Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(35)

“Yep,” I said. “No witnesses, and the car’s waiting.”

“Excellent.” Iannis turned his gaze to Rylan. “It’s time to turn you back into a Resistance soldier.”

“Hmm.” Rylan glanced at the man lying on the ground. “Not sure I’m a fan of the mustache.”

“Yeah, well, you’re going to get it,” I snapped. “So just cooperate.”

Rylan frowned. “I am cooperating. Stop acting like such a bitch, Sunaya.”

I bared my teeth, but before I could say anything, Iannis grabbed Rylan by the shoulders and hauled him around.

“I have no intention of meddling in your relationship with Sunaya,” Iannis growled, sticking his face into Rylan’s, “But she is my fiancée, and I will not tolerate insults to her. Is that understood?”

Rylan stared at Iannis for a long moment, back stiff. Surprisingly, I scented no fear off him, or anger either. Then he nodded slowly.

“Of course. I spoke out of turn.” An easy smile curved his lips. “I’m glad my cousin has chosen a man who is willing to defend her honor.”

“I don’t need your compliments,” Iannis said mildly, releasing Rylan. “But I do expect you to apologize.”

“No,” I said, flustered as Rylan turned back to me. I loved Iannis for sticking up for me, but all this attention was throwing me off. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re right, I am being a bitch, and now I’m holding up this entire operation. Let’s just get on with it.”

“That would be good,” Fenris said, glancing at the rapidly setting sun. “We don’t have much time before Rylan needs to report for his watch.”

Iannis went to work on transforming Rylan into the night guard captain, while Fenris and I secured the actual captain in the tent, binding his hands and feet and gagging him so he would not be able to move when he awoke. In the privacy of the tent, Fenris also strengthened the sleep spell.

“Does Rylan know that you’re not a normal shifter?” I asked, using mindspeak so Rylan wouldn’t be able to overhear.

Fenris placed a hand over the man’s forehead, checking for who knew what, then flicked his fingers and muttered a Word. A privacy bubble enveloped us, like the one Iannis had used in the inn’s common room. “I believe he is curious about my origins, as he gave me quite a few speculative looks on the airship ride here,” he said. “But I have given him no reason to suspect that I use magic.”

“Good,” I said emphatically. “I would hate for him to use that against you if he ever decided to defect back to the Resistance.”

“Sunaya.” Fenris grabbed my arm as I turned to leave the tent, and I looked back at him. His face was expressionless, but there was a pained look in his dark brown eyes. “I don’t presume to know your cousin well, but I believe he regrets hurting you, and is trying to atone for his actions.”

“So what, are you saying I should forgive him, just like that?” I propped my hands on my hips and glared at him. “What the hell is going on? First Iannis, and now you, both telling me I should just let Rylan off the hook for nearly getting us all killed.”

Fenris rubbed a hand over his bearded jaw. “I am not saying you should forgive Rylan right away,” he said, “but you might consider moving in that direction. Iannis tells me that Rylan is the only member of your family who actually loves you, and that is not an easy thing to lose.” A shadow crossed his face. “I had to leave my mother and father behind in Nebara. They think me dead to this day.”

“Oh, Fenris.” I dropped to my knees in front of him, where he still knelt next to our prisoner. “That’s horrible. Were you close to your parents?”

He smiled, despite the somber subject. “I am nearly two hundred years old, Sunaya. It’s not as bad as losing your parents when you are young. But they moved back to Nebara when I became Chief Mage there to offer their support and advice, and we saw each other at least once a week. They were devastated when they learned of the Federation’s decision to execute me, my father in particular. He had strongly tried to dissuade me from what he saw as a disastrous, suicidal course.”

“I can’t imagine faking my death, and then being unable to tell my family I was still alive.” I wrapped my arms around Fenris’s broad shoulders and gave him a brief hug. “Do you ever think about getting in touch with them?”

“Yes, but not as much as I used to.” Fenris pushed back so that he could look me in the eye. “I did not tell you this story to elicit sympathy for me, Sunaya, but to make you reconsider your attitude toward Rylan. He may not be your only family, but he is your relative. This is your chance to mend the rift between you two.”

“Sunaya, Fenris,” Iannis called. “Are you coming out?”

“Coming,” I called back, relieved at the opportunity to drop the conversation. Fenris and I ducked out of the tent, popping the privacy bubble, and rejoined the others near the fire pit. Standing between Iannis and Elnos was an exact copy of the night guard captain—a tall, bulky man in a navy blue uniform with red embroidery. I assumed the red was a mark of the Resistance. Since this camp was hiding in plain sight, the soldiers couldn’t wear their red armbands.

“Whatcha think?” Rylan asked, wiggling his thick, dark brown mustache at me. “Do I look the part?”