Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(65)

“That makes sense,” I reluctantly conceded even as resentment bubbled inside me. I could understand my father’s decision, though that didn’t change the fact that he was a selfish bastard. He should have f*cking kept his dick in his pants if he didn’t want to face the consequences.

But if he’d done that, then you wouldn’t exist, a voice whispered in my head.

“So now that he’s all happily married and has been the High Mage for over a decade, would you say that it’s no longer a big deal if the world found out I was his daughter?” I wondered aloud. I needed to pin this down for sure, because I wanted to be absolutely certain that my father wasn’t going to decide to come out of the woodwork and claim me before I married Iannis. He could do whatever the hell he wanted after that, but for now, I wanted him as far away from my life as possible.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t say that at all,” Janta said, her silver eyebrows winging up. “As I mentioned, the ar’Rhea family prides itself very much on the purity of their lineage. If it were found out that you were his daughter, it might not only ruin his social and political status, but also that of his children. The loss of reputation, the lack of integrity and judgment he demonstrated, would taint the entire family. Lady Aria herself would be humiliated and furious beyond belief, her family eager to avenge her. No,” Janta concluded, shaking her head, “I don’t believe your father would risk claiming you, if he even knows of your existence. He does live across the ocean, after all.”

“True,” I agreed. “I’m glad he lives so far away—we’ll probably never run into each other.” There was little chance of the two of us meeting so long as he stayed away from the Federation and I stayed away from Castalis. I put that country on my list of places to never visit, which was a shame because I’d heard it was very beautiful there.

“That does not mean there is no cause for concern at all,” Janta warned. “Of course I will not tell anyone about your heritage, but as technology continues to expand, we have exposed ourselves to more eyes around the world. It is entirely possible that someone may see your face in the paper and notice your strong resemblance to Haman. You should be aware of that, and perhaps try to minimize the number of photos taken by the press until after you are married.”

“All right,” I said, though I had no idea how I was going to do that. Sure, I could refuse to take photos at interviews, but there would be celebrity photographers lying in wait on the streets, hoping to snag a shot of me.

“I’m afraid that is all I have for you,” Janta said, closing the file. “I daresay you will want to discuss it with Lord Iannis, who may know more of the ar’Rhea family. Would you like to take this with you, or shall I keep it?”

I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the file. “No,” I decided, pulling my hand away. “You keep it. That information is probably way safer under lock and key here, than it is in my rooms.” I stood, then inclined my head to her. “Thank you very much for your assistance, Janta. Once again, you have proven to be an invaluable ally.”

“You’re welcome, Sunaya,” Janta said, a twinkle in her pale blue eyes. “I could say the same about you, considering the success of your recent mission. Do let me know if you need anything else.”

I left the library, wondering if maybe I should just set fire to every single camera that was pointed in my direction. Sure, that seemed a little extreme, but my relationship with Iannis was worth any price. Guess I’d have to ask him about it during our lesson and see if he had a better solution.





27





“So where exactly are we going again?” Rylan asked in my head as we raced through the Mages Quarter on my steambike. “And why couldn’t we have grabbed some food first?”

I rolled my eyes, even though nobody would be able to see them behind my bike helmet. “I already told you—we’re going to Jonias Ballos’s house to see if he can tell me more about my father.”

“I would have thought you’d want to draw as little attention to your relationship with your father as possible, after what Janta told you,” Rylan said, tightening his grip around my waist as I whipped around a corner faster than strictly necessary. I could feel the disapproving glares of the residential mages on my back, and I grinned a little. I knew they hated the sight of my rebellious steambike racing through their genteel streets, and I made a point of doing it as often as possible to let them know I wasn’t going anywhere, and they were just going to have to deal.

“That’s true, but since Ballos is a hermit, he isn’t going to run around and tell everyone. And since Iannis cancelled our lesson, I don’t have anything better to do.” Some dignitary had unexpectedly popped in for a visit, leaving me with a bit of free time. Rylan and I could have sparred or something, but my need to learn more about my father had been gnawing away at my thoughts until I could think of nothing else. Better to get this over with now, so I could move on to more important things.

“I hope this doesn’t backfire on you somehow,” Rylan said, uncharacteristically serious. “After all that you’ve been through, I just want you to be safe.”

“I know.” My heart warmed, and I found myself once more grateful for the fact that I had a family member who loved me. “I just think you might be being a little optimistic, considering my track record.”