situation in Varna.
"What are we..." started Keelan, until he heard his voice echo on the endless marble. He tried again, this time at a whisper.
"What are we here for?" he asked, his face scrunched with the effort of being quiet.
"While you were hobnobbing with the Watchers this summer, I was busy trying to figure out what's really going on in Varna," said Zayn.
"You still think you can do anything about that?" asked Keelan as he watched a group of women around their age walk past, whispering and throwing glances in their direction.
"I have to try," said Zayn.
Keelan put a hand on Zayn's shoulder. "Actually, you don't. You can go on with your life and make the best of it. This other thing is just going to get people killed."
Zayn searched his cousin's face. "I get it. Varna has hit you harder than it has me. We all miss your dad. But that's why I've got to do something. If you don't want to be a part of it, I get that, but don't try to stop me."
Keelan pulled away and held his arms around his midsection. The accusation had wounded him. "I'm not trying to stop you. I just think you should consider the consequences. It won't be just you paying the price, it'll be your family, too. Remember what they did to my mom."
"But don't you want to know what happened? Nobody in the family talks about it. I've asked my dad, he brushes off my questions. Doesn't it matter how or why Uncle Jesse died?"
It was as if he'd splashed cold water across his cousin's face.
"You say that like I wasn't the one there, right in the middle of it," said Keelan. "He was my dad, even if he was an asshole."
Zayn was about to respond when he noticed other people in the library staring at them. He threw his arm around his cousin's shoulders and pulled him towards the wide marble stairs.
"Even if we can't do anything about the Lady, at the end of these five years, we're stuck in Varna. Don't you want to know what's really going on before then? And maybe along the way we can find out what happened to your dad," said Zayn.
It was the truth, though Zayn suspected that the circumstances of Uncle Jesse's death would teach him something important about the lady of Varna.
Keelan put up a half smile that Zayn knew all too well. His cousin had spent most of his lifetime burying his pain, and he knew how to do it without giving too much away.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to know, about Varna, anyway," said Keelan.
Zayn squeezed Keelan's shoulder. "Great. I knew you'd be up for this."
Keelan craned his head in all directions. "It's not like you're likely to find anything."
The restricted section had a large wrought iron gate that went across the room. A red-haired girl, who was not much older than they were, looked like a cross between a librarian and a security guard. Her blue blazer with the patch on the lapel was at odds with the expression of absolute boredom on her face as she thumbed through her smartphone.
He was so amused by her expression that he didn't realize she was taller than him and Keelan until they were standing before her. She was built like a bodybuilder, with powerful thighs and toned arms.
"Restricted section," she said by way of dismissal. Her gray-green eyes barely flicked up at them.
"That's good," said Zayn, trying to ignore how good her floral perfume smelled, "because I'd hate to think the children's section needed such protection. Unless The Giving Tree is considered socialist propaganda."
His attempt at humor did not amuse her, though it got a soft snort from Keelan. Instead she looked at him over imaginary glasses, even going so far as to hang her finger above her eye as if she were pushing them down.
The gesture might have been ridiculous if anyone else had tried it, but she exuded a confidence that helped her pull it off. Standing so close, he realized that she was quite beautiful, even with her hair in a messy updo and wearing a standard-issue blue blazer.
When she didn't say anything, Zayn cleared his throat. "May we enter the restricted section?"
"Only if you have authorization," she said, wrinkling her freckled nose. "And I can tell by your attitude that you have none."
Zayn straightened himself. He'd misjudged her, thinking the sarcasm might be appreciated, but now he realized he'd only hardened her opinions against them. "My apologies. My first comment was rude. We're second years. We wish to enter the restricted section for research."
She rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion. "Wonderful. And I'd like to be sitting in a hot tub drinking spiced wine, but instead, I'm here earning less per hour than it takes to buy a crappy coffee. You may not enter."
"Again, I apologize. But I need to do some important research," he said.
"Which again, you may not," she replied hastily.
"I'm a member of the Hundred Halls. I should be able to enter," he said.
She placed a fingernail against his shoulder. "It is not a matter of should, it is a matter of the proper paperwork. You have not applied for, or received, the authorization for entry. We have rules for a reason, to keep idiots who might fancy themselves as mages from delving into things they are not equipped to handle."
"If I were to apply for access, where would I do so, and how long would it take?" he asked.
"Forms can be found at the Spire, the accounting section I believe, though you'll need access to that floor. Don't ask me how to get that. To acquire the forms will require permission from your patron, and a personal rune, in addition to a safety deposit totaling at least one year of future salary. All of that will need to be turned in to the Library Inspector General, who is only here every third Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Due to the dangerousness of the books, you'll also need an abjured binding and a living will, which should include what will happen to your body should a demon eat your eyeballs and seize your soul for down payment."
When she was finished, she took her long fingernail and flicked a piece of lint off Zayn's shoulder.
"Now, shoo."
Frustrated, Zayn marched away with Keelan at his side.
"Wow, she must have gorgon blood or something," said Keelan.
Near the marble stairs that went back to the main section of the library, Zayn paused and glanced back at
the guardian of the restricted section, who was back into her smartphone, thumbing away with bored abandon.
"Thinking about trying to sneak past? Or climb the bars or something?" asked Keelan.
"It wouldn't work," said Zayn. "They're covered in protective runes. If I'm going to get in there, it's going to be through her." He pounded his fist into an open palm. "She's infuriating. I don't even know what I did to set her off."
"Maybe she doesn't like mages," said Keelan.
"Then why work at the Hall library in front of the restricted section?"
"Maybe that's the exact reason. So she can be a thorn in their sides," said Keelan.
"She's a thorn in my side," said Zayn. "I'll never get in."
"It'll take you forever to get access, if even half those things are true," said Keelan.
"That's the thing. I don't think any of those things are true." He considered his first impressions of her. She acted bored, but right away put up roadblocks. Why bother with all of that? What was she after?
Then he remembered her comment about the pay. He felt like an idiot that he hadn't heard it the first time.
He marched back to the guardian. She looked at him like a teenage girl looked at an overly enthusiastic gym teacher. He half expected her to blow a gum bubble and let it pop in his face.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"For you to go away," she said.
"To get in," he said. "What's the price?"
At the mention of price, the corner of her lip twitched, and her eyes took on a heavy cast as if she were purring inside.
"If you don't know then you don't get in."
"Do you need money? An enchantment? Look, it's important that I get into the restricted section. It's personal. I would really appreciate it if you'd tell me what it is I need to do," said Zayn with his hands wide.
"Tell you what," she said, giving him a once-over. "If you strip down naked and make a loop through the library, I'll let you into the restricted section."
"They'll kick me out first," said Zayn, incredulous.
"That's not my problem," she said.
"Fine," he said, yanking off his shirt and unclasping the button on his jeans to her sudden wide eyes. "But a deal's a deal."
He had his jeans down to his thighs when a voice startled them from behind. "Tally, what the hell is going on? I ask you to watch my station and now you've got young men stripping for you."
Suddenly, the reality of the situation became embarrassingly clear. Heat rose to Zayn's cheeks as he pulled his jeans back up.
"Sorry, Fran," she said, shrugging one shoulder offhandedly. "I was bored."
Fran, an older woman with curly black hair, raised an eyebrow at Zayn's chest before he could pull his shirt back on.
"At least you've got good taste," said Fran.
"I'd better get back to my station." Tally winked at them. "See ya around, boys. Thanks for the show."
Zayn had almost forgotten about his cousin until he heard a snort. Within seconds, Keelan was bent over at the waist laughing.
Fully clothed again, Zayn asked, "So...may I enter the restricted section?"
Fran screwed up her face at him. "Yeah, go ahead. You just can't take any books out of here, and no spells, or you'll set off the alarms."
"Thanks," said Zayn sheepishly, tugging his cousin along by the shirt. "Come on, Keelan."
"I can't believe you were going to strip and run around the library," said Keelan, holding his hand over his mouth, trying to contain his laughter.
By the time Keelan had contained himself, Zayn had found the section he wanted in back, where the musty smell of books was thickest. It also had a slight tinge of faez, as if some of the books had been imbued with the scent.
Keelan started on one end, while he worked through the other.
"What am I looking for?" asked Keelan, still smiling from the earlier events.
"Anything about Varna, or that seems familiar," said Zayn.
The section related to magical towns and other locations that had a heavy concentration of mages. His previous Internet searches had been frustrating, as it seemed like information about the town was being suppressed. He'd tried searching the town's history, the names of well-known Watchers, the Speaker, and the Lady herself (though he didn't know her name), but had come up empty.
He hoped that by approaching the problem from a different angle, he might find something. He assumed someone, somewhere, had noticed that a high concentration of mages had come from one small town, and nearly all went on to join the Academy of the Subtle Arts.
But after two hours of checking titles and skimming books, they'd exhausted the section.
"Sorry we didn't find anything," said Keelan as he was sliding the final book back into place. "But we should be getting back to the Honeycomb soon."
Zayn rubbed the back of his head. "It feels like Varna is a black hole to the world. There's no mention anywhere, not even tangentially. It's almost like you can't write about it."
"We're the Fight Club of magic," said Keelan.
As they were walking away, Zayn trailed his fingers along the shelf. The polished wood was soothing to his fingertips, but when he hit a rough patch, he stopped. There was a carving in the wood in the form of initials. They read "A.M."
"Do these initials mean anything to you?" asked Zayn.
Keelan gave a half-shrug, like part of him recognized it, but couldn't bring it to the forefront of his mind.
"Does it look like there used to be another book here?" asked Keelan.
"You're right, there was," said Zayn. "Maybe we can find out from the library system."
There was a terminal nearby. They didn't find anything about the missing book, if there really was one.
"Can we leave now?" asked Keelan.
Zayn mulled the initials A.M., hoping to spark a new direction, but when nothing came to mind, he pushed Keelan towards the exit. The mysteries of Varna would have to wait for another day.
Chapter Six
The Honeycomb, October 2014
A lesson in sex, faez, and drowning
The Grotto smelled like wet stones and the sweat of young men and women waiting for their instructor to arrive. The second years sat around in their swimsuits, comfortable baring a good portion of their bodies to their classmates. Modesty was a thing of the past.
Their first year in the Academy had been a terrifying sleepless adventure, and while their second had even less sleep, there was much more interaction between the teams, especially after they'd received their imbuements.
Zayn stood in back, watching the covert glances between various partners. Portia was currently sleeping with Charla, Andrew, and Marcelo, which overlapped with Vin's interests minus Andrew. Keelan had three or four regular partners. Skylar had two.
As intertwined as the relationships had gotten, Instructor Pennywhistle had spent a morning teaching them spells for practicing safe sex, and reminding them that they were members of the Academy first, teammates second, and their various dalliances should come last.
Zayn caught his cousin's eye for a moment, giving him a questioning glance. Keelan had a bad history with water. He gave a thumbs-up as if to say everything was fine. It wasn't their first class in the Grotto, but he knew Keelan stressed out before each one.
Zayn returned to mentally mapping the relationships between the second years and didn't notice Sofia sidle next to him until her soft shoulder brushed against his, and when he met her gaze, she stared back with wide brown eyes.
Sofia was Brazilian. Her plush lips had been made for kissing.
"You don't seem like the shy type, Zayn," she said, letting her accent color her words.
"I'm not shy," he said as her gaze roved across his six-pack.
"Then why have you rebuked every advance, boy or girl?" she asked, her dark eyes studying his reaction.
"I've been busy."
"Busy? A little fun doesn't take that much time...unless you want it to. I wouldn't cause to
o much of a fuss. I would visit you, have as much fun as you can take, and be gone before you woke. You're beautiful, Zayn, and our gifts"—she brushed her fingernails across a rose tattoo on her hip that appeared briefly before disappearing—"create such a wonderful experience."
Warmth bloomed across his skin and he did everything he could not to imagine leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers. If they'd been back in his room, he wasn't sure he would have been able to say no. But he was standing in the middle of the Grotto, and Amber DeCroix's warning last year that any relationship he enjoyed would end in tragedy made him wary. These were his fellow students, his teammates, and friends. He didn't want to put them in danger.
"I—"
Whatever horrible denial he would have attempted, he thankfully never had to utter because Instructor Noyade slipped out of the water. She was a lithe woman with sea-green hair and eyes the color of emeralds.
"Good morning, students," she said, her soft French accent like having silk brushed against their ears. "My apologies for the delay."
Instructor Noyade was notoriously late. She lived in a cave far beneath the surface.
"Full breaths and into the water. You know how to stay beneath the surface using your imbuements, but now you must learn to use external magic," she said, and she dove into the water like a knife, leaving no trace of her entry.
They splashed into the water, attempting grace, but sounding more like a truckload of boulders being dumped into the pool. After swimming around and getting his muscles loose, Zayn took a deep breath, using his imbuement to capture far more oxygen than he would have been able to contain otherwise, and kicked beneath the surface. The downside to this technique was that the mage didn't experience the aches of oxygen deprivation until it was too late. If you passed out with no one there to save you, you'd be dead.
But he was in no danger here with so many of his classmates around him. They formed a sphere around Instructor Noyade with Zayn at the bottom, where the depth pressed on his skin.
She spoke, and silvery bubbles released from her lips. The words traveled to their ears as quivering, hollow sounds.
The Sorcerous Spy Page 4
