Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(3)

“Yes, sir.” I saluted, and Iannis frowned at me. But before he could say any more, the phone sitting on the side table next to the couch rang.

I cocked an ear to listen as Iannis took the call. It was Dira, the Guild receptionist, relaying an urgent message from the Minister to call him as soon as possible. Well, that was the end of breakfast, then. There would be no more discussion about my father when Iannis’s mind was on Federation business. Resigned, I rose from the chair and headed toward the bedroom.

“Wait,” Iannis called as he hung up the phone.

“What—” I began, but he cut me off, pressing me into the wall as he kissed me deeply. Ever since he’d revealed to me that he had super speed, he used it to surprise me at every opportunity. His dark, exotic flavor filled my mouth, overlaid faintly by expensive coffee, and hunger ignited in my lower abdomen, eclipsing my anger.

“I love you,” he murmured softly, his warm breath tickling my face as he ran his fingers through my hair.

“And I love you,” I said, the words leaving my lips in a resigned sigh. No matter our arguments or disagreements, I did love him, and I wouldn’t withhold that just because I was angry.

“Good.” He kissed my forehead, and then he was gone, leaving his robe behind in a gust of wind as he shot through the bedroom and into the shower.

I snatched the robe out of the air, pressing it to my face so I could inhale his scent. And then I left, allowing the blue silk to flutter to the ground as I went in search of answers.





2





I took the secret passageway back to my suite, which was only three rooms away from Iannis’s. The bedroom wasn’t much different from the one I’d had back in the east wing—in fact, Iannis had moved all the same furnishings into it since I’d liked them so much—but I now had my own private bath, and a sitting room I could use to entertain guests if I ever had any.

I tugged off my robe and dumped it into the laundry hamper that the Palace staff emptied every day, then sauntered into the marble-tiled bathroom and took a long shower. I stood beneath the hot spray and closed my eyes, allowing myself time to think about my conversation with Iannis.

Truthfully, I was conflicted about the whole engagement thing. I hadn’t wanted to rush into marriage, but I also hadn’t wanted to skulk around, hiding our intimate relationship as if what we were doing was dirty and wrong. The sheer joy and pleasure I’d experienced over the past few days felt more than right—it was perfect, and I wanted it to last forever.

But, of course, forever meant marriage. And the idea that my father, a man who didn’t know or care for me, could potentially swoop in and take it all away, was frightening. It was little wonder Iannis wanted to keep me away from my father, in light of the fact he’d been considering the possibility of marriage for some time.

Isn’t knowledge power, though? I asked myself as I lathered my arms and legs with fragrant soap. I’d always considered it better to be forewarned than taken by surprise, and I didn’t see why this situation would be any different. Yes, under the circumstances, it would be foolish to seek my father out and announce I was his daughter. But that didn’t mean I shouldn’t find out who he was. Surely, there was a way to do so discreetly, without alerting him.

I’ll ask Janta to help me, I decided, switching off the hot water. Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a fluffy towel and dried off. Janta Urama, the head librarian of Solantha Palace, had been more than helpful in tracking down the Benefactor, the powerful mastermind and financier of the Resistance. With any luck, she would prove equally resourceful in the quest to determine my parentage. Based off past I experience, I could trust her not to tell anyone else whatever she might discover.

Clean and dry, I made my way into my walk-in closet and perused the selection. Since nearly all my possessions had been destroyed when the Resistance set fire to my apartment, I’d ordered a brand-new wardrobe. These clothes were much nicer than anything I’d ever owned before, and yet the gold I’d spent on them was only a drop in the bucket compared to the treasure I’d brought back with me from the pirate island I’d been stranded on. I had new leather jackets and pants, jeans, tops in a variety of fabrics and colors, more shoes and boots than I could count, and even a selection of dresses. Iannis had strongly suggested I order robes as well, but I’d pointedly ignored him—I may have taken Resinah’s advice to embrace my mage heritage, but I still had no desire to dress in boring robes. And besides, I was still an apprentice, which meant that on most occasions, I’d only be allowed to wear those ugly, dun-colored robes anyway.

Of course, once I finished my apprenticeship, I would be required to wear robes on formal occasions. But considering the average apprenticeship took ten years to complete, and that my shifter upbringing and late start put me way behind, I didn’t see any need to cross that bridge prematurely. Right now, I was still primarily an enforcer, and I would continue to dress like one.

With that in mind, I pulled on a pair of leather pants and a teal-colored shirt, then strapped my weapons onto my thighs and my pouch belt onto my hips. Steel-toed boots covered my feet, and I shrugged a leather jacket on over it all despite the summer weather outside. I’d be taking my steambike out later, and it didn’t pay to ride without protection.

Before I left the room, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and smiled a little. I might have come a long way from where I’d been when I first arrived at Solantha Palace, but I was still Sunaya Baine. And I was going to show the world that I could be Sunaya Baine and a mage at the same time.