I studied Bain, his white hair a messy cloud around his head. Did he know about Ben? “Do you think they sent an assassin after me?”
“Oh no, no.”
“But how would you know? They’re all protected by null shields during meetings. They can lie with abandon.”
Bain straightened as if affronted. “My dear child, I can spot a liar without using my magic. And I can also sense when a person is holding information back.” He gave me a pointed look.
“So I’m not supposed to withhold information, but you can if you call it Council business?”
“What are you referring to?” His hard gaze slid past my shoulder.
I turned in time to see Irys stride into his office.
Fury sparked in her eyes. “She is referring to Ben Moon’s rescue.”
“Who?” Bain asked.
As Irys explained, the tight lump in my throat lessened. Always a relief to discover that your mentor and friend hadn’t been lying to you.
“The Council has kept this from us, Bain. And this isn’t the first time.”
He pulled at his sleeve. “No, it is not. But it is the first of this magnitude.”
“We should ban null shields from our meetings.”
“For what purpose? We are not allowed to rifle through their thoughts. It’s against the Ethical Code.”
Irys growled in frustration. “We need more master-level magicians!”
“While I agree there is always need for more, why do you think they would help in this situation?”
“They’d aid in changing the sentiment in the Council.”
“What sentiment?” I asked.
Irys leaned against Bain’s desk. “The anti-magician sentiment.” She threw her arms wide. “With all the discoveries about how to neutralize us—Curare, null shields, voids—they believe we’re weak and vulnerable and corruptible.”
Her comment slammed into me almost as hard as the arrow. “How could...? What...?” Unable to pull together a complete sentence, I shut my mouth.
“The convenience of certain magicians, like healers, has been such a part of their daily life they don’t consider them special anymore,” Bain said. “And the troubles we have had with other rogue magicians like Owen, Kangom, Roze, Ferde, Galen, Walsh, and Devlen while he was addicted to the blood magic, have tarnished all our reputations.”
Wow, that was quite the list. And what did it say about my life that I knew them all? “What about the ones before I came to Sitia?”
“Oh, we’ve always had troublesome magicians,” Irys said. “But it seems since the border with Ixia has been...opened, for lack of a better word, the incidents have increased.”
The trade treaty with the Commander happened around the time I’d returned to Sitia after a fourteen-year absence. Had I been the catalyst?
Irys swatted me on the shoulder. “Stop furrowing your brow. You’re not responsible. The rediscovery of blood magic and Curare also matches the timing of the Commander’s treaty. So it would have happened if you were here or not.”
I gave her a grateful smile. She knew me so well.
“And I suspect the Councilors are frustrated with not being in direct control of the super messengers and Opal’s magic detectors,” Irys said. “They believe both items should be considered property of Sitia. Two clans, Cloud Mist and Jewelrose, have been very vocal about it. I suspect their richer citizens have been pressuring the Councilors. And there have been rumors about the need to control magicians—to use us like an army instead of letting each be free to do our own thing.”
“The problems created by the Council are never ending. That is not why Yelena is here,” Bain said. “Did young Fisk have any ideas?”
“No.” I filled them in. “Have you learned anything?”
“Not yet,” Irys said. “I’ll send a message to Pazia this afternoon.”
“Where is her glass factory?” I asked.
“In her family’s compound near Ognap. Why?”
Ognap was a five-day journey east of Fulgor. “Don’t send that message. I’ll pay her a visit.”
Irys crossed her arms, waiting.
“You told me to keep a low profile, so I’m leaving for Fulgor today.”
“My advice meant you should remain in your rooms, reading books, catching up on sleep and avoiding danger. Remember those things?”
“Yeah, well...that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”
“Do you really think you’ll learn Ben’s whereabouts when the authorities haven’t?”
“Who says I’m chasing after Ben? I’m going to talk to Opal, see if she has any thoughts about my condition. Then I’ll visit Pazia and my father.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ll be protected. I’m taking Leif.”
“The Council has an assignment for him. I’m supposed to tell him.”
“Sorry, he just left. Guess you’ll have to tell him when he returns.”
“Not funny.” She huffed. “I should go with you, too.”
“You’re welcome to come along.”
Bain cleared his throat. “That would be ill-timed. We have—”
“Council business. I know. How about taking along another magician for added security?”
“Who do you have in mind?”
Irys covered her surprise. Guess she’d thought I’d give her more resistance. Normally, I would. These weren’t normal times.
“Let’s see... There’s your friend Dax.”
“No. I need him to help research Yelena’s problem,” Bain said. “Plus he’s teaching classes.”
Too bad. Traveling with Dax would have been fun.
“And Zebb won’t leave Councilor Moon’s side.” Irys rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. “Hale’s between assignments. He proved himself when Opal was having all that trouble.”
“Does he have a Sandseed horse? We’re planning on traveling through the Avibian Plains as much as we can.” Plus the Sandseed’s magic in the plains would prevent anyone from following us.
“I don’t think so, but talk to the Stable Master and see if he’ll allow Hale to borrow Garnet.”
I gave her a flat look.
“Oh, all right, tell him I sanctioned it.”
“I can’t believe you’re afraid of the Stable Master!”
“I am not.”
I laughed at how childish she sounded.
Irys smiled back. “What else do you need from us?”
I sobered. “Just keep searching.”
“You got it. And I’ll tell Hale about his new mission. When d
o you plan to leave?”
“Noon.” Which wasn’t that far off. I said goodbye to Bain and Irys and hurried to finish getting ready for the trip.
I stopped in the message office on the ground floor of the administration building and sent a note to Valek. Using the code we’d developed just for this purpose, I informed him about Ben just in case he hadn’t heard and listed my travel plans. There was no need to worry him about my condition. At least, not yet.
After I collected my backpack, I headed to the stable. When I arrived, Leif stood next to Rusalka. He smirked as he watched a man arguing with the Stable Master. The man had close-set eyes, short black hair and a high forehead. Probably Hale.
“...you can’t have him, you idiot,” the Stable Master said. “I don’t care who you are or what you’re doing. He’s—”
I interrupted them. “Hale’s coming with us on an important mission.”
Leif made a choking sound. His smirk disappeared.
“Do you have any Sandseed horses he can...borrow?” I asked. “We’re going to be traveling through the plains.”
“Ah hell.” The Stable Master ran a hand through his mane of hair as if smoothing it down. If anything, he made it worse. “Why didn’t the...he say so?”
“He just received his orders from Second Magician, so I’m sure he’s a bit out of sorts.” I shot Hale a significant look.
The Stable Master stomped over to Garnet’s stall. “If he’ll let you saddle him, then he’s up for the trip. If not, then you’re out of luck.” He scratched him behind the ears. His features softened as he gazed at Garnet. Then he glared at us and continued down the aisle, muttering under his breath.
“Hi, Hale,” I said, shaking his hand. “Thanks for coming along. Did Irys fill you in on where we’re going?”
“Uh...Irys?” Hale appeared to be a bit flustered.
“Second Magician.”
“Oh, she said we’re traveling to Fulgor and I was to protect you.” His face creased in confusion. “I’m not sure why. You’re already covered by a null shield. Plus you’re the...Soulfinder.” He said the word almost as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
“I’ll explain on the way. See if Garnet will stand for you.”
“Okay.” Hale approached the horse as if he’d never seen one before.