Deceived by Magic (The Baine Chronicles Book 6) Read online

  Deceived by Magic

  a Baine Chronicles Novel

  Jasmine Walt

  Dynamo Press

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Glossary

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Jasmine Walt

  Copyright © 2016, Jasmine Walt. All rights reserved. Published by Blue Bolt Publishing.

  This novel is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [email protected]

  Cover illustration by Judah Dobin

  Cover typography by Rebecca Frank

  Edited by Mary Burnett

  Electronic edition, 2016. If you want to be notified when Jasmine’s next novel is released and get access to exclusive contests, giveaways, and freebies, sign up for her mailing list here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

  Created with Vellum

  Author’s Note

  Dear Reader,

  If this is the first book you’ve picked up in the Baine Chronicles series, I’ve included a glossary in the back of the book to help illuminate the backstory. If you’ve already read the previous books, this glossary will help reacquaint you to the people, places, and things introduced to you in earlier volumes. You can either read the glossary first to familiarize or re-familiarize yourself with Sunaya’s world, or you can plunge into the story and refer to it as needed. The guide is in alphabetical order, and characters are listed last name first.

  To the new reader, welcome to the Baine Chronicles! And to those of you who have read the previous books, welcome back and thank you! Your support allows me to continue doing what I love most—writing.

  Best,

  Jasmine

  1

  “You’re not getting away!” Rylan’s voice echoed in my head. The full moon shimmered above us as we raced across the Palace rooftop in an impromptu game of tag. My claws scraped against the red clay tiles as I bunched my hind legs, then leapt from the edge of the roof and onto a turret that was a good six feet away.

  “Nyah, nyah.” Peering from around the turret, I let my tongue loll out at him from between my fangs. It felt damn good to be back in beast form—it had been way too long since I’d allowed my animal side to roam free.

  Rylan growled playfully at me from across the way, his yellow-orange eyes gleaming in the moonlight. His fur rippled as he crouched—a brownish-yellow with black spots, unlike my inky fur. In human form, he dyed his blond hair black, a habit he’d gotten into as a teen to spite his mother, my aunt Mafiela. But in reality, he shared our family’s light coloring, unlike me. He sprang across the divide, landing on the turret as well, then yelped as one of the tiles beneath his paws broke off. He scrabbled up the turret and after me, but he’d been distracted in those crucial seconds, and I was already on the next roof.

  “Has old age made you slow?” I taunted, then ducked behind a chimney as he came flying after me. Rylan was only two years older than me, but I never missed a chance to tease him about it.

  “Slow!” the ether parrot squawked, materializing by my ear, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Rylan took advantage of my momentary lapse in concentration and whipped his tail around the corner. It wrapped around my foreleg before I could get clear, and then he quickly retracted it before I could snag it with my claws and tag him back.

  “Ha! Who’s the slow one now?” Rylan crowed, his voice ringing with laughter. He jumped out of my reach, then over to the next rooftop.

  Snarling, I swiped at the ether parrot, but my claws went right through the glowing bird. He was, after all, not a real animal—just a spell made from magic whose only real function seemed to be popping in and out at the damnedest moments. Frustrated, I let out a hiss at being caught, then raced after Rylan. Hopefully the spell would wear off soon, and that pesky parrot would be gone for good.

  Rylan and I continued chasing each other across the rooftops for another hour, getting lost in the simple pleasure of a game of tag. It was a lot of fun despite the ether parrot, who continued to pop in and out, antagonizing us both. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done something like this. I tagged Rylan twice more, but he got me more than I got him—his reflexes were faster, and it was hard to stay away from both his paws and his tail.

  I was sure Iannis wouldn’t appreciate it if he knew Rylan and I were running around on top of the Palace, risking our necks and breaking his roof tiles, but I didn’t have much choice. Shifters were compelled to change during the full moon. Since Rylan was pretending to be my tiger-shifter bodyguard, Lanyr, he couldn’t be seen walking around the Palace in jaguar form. So, instead, I’d brought him up here, hoping to keep him away from prying eyes for a bit, as well as work off some of the energy that would be thrumming through his veins. Shifters were bred as a warrior class, so we were physically fearless—the hundred-foot drop from the turrets didn’t faze us as we sprang from rooftop to rooftop.

  The full moon didn’t affect me as strongly as it did Rylan, so shifting wasn’t mandatory for me. But that same restless energy still coursed through my veins, demanding an outlet. The full moon heightened our powers, and it was during the night that shifters tended to be most active.

  “Okay,” Rylan finally said with a sigh, settling down. He rested his chin on his paws and stared out at Firegate Bridge, which glowed a brilliant red as it stretched across Solantha Bay. “I’m good now.”

  “You sure?” I asked, dipping my head to briefly nuzzle his fur. Rylan and I had been very close before he’d joined the Resistance, and I was glad we seemed to be slipping back to the way things used to be between us. We were comrades in arms, the two rebels who could never quite please the Baine Clan matriarch.

  Speaking of which, I had a lunch meeting with Aunt Mafiela scheduled for tomorrow. A ripple of apprehension traveled the length of my spine, and my tail whipped to the side. Would we be able to put our differences aside long enough to be peaceable? Or would one of us end up storming from the table?

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Rylan insisted, closing his eyes. “I’ll sleep up here tonight. Should be relatively safe—if no one came running when they saw us jumping about up here, they’re not going to now. If something does happen, I’ll just call for you. Go get laid already.” He winked at me.

  “Well, when you put it that way.” I snorted, then turned away and headed down the roof, back toward my open bedroom window in the west wing. Iannis had arrived home from Dara a few hours ago, and he’d promised me a late dinner once he was done dealing with urgent Palace bu
siness that had been waiting for him. It was getting close to nine o’clock, so I hoped dinner would be soon. A good thing too, because I was ravenous after all that running around.

  As I climbed back into my bedroom, my heart beat a little faster at the thought of seeing Iannis again. He’d been gone three days, and even though we’d only been engaged a short time, I already missed sleeping curled up next to him. But that wasn’t the only reason for my beating heart—I was also nervous about what he’d say once I told him what had happened in his absence.

  I shifted back into human form, then went to draw a bath so I wouldn’t smell of sweat and fur when I saw Iannis. Two days ago, I’d received a letter from my half-sister, Isana, who had apparently noticed a familial resemblance between us from a photograph of me she’d seen in a magazine. She wanted to know whether we were related, and if she could come to the wedding.

  A headache started squeezing my temples as I sank into the bath, and I rubbed at them with two fingers, trying to relax. Iannis had urged me to avoid revealing my identity to my father’s family at all costs. Doing so could have disastrous consequences that would complicate our engagement, amongst other things. I hadn’t made any effort to contact them at all, even after discovering who my father was, but apparently being in the public eye was enough to draw their attention. Did I just ignore them? Or should I take the opportunity to find out more about my mage family?

  I finished washing, then dried my hair and dressed. I half considered just throwing on a robe, since it was so late, but I wanted to look good for Iannis. So, instead, I pulled out a silver dress and matching earrings. The halter neck and sweetheart bodice did a great job highlighting my assets, and the A-line skirt swept down to just below my knees. I scooped my hair back and twisted it into a high knot, then toyed with the idea of makeup.

  By Magorah! I was acting like a schoolgirl going on her first date. But then again, Iannis was worth it. He’d proven time and time again that he loved me and had my back, no matter what, and he’d asked for my hand in marriage despite such a union being unprecedented in the history of the Northia Federation.

  The scent of sandalwood and magic drifted to my nose, and I grinned as I heard footsteps in the hall. He was back! The door to his bedroom down the hall opened and closed, and I rushed to the secret door connecting our chambers so I could go to Iannis.

  But what if he doesn’t want to see you? a doubt-filled voice whispered in my head. Didn’t he say he was going to let you know when he was done with work?

  I hesitated, my hand on the door panel. That was true—he’d said he would call me when he was ready. But I didn’t want to wait any longer, and besides, I doubted Iannis was going to complain if I came to him now.

  Right?

  Stop worrying, I ordered myself as I pushed open the door. I crept down the hall as silently as I could so that he couldn’t hear me—which was pretty damn silent. I was cat-footed, you might say.

  Okay, that was a bad joke.

  His delicious scent grew stronger as I approached, and I took in a slow, greedy breath. Oh yeah, he was definitely here. Warmth began to flow through my veins as my excitement morphed into desire. The full moon made shifters friskier than normal, and I knew just who I wanted to ‘frisk’ tonight.

  I pushed open the door, then greedily drank in the sight of Iannis in front of the fireplace wearing nothing but his bare skin. His blue-and-gold robes were puddled on the floor, and judging by the direction he’d been walking in, he’d been heading to his bathroom for a shower.

  “Sunaya!” He froze, and his eyes darkened with lust as he got a good look at me and what I was wearing. I took the opportunity to take in every inch of his body, just as he was doing with mine. The lamplight made his alabaster skin glow, revealing every dip and curve in that lean, muscular body I was itching to get my hands on. I licked my lips as my gaze traveled down his broad shoulders and chest, over abs I could do laundry on all day long, then farther down.

  “Well.” I gave him an impish grin as heat ignited in my lower belly. “You look happy to see me.”

  “That’s one way to put it,” he agreed, closing the distance between us with long, determined strides. The heat spread lower as he pressed me up against the wall, cupping the sides of my face with his long-fingered hands. “I missed you,” he growled, feathering kisses over my cheeks, my nose, and my jaw.

  I grabbed his head and yanked his mouth to mine, hungry for more. He smelled of sweat and man and magic, and I greedily inhaled his scent in as I kissed him like a woman starved. My fingers twined in his long, dark red hair, the strands sliding against my skin like silk, and his hard body pressed tightly against mine as he kissed me back just as fiercely. My hands roamed over his naked skin, sliding down the plates of muscle layered over his broad back, then molding around his finely toned ass. The muscles flexed in my hands as he growled something in Loranian, and I gasped as his body heat flowed over my suddenly naked skin.

  “You’ve been holding out on me with that trick,” I gasped as he picked me up and carried me to the bed.

  “Of course,” he said roughly, covering my body with his own. His eyes gleamed with wicked intent as he leaned in to nip my earlobe. “I’ve got to maintain the upper hand between us somehow.”

  He fused his mouth to mine, driving the pithy comment I was about to make straight out of my mind with his talented tongue and teeth. There was no more talking after that. Our lovemaking was fast and furious, a voracious clash of passion and will as we sought release and completion with one another. There was biting, hair pulling, and maybe a few claw marks. But best of all was the savage satisfaction when we finally reached the edge, when I watched Iannis throw back his head and roar his pleasure as I found mine as well.

  I had given him that. Me and no one else. Iannis ar’Sannin, Chief Mage of Canalo, was mine. And soon enough, we would be legally and magically bound unto death.

  “So much for dressing up for dinner,” I teased, stroking a hand down his sweaty back. His muscles were sleek, smooth, and completely relaxed as he lay atop me, his head nestled in the crook of my shoulder, his warm breath tickling my skin. “I think you ripped my dress.”

  “That’s all right,” Iannis said, turning his cheek so he could press a kiss against my neck. “We’ll just dine naked.”

  I chuckled. A few months ago, I never could have imagined dining with the Chief Mage clothed, never mind naked. “I have a feeling we won’t get much eating done if we do that,” I said, running my fingers through his hair.

  He lifted his head to look down at me with those gorgeous violet eyes. “I believe I’ve proved myself capable of doing more than one thing at a time,” he said, a languorous smile coming to his full lips. He reached between our bodies as he lowered his mouth to mine, clearly intending to give me a demonstration.

  The scent of steak and potatoes drifted in, and a different kind of hunger came roaring back. “Let’s switch gears for a sec,” I said, swatting his hand away so I could sit up. “Our food’s arriving.”

  Despite Iannis’s earlier suggestion, he tossed a robe in my direction, then put on one himself and went out in the living-room area of his suite. I waited until the server left, then joined him at the small dining table. Starving now, I attacked my plate of food with the same single-minded devotion that I’d just showed in Iannis’s bed, and didn’t speak again until I’d cleared my second plate.

  “Mmm,” I said, sitting back in my chair and resting a hand over my belly. “That was delicious. So, what did you and the Minister talk about while you were in Dara?”

  Iannis swallowed his bite of asparagus. “There were various matters of state to discuss, but the main reason he wanted to see me so urgently was the Resistance, as you no doubt have already guessed.” He gave me a small smile.

  “Yeah, I remember Director Chen said he wanted to discuss ‘the Garaian matter’ with you,” I said. “Was he referring to the lab at Leniang Port? Or the gun running, for that matter?”

&
nbsp; “Indeed. It turns out that the Minister was already aware of the facility, and had sent out a mission to destroy it several weeks ago. But the operatives, two men and a woman, have not reported back, and the Minister is beginning to worry that something may have happened to them. Not that he cares so much about them as individuals,” he added dryly. “It’s more that if their mission was discovered, it might affect our trade with Garai.”

  “I see.” I ran my tongue along my upper teeth. I already knew the Minister was a coldhearted bastard, so his motives didn’t surprise me. “Is he suggesting that we go and handle it personally?”

  “That possibility was discussed, but it would draw too much attention for an official of my status to travel to Garai,” Iannis said ruefully. “I have no legitimate business in Garai to use as a cover. Besides, the Minister is debating whether it is worth sending another mission—after all, we cannot afford to simply throw our men away.”

  “Whether it’s worth it?” I exclaimed, indignant. “Of course it’s worth it! He’ll just have to figure out what went wrong and find a way around it. We definitely can’t tolerate that facility remaining open for long—the Resistance is funneling their guns through there, not to mention those awful diseases.”

  “I agree, but, ultimately, it is the Minister’s decision,” Iannis said, though it didn’t sound like he meant it, at least not entirely. After all, Iannis, Fenris, and I could think of some way to deal with the problem if the Minister refused to act.

  “Is that really all you discussed?” I asked. “You were gone for a few days.”

  “No, we discussed many tedious subjects like upcoming legislation, and, of course, rounding up the remaining Resistance units,” Iannis said dismissively. It was clear he didn’t intend on giving me all the details. “And what of you, Sunaya? Has everything been going well in my absence? How are your Loranian lessons with Fenris coming along?”