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

  “Most buildings in Maintown are a lot younger than that,” I said, unable to keep the worry out of my voice. “We’re going to have to inspect them and make sure they’re quake-resistant.”

  “Yes,” Iannis agreed. “However, that is not a simple task. The city is significantly larger than it was two hundred and fifty years ago, and it is no longer feasible to protect every building with magic. Even if we had hundreds of mages trained and ready for the task, it would take us months to implement the necessary protection spells. The way Lord Faring is talking, we may have weeks at best—in fact, the large quake he predicts could happen at any moment.”

  “Thankfully, the Mages Quarter is properly protected,” Chen added with a self-assured tone that made me grind my teeth. “But of course, we need to assure the rest of the city is safe as well. It would be a shame for Shiftertown and Maintown to be destroyed while we are still in the middle of rebuilding.”

  “No kidding.” I decided not to mention that this was another example of class disparity—we all recognized that the problem needed to be dealt with. The Mages Quarter had barely been affected by the Uprising—if we were hit by a quake and the rest of the city was left defenseless while the mages were safe, it would just reinforce the idea that the mages only cared about themselves.

  “It is growing late,” Iannis said, glancing to the grandfather clock in the corner, which pointed to a quarter past three. “We should adjourn for tonight. Let’s have a working dinner in the Winter Garden room tomorrow night to discuss this further. We need to come up with a solid plan quickly, if we truly do only have days or weeks.”

  We agreed to meet tomorrow evening, and Fenris and Director Chen left, Fenris for his own room, and Director Chen for her townhouse in the heart of the Mages Quarter. I didn’t bother with the pretense of going back to my own quarters—Chen and Fenris knew I slept here with Iannis every night.

  “All right,” Iannis said once we were alone. He pulled me tight against his body and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Tell me what’s been bothering you.”

  I sighed, leaning my cheek against his strong chest, and told him about the mage bounties and the unfair distribution of bonuses at the end of the year. “This isn’t about me,” I said once I’d finished. “I really don’t care about the money, not anymore. But we can’t allow this kind of blatant favoritism to continue, not if we want to repair the relationships between our communities.”

  “Agreed.” Iannis stroked my hair as he gazed into the fire, a contemplative expression on his face. “To be fair, I can see both sides of the argument, but as you said, if mages are being paid more for their abilities, then so should the shifters. I will speak to the acting captain about re-negotiating the bonus system. It should be according to individual merit, not race.”

  “Thank you.” A weight slid off my shoulders, and I relaxed more fully. The last thing we needed was for the Enforcers Guild to fall apart over something as stupid as money. With the threat of a big quake looming, we needed as many hands on deck as possible.

  “Now, why don’t you tell me about the other thing that’s bothering you?”

  “Eh?” I lifted my head, meeting his iridescent eyes. Those shimmering violet depths were so easy to fall into, but I did my best to focus. “What do you mean?”

  Iannis’s lips curved as he lightly gripped my chin. “I sometimes think I know you better than yourself, a ghra,” he murmured, brushing his thumb against my lower lip. His eyes darkened with desire, and need blossomed hot and fierce in my core as it always did when he touched me like this. “You are still not quite…settled.”

  “Yeah, well, that look in your eyes isn’t helping things,” I teased, swatting his hand away. Biting my lower lip, I turned my attention inward and realized he was right. There was something still bothering me.

  “There it is,” Iannis said as I sighed.

  “It’s just…” I felt silly saying it out loud, but I knew Iannis wouldn’t give up until I did. “I’m changing.”

  “We all do. Adaptability is a key component to survival. Those who do not change do not grow.”

  My lips quirked. “I didn’t realize I was about to get a lesson in philosophy.” But the smile quickly faded. “I know that change is inevitable, but I just feel like it’s happening so fast. I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to lose touch with my roots, and yet I feel like that’s exactly what I’m doing. I still wear this enforcer bracelet—” I brushed my thumb over the charm as I spoke “—but I haven’t been to the Guild or taken on a bounty in months. I still think of myself as a shifter, but I spend more time in human form than I used to, and I certainly don’t interact with the shifter community as much as I have in the past.”

  “Those sound more like life changes, not personal changes.”

  I frowned. “Are the two not the same? We are talking about my life here.”

  Iannis cupped my chin again, forcing me to meet his gaze. “It matters not that you wear dresses and robes rather than leathers—the package inside is still the same, Sunaya. What was the reason you decided to become an enforcer?”

  “To help those in need, fight corruption, and ensure justice is delivered,” I said without hesitation.

  “And is that not what still drives you?” Iannis challenged. “What motivated you to find homes for Tinari and Liu, what pushed you to shut down the Resistance even though you once thought you supported it? What drove you all the way to another country to assure our people remained safe from Thorgana’s deadly weapons? What pushes you, even now, to fight for equal pay for enforcers, even though many of them still mistrust you, and, as you said yourself, you are hardly there anymore?”

  His words stunned me into silence. “You may be wiser and less hotheaded than the girl who was dragged to my audience chamber in chains,” Iannis continued softly. “But your essential self has not changed, Sunaya. You still burn with all the passion and fire that made me fall in love with you.”

  He finally kissed me, and I flung my arms around him, tears stinging my eyes. Emotion swelled in my throat, and I poured it into our passionate embrace. Growling, Iannis deepened the kiss, and I moaned at the taste of him as he slid his tongue into my mouth. His strong arms banded around me, large hands sliding around my ass to lift me against him. Suddenly, he was lowering me onto the big canopy bed that I’d begun to think of as ours.

  “Let’s see if we can find an outlet for all that passion,” he said before covering my mouth with his again. And I was more than happy to oblige.

  3

  I awoke bright and early the next morning, full of energy and excitement. As usual, Iannis’s side of the bed was cold—he always woke earlier than I did, since he didn’t need nearly as much sleep. He was probably downstairs in his Guild office already, reading reports and compiling his list of tasks for today.

  Under normal circumstances, I would have snuggled back under the covers with one of Iannis’s pillows and let his scent lull me back to sleep since the idea of watching him do paperwork was boring. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that today. I had a busy day ahead of me, and I wanted to look my best, so I hopped out of bed and headed straight for the shower.

  During our voyage back from Garai, I’d convinced Iannis to let me set up a sort of consulting office, where once a week I would hear complaints and dispense advice to humans and shifters about any magical problems they ran into. We’d decided it wasn’t good enough to administer the yearly school testing—magic often awoke in children before the testing began and led to accidents when left unchecked. Offering a time and place where families could come and consult helped prevent unfortunate incidents. As it turned out, in the two sessions I’d had so far, there were lots of other problems I would never have learned about otherwise. As well as one or two scam artists I’d quickly thrown out. That had been the highlight of my day.

  Deciding it would be best to look as approachable as possible, I forewent my enforcer leathers and my dressier outfits in favor of a black
sweater, a pair of slacks, and a stylish dark red leather jacket. I left my hair unbound, but put on light makeup, making sure my weapons and harnesses were strapped on and secured. Yes, they made me look more intimidating, but I still had people out there who wanted me dead. It would be stupid to walk around defenseless, even if I did have a bodyguard now.

  “Rylan,” I called via mindspeak, wanting to make sure he was awake. “Get your furry ass in the shower.”

  “I’m up,” he grumbled, though his mental voice sounded a bit fuzzy. “Why exactly are we getting up so early again, if the Consulting Hour doesn’t start until ten?”

  “Because I want to visit Com and Elania. Now get going.”

  I met Rylan in the hall twenty minutes later. He stood outside my door, showered and dressed in his blue-and-gold Palace guard uniform. The gold pin on his collar held his illusion firmly in place—Rylan walked around as Lanyr Goldrin, a tiger shifter with golden-brown hair and a lean frame. But the illusion couldn’t hide the trademark wicked grin that he used on the ladies to great effect, or his swagger as he fell into step with me.

  “I trust you kept your promise last night when you were with Nelia?” I asked as we headed for the dining hall to grab some breakfast.

  “Sadly, yes. Nothing but a few stolen kisses.” He huffed out an exasperated breath. “I find it supremely unfair that you’re lecturing me about sex when you’re rolling in the sheets with Lord Iannis across the hall.”

  My cheeks colored as his point struck home. “I’m not a prude, and you know it,” I protested. “But Nelia doesn’t know who you really are, and it’s not fair to her to let her fall in love with you under false pretenses. Besides, you’re not actually in love with her, or am I mistaken?”

  “No,” Rylan admitted. “I’m not. Perhaps I should break it off with her. But she’s adorable in her way, and it’s not like I can go roaming about Solantha looking for other conquests in the meantime.”

  True. He was a prisoner under supervision, and I wasn’t about to become Rylan’s wing woman, not when I had bigger things to deal with. I had no doubt I would be called upon to assist with earthquake preparations, and between that and my apprenticeship, there wasn’t time for much else.

  We ate a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, and muffins, then hopped onto my bike and headed to the Port. The sun was hidden behind thick, iron-grey clouds, and a chill wind ripped through my leather jacket. Fall was here, in the turning leaves of the trees lining the streets and the pleasant scent of cedar and pine smoke rising from chimney stacks. Pedestrians were bundled in warm coats and scarves, and they hurried along a little faster than usual in an effort to get out of the cold.

  Traffic was heavy at this time of the morning, so it took us a good twenty-five minutes to get to Comenius’s shop. Since it wasn’t open for business, we went around the side and up the stairs to knock on the door.

  An uncharacteristically scruffy Comenius answered the door, his cornflower-blue eyes bleary from lack of sleep.

  “Well, hello!” he exclaimed, a smile blooming on his face despite the desperation in his eyes. “What a pleasant surprise.”

  “Hey, Com.” I embraced him, hugging him a little tighter than normal. By the looks of him, he needed it. He let us into his apartment, where Elania was busy cleaning away the dishes from breakfast. My eyebrows rose at the sight of a pile of eggs and shattered ceramic dishes on the floor that she was sweeping up, and she gave me an apologetic smile. At least, I thought that was what it was—it came out more like a grimace.

  “Sorry about the mess,” she said, straightening up. “We had a rather…eventful breakfast this morning.”

  “I see.” I looked around the apartment. It looked the same as always, but there was an edge of resentment in the air. “Where is Rusalia?”

  “In the bedroom,” Comenius muttered. “I banished her there after she refused to clean up the mess.” He scooped a hand through his ash-blond hair. “Her temper isn’t improving at all, I’m afraid.”

  “I can hear you talking about me!” a girlish voice called in a thick Pernian accent. Little feet stomped across the floorboards, and Comenius’s bedroom door flew open to reveal a girl of about ten with strawberry-blonde curls to her shoulders, dressed in a flannel frock and stockings. Her large blue eyes, identical to Com’s, flashed mutinously, and her rosebud mouth was turned down into a fierce scowl.

  “Hey there,” I said, in as friendly a tone as I could manage. After all, I knew what it was like to lose a mother at a similar age, though I’d never been allowed to express my grief in tantrums and broken dishes. “I’m Sunaya Baine, and this is my friend Lanyr.”

  “I know who you are,” Rusalia sneered, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You’re my father’s hybrid friend. I don’t want to talk to you.” She spun on her heel and made to storm back into the bedroom.

  “Rusalia,” Comenius thundered, but Rusalia acted as if she hadn’t even heard him. His eyes glittered with rage and despair—I’d never seen him so angry before, and I couldn’t blame him. This kid had a chip on her shoulder the size of Garai! Unwilling to let it go, I spoke the Words to a spell I’d tried out once or twice and flung out my hand.

  Before she could take another step, a golden rope shot from my outstretched hand and coiled around her waist, pulling her to an abrupt halt. A shriek of anger and surprise tore from her throat as she tried to both pull away and turn toward me, but before she could, I jerked hard on my magical lasso, pulling her off her feet and causing her to come sailing toward me.

  As terror flashed across her face, I reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, arresting her fall and stopping her in her tracks.

  “Now listen here,” I said sternly as the fear on her face turned to anger. She struggled, trying to pull away, but it was no use. I was way stronger than she was, and even if I wasn’t, my magic would hold her tight. “Your father is a good man, and he’s doing his best to take care of you. I don’t like the way you’re treating him, and he doesn’t either. What are you going to do if he throws you out onto the street?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

  “If he does that, then he’s just as bad as Mother always said,” Rusalia spat defiantly. For a moment, I wondered if she was trying to push her father far enough to confirm her suspicions about who she thought he was. “Let me go!”

  “Not until you apologize,” I insisted, ignoring her struggles even though part of me wanted to shake her for being so unreasonable. Didn’t she know how good of a person her father was?

  “You can’t leave me tied up like this forever.” Rusalia smirked up at me, all petulant defiance, practically daring me with her eyes to do just that.

  She was right, of course. I couldn’t leave her bound forever, but I could do something else. Something she’d never see coming.

  As I released my hold on her shoulders, I retreated two paces, leaving her bound by my spell. Confusion instantly replaced Rusalia’s triumphant look as I reached for the beast inside me. As the familiar white glow enveloped me, my body stretched and shifted, reshaping itself until I stood not on two legs, but four. Fangs, claws, and fur replaced my clothing and weapons, and I opened my mouth wide, letting out a fearsome snarl.

  Rusalia shrieked, darting behind her father for protection while she struggled against my binding spell. “Get her out of here,” she cried, huddling behind Comenius as best she could with her arms bound.

  “I think Sunaya’s still looking for an apology,” Rylan said, and Rusalia stiffened at his words. “She’s a lot more dangerous in this form. I mean, have you seen those fangs? Practically big as daggers,” he said, swallowing hard as he looked from me to her and back again. “You know how shifters are. She might not listen.”

  That was a total lie, of course, but it worked. Rusalia turned her wide gaze to me, still angry, but full of fear also. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, not bothering to look at me as she spoke. “Now let me go!”

  Knowing that was the best I was going to get, I cut the tie
s to my magic, releasing her in a flare of light and sound. As the remains of my spell shattered into ethereal shards, Rusalia was left standing there, eyes wide. She took a deep breath and stared at me like she was trying to decide what I’d do next. Then, obviously deciding I wouldn’t chase her down, she took off running into Comenius’s room.

  “Well, that went well,” Rylan said as the door slammed hard behind her.

  I sighed, shaking my head as I pulled my beast back inside me and returned to human form. It was going to take a lot to teach that girl, and I felt for Comenius. He shouldn’t have to deal with that kind of shit.

  “Thank you for trying to get through to her,” Comenius said, weariness filling his voice. “But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere like that again. She probably just hates me more now.”

  “I’m sorry.” My heart ached for Comenius’s predicament—I truly didn’t know what to do to help him. “Hopefully she’ll keep her head down for the rest of the day, at least.”

  “Perhaps we should consider taking her to a specialist,” Elania said from behind the kitchen counter. Her lips were pursed, her elegant black brows drawn together into a frown. “Someone who knows how to treat children who have suffered trauma. She needs professional help, Comenius.”

  “You’d have me hand my daughter off to someone else to take care of?” He shook his head. “Rusalia will hate me even more if I do that.”

  “Yeah, but it might be good to have a third party to help mediate between the two of you,” Rylan pointed out. “It’s clear you both have issues that need resolving.”

  Comenius scrubbed a hand across his face. “I will consider it. But money has been tight recently.”

  “You know I’m always happy to help you out with that,” I offered, but Comenius shook his head.

  “I appreciate that, Naya, but I am a grown man.” He gave me a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I have run from this problem long enough—I must face the consequences and deal with it on my own.” His expression softened a little. “Still, it means very much to me that you came over.”