Scorched by Magic (The Baine Chronicles Book 7) Read online

  “Is there something specific you’re referring to?” I asked, even though I already knew there was. I could tell by his body language that he’d been working his way up to whatever he was about to say.

  “Well…” Wex leaned in, dropping his voice a little, “it’s recently come out that the mages have been getting double bounties for their captures, and the rest of us are pretty resentful about it. A bunch of enforcers are even threatening to quit. I’ve approached Captain Galling, along with a few others, but he refuses to do anything about it. ‘Take it up with the new captain’ is all he says, as if he’s been absolved of all responsibility now that he’s retiring.” Wex rolled his eyes, and I could sense his ire—he was far more upset about this than he was letting on.

  “Are you serious?” I gaped, trying to wrap my mind around the idea that this had been going on for my entire career without my knowledge. “All the mages are getting double bonuses? Just because they’ve got magic? By that logic, shifters should get double bonuses too for our extra abilities!”

  “Right?” Wex shook his head. “I wonder if the new captain will be more open to dealing with this, or if he’ll just let the mages roll right over him. He seems to have a backbone, but I know the Guild isn’t willing to let the few mage enforcers we have go.” He pressed his lips together. “As far as I’m concerned, they can fuck off—we don’t need them that much.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’m going to talk to Captain Galling and see if I can find out more.”

  “Good luck,” Wex said. He hesitated, then clapped me on the shoulder. “Whatever you’re doing with the Chief Mage, keep it up. It’s clearly working.”

  He walked off, leaving me wondering how a compliment could leave me feeling accomplished and anxious at the same time. My reputation was outgrowing me, and if I didn’t get big enough to fill those shoes, I was going to drown in them.

  Despite the problem Wex had dumped on me, his compliment boosted my mood, and I was able to approach Captain Galling calmly instead of stalking over as I’d originally intended. I found him standing off to the side with Foreman Vance, already half drunk—his eyes were too bright, his stern face flushed, and the glass of champagne in his hand was nearly empty.

  “Excuse me,” I said smoothly, interrupting what looked like a jolly, spirited conversation. Foreman Vance gave me a thinly veiled look of contempt, and I ignored him completely. “I’d appreciate a word alone, Captain.”

  “Of course.” The captain looked a little startled, but he recovered quickly despite his intoxication. “We’ll catch up later, Vance.”

  Vance shot me one last look before disappearing into the crowd. I knew he hadn’t forgotten the way I’d humiliated him during the silver murder investigation. Knowing him, he’d probably hold that grudge to his grave. He’d been seriously taken to task after it had been discovered that Brin, Nila, and several other Main Crew members were secretly working for the Resistance, and he’d been running the Main Crew with an iron fist since. I was okay with him hating me, as long as he actually did his job.

  “What can I do for you, Enforcer Baine?” Captain Galling asked, sounding a little impatient now. It was clear he didn’t appreciate being cornered at his own farewell reception, but I didn’t care. He could endure a five-minute conversation before going back to being the center of attention.

  “I was just talking to Enforcer Ursini,” I said, dropping all pretense of pleasantry now that Vance was gone. “He told me it’s recently come out that you’ve been giving the Mage enforcers double bounties. Is this true?”

  Captain Galling scowled. “Yes, it’s true, and it’s not likely to change anytime soon. I wish people would stop pestering me about it, especially since I’m officially retired as of today.” He gave me a pointed look, as if to say Why are we still talking about this?

  But I wasn’t about to let it go. “Why are you giving the mages double bounties?” I demanded. “You’re not even a mage, Galling, so I don’t understand the favoritism.”

  He sighed. “It’s been this way since before I came into office,” he admitted. “The mages struck a deal with the former captain, claiming their expertise and magical abilities warranted a higher pay rate, and since there are so few mages willing to be enforcers to begin with, I’ve honored the agreement. But it isn’t as though I haven’t tried to be fair!” he added, sounding defensive now. “The year-end bonuses are more than enough to make up for it.”

  “What year-end bonuses?” I demanded, folding my arms over my chest. And more importantly, why hadn’t I ever gotten one?

  Captain Galling’s gaze flickered, as if he was having a hard time not looking away. “I’ve been giving the crew foremen the budget surplus at the end of the year, having them dispense the money to their crewmen as they see fit. It’s been a perfectly workable system.”

  “Uh-huh.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. So on top of the mages getting double bounties, only the foremen and their cronies were getting bonuses? That meant “lone-wolf” enforcers like Annia and me were getting shafted. How the fuck had this been going on for so long without my knowledge? Was I really that oblivious? Of course I’d noticed that some enforcers always seemed to have more cash than others, but I’d just assumed that was because they were bringing in more bounties.

  “Look,” Captain Galling said, his demeanor softening a little. “I completely understand that you’re upset about not getting the double bounties yourself, but there’s nothing I can do. I’m sure if you speak to Captain Skonel, he’ll reclassify you as a mage, too.”

  I stared at Captain Galling. Was that what he thought this was about? That I was upset because I hadn’t been getting the mage bounties? By Magorah, I had more money than I knew what to do with now. It wasn’t about the gold—it was about the principle. “Thanks,” I said, successfully managing to keep most of the sarcasm out of my voice. “I’ll be sure to talk to the new captain at the earliest opportunity.”

  And I would, I told myself as I walked away from Galling. But it would be about reforming the bonus system, not cashing in on it myself.

  Determined not to spend the entire reception stewing, I put a smile back on my face and sought out Iannis. He was by the refreshment table, discussing something with Lakin, and I was very curious as to their topic of conversation. I’d been worried that Lakin’s crush on me would prevent him from wanting to work with Iannis, but I was pleased to see that was not the case. He was the Shiftertown Inspector first and foremost, and even though he wasn’t native to Solantha, he took his job very seriously. I knew he and the volunteers who worked with him were overloaded since the town was in the middle of a rebuild, and I made a mental note to make time in my schedule to help him out.

  As I made my way to the refreshment table, I caught sight of a group of well-dressed humans crowded off to the side. Iannis and I had talked to them earlier—the Mendles and the Goraxes, two wealthy human families who ran the largest construction companies in Canalo. They had offices all over the state, I’d learned, and they’d built most of the newer buildings here in Solantha. I found it interesting that the two families were huddled together, talking like allies—they were supposed to be fierce competitors.

  “It’s very unfortunate about your hair,” Mrs. Gorax said to Mrs. Mendle. She touched a hand to her own red locks, which were thick and lustrous. “It’s curious that it has affected your whole family. Are you sure it’s not something contagious?”

  “Of course it’s not contagious,” Mrs. Mendle said, her voice sharp with annoyance as Mrs. Gorax subtly edged away from her. Her blonde hair was very thin indeed, and what I guessed was normally a pretty face was haggard despite the makeup she’d caked on. Her husband, a tall, lean man, was almost completely bald, only a little bit of mousy brown hair left on the sides and back of his skull, and their son, who looked barely twenty, was sporting a comb-over. “It must be some kind of mold or bug in the new house that’s causing an allergic reac
tion. We’re having an exterminator come tomorrow to take a look.”

  Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, I moved on, even though I was very curious. I’d never heard of a bug or mold that could cause hair loss, or of an entire family suffering from the condition at the same time. The thought of losing all my hair sent a shiver through me, and I raised a hand to my own curls to reassure myself they were still there. Thankfully, Iannis could heal me if whatever the Mendles had was contagious, but I’d rather not find out either way. Honestly, what had they been thinking, coming to an event like this if they were sick? It was clear by their sallow complexions and sunken cheeks that they were suffering from more than just hair loss.

  “Sunaya,” Lakin cried as I finally approached, his reddish-yellow eyes lighting up with delight. “Lord Iannis and I were starting to wonder if you’d ditched the party.”

  I laughed, embracing Lakin briefly. “I wish, but that would make Iannis look bad, and I’d never do that to him.” I slipped my arm into his and leaned against him, soaking up his calming presence. His sandalwood-and-magic scent soothed my still slightly ruffled feathers, washing away the bad taste in my mouth from my conversation with Galling. “How are things in Shiftertown?”

  “The rebuild is going fairly smoothly; there’s hardly any trace left of the Uprising,” Lakin said. “But I’ve been thinking that repairing the buildings isn’t enough. Lord Iannis and I have been talking about shoring them up with magical defenses as well. Some of the older buildings are developing cracks from the recent quakes.”

  “That’s an excellent idea,” I said. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you need any help dealing with local cases, or with any of the rebuild projects. I know you’re really shorthanded.”

  “We do need all the help we can get,” Lakin said. “There have been a lot of civil disputes and small crimes, and having you around would help a ton. But I know you’re busy, Sunaya, and you have bigger things to worry about.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble at all—”

  “Trouble,” my ether-parrot squawked, materializing in a flash of blue light. Lakin jumped as the bird settled on top of his head—he wouldn’t feel the weight, but the blue glow and the magical hum were bound to be disconcerting. A laugh burst from my lips before I could help myself, and it was echoed by the mages in the crowd around us.

  “Come here, Trouble,” I commanded, holding my arm out. The parrot squawked again, then flapped his wings and launched himself off Lakin’s head. He landed on my arm, sending a magical tingle through me.

  “What is that thing?” an elderly mage in the crowd asked, too far away to be addressing me.

  “I think it’s supposed to be an ether pigeon,” a mage apprentice I’d met a few times said, a scathing note in her voice. “But Miss Baine bungled the spell, and now she has an obnoxious parrot instead.”

  “Really? The ether pigeon spell is so simple,” the first mage said. “I had it mastered before I even started my apprenticeship. How is Miss Baine supposed to stand by Lord Iannis’s side if she can’t master Loranian?”

  “Don’t,” Iannis said in mindspeak, just as I was about to break away from him to confront those insufferable bastards. “They aren’t worth your attention. Power-wise, you are already running circles around those cretins.”

  I relaxed. “Can’t I at least sic Trouble on them? I could use the comic relief.”

  “You could,” Iannis said, sounding amused, “but you would only prove their point.”

  Trouble chose that moment to vanish, which was probably for the best because I was half tempted to ignore Iannis. The parrot had taken very well to the name Fenris and Rylan had given to him—too well, in fact, because every time I said the word “trouble,” he appeared.

  “Where’d he go?” Lakin asked, sounding confused and a little disappointed. “I was just getting used to having him around.”

  “Magorah knows.” I had no idea if Trouble disappeared into some other reality or dimension, or if he simply went flying around the city. Ether pigeons made themselves invisible while flying, and I imagined Trouble could do the same thing. He could still be hovering about the ballroom for all I knew. I wondered how long he would stick around before the spell wore off, or if he was a permanent addition to my life. If so, I was either going to have to stop using the word ‘trouble,’ or figure out how to train him better.

  Iannis and Lakin resumed their conversation about magical defense, and I did my best to contribute. It was an important topic, after all. But the words of those mages stung more than I wanted to admit, and I kept coming back to their disdainful attitude about my progress. I was doing very well considering I was only a few months into my apprenticeship and I didn’t have the privilege of being raised by a mage family, but I still had at least ten years to go. Ten years of being looked down upon as a lesser being, ten years of mages whispering behind their hands that I wasn’t truly Iannis’s equal, and ten years of them placing bets as to how long he would hold out before choosing a mistress.

  The very idea of people placing bets on our relationship filled me with fury, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if they were right. I didn’t think Iannis would ever cheat on me, but would the disparity in our power eventually take a toll on our relationship? He was one of the strongest mages in the Federation, and I wasn’t just an apprentice, but a hybrid to boot.

  Somehow, someway, I was going to need to speed up this apprenticeship. But damned if I could figure out how.

  2

  By the time the banquet was over, I was thoroughly exhausted. Leaving the Palace staff to handle the aftermath, Iannis, Director Chen, and I retired to Iannis’s sitting room for a nightcap. Since I was unlikely to encounter any danger in Iannis’s quarters, I allowed Rylan to sneak off with Nelia, my social secretary. She had a huge crush on him—I wasn’t entirely happy about Rylan indulging it, but he promised not to take things too far. My shifter senses detected no lie, so I took him at his word, though I wasn’t convinced I wouldn’t regret it. Just because Rylan promised to toe the line didn’t mean he wouldn’t slip up.

  Fenris, who had elected not to attend the banquet, was already sitting on a leather armchair by the hearth, swirling a glass of brandy in his hand as he stared into the roaring fire. Fall had settled in, and though the castle did have a magically powered heating system, the fires were still a welcome addition.

  “Ah, you’ve returned.” Fenris set his brandy down on a marble side table, then stood to greet us. I noticed his glass was half empty, wondering if brandy had been a favorite in his days as Polar ar’Tollis, Chief Mage of Nebara. Like me, he couldn’t get drunk off alcohol—shifter metabolisms were simply too fast. “How was the banquet?”

  “You wouldn’t have enjoyed such a large crowd,” Iannis assured him as we settled into the chairs and couches around the fire. Iannis used his magic to open the liquor cabinet across the room, and then floated a bottle of port toward us. Chen politely declined his offer of a drink, but I took one—I liked the sweet, fruity notes, and the way port heated me up from the inside, however briefly. “Everything went off without a hitch, thanks to Sunaya’s excellent planning and management.” He smiled, lifting his glass to me.

  I chuckled a little. “Thanks, but Nelia and the servants deserve more credit than I do.” I took a sip of my drink. “I wouldn’t say that things went completely smoothly, though. There was a lot of tension in the room tonight.”

  “That is to be expected, with all three races mingling,” Director Chen pointed out as she leaned back on her end of the couch. She was still dressed in her gorgeous green silk robe, but she’d pulled the pins from her long, dark hair so that it hung straight down her back. “Despite all that alcohol, no fights broke out, so I would consider it a success. Aside from keeping an eye on the acting captain to assess his performance, I see no reason for concern.”

  “That’s true,” I acknowledged, deciding not to tell them about my encounter with Wex or Captain Galling. That was something I could take up
privately with Iannis later. “Were you terribly bored while we were gone, Fenris?” I asked, changing the subject.

  He shook his head. “I have my books, as always.”

  It was strange to think of this rugged yellow-eyed shifter as a magical scholar, but even though Fenris was no longer a mage, he still had the soul of one. Besides, he did still have some magical talent left to him and could wield all but the most difficult spells, so he had reason to continue to expand his knowledge.

  “How was your consultation with Lord Faring?” Fenris asked, turning his gaze to Iannis. “I know that the two of you meant to meet this morning.”

  Iannis nodded. “We did. After studying scientific calculations and measurements that he expounded at great length, Lord Faring is convinced that a severe quake is imminent, perhaps even bigger than the previous one.”

  Director Chen blanched. “I looked into historical accounts of that quake. The records show that nearly half the city needed to be rebuilt. How is he so certain?”

  “Natural disasters have become somewhat of an obsession for him since that quake,” Iannis said. “He barely survived it, after being caught off guard by a landslide when he thought the worst was over. He has traveled extensively to study quakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other such phenomena over the last two centuries, and invented various magi-tech instruments to measure their depth, strength, and frequency. I trust his judgment on the matter.” He pressed his lips together. “Lord Faring informed me that after the last big quake, an official had been appointed to oversee the safety and solidity of all new structures. However, the office was disbanded over a century ago, shortly after my predecessor came into office. Faring protested at the time, but he was ignored.”