Burned by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #1)(49)

Fenris stiffened briefly, but quickly relaxed and patted me on the back. “It’s no trouble at all,” he said. “I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your room.”

I spent the next few hours organizing my things, unpacking all the stuff in my boxes and rearranging my clothes until they were on the racks the way I liked them. I filled the empty bookcase that stood by one of the windows with my books – a combination of martial arts theory, history texts, and novels that were strictly for pleasure reading – and the second one I filled with my smaller weapons, such as knives and throwing stars. The bigger weapons, such as my staff and swords, had to go in the closet.

Finished at last, I took a long, hot bath, dressed myself in a pair of leather pants and a long-sleeved red top, and tucked two knives into my boots. As an afterthought, I grabbed one of my short swords, similar in style to the ones the guards used, and secured it around my waist with a belt and sheath.

Yep, I thought as I gazed at myself in the full-length mirror installed in the walk-in closet. My curly black hair tumbled around my shoulders, and my tanned skin glowed with good health. I was finally starting to feel like my old self again.

“Going somewhere?”

I nearly stumbled as I walked out of the closet – Fenris had popped his head back in.

“Am I not allowed to?” I demanded, folding my arms across my chest. “Surely now that I’m an apprentice I can come and go from the palace?”

Fenris nodded, stepping into the room. “Iannis has allowed you four hours of free time per day in which you may do whatever you wish outside the palace walls, in addition to any time you may be sent out to run errands.”

I clenched my jaw at that. “So I’m still a prisoner?”

Fenris sighed, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. “Can’t you at least take this one as a win, Sunaya? The Chief Mage doesn’t want you putting yourself at risk until you are properly trained.”

I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time,” I told him. “But I guess I’ll accept the terms. Still, it would be nice if I could get my lost weapons back. Not to mention my Enforcer bracelet.” I tapped my naked wrist.

Fenris winced. “Yes, about that –”

Dread turned my stomach to lead. “They’re gone?”

Fenris nodded. “Iannis asked me to track them down, but the Enforcer’s Guild doesn’t have them.”

My nails bit into my palms as I clenched my fists. “Brin and Nila. Those bastards.”

“We’re still looking for them,” Fenris insisted. “With enough time, we might –”

“Stop.” I held up a hand, my heart aching. Those weapons had been among my most prized possessions. “You can at least get my Enforcer’s bracelet back, can’t you?” I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of losing that, too. It would mean the end of my livelihood, especially if I ended up not making it as a mage.

Fenris nodded. “That should be possible. If we can’t get the original back, we can order the Enforcer’s Guild to issue you a new one.”

I sighed as a modicum of relief trickled through me, then changed the subject. “Did you find anything out last night with that lie detector wand thingy the Chief Mage gave you?”

Fenris scowled. “Unfortunately not,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “None of the kitchen staff appeared to know anything, and the wand didn’t twitch at all when I questioned them, so they weren’t lying. It could have been one of the mages at the party, or theoretically one of the servants of the dignitaries who are staying here as guests. It’s tough to narrow down.”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.” I pursed my lips, wondering how effective that wand really was. Why did Fenris rely on it? Surely his nose was good enough.

“It’s not. I’m going to do some further investigation into it.” He pulled a book from his sleeve and handed it to me. “This is a basic primer on magic, one of the few not written in Loranian. Iannis found it last night and asked me to give it to you, so you could practice in your room when he’s not available. I suggest you be very careful and make sure no one is nearby when you are practicing, especially if you are going to perform a new spell. It wouldn’t do at all if you accidentally hurt someone.”

“Thanks.” A spark of delight lit in my chest as I took the book, something that would not have happened a week ago. Strange how my outlook on magic had changed in such a short time, now that it was more accessible to me.

Fenris showed me how to activate the pre-spelled wards set around the perimeter of my room, which I could use to keep anyone from entering while I was performing magic. He then left me to my own devices. I stared at the book for a little while, tempted to start working now, but the outdoors called me more strongly than the spells did. I slid the book onto one of my shelves, between a paperback on Garaian History and a mystery novel.

It was time to go and see how my city had fared without me.



I grabbed a few scones from the kitchen, then hopped on my steambike and headed towards the Port. I was in a ridiculously good mood, and it wasn’t just the fresh air on my face or the sights and sounds of the city that surrounded me as I rode through the streets. The staff and guards had all been fairly pleasant to me as I’d left, addressing me as ‘ma’am’ or ‘miss’, and no longer gave me dirty or suspicious looks. The mages, for their part, hadn’t changed their level of animosity, but only the way they expressed it – instead of sneering at me they scowled, beaming hatred or jealousy my way when they thought my back was turned. They thought their bad vibes would bring me down, but instead they only widened my smile and lifted my spirits. Any day I could wiggle the stick up those stuffy bastards’ asses was a good day in my book.