Betrayed by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #5)(9)

I stopped by Aunt Mafiela’s house, located on Third Street in the wealthier section of Shiftertown, with the intention of inviting her to lunch. I hadn’t seen her since I’d come to warn her about the shifter kidnappings. Though she’d been less than kind to me the last time we’d met face to face, she had sent me a thank-you card after I’d rescued Mika, her granddaughter. Maybe she would actually be amenable to the idea of lunch. Hell, if she was willing to give me information on my father, I’d invite her to the wedding.

You should invite her to the wedding anyway, a voice whispered in my head.

Ugh, I thought to myself as I parked my bike on the curb outside her house. Let’s take things one step at a time, shall we? You haven’t even invited her to lunch yet.

I took a moment to study the house before I walked up the front steps. It was a three-story residence with grey siding, dark purple roof tiling, and matching purple shutters. Normally, it was immaculate, but one of the dormer windows was missing, the hole covered by parchment paper and adhesive, and the front door appeared to have been replaced recently. The neighboring houses also showed minor damage—I guessed the Resistance soldiers had bashed in windows and doors when taking over some of these residences for their own use.

I bet Mafiela was still steaming over the fact that a group of filthy soldiers had been living inside her precious home. Not long ago, the thought would have made me grin, but as I trotted up the front porch steps, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her a little. She’d been through a lot recently.

I lifted the heavy, jaguar-head-shaped knocker and knocked twice, then waited. Bare feet sounded on the steps leading down from the second floor into the lobby, and to my unpleasant surprise, my cousin Melantha answered the door.

“Oh, it’s you.” A wary look entered her yellow-orange shifter eyes, and her hand curled protectively around the doorjamb. Like her mother, Melantha was always perfectly coiffed—her blond hair curled, her makeup done, her peach-colored blouse and cream slacks perfectly pressed. But there were shadows beneath her eyes, and her clothes hung loose on her frame. I imagined she’d lost weight during her time on Prison Isle, and she was probably suffering sleepless nights.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets, not sure what to say. The last time Melantha and I had seen each other, she’d practically broken down my apartment door and tried to gouge my eyes out. Her daughter, Mika, had just been kidnapped, and Melantha had blamed me. At the time, it hadn’t mattered to her that I’d tried to warn her family to be on the lookout for a shifter kidnapper.

“Is your mother home?” I asked. “I wanted a moment of her time.”

Melantha shook her head. “She’s at a council meeting. They’ve been meeting almost daily since they were released from Prison Isle—there’s a lot of work to do if we want to get Shiftertown back on its feet.”

“Mother?” a teenage girl’s voice called from out of view. “Who’s at the door?”

Melantha hesitated. “It’s your aunt Sunaya.”

Footsteps sounded, and Melantha dropped her arm as Mika came into view. She was a stunning young girl with long, blonde hair that fell to her waist—practically a carbon copy of her mother, though she had her father’s square face and wide mouth. That mouth curved into a shy smile.

“I never did get to thank you for saving me,” she said, sounding a little ashamed. “And to apologize for attacking you.”

Warmth spread through my chest, and I cleared my throat against a rush of emotion. “You don’t have to do either of those things,” I said gently. “It was partially my fault you were taken. And you only attacked me because of those horrible drugs they gave you. You did nothing wrong.”

Mika shook her head, stepping out onto the porch. “I said mean things to you at first. Maybe I didn’t know any better, but they were still mean.” She flung her arms around me and squeezed tight. “I’m sorry, and no matter the circumstances, I’m grateful that you saved my life.”

Shocked, it took me a few seconds to react to the affectionate gesture. But I did, wrapping my arms around her tightly and turning my head to the side so that Melantha couldn’t see the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. I hadn’t expected to talk to Melantha and Mika, since they didn’t actually live here, and I certainly hadn’t been prepared for any kind of emotional reunion.

“You’re welcome,” I finally said when I was sure I could speak again. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“I, too, must thank you for what you did,” Melantha said as I stepped back. The words were a little stiff, but I sensed no lie in them—it was just hard for her to admit the truth. “Mother told me the Mages Guild gave Shiftertown a generous sum of money to rebuild, and I doubt we would have gotten so much without your influence with the Chief Mage.” Her lips curved a little. “Congratulations on your engagement, by the way.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a small smile in return. “I’m glad things are starting to look up.”

“Me too.” She hesitated a moment, then said, “Perhaps you should come over for tea sometime.”

“Maybe,” I hedged, not sure if I was ready for that. “Speaking of which, the reason I stopped by was because I wanted to invite Aunt Mafiela to lunch.”