Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(28)

“So then, what happens if a human who’s actually a mage is mentored by a healer?”

“Those are the cases where things get out of control,” Iannis said gravely. “A healer would not be able to properly control the strength of a budding mage. Though these people try to be careful about who they take in, sometimes they make mistakes and accept an apprentice whose powers are beyond them.”

“I’m guessing this is why you don’t use a similar system in Canalo,” I said dryly.

“Indeed.” Iannis let out a small sigh. “However, Parabas suffers a surprisingly low number of troublesome cases, somewhat to the surprise of other states. We are watching what is happening here with interest, as you can imagine. This particular system has only been in place the last fifteen years or so, but I would not be surprised if the Chief Mage, Logar ar’Dronach, decided to implement it across all of Osero once it has been smoothed out a little bit more.”

“Huh.” I frowned at that. “What does Minister Graning think of this?”

“It is not up to him, as only the Convention can impose its rules on a state government. The Chief Mages are allowed to do as they wish so long as they operate within Federation guidelines and the Great Accord, and the Chief Mage of Osero is not openly breaking any laws.” Iannis rubbed his chin in thought. “Given the current upheavals that demonstrate the shortcomings of the status quo, the Convention may look at experimental government systems such as the one in Parabas with a more open mind. If Chief Mage ar’Dronach succeeds, many other states could follow his example. Or there might be a backlash against experimentation. It is too soon to tell.”

“Do you think it’s coincidence, then, that the Resistance chose Osero as their breeding ground for this secret weapon of theirs?” I asked. “I imagine that the idea of magic growing even stronger in the Federation would go against their plans.”

“Indeed. I do wonder how they plan to deal with humans who continue to be born with magic, if they were to ever succeed in eradicating us mages. They can hardly subject them to magic wipes, with no mages left to administer them.”

“I bet Thorgana would just have them killed at the first sign of any magical talent.” My upper lip curled at that. No, I didn’t approve of the current system, where humans had to choose between execution or a magic wipe, but it was still better than indiscriminately killing anyone who was born with magic.

A gloomy silence settled over the cabin, and we didn’t speak for the rest of the flight, too caught up in our respective thoughts. Once we landed at the Parabas airport, Iannis ordered our luggage delivered to Parabas Palace, where we would be staying as guests of the Chief Mage. But true to his word, we did not go along with our bags. Instead, our carriage took us straight to Nika, a ride of some two hours, we were told.

From what we had learned so far, Nika was a small town, perhaps only eighteen thousand strong. That seemed insignificant compared to Solantha’s nearly half a million citizens, and I wondered what it was like to live in such a community. From what I could observe as we drew close, it was a thriving place, mostly comprised of sprawling, one-and two-story homes on big lots, with winding roads to connect them to each other as well as the small clusters of shops and municipal buildings. We’d passed some farms on our way in, bursting with cattle, sheep, and fruit-laden orchards. The map Iannis and I studied during our ride told us that industrial buildings were located on the outskirts of town, away from residential homes. We picked out a canning factory, a sawmill, a tannery, and a shoe factory.

“Where do you think the Resistance is most likely to be hiding out?” I asked.

Iannis frowned as he studied the map, which I’d spread across my lap. His long forefinger traced the main road that wound through the town, then drew a semi-circle across the northern end, along the edge of the wilderness.

“I suspect that it might be behind one of these factories, or perhaps even part of one,” Iannis said. “We could question the townsfolk to see if they’ve noticed any suspicious activity, but that would draw unwanted attention. Let’s hope Elnos will provide more information.”

He folded the map up. “Time to disguise ourselves, I think. A middle-aged human couple should not attract too much attention, don’t you agree?

“I guess so,” I said, closing my eyes as he reached for my face. It didn’t take too long for him to transform me, and then himself. Judging by the thin, nondescript form he’d chosen as a disguise, I was glad I couldn’t see my new disguise in full. I was having a hard enough time with the checkered blouse and tweed skirt he’d put me in.

The carriage pulled up outside the Black Lion Inn, where Elnos had instructed us to meet him. It was a two-story, stacked-stone building, with dark grey curtains in the casement windows, and four chimneys jutting from the slate rooftop. Not a particularly cheery-looking place, but a sturdy one that could withstand the rainy weather Osero was known for, and the heavy winter snows.

Iannis held the front door open, and I stepped over the threshold, out of the summer heat into the comparatively cool confines. Unlike the inn’s outside, the interior was very inviting—the floors and walls were paneled with warm, honey-colored wood, and the smell of spiced tea and fresh meat pies laced the cool air. A woman in a blue serge dress came bustling forward, ready to attend us. Off to the left was a hallway that likely led to the kitchens and offices, and to the right was a large, open common room, complete with a fireplace, wingback chairs, coffee tables, and rugs. Above the hearth, I noted a wooden shield with a lion’s head on it, painted in black. There were lions in other places too—the patterned rugs, the candlestick holders, and furniture carvings.