Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(69)

“Yeah, but you love me anyway. Now, where are we going next?”

I thought about it for a moment. “I’d like to go to Com’s,” I said. “I want to tell him about what I learned, and see if he’s checked on Noria at all.”

“Oh, yeah,” Rylan said, his face sobering as he held the gate open for me. “Her hearing is coming up pretty soon, isn’t it?”

“In two days,” I said as we got onto my steambike. “Noria doesn’t want to see me, so I haven’t tried to visit her. Hopefully, Com has talked some sense into her.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Rylan warned as I started up the engine. “She’s stubborn, that one.”



“So you are a direct descendant of Resinah?” Comenius asked, sounding very impressed. We were sitting around his dining table along with Elania, eating pot roast—by lucky chance, Rylan and I had shown up just in time for dinner. “It’s a pity you cannot use that information publicly. I’m sure many of the mages who look down on you would be changing their tune.”

I shrugged as I forked up a piece of carrot. “I don’t know about that,” I said. “I feel like there will always be a few who are determined to look down at me no matter what.”

“Perhaps,” Elania said, dabbing daintily at her lips with a napkin. She looked gorgeous as usual in one of her tight, black dresses, and for once had left her long, black hair unbound. “But even so, it must give you some measure of relief to finally know your father’s identity, regardless of whether or not you ever meet him.”

“It does,” I admitted. “It just sucks that I still have to keep this all under wraps.”

“The one thing you can take comfort in,” Rylan said as he mopped up some of the pot roast gravy with a hunk of bread, “is that your father didn’t willfully abandon you, or put that spell on you. I know the chances are low that the two of you would get along since he comes from such an uppity family, but maybe he’s not as much of an * as you always thought he was.”

“Maybe,” I conceded. I still didn’t love the fact that he’d knocked my mother up while pretending to be a human, and while engaged to another woman. But at least he’d never intended to create me as a by-blow, or abandon me to an uncertain fate.

“I hope things will settle down somewhat now that you’ve returned,” Comenius said. “I am very grateful your rescue mission was so successful, and that no one was severely hurt. And I am relieved Noria was recovered alive from that hellhole.”

“Me too.” I smiled, though it was a little strained. “I’m not sure if we should be celebrating yet, though. We still have that hearing to get past.”

“Ah, yes.” Comenius sighed, his cornflower-blue eyes filling with sadness as he turned to look out the window. “I visited Noria yesterday at the Enforcers Guild to see how she was faring. She is being treated as well as can be expected in a prison cell, no doubt because she is Annia’s sister. But Noria was very pale and tight-lipped, and would not speak much.” Frustrated, he ran a hand through his ash-blond hair. “I wish we could go back to when she was simply a carefree teenager who worked in my shop downstairs.”

“So do I,” I said, sadness pooling in my chest. I put down my fork, no longer quite so hungry, even though I’d only had one serving. “I have a feeling she’s not going to be working here again for quite a while though, Com. Likely not ever. Even if Iannis does go easy on her, she’ll still be facing some sort of punishment for what she did. He can’t just pardon her.”

“At this point in time, we must trust Noria to determine her own fate,” Elania said sagely. “She is a strong young woman, and will handle whatever happens in her own way.”

“That’s true,” I said, smiling a little. Noria was smart and resourceful as hell. She might be sulking now, but surely she’d figure out how to come out on top. She had to.

“On a happier note,” Comenius said, reaching across the table to link fingers with Elania. “Elania and I have decided to move forward with our relationship. We’re to be married in three months.”

“Married!” I nearly fell out of my chair. “In three months?”

“Yes.” Elania beamed. “We hope to start a family soon too.”

“That’s great.” I smiled at them both. “I’m really happy for you two.” In truth, I was also a little envious of them—they had it so easy, not having to wade through all these stupid mage customs. “Guess we’re both going to be married soon, huh?” I said to Comenius.

“Who would have thought it?” Comenius joked, but his smile dimmed a little. “In all seriousness, you should discuss the issues regarding your family with Iannis as soon as possible. I assume he already knows and has planned for the various contingencies, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure.”

“I will,” I promised, but honestly, there was no rush. I’d bring it up when the time was right. “By the way, what ever happened to those jewels I gave you?”

“Oh, right!” Comenius’s face brightened. “I sold them for a good price, and bought you a used but very serviceable airship. I can arrange for you to see it tomorrow, if you’d like.”