“Ha-ha,” he deadpanned before heading toward the bathhouse.
I grabbed my cloak. Since I had the time, I stopped by Irys’s office on my way to the gate. She called me in before I could knock. Her office was similar in size to Bain’s, but much neater and not as many books.
A red-tailed hawk sat on a perch by the window. He squawked at me in greeting.
“Hello, Odwin. Who’s the handsome fellow?”
The hawk flexed his wings, showing off.
“That’s right, you are.” I stroked his head.
“Don’t encourage him. His ego is big enough,” Irys said.
“Any news?” I asked.
Irys pushed a strand of black hair from her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “I reviewed the logbooks for the past two weeks, and Quinn hasn’t left the Keep. I also talked to him between classes. He said he can’t draw magic into the glass. Opal tried to teach him to use the empty glass orbs like she did when siphoning magic, but he couldn’t. So far, all he’s able to do is make his magic stick to the glass.”
“Are you sure he was telling the truth? Maybe Leif—”
“I think I can spot a lie by now, Yelena.”
“Sorry.” More good/bad news.
“I’m glad he’s not involved. And you should be, too. Quinn’s a valuable asset.”
“I know. I’m being...overly emotional.” I huffed. “Do you know at one time I wished I didn’t have any magic?”
“I’m sure you did. I did, too. We all have. Ask any magician and she will be able to tell you exactly when she wished to be ordinary.”
Ordinary. Could I get used to the idea of being ordinary?
“Oh no. Cut that out,” Irys admonished. “You will never be ordinary. Don’t worry, Yelena. We’ll find out what happened to you.”
* * *
“The market closes for supper time. Fisk will probably be at his guild’s headquarters,” Leif said when he joined me at the gate.
“Is he still at—”
“No. He found a more secure location.” Leif glanced around and then lowered his voice. “It’s in one of the outer southern rings.”
We headed west from the Keep’s entrance.
“Let’s take the scenic route,” Leif suggested.
Ah. Leif wanted to ensure no one followed us.
As we entered the central business district, Leif cut through a couple of alleys and zigzagged through the streets. The sunlight disappeared behind the Citadel’s walls and the lamplighters began their nightly ritual.
“Is Fisk still having trouble with that rival gang?” I asked.
“Yes. They’re bold and have been trying to put him out of business. Fisk keeps telling me he’s taking care of it, but I’ve heard many shoppers grumbling at the market stalls. Those interlopers cheat, steal and bribe merchants to give them better prices than they give Fisk’s members.”
A few people hurried past us. Probably heading home for supper. The majority of the Citadel’s citizens lived in the northwest and southwest quadrants. However, a number of warehouses had been converted into apartments, which the Keep and government workers had snapped up along with a few business owners who wished to be close to their factories.
“What a shame. That rival gang could have joined his guild and all worked together.” Why couldn’t they just leave Fisk alone and let his guild operate in peace? Was it jealousy? Greed? Spite? Hate? Probably a combination of all of them.
“I think Fisk is in over his head on this one. Maybe I could ask my brother-in-law for a little favor.”
“How can Mara’s brother, Ahir, help?” I asked.
“Not Ahir—Valek.”
“Valek isn’t your brother-in-law.”
“Why not? You’ve been together for... What? Eight million years. And he’s, like...eighty by now.”
I punched him in the arm.
“Ow!” He rubbed his biceps. “Oh, I see. He hasn’t asked you. No wonder you’re sensitive.”
“Leif,” I warned.
He ignored it. “Yes?”
I pressed my fists to my legs. “We’ve been busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Rescuing a kidnapped brother, for one.” I gave him a pointed look.
“Uh-huh. Too busy to get married. That’s a new one. Does that mean he asked—”
“Drop it.”
“Wish I could,” he muttered.
And then I understood. “Who put you up to this? Mother?”
He ducked his head. “She just wants you to be happy.”
“And why in the world would she think I’d be happier if I was married? If anything, it would make it harder to be apart from Valek.”
“Maybe she sees how happy I am and wishes the same for you.”
Oh.
“And I’ve been picking up quite a range of emotions from you, sister dear. You’re never this easy to read.” He turned to me as if he’d just figured it out.
“Wait,” I said. “We’ll discuss it with Fisk.”
By the time Leif was satisfied no one had followed us, we had looped around to the south side of the market. Glancing over his shoulder, he slipped into a narrow alley. I stayed close to him and kept my hand near the hilt of my switchblade. The alley dead-ended.
“Are you lost?” I joked.
Instead of a sarcastic retort, he gaped at me, horrified. Without thought, I yanked my weapon and triggered the blade, turning.
“No one is there, Yelena,” Leif said in a tight voice. “You just confirmed what I thought was impossible.”
I faced him. He had discovered I no longer had magic. It hadn’t taken him long. Once again, Irys’s advice about lying low rose in my mind. Smart woman. Perhaps I should listen to her.
Leif pointed to the side wall. “It’s an illusion.” He stepped right through the bricks.
Holding my hands out, I followed him. No tingle swept my arms as I entered a dark alcove. Leif rapped a series of knocks on the door and waited. A beam of light shone through a small peephole.
“Kinda late for a visit,” a voice said.
“It’s never too late to lend a helping hand,” Leif said.
The door swung wide, allowing us in.
Momentarily blinded, I stumbled over the threshold.
Fingers grasped my elbow, steadying me.
“Lovely Yelena, always a pleasure to see you,” Fisk said, releasing his grip.
My vision adjusted to the brightness. We stood in a foyer. Rooms branched out on three sides. Straight ahead, a fire burned in a small hearth. The enticing aroma of beef filled the air. Leif’s stomach grumbled.
I gazed up at Fisk. No longer a boy, he towered over me by a good eight inches. His light brown eyes matched the color of his shaggy hair. Clean-shaven and muscular, he’d filled out quite a bit since I’d seen him last. Except for the impish intelligence in his gaze, he was a far cry from the malnourished, filthy street rat he’d been when we first met.
“Hello, Fisk. How’s business?” I asked.
“Never better.”
“Are you sure?” I gestured around. “You’ve moved again.”
“That I did. However, we plan to stay here for quite some time. Let me give you a tour.”
The room to the right opened up into a large area crowded with bunk beds. Members of the Helper’s Guild either sat or stretched out on the mattresses. Others huddled together, playing a game of dice, and some gathered in groups, talking and laughing. They all called a hello to me and Leif.
To the left of the foyer was a classroom.
“We still have weekly meetings and are always training new recruits.” He pointed down a hallway on the other side. “There are a few more training rooms down there. Unfortunately, we had to te
ach everyone self-defense, and a couple of the older members are learning how to fight with swords and knives.”
“That bad?” Leif asked.
“It’s getting worse.”
“We can—”
“No, thank you. I’m handling it. Once I find their leader, there won’t be a problem.” The steel in his voice ended that discussion.
I peeked down the hallway. “I’m guessing there are classes in information gathering, as well.”
Fisk grinned. “Information can be a profitable business. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s why you’re here.”
Leif’s stomach grumbled again.
Fisk laughed. “That and for a bowl of Amberle’s beef stew.”
My brother perked up. “If you insist...”
The kitchen and dining area filled the room opposite the foyer. Long wooden tables stretched in rows to the left.
“Wow, these rooms are bigger than you think. How much space do you have?” Leif ladled out a big helping of stew.
“My guild occupies the entire ground floor of this facility.”
“Nice. Let’s hope the owner lets you stay for a while.”
“Oh, he will.”
A gleam in Fisk’s eyes gave him away.
“You own this building,” I said.
“Yup. I’m converting the three upper levels into apartments.”
“Wow, a landlord at... How old are you?” Leif asked between bites of stew.
“Seventeen.”
Leif spat out a mouthful of beef. After sputtering and coughing, he gasped, “I...need a new job. Are you...hiring?”
“Always. Yelena, are you hungry?” Fisk filled a bowl.
“No, thank you. You were right about needing information. Is there someplace private we can talk?”
“Of course.”
Carrying his dinner, Fisk led us through the classroom and down the hallway to the very end. He unlocked a door and ushered us into a large living space. The ceiling spanned two stories over half the room. It appeared a loft had been built over the other half. While a couch, armchairs and tables occupied the center, Fisk had converted the space below the loft into an office.
Fisk sat in one of the nubby red armchairs and cradled the stew in his lap. Leif flopped into the opposite chair without waiting for an invitation and I settled on the couch. A glass sculpture of two life-size hands spread out like wings with their thumbs together rested on the table between the armchairs.
“Is that one of Opal’s statues?” I asked Fisk.
“Yes. Lovely, isn’t it?”
I gazed at Fisk. Was it one of her magic detectors? The Councilors each owned one but, so far, the distribution of the detectors was limited. “Yes. It matches the design of the necklaces your members wear.”
Leif grunted in amusement. He stared at the sculpture with a crinkled brow. Inside the clear glass a spark of light flashed in response to Leif’s magic. “Handy.”
“Yes, it is. And, yes, Opal gave it to me.” Fisk smiled. “You’ve been hanging out with politicians too long, Yelena. No need to dance around a subject. I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Sorry. Some habits are hard to break.” I gestured to the detector. “Are they available on the black market?”
“No. But fakes are showing up, which means the real thing is probably not far behind.”
“Will you let me know when that happens?” Leif asked.
“Of course. Is that why you’re here?”
“No.” I traced the black-and-white diamond pattern of the couch’s fabric with my finger. How to start?
“Then how can I help?” Fisk asked.
Might as well just jump right in. “Have you heard of a drug or poison that blocks a person’s magic?”
Leif’s spoon froze halfway to his mouth, but he kept quiet. Very un-Leif-like.
“You mean something like Curare?” Fisk asked.
“Yes, but without the paralyzing effect.”
He rubbed a hand along his chin. “I haven’t heard of anything, and considering it would be an effective weapon against magicians, I doubt the criminal element could keep it quiet for long.” Fisk met my gaze. “Are you guessing about its existence or do you have evidence?”
Now who was acting like a politician? “I’m speculating.” I explained about the attack.
Leif cursed. “It’s worse than I’d thought. Are you all right?”
I gave him a flat look.
“Oh, right. Dumb question. Have you—”
Interrupting him, I filled them in on our efforts to discover the cause of my affliction. “...and we were hoping you might have information,” I said to Fisk.
“Sorry, but this is the first I’ve heard about it.” He set his half-full bowl aside. Fisk had stopped eating during my story. “I can make a few discreet inquiries.”
“That would be great. What about the assassin? Do you know anyone who has those abilities?”
“Not operating out of the Citadel.”
He had answered so fast I asked him if he was sure.
“Unfortunately. Assassins make a point to let my guild members know they are available for hire just in case we get a request. Not that we’d ever help a client hire an assassin, but we keep track just in case.”
“Are you still expanding to other cities?” I asked.
He frowned. “No. That’s on hold until I settle things here.”
“I can help—” Leif tried.
“No.” Fisk sighed at Leif’s hurt puppy-dog look. “Thanks, Leif, but you’re too well-known in the Citadel. I’ve a couple members on the inside and it’s just a matter of time.”
“You’ll let us know if you need anything?” Leif asked.
“Of course.”
Leif turned to me. “You should have told me sooner.”
“I just arrived today.”
He waved away my excuse. “You’re vulnerable and unprotected.”
I drew a breath, but clamped my mouth shut before Leif reminded me about our sparring match.
“I can weave a null shield into your cloak, but that’s a temporary measure. I’ll get you something that will work better.”
“Than a null shield?”
Leif glanced at Fisk. “It’s similar,” he hedged.
Fisk grinned. “The new glass magician can probably make you a glass pendant to wear that will kept a null shield around you at all times.”
Red splotches spread over Leif’s cheeks. “How did you...? Oh, never mind. At least you didn’t hear it from me. Right?”
“Right. You’re a vault.”
I suppressed a smile over Fisk’s word choice. “Then who did you hear it from?”
“Ah, Lovely Yelena, I can’t give away my sources. Otherwise no one would trust me.”
A light tapping sounded. Fisk excused himself and answered the door. “I’ll be right back,” he called as he slipped out.
Leif stood. “Give me your cloak.”
I shrugged it off and handed it to him. He spread it out on the floor. Kneeling next to the cloak, he stroked the fabric with the tips of his fingers, going from the top of the hood down to the hem, then repeating. The glass hands sculpture flashed and flickered as if agitated. Leif turned the cloak over and continued, touching every inch. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He sat back on his heels when he finished, pulling off his short cape. Lines of strain etched his face and sweat stains peppered his shirt.
Scanning the room, I spotted a pitcher of water and poured Leif a drink. He downed the cool liquid in a couple of gulps. When his strength returned, he lumbered to his feet, bringing my cloak with him.
Leif tossed it at me. “Use it for a blanket until I talk to Quinn. You also need a bodyguard. Perhaps Irys c
an assign—”
“No bodyguard.”
He set his square jaw and crossed his arms—did they teach this to all the boys at a certain age?
“You’re getting a bodyguard. If not one of the Keep’s guards, then who do you suggest?” His posture dared me to argue.
Since he was so determined... “How about you?”
I’d surprised him, but he recovered within a heartbeat. “I can’t because I’m going to track down the assassin.”
“Leif—”
“Don’t ‘Leif’ me. I have law-enforcement contacts all throughout Sitia. One of them has to have heard about this assassin.”
“And you’re going to travel to every major city in Sitia?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
So sweet and impractical. “It’ll take seasons, Leif. Seasons away from Mara.”
His shoulders drooped a bit.
“Perhaps we should wait until we have an idea of which direction to look. Valek promised to check his sources and send me any information on the assassin he finds.”
Leif relaxed his arms.
“And in the meantime, you could be my bodyguard. Plus it wouldn’t look strange for us to be together so much.”
The stubborn line in his jaw disappeared. I kept my expression neutral. If I gloated, he’d insist on assigning me a big bruiser as a bodyguard.
Fisk returned. Concern creased his face. “I think I know who hired the assassin to attack you, Yelena.”
But that was good news. Why did he look so grim?
“Spit it out, Fisk,” Leif said.
“Ben Moon escaped from Wirral Prison.”
Oh no. I sat on the edge of the couch. “How long ago?”
“Eleven days.”
Not long enough to stage the attack.
“The authorities believe he had help,” Fisk said as if reading my mind.
Leif and I exchanged a glance. We’d had dealings with Ben before. Not only was Ben a powerful magician, but he had inherited notes on magic from his great-great-grandfather, who had been Master Magician Ellis Moon. Perhaps somewhere in those notes was mention of a substance that blocked magic.
“We should inform the Council,” I said.
Fisk’s expression darkened. “They already know.”