“Yes.” Dry humor tinged Iannis’s voice. “Alchemical magic is a little beyond your scope, so I’ll have to work directly through you this time. Hold out your paw, as before.”
I did as he asked, and listened as Iannis spoke another incantation in my mind. The spell activated, and I goggled at the amount of energy that came pouring out of my paws – if Iannis hadn’t been lending me his magic I would certainly have used all mine up, and probably fallen into the bay from exhaustion. I watched as the magic penetrated through the layers of ice and seeped into the explosive device like water soaking into a sponge. It took several minutes, but gradually the device turned more and more translucent, until it was barely distinguishable from the block of ice encasing it.
“Excellent,” Iannis said when it was done. “Now come back up.”
He withdrew from me then, and the sudden change was so shocking I nearly lost my grip on the beam and went tumbling into the water -- a fall that could potentially kill me. Trembling, I clung to the beam for a long moment until I felt sure of myself, then slowly pulled myself back up to the surface.
“Are you hurt?” Iannis demanded the moment I was topside. He jumped from his horse to crouch down in front of me, meeting my eyes.
“I’m fine. Just a little shaky. Give me a minute.”
The majority of the bridge was empty now, save for a few abandoned carriages and steamcars. Still, I was surprised when Iannis sat down on the curb next to me and stroked a hand down my fur. A warm current flowed down my spine, banishing some of the hollow, icy feeling, and I had to resist the urge to lean into him. His masculine scent was incredibly compelling, and as he sat beside me on the bridge, looking at me with such concern in his eyes, he was more approachable than he’d ever been.
But I didn’t lean on him, because that would break the barrier that had mutually been erected between us, and there was no coming back from that.
Once my heartbeat had steadied, I pushed myself to my feet, then shifted back into human form. By the time my vision had cleared, Iannis was standing, his expression stern once again. But there was a look in his eye I’d never seen before, something that could almost be mistaken for admiration.
“Perhaps I could have found a way to do this without you, but I probably would not have found the explosive device in time. Thank you for insisting on coming along.”
I grinned at that. “That’s the first time you’ve ever thanked me for my stubbornness.”
“Indeed.” He hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his eyes for a moment. “The magic I used to help you defuse the bomb… I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself. It is not something I’d care to share with others.”
“Umm, okay.” My brows furrowed in confusion. “What, did you use black magic or something?” What he’d done hadn’t felt evil, but it had certainly thrown me off. If Iannis could do something as crazy as invade my soul, what else was he capable of?
“Not black magic, just… unconventional.” He frowned. “I would rather not explain myself further.”
“Fine.” I held up a hand – it really wasn’t that important, and I didn’t want to strain our relationship after things seemed to finally be moving in a better direction. “I won’t ask questions. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you.” He gave me another small smile. “As a reward for your good work today, I’m giving you the rest of the day off.”
“You what?”
“You heard me,” he said dryly as he swung himself up onto his horse. “Try not to waste it. You’ll be back to work in the Guild tomorrow afternoon.”
My grin widened as he galloped away, and I was so happy that it didn’t even occur to me until he was out of sight that I didn’t have a ride back to the Palace.
9
After allowing myself a few more minutes of rest, I shifted back into beast form and trotted back to the Palace. From there I grabbed my steambike and rode to the Enforcer’s Guild to see if Annia was there.
Sure enough, she was sitting at her desk, cursing under her breath as she filled out what looked like a mountain of paperwork. With her pale skin, long auburn hair and dark eyes, she was a more sophisticated version of her younger sister Noria, without the freckles or the frizz. Her slender but fully formed curves were covered from head to toe in black denim, and I arched a brow as I sat down in the seat next to her desk.
“Dressing casual today?” I asked. Enforcers usually wore leather while we were on the job – it was sturdier than any cloth, which was important in our line of work.
Annia jerked her head up at the sound of my voice. “Oh hey. Nice to see you too.”
I grinned at her peeved tone. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Yes,” she said, returning her attention to the paper she was scribbling away at – she was filling out the forms required to claim her fee on a bounty she’d turned in. “After I fill out this flaming pile of paperwork, I’m taking the day off. So don’t even think about asking me for work, because that is a four-letter word today.”
“I think it’s a four-letter word every day,” I teased, earning myself a dirty look. I didn’t take any offense though – Annia hated paperwork with a fiery passion, and sitting down to fill out the stuff always put her in a foul temper. “I’m actually not here looking for work. I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question I’ve got about a case.”