Hunted by Magic (5 page)

“I can do the piloting,” Annia offered, “so if you’ve got the funds to procure a ship we should be good to go.”

I arched a brow. “Since when are you able to pilot an airship?”

Annia grinned. “I dated a freighter captain during my college days, and I spent a lot of time with him aboard his ship between breaks.”

“Spending a few months aboard the ship doesn’t necessarily qualify one as a pilot,” Fenris pointed out, sounding skeptical. “Are you sure you can manage this?”

“Hey, give me some credit!” Annia sounded a bit miffed. “I didn’t just spend time watching him pilot the ship – I made him teach me, and I was pretty close to getting my pilot’s license when we broke up. I wouldn’t offer to pilot the ship if I thought I was going to get us killed.”

Unfortunately, it turned out that Annia’s offer was useless, because despite calling around at all the likely places, we simply couldn’t find any kind of airship. The few ones available to rent had already been snatched up by wealthy families looking to get out of Solantha before the shit hit the fan, and we didn’t know anyone we could ask to borrow a ship from.

“Well this sucks,” I said as I slammed the phone down on the receiver again. “How the fuck are we supposed to get to the Chief Mage if we can’t get an airship?”

“I’m not sure,” Fenris admitted, looking just as put out. “Right now we might have better chances of finding a dragon to take us than an actual airship.”

“Since dragons don’t exist, I find that really depressing.”

“Actually,” Annia said, holding up a finger in thought. “I might have an idea of where we might be able to get an airship. Or at least something like it.”

“Oh yeah?” Hope blossomed in my chest. “Where?”

Annia winked. “Only our favorite little redhead, of course.”

“
I
am
not
letting
you guys borrow my balloon,” Noria insisted, arms crossed over her chest as she scowled at us. Elnos stood behind her, dressed in a pair of patched robes streaked with grime – the two of them had been wrestling with some kind of large, mechanical device before we’d walked into the workshop space they rented at the Academy.

“Why the hell not?” I demanded, gesturing at said balloon. It took up the entire left half of the workshop space, and resembled a giant wicker basket with a strange blanket hanging off it that was bolted to some metallic contraption, presumably something from which to burn coal. “It doesn’t look like you’re using it, and we need it.”

“Our magitech balloon is highly experimental, and not ready,” Elnos protested, stepping forward to take control of the conversation. He spread his hands imploringly, as if trying to make us see reason. “We’ve never taken it farther than the bay, and we’re still tweaking some of the mechanism. We have no idea if it would survive a trip all the way out to Mexia.”

“Besides,” Noria added, tossing her head, “I’m really not interested in helping the Mages Guild. With the Chief Mage gone, maybe the Resistance can finally get something done around here.”

“Noria!” Annia snapped. “Without the Chief Mage to rein everyone in, all we’re going to accomplish is turning Solantha into a messy battleground.”

“So?” Noria lifted her chin. “You have to fight a few battles in order to win a war. Fighting for freedom means you have to be willing to suffer casualties.”

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth, “but that doesn’t mean the Chief Mage has to be one of those casualties.”

Noria turned her scornful gaze on me. “You know, you’ve really changed, Naya. Just a few months ago, you wouldn’t have lifted a single finger to help the Chief Mage or his band of entitled cronies.”

“That was before the Chief Mage saved my life,” I said evenly.

“Alright,” Annia said before we could take the argument further. “Politics aside, you owe me a crapload of favors, Noria, and it’s time for me to cash in now.”

Noria paled. “You can’t be serious.
This
is what you’re calling in that favor for?”

“Damn straight. I want that bounty, and Naya wants the Chief Mage. We’re killing two birds with one stone, and you’re going to help us by giving me that balloon.”

“And just how are you going to steer it?” Noria demanded. “We haven’t perfected the steering mechanism yet; it still requires a mage to pilot.” Her eyes shifted toward me. “Preferably one who knows what she’s doing.”

I hesitated, but to my surprise Fenris spoke up. “I’m sure we won’t have a problem figuring it out. Elnos, you can show us the basics, can’t you? Between Sunaya and myself we should be able to keep it going long enough to get us to our destination.”

“Sure,” Elnos agreed, ignoring Noria’s death glare. A mage himself, he was the strange exception in Noria’s life, but only because he believed that magic should be equally accessible to all. Hence why they worked together experimenting with magitech – devices that were powered by both magic and technology. “I’ve no problem teaching you the basics. We don’t want them to die, after all, now do we?” He arched his brows at Noria.

“Of course not.” Noria huffed out a breath, crossing her arms again as she pinned Annia with a gimlet stare. “But after this, you and I are square. Clear?”

“Clear.”

A
fter a brief lesson
from Elnos on how to handle the balloon, we set out to gather supplies. Since Fenris couldn’t get back into the Palace to retrieve anything, he and I had to go shopping for travel gear as well as camping supplies for all of us.

“This trip would be much simpler if we weren’t bringing your friend Annia along,” Fenris grumbled as he plucked a bedroll off the shelf of the only camping store that was even open today. I’d spelled us to look like a couple of human students so that we wouldn’t draw attention. “She’s just a human. If something happens to that balloon and we end up stranded somewhere, she’s sure to be a hindrance.”

“Maybe,” I allowed as I inspected the spoons of one of the mess kits I’d put into our shopping basket. There was a tiny nick on the edge of the implement, and I turned back to the shelf I’d grabbed it from so I could replace it. “But Annia’s a damn good Enforcer, and I could use someone with fighting experience at my back.”

“I’m perfectly capable of defending myself,” Fenris said stiffly, tossing the bedroll back and choosing another.

I rolled my eyes, then grabbed his wrist and turned his palm up. “Not a single callus on these bad boys,” I remarked pointedly. “I’m not going to pretend I know what your past is, but if you’ve done any fighting, it was long enough ago that there’s no trace of it on your body.”

“You’re right.” Fenris snatched his hand back, glaring at me with his yellow shifter eyes. “You don’t know what my past is. As I’ve said, I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.”

“That may be so, but I’m still taking Annia,” I said coolly. “Remember that without her, we wouldn’t have the balloon. So you’ll have to put up with the ‘inconvenience’ of it, or find another mode of transportation.”

Fenris held my gaze for a moment longer, then looked away and sighed. “I suppose I can’t argue with that. It’s just…this is a very sensitive mission, Sunaya. The more people involved, the greater the danger that things can go wrong. Her sister sides with the enemy.”

“I get it, but we need Annia. Besides, I trust her implicitly. She’s not going to fuck us over.”

“For Iannis’s sake, I hope you’re right.”

“
A
lright
,” I said when we were all gathered around the balloon outside the workshop. Elnos and Noria had dragged the contraption to the small lot behind the shop to prepare it for liftoff. It was already inflated, the magical coal activated and burning brightly. “Guess it’s time for us to get on this thing.”

Fenris winced a little as he took in the neon-bright purple and yellow fabric of the balloon itself. “We’re not going to blend in very well.”

“Yeah, well I wasn’t exactly creating this for a stealth mission,” Noria snapped. She stepped up onto the platform we were going to use to board the balloon, then tapped the sandbags hanging off the basket. “Remember, these guys stay on here. The whole point is to make sure the balloon doesn’t rise too fast when you lift off. The only exception is if for some reason you guys lose altitude and you’re plummeting to the ground too fast. Then you drop them to lighten your load and slow your descent.”

“We get it, Noria,” Annia said quietly. There was a sadness in her dark eyes as she looked at her sister, and I wondered if it was because of the rift that had sprung between them when Annia had demanded Noria give up the balloon, or because of Noria’s pro-Resistance attitude.

“Alright, well if you’re so sure, let’s get you boarded.” Noria’s narrowed eyes surveyed us. “You guys sure about this? Once you’re gone, it’s pretty hard to come back.”

“We’re sure.” I eyed Noria’s stiffened spine and rock-hard shoulders, then stepped forward and embraced her. She jolted in surprise at my touch, and I felt guilty that she would react this way to a show of affection from me. “Thank you so much, Nor. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Noria sighed a little, hugging me back, and when I pulled away I was surprised to see a film of tears in her eyes. “I just want you all to be safe, and going out there to rescue the Chief Mage, especially at a time like this, is reckless. He’s got boatloads of magic, Naya – surely he can take care of himself.”

I snorted. “You’re here to talk to me about recklessness?” In that department Noria was even worse than I was. “Besides, if it were Elnos out there, wouldn’t you be going regardless of the danger?”

“I
love
Elnos.” Noria arched a brow. “Are you trying to tell me that you love the Chief Mage?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said lightly, though my heartbeat began to pick up at the accusation. “But he’s my mentor now, and I’ve already lost one of those this year. I don’t want to lose another.”

“Alright.” Noria sighed, then stepped aside to give me access to the platform. “Go on, then.”

“Wait!”

I turned at the sound of Comenius’s voice, and a smile broke out across my face as I watched him hurry into the lot with Elania on his heels. His features sagged with relief as he took us all in. “Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t miss you.”

“Me too.” I stepped forward and into Com’s waiting embrace. “Will you check on Lakin for me whenever you get a moment? I know you’re not really comfortable with being in Shiftertown, but I’m sure his hands are more than full, and there are probably many wounded that could use your assistance.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Comenius hugged me tightly, and I laid my head on his shoulder, soaking up his comforting embrace. His herbal scent surrounded me, and as I glanced over his shoulder at Elania, I was surprised to see jealousy in her dark eyes as she regarded us silently. But as soon as I stepped out of the embrace, the look in her eyes was gone, and a warm smile spread across her features as she came to hug me as well.

“May the gods be with you, Sunaya,” she told me.

“And you.” Truthfully, I had no idea what she meant by that, as I’d always operated under the assumption that there was one god – Magorah. I’d only recently found out that mages worshipped a version of Him called the Creator, as well as His right-hand woman, the first mage Resinah. I was still trying to wrap my head around what was true, but I couldn’t deny that I’d felt a strong, powerful presence in Resinah’s temple, and more than once I’d even imagined hearing her voice.

I stepped onto the platform, then turned back to face Noria as a thought occurred to me. “Promise me something.”

“What?”

“Will you wait to join the Resistance?” When Noria’s face stiffened, I added, “At least until we get back? I’d hate to think this is the last time we’ll see you.” Once Noria joined up with the Resistance she would become an outlaw, and would have to flee to one of the Resistance’s hidden camps.

“I’ll try,” she allowed, her voice tight. “But no promises.”

I nodded, then boarded the balloon. It was the best I could hope for.

“Take care of my sister, will you?” Annia called to Elnos as she hopped into the basket with me.

“Of course.” Elnos nodded solemnly. Although he wouldn’t – or rather, couldn’t – stop Noria from joining the Resistance, he wasn’t a fan of the idea. He would try to hold her off as long as possible.

“Alright,” Fenris said as he settled himself into the basket along with us. “Let’s get going.”

Noria and Elnos rushed to cut the ropes tying the balloon to the ground. As they did, I took hold of the rope dangling from above, which I was supposed to direct my magic through to steer the balloon. I gripped the edge of the basket with my other hand as the balloon began to rise into the air, slowly, ever so slowly, and I watched as we crested the tops of the various buildings that made up the compound of the Academy. Soon we were high enough to see all of Rowanville – I could make out my apartment building, clustered in between so many of the other buildings and shops in Rowanville, and further up, the Port, nestled alongside Solantha Bay’s glittering coast. Turning my neck, I also caught sight of Solantha Palace, Iannis’s home, its towers and turrets spearing the gorgeous blue sky. The sun was halfway up its ascent to noon, casting bright rays over the glittering Bay waters, and I felt a tug at my heart. Solantha might be unsafe for me right now, but it was still my home, and I hated to leave it.

“Sunaya.” Fenris’s voice was at my ear. “You need to steer now, or the wind is going to blow us off course.”

“Right.” The wind was already pushing the balloon in a northwesterly direction, and we needed to head southeast. I cast one last glance toward Solantha, my eyes briefly lingering on Hawk Hill across the bay where Resinah’s temple was secluded, then turned away. Focusing, I mumbled the Words that Elnos had taught me, and the burnt-sugar scent of magic laced the air as the rope between my fingers began to glow. Some directional instinct activated inside of me, a product of the spell, and I tugged the rope in the direction I wanted the balloon to follow.