Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(22)

“We’ll leave the moment we are done,” Iannis assured me. “Of course, you understand that things can change, and if the Minister wants us to stay longer, we can hardly refuse.”

“Indeed.” I pressed my lips together as I thought of Zavian Graning, the Minister of the Northia Federation. Iannis and I had saved him from almost certain death the last time we were here. If not for my sleuthing skills and Iannis’s healing talents, he would be rotting in his grave. That didn’t mean I particularly liked Graning, or approved of his politics as the highest mage in the country. After all, he didn’t seem too friendly toward shifters, judging by the fact that there seemed to be none in Dara. Then again, a nice and straightforward mage would hardly have been able to climb to such a powerful position.

The Benefactor had been the master manipulator behind the plot against the Minister—I was sure of it, even though she still hadn’t admitted to the crime. Or any crime, in fact. If Cedris ar’Tarea, her would-be puppet, had managed to take power, Thorgana would have pulled his strings behind the scenes until the entire Federation came toppling down. I shuddered as I remembered just how close we had come to losing everything at the Convention. As bad as things still were, they could have turned out much, much worse.

The carriage rolled to a stop outside the Capitol Dome, and a footman opened the door for us. Iannis disembarked, then helped me down from the carriage. I managed to remember to take his hand and let him guide me instead of jumping down with my skirts flying everywhere. A damn good thing, too, because all eyes were glued on us. Given the late hour, there were a surprising number of mages about, on the steps and the grass, clustered in pairs or trios as they talked about politics, or perhaps which blend of tea their secretaries brewed for them, but whatever they discussed seemed quickly forgotten at the sight of Iannis and me.

Or maybe it was just me.

Truthfully, it was hard to tell which of us was drawing more attention, or perhaps it was the sight of us together, arm in arm, as we walked up the white marble steps to the entrance of the Dome. Unlike last time, I wasn’t disguised as a mage, and my bottle-green shifter eyes were on display for all to see. Whispers ensued as we passed, some of them uncomplimentary, others simply disbelieving. They’d heard the rumors, but they hadn’t been sure what to think of them until Iannis and I had shown up.

Now it was official. Now the whole world would know, without a doubt, that the Chief Mage of Canalo had engaged himself to a bastard hybrid shifter. And his apprentice, at that.

“Pay them no mind.” Iannis’s voice murmured in my head as he gently squeezed my forearm. “They will settle down soon enough, once they realize you are not a passing whim and that I intend to keep you by my side.”

“Of course,” I replied as we stepped over the threshold of the huge, gilded double doors. The guards bowed as we passed, and I returned their greeting with a strained smile. I didn’t doubt that Iannis would stay by my side, but it was still hard to walk by these people as they tittered behind their hands. I saw coins exchanged several times, and knew they were betting on how long Iannis would take to come to his senses and call the engagement off.

Glossy mosaic tiles patterned the floors of the entrance hall, under arching ceilings decorated with runes. The center of the large space was dominated by a fountain sculpture of the Founding Trio—Jeremidah, Faonus, and Micara. The three mages stood in a circle, back to back, and water burbled into the marble basin from their outstretched hands. If one looked into the fountain itself, they could see a mosaic pattern of the Northia Federation beneath the water. The message was clear—these three, through their power, had given life to the Federation, and were forever honored for their service.

“Good evening, Lord Iannis, Miss Baine.” Pamina, the receptionist greeted us. “Welcome back to Dara.” Her brown eyes lingered on me, bright with curiosity and maybe a little envy. As human, I imagined she would be jealous of my position, considering I was a hybrid.

“Thank you, Pamina.” Lord Iannis inclined his head. “We are here to see Minister Graning.”

“He is expecting you,” she said, and gestured to a well-dressed mage who had been hovering in the background. “This is Loris ar’Mengis, one of the Minister’s aides. He will escort you.”

The young man bowed to Iannis, somehow including me without bowing again. “If you will follow me, Chief Mage, Miss Baine.”

Iannis could have easily led the way by himself, but apparently, we were required to have an escort. The aide led us down the entrance hall, then to the right. We passed the coffee shop at the corner, where I’d spent the bulk of my time during the last Convention, eavesdropping on conversations between mages in an attempt to discover the Minister’s location. Toward the end of the hall, a set of carpeted stairs led toward the offices. I’d tried in vain to get up there the last time I was here, but it had been guarded too well. There was no way to get up there without drawing attention to myself and possibly compromising my disguise.

This time, however, I had no disguise to compromise. And since Iannis and I were escorted by the Minister’s aide, there was nothing to stop us from going up those stairs.

Just like last time, there were two guards posted at the entrance, and they bowed to us as we passed. My heels made barely a sound against the red carpet as we climbed the staircase and stepped into a smaller, but no less well-appointed lobby.