“I guess that makes sense,” I muttered. Argon Chartis was the former Director of the Mage’s Guild, and he’d been doing a crappy job, shuffling off matters that he felt didn’t merit his attention, and hiding problems from the Chief Mage to make him think everything was under control. Truth be told, I was happy Iannis was rolling up his sleeves and digging into the corruption. With any luck things would start to improve for shifters and humans around the city.
But still, after losing Roanas, my mentor, to the silver murders a few months ago, I was feeling a little bereft. And though Iannis certainly wasn’t a father figure to me as Roanas had been, I was still his charge, and it was frustrating that I couldn’t rely on him.
“I still don’t see why he can’t keep his appointments with me or see them through all the way,” I groused. “Can’t he just tell Chen to wait another half-hour? I mean, she should know better than to butt in on my lessons when they’re so infrequent to begin with.”
“Things will get easier once the Convention is over,” Fenris said. “You know how important it is that Iannis arrives at the capital properly prepared. Much as you might wish otherwise, this takes precedence over your lessons.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have to like it.” I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. The Convention was a biennial event held in Dara, the capital of the Northia Federation, where delegations from all fifty states gathered to debate and vote on legislation. I knew how important it was for Iannis and his delegates to be there and represent Canalo, and something like a last-minute agenda change was important enough for Director Chen to call an emergency council meeting.
“Well, I would stand here and talk to you, but regrettably I have other matters to attend to this evening.” Fenris eyed me. “Will you be alright on your own?”
I flashed Fenris a grin, shaking off my melancholy mood. “I’ve been on my own a long time, Fenris. I think I can manage one more night.”
2
I hopped on my steambike and rode down to the Port, the stretch of coastline a few miles east of Solantha Palace where seafaring merchants did business side by side with trendy boutiques and magical shops, the latter operated by foreign magic-users who’d obtained a special license to practice magic in the Northia Federation. Aside from rare cases like myself, they were the only people outside of the mage families allowed to practice magic in the Federation – everyone else born with magical powers either had to subject themselves to a magic wipe, or face execution.
I shook my head as I parked my bike outside Witches’ End, the pier where the aforementioned magic shops stood, marveling at how my life had changed so drastically in two short months. As a shifter-mage hybrid, I’d lived under the threat of execution daily, hiding my forbidden magic and pretending that I was half-human rather than half-mage to those who could tell I wasn’t a full-blooded shifter. But when my secret was outed, instead of executing me, the Chief Mage chose to take me on as his own apprentice so I could master my powers and prevent myself from accidentally hurting someone – which, according to the mages, was the whole reason why magic was forbidden to non-mages in the first place.
I’d always hated mages for their high-handed superiority and the status that had been afforded them through birth and circumstance, but the Chief Mage’s offer to train me had started to chip away at some of my anger, and the more time I spent working at the Mages Guild, the more I got used to the stuffy bastards. No, I might not ever master their icy composure, or don their flowing robes, but I was beginning to embrace my magical side, and that was something I never thought would happen.
Looping my thumbs into my jean pockets, I walked down the pier, a bounce in my step as I headed over to Comenius Genhard’s shop, Over the Hedge. Comenius was a hedge-witch from Pernia, a foreign country across the eastern sea. He specialized in nature magic, his shop part apothecary, part charm-shop. He was also one of my best friends, and between my apprenticeship and the few Enforcer gigs I managed to get, I hadn’t seen him in ages. I was looking forward to dragging him out of his shop for a stiff drink so we could catch up.
Unfortunately, Comenius was nowhere to be found, either in his shop or in the apartment above the building. Annoyed, I leaned against the glass storefront and stared out at Solantha Bay, my eye drawn to the Firegate Bridge, its glorious red towers glowing in the light of the dying sun. It was seven o’clock, and the shop should have still been open. Where the hell was Com? At the very least Noria, his assistant, should be here, but the CLOSED sign told me the shop was completely empty. The same thing had happened last time I’d dropped by two weeks ago, which was highly unusual.
Maybe he’s out with his new girlfriend.
I pouted at the thought – not because I didn’t want Com to have a love life, but because it reminded me that my own relationships were sorely lacking right now. Sure, I wasn’t the only one in the single department – my friend Annia, Noria’s sister, was still unattached as far as I knew – but Noria had Elnos, and with Com’s time being taken up by someone too, I was feeling decidedly left out.
Shaking my head, I turned around and walked back up the pier towards my bike. I was being ridiculous. I’d never had much time for a love life before, and with my schedule monopolized by the Palace I certainly didn’t have time now. There was no point in pining over something I couldn’t have.
I slung my leg over the seat of my bike, then just sat there for a moment as I considered my next move. Maybe I should go track down Annia and see if she needed help with any of her current jobs. She’d thrown me a few bones the last couple of weeks, giving me some small local jobs that I could fit in between the cracks of my busy schedule, and she might have something for me now.