Hunted by Magic (24 page)

I pressed my lips together, but said nothing more, only fetching a chair for Iannis so that he could sit and focus on healing the Minister. I opened the door to the corridor wide to let in some cleaner air before we all choked, then stood by and watched as Iannis worked his magic. A good hour passed as Iannis fought to drive the infection out, sweat beading on his brow as his jaw clenched with the strain. Watching Iannis heal the Minister gave me a new appreciation for him – he’d done this for me several times now, but because I’d been unconscious I had no idea it was such a strain on him. Or perhaps this disease was especially tough to beat, as he’d said.

Finally, Iannis removed his palm from the Minister’s forehead and sat back in his chair. “It’s done,” he exhaled, sounding both pleased and tired. There was an undercurrent of relief in his tone that suggested this healing had not been a sure thing at all. I wondered if other mages without his Tua heritage could have managed.

The Minister blinked open chocolate-brown eyes, and in the light of my flame I could see his complexion was much healthier. All the scabs had fallen off or disappeared, and there was no trace of pockmarks on his now-smooth skin. Confusion filled his expression as he pushed himself to an upright position.

“W-where am I?” he asked a little more loudly than I would have liked. His eyes fixed on me. “And who are you?”

“Shhhh.” Iannis’s voice was hushed, but soothing, as he drew the Minister’s attention to him. “It’s Iannis, the Chief Mage of Solantha. This is my apprentice, Sunaya Baine. You’ve been very ill, sir, and we came here to heal you.”

“Ill. Yes.” The Minister pushed a hank of sweat-laden hair from his handsome face. “I do recall not feeling very well and taking to my bed, but I don’t remember how I ended up
here
.” He cast a dubious look at the humble room and wrinkled his nose.

“The story that was given out to the Convention was that you were too sick to receive visitors, in quarantine for your own good,” Iannis said tightly. “But after some discreet questioning, we have determined there is a more sinister plot behind your quarantine.”

“What do you mean?” the Minister demanded in a querulous voice. “Who would dare?”

“I think we should table this discussion until after we’ve gotten out of here,” I interrupted, casting a nervous glance toward the window. The Minister had lowered his voice a bit, but he was still too loud, and I
really
didn’t want to tip the guards off to our presence after we’d worked so hard to go unnoticed.

“Yes, I agree.” Iannis stood up, then helped the Minister to his feet. “Miss Baine, help me escort the Minister downstairs. Once we have him safely back in the hotel suite, we can go over everything and decide what to do from there.”

I
can’t believe
I’m letting Iannis disguise me as Secretary Asward,
I grumbled to myself, arms folded across my chest as Iannis worked. We were standing in the living room area, and the delegate I was impersonating was sitting on one of the couches next to Bosal, drinking coffee and looking down his ugly nose at me. Said ugly nose now disfigured my own face too, and I could not wait for the time when I would be rid of it. But for now, there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

“I don’t understand why you’re taking Miss Baine along instead of me,” Asward complained yet again, and I rolled my eyes. Iannis had already explained to them what had happened with the Minister and why they were staying here so that the Minister and I could go to the Convention without being seen. “I understand why the Minister has to attend, of course –” here Asward stopped to incline his head respectfully at the Minister, who was standing next to me, “but Miss Baine has no legitimate reason to attend the Convention. It sets a terrible precedent.”

Iannis turned slowly to face Asward. “Are you questioning my authority, Secretary?”

Asward’s round face blanched. “Of course not, my lord. It’s just that –”

“Then the matter is settled. You and Secretary Bosal will stay here until I call for you. It will not do to have either of you anywhere near the Capitol Building while the Minister and Miss Baine are in disguise. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes.” Asward lowered his gaze, but the way he pressed his lips together told me that he wasn’t at all pleased with the decision.

As Iannis turned to apply the Minister’s illusion, I retreated to the island counter where the Finance Secretary was sipping his coffee so I could pour myself another cup. Iannis and I had stayed up late into the night briefing the Minister and discussing strategy. After the two of them had gone to bed to recover from their mutual ordeal, I’d catnapped on the couch, keeping my senses trained on the door in case any guards or Resistance soldiers came barging through the door looking for the Minister.

“This is going to be an interesting day,” Cirin murmured over his cup of coffee.

“No kidding.” I took a long sip, savoring the rich aroma and flavor. “The delegates are going to be in an uproar.”

“I believe we’re ready now,” the Minister said in Secretary Bosal’s voice. Aside from the more formal robes he wore, he looked exactly like the delegate. I touched my own head of hair, which was distressingly short and mousy and completely unlike the mane of curly black locks I was used to. But I was just going to have to get used to that – I only had to wear this disguise for a few hours, and honestly I was lucky Iannis had convinced the Minister to let me attend in the first place.

The traffic-heavy carriage ride to the Capitol Building was long and filled with tension. I looked out the window and tried to focus on the passing scenery and ignore the fact that my elbow and thigh were literally rubbing up against the most powerful man in the nation. Iannis had disclosed my true identity to the Minister, and though the man was courteous enough not to say it in front of me under the circumstances, he was not pleased that Iannis had chosen a hybrid apprentice. But the Minister had thanked me, albeit reluctantly, for rescuing Iannis from “those dangerous savages” and ensuring he made it to Dara for the Convention. I guessed that his ingrained disapproval of shifters warred against the fact that without my reconnaissance skills, he might well have been dead by now.

Despite my nerves, I couldn’t help my fascination as I entered the Great Rotunda for the first time. It was a huge, round room with a domed ceiling that soared impossibly high, pushing through the second story to crown the top of the building. A golden fresco made up entirely of runes swirled out from the center, and rimming the dome were small, arched windows that allowed sunbeams to filter in and bathe the room in light.

The seats were organized theater-style, with four rows that spanned the length of the room, except that in front of the red-covered chairs there were gleaming wooden tables where the delegates could set pen and paper and glasses of water. Each seat was designated by a golden place card on the table, announcing which delegate was to park his behind there, and small sheets of paper and pens had been set out at each station. Iannis led us to a group of seats in the top row, closest to the end. To my dismay, I was seated between the Minister and the Finance Secretary rather than next to Iannis, but there was little I could do about it. I cast my gaze to the center of the room, where a long desk had been set up, flanked by two smaller ones. Four mages sat at the largest desk, members of the Minister’s office who were running the Convention in his stead. Typewriters were set up at the smaller desks, and I assumed the mages clacking away at them were assistants or secretaries of some kind.

“Delegates,” a silver-haired mage called, and the way his voice reverberated throughout the room told me his voice was magically magnified. “The Convention is now in session. Please take your seats.”

There was a loud, collective rustle of clothing as the mages who were still standing obeyed, and then silence fell across the room. The silver-haired mage tapped his throat, then leaned in and conferred with the other mages at his table in hushed tones.

“That is Federation Secretary Yaris Brung,”
Iannis told me.
“He mostly deals with foreign affairs, but he is also known to be the current Minister’s right-hand man.”

“Gotcha,”
I replied, keeping my eyes trained on the conferring mages.

“There is other business to attend, but we will start with the vote for the next Federation Minister,” Secretary Brung announced. He picked up a black, rectangular box with a small slit in the top and spoke a Word, and the box began to levitate. “Before you, you will find pen and paper. Please write down your candidate of choice, and place your vote in the box when it comes your way.”

Before the procedure could start, a tall, elderly mage I had not noticed before asked for the floor.

“You may speak, Lord Ortho.”

“The Chief Mage of Suluris,” Cirin whispered for my benefit.

“Secretary Brung, has the ailing Minister not made some recommendation about his successor, as is the custom?”

Brung looked uncomfortable for a moment, but replied quickly enough, “No, Lord Ortho, most regrettably. Perhaps Lord Zavian felt too weak to do so. In any case, he deemed it best to leave the decision up to the Convention itself.”

Iannis and the disguised Minister exchanged a quick glance. I could sense the Minister’s shock at what had to be a brazen lie from a trusted subordinate, and imagined that he would be planning swift retribution against the traitor very shortly.

The box floated toward the delegate sitting at the end of the first row, and I watched as it hovered there, waiting while she carefully wrote out her choice on the piece of paper, then folded it neatly before placing it in the box. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Minister sit up straight, and I could only imagine how he must feel at having to sit here and watch the other delegates vote on his replacement as though he were already dead. His eyes narrowed as he watched the progress of the box across the room, and I half-wondered if he was somehow using magic to see how the delegates were voting. But there was no trace of the strong, burnt-sugar scent of a recently cast spell, so I figured he was just speculating.

I waited with bated breath as the box circulated around the room, going up row by row to allow each delegate to cast their vote. When it arrived at Lord Cedris’s section, he took his time slipping the piece of paper into the box, and there was a distinct smirk on his handsome face. Pompous ass. He was probably voting for himself anyway.

Eventually the box sailed up from the fourth row and straight to Iannis, hovering in front of him while it awaited his vote. I glanced over just as Iannis was folding his piece of paper in half, and nearly laughed out loud when I saw what he’d written on it.

“Do you really think I’d be a good choice as the next Federation Minister?”
I asked, allowing laughter to creep into my mental voice.

“Considering that this vote hardly matters, I thought I’d have a little fun.”
The humor in Iannis’s words made my lips twitch.
“I’m sure you would revolutionize the Northia Federation if you were in office.”

“Oh, you have
no
idea.”

The box went to the Finance Secretary next, and then to me. I poised my pen over my piece of paper, and I could feel the Minister’s eyes on me, practically burning a hole through my cheek. With a straight face, I quickly wrote
Minister Zavian Graning
on the slip of paper, then tucked it into the box.

The Minister smiled faintly, and I’ll be damned if he didn’t incline his head ever so slightly at me in approval.

When the box came to the Minister next, he picked up his folded piece of paper, then held it over the box for a moment as if he were about to drop it in. But after a few seconds, he put the piece of paper back down, then plucked the box out of thin air.

“Secretary Bosal, what is the meaning of this?” Secretary Brung demanded as the Minister stood up.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot vote for a new Federation Minister,” he said in Secretary Bosal’s voice, and just like that the illusion dropped away, revealing his true form. “Because you see, Secretary Brung, I
am
the Minister.”

There was a beat of silence as everyone stared slack-jawed at the Minister, and then the entire room erupted. As the delegates shouted and argued amongst themselves, I watched the blood drain from Lord Cedris’s face. His dark eyes glittered with rage, and I could practically taste his bloodlust from across the room.

“Minister!”
I warned as I noticed Coman discreetly coax Lord Cedris from his seat and lead him through the sea of delegates. “Lord Cedris is getting away!”

The Minister’s eyes flashed as he followed my gaze, and I pressed my hands against my ears as I watched him tap his fingers against his throat in preparation. “SILENCE!” he roared, his voice reverberating through the walls and floor, and all chatter ceased. “In light of recent events, I am ordering the arrest of Lord Cedris ar’Tarea, Chief Mage of Rhodea, as well as the other members of his delegation.”

“On what charges!” Lord Cedris demanded, his face turning beet-red as all eyes swiveled in his direction.

“Attempted murder, conspiring against the Federation, and aiding the Resistance, which is an act of treason,” the Minister snapped, and a collective gasp rose from the rest of the delegates.

“This is preposterous!” Lord Cedris shouted, sounding on the edge of hysteria now. He tried to make a break for it, but several other mages hit him with spells, and he froze into place. I sat back in my chair and watched with supreme satisfaction as the Minister had Cedris and his delegates clapped in rune-covered irons. But as they were dragged out of the room, I knew in my heart that this was only the beginning, and our work was far from done.

O
utrageously enough
, the Minister and his Secretaries refused to allow me to attend the interrogation. I wasn’t even allowed to listen outside. Iannis attempted to argue on my behalf, but the Minister was adamant – I wasn’t supposed to be here anyway, and he’d already extended enough “liberties” by allowing me into the Convention to attend the vote. Now that he had his position back, Lord Zavian was rapidly reverting to type – the very kind of self-satisfied, rigid high mage that the Resistance wanted to overthrow.

Liberties, my ass,
I seethed as the carriage took me back to the hotel. I wanted to take the liberty to punch the Minister right in his supercilious face. But that would probably get Iannis in trouble, so I’d tamped down on my rage and left the building as instructed.

When I got back to the hotel room, there was nobody there – the other delegates must have gone back to their own suite. Tears sprang to my eyes now that nobody was around to see them, and I blinked rapidly before they started trickling down my cheeks. It wasn’t fair. I’d rescued Iannis, we’d saved the Minister, and we’d captured Lord Cedris. I should have been on top of the world, dancing and celebrating and feeling triumphant. How was I supposed to exist in a world like this? A world where all sides consistently shunned and belittled me? How could I stand up for my ideals and fight for what was right, if the powers that be continued to stomp me into the ground every chance they got?

Fuck this,
I thought angrily, shoving one of the couches against the wall. I wasn’t going to languish in this stupid hotel suite feeling sorry for myself. If I had to stay here and wait for Iannis, the least I could do was make good use of the space. So I pushed all the living room furniture up against the walls, changed into a tank top and pants, and I did something I hadn’t had a chance to do in a long time.

I trained.

Training wasn’t so much about keeping in shape – my job as an Enforcer, not to mention the grueling trip over the past week, did a good enough job at that – but about honing my skills and sharpening my focus. Nevertheless, I worked through the usual strength and flexibility exercises before moving on to basic punches, kicks, rolls, and stances.

By the time I started on my first form, my bare arms were covered with a light sheen of sweat and most of the stress had drained from my body. As I glided through the motions, striving for grace rather than power, my troubled thoughts drifted away, and Roanas filled my mind instead. I could almost picture his tawny lion’s gaze watching me, and the sensation made me ache with sadness and happiness all at once. I missed him more than words could convey, and there were many times I wished I could hop on my bike and ride over to his house so I could talk my cases over with him.

But even though I couldn’t visit Roanas at his home anymore, I could still draw comfort from my memories of him, and wrap them around myself in times of trouble. Training was the perfect way to do that – with every kick and punch, every pivot and crouch, I could feel my mentor’s presence and encouragement almost as if he really were here with me.

By the time the door swung open, I was in the middle of my fourth form, so deeply focused that I didn’t even stop. I ducked an imaginary opponent from one end, then spun out of my crouch to crescent kick the one behind me, my foot whipping through the air at inhuman speed.

The sound of my flesh slapping against Iannis’s palm as he caught my foot jarred me from my trance-like state, and I jumped, then lost my balance. Thankfully Iannis let go of my leg and caught me around the waist before I toppled to the floor.

“I see you’ve done some redecorating,” he murmured, his violet eyes sparkling with amusement as he drew me closer.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice a little breathless – and not from the exertion. His chest was nearly touching mine, and the heat from his body felt good against my sweat-slicked skin. “I thought you’d appreciate it if I refrained from adding smashed furniture to your hotel bill.”

“Indeed,” Iannis agreed. He reached up and brushed a damp curl from my forehead. “I apologize for sending you back to the hotel, but I am glad you found an outlet for your frustration.”

“It’s alright.” I licked my lips as his fingers trailed fire across my skin. “I know that despite your ‘I’m all-powerful’ attitude, you can’t control everything.”

Iannis scoffed lightly. “I never said that I was all-powerful.”

“No, but you sure act like it most of the time.” Grinning, I danced out of his reach, not because I didn’t like him touching me but because I liked it a little
too
much. Despite the fact that I’d thoroughly enjoyed the kiss he’d given me, I didn’t think it was a good idea to let him do it again after I’d given him an ultimatum. If he wanted me, he was going to have to make a decision before I’d let him take any more liberties.

I just hoped he decided before I ran out of time.

“So, are you going to tell me about this interrogation?” I asked as I plopped down on one of the couches that I’d shoved against the wall. “I hope it’s not all bad news.”

“As a matter of fact, it’s not.” Iannis sat down on the opposite end of the couch, twisting his body sideways to face me and leaning an arm on top of the white upholstery. “Lord Cedris doesn’t know who the Benefactor is.”

I turned my head to scowl at him. “I thought you had
good
news.”

“He doesn’t know who the Benefactor is, but he admitted that someone
did
contact him about a month before the Convention with blackmail photographs of a rather sordid nature,” Iannis continued blithely. “Professionally taken, too. This person would only communicate to him via post and parcel, but they basically promised him the position of Minister if he followed their instructions, and threatened to expose his indiscretions if he balked. If those photos had been published, Cedris would have had to resign from office and face trial by the Convention.”

“Huh.” I pressed my lips together as I absorbed that information. “Does that mean we’re supposed to forgive him or something?”

“Certainly not. He should have come to the Minister immediately with a full confession, and would have gotten off with a much lighter penalty. Instead he’s guilty of treason for his dealings with the Benefactor, since it’s clear his actions were benefitting the Resistance. He knew about the planned attack on my dirigible, which is why he was so displeased when I arrived at the Convention after all. The Benefactor must have reckoned that my presence would make it harder for Cedris to swing the vote, so they tried to eliminate me to ensure he would get the position. Secretary Brung was being blackmailed for different reasons, and was told that the Minister would fall ill several days before any symptoms appeared. It was between the two of them that they were able to isolate the Minister so effectively.”

“By Magorah.” I shook my head at that. “If one of the Secretaries is capable of being blackmailed, then the Benefactor probably blackmailed or bribed additional delegates to help swing the vote.”

“I agree.” Iannis nodded. “Those who strongly campaigned on Cedris’s behalf are being rounded up and interrogated as well, since unsurprisingly none of them are coming forward. The Minister is putting together a special task force to track down the Benefactor and eradicate the Resistance, and he’s asked me to be part of it.”

I jerked. “And are you?”

“Of course.” Iannis frowned at my reaction. “How could I not? The Federation will never be safe until this madness is stopped.”

“I know, I know, it’s just that…” I scraped my hands through my hair and tried to figure out how to say this.

“What is it?” Iannis’s tone softened.

I lifted my gaze to his again. “It’s just that I know the Minister isn’t going to want me anywhere near this task force, and you’re going to be so busy there’s no way you’re going to have time to train me.” A lump formed in my throat.

“Ah, but that’s where you are wrong.” Iannis smiled. “I told the Minister in no uncertain terms that you’ve been invaluable in uncovering all these conspiracies, and that if he wanted me on the task force you would be working with me.” The smile turned into a smirk. “He said that since you’re my apprentice I can do whatever I want, but of course that was just his way of saving face while agreeing.”

I laughed a little at the twinkle in his eye. “How clever of you.”

“Indeed.” His face grew serious again. “But whether or not he agreed, I already made a promise to you that I wouldn’t neglect your training again, Sunaya. I will reduce your apprenticeship duties at the Mages Guild so that you have more time to focus on spellcasting and other lessons. I suspect we will need the extra time as members of this new task force in any case.”

“No kidding.” I bit my lip as another thought occurred to me. “Did Cedris or Brung say how the Minister caught the disease in the first place?”

“The Benefactor was in charge of the arrangements, so I assume he somehow made it happen. I just don’t understand how such a thing is possible without magic.” Iannis frowned.

“Perhaps that is why nobody else caught it from the Minister, if it’s supposed to be so contagious.” My mind was spinning with the implications. If the Benefactor could target specific enemies with common ailments, what prevented him from spreading some plague that killed only mages, or worse, only shifters?

“If I asked Noria or Elnos, I’m pretty sure they’d say it’s the power of human science and give me some fancy term or something that I can’t pronounce.” I smiled a little, but my heart sank as I remembered the turmoil I’d left behind in Solantha. Would Noria still be there, or had she run off to join the fight by now? I hated the thought of us becoming enemies. Was there any way I could warn her about the task force, without at the same time being disloyal to Iannis or helping the Resistance? I needed to convince Rylan to get out as well, although I doubted he’d want to talk to me after learning I’d used his name to infiltrate a Resistance camp.

“You should pack your things,” Iannis said as he rose. “We’ll be leaving for Solantha in the evening.”

“Alright,” I said dully. I hopped off the couch and headed back to my own room, my heart heavy. Even though I’d accomplished what I’d set out to do here in Dara, I was dreading the idea of going home.