Scorched by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #7)(29)

“I wish I could be of more help,” Lakin said, his blond brows drawn into a scowl. “It’s possible that Thorgana only just arrived, and that’s why we haven’t heard or seen anything unusual yet. I will definitely forward any rumors or info about the Benefactor straight to you—you know that none of us harbor any love for her,” he added darkly.

We thanked Lakin for his time, leaving him with a promise I would get in touch with him as soon as I had a spare moment to volunteer. We hit up the Shifter Courier next, followed by the Herald. Everyone we talked to was very helpful, but nobody had any leads, to our mutual disappointment. I’d expected to get something out of the Herald at least—they were still suspect, even though they were under new management, and I wouldn’t have put it past Thorgana to leverage contacts in her former media company in some way. But clearly that was too obvious an angle—if she was here at all, she was being careful to fly under the radar.

By the time we finished with the Herald, it was well past two o’clock. Starving, I dragged Garrett to the diner in Maintown where Annia and I had once shared a meal during our very first case together. As we settled into a booth with a street view window and ordered bowls of hot soup and sandwiches, I couldn’t help but wish that it was Annia sitting across from me, instead of Garrett. The director was clever and intelligent, but he didn’t know Solantha very well. Annia, like me, had grown up here, and her contacts with the city’s underbelly were much better than mine. I often consulted with her when I was working on a tough case, and she usually spotted things I didn’t.

“There is another place I would like to check out,” Garrett said after he’d finished polishing off a grilled cheese sandwich. “Firegate Federal Credit Union.”

My brow furrowed. “A bank? Why?”

“Thorgana was using several banks around the country to funnel money through, and Firegate was one of two banks she used here in Solantha,” Garrett explained. “The other—”

“Was Sandin Federal,” I said, then scooped a huge spoonful of clam chowder into my mouth. It was my third bowl, and I’d already polished off four grilled cheeses, much to Garrett’s astonishment. I guessed he hadn’t been paying attention to my eating habits in Garai.

“Ah, yes,” Garrett said, a small smile playing on his lips. “I’d forgotten you were the one who shut them down.”

“Along with Lakin, Iannis, and Secretary Garidano,” I reminded him sharply. I didn’t like the admiring way he was gazing at me—I strongly suspected Garrett had a little crush on me. I had saved his life, risking my own neck to dive into the stormy sea after he’d been thrown overboard, so I guess it wasn’t totally weird. But I was engaged to Iannis, and the fact that Garrett, a mage fully capable of controlling his emotions, was letting me see his interest at all was pissing me off. Just because he was getting the chance to enjoy time away from the office, riding around on a steambike with the exotic shifter girl, didn’t give him license to be anything less than professional.

“Of course,” Garrett said smoothly, as if he didn’t notice my warning tone. “I understand that Fenris has also been of help to you during past investigations and missions?”

“His knowledge comes in handy,” I said, turning my attention back to my chowder. Garrett had been subtly tossing questions about Fenris to me all afternoon, and I’d deflected them as best I could, refusing to betray that I knew his game. I wasn’t going to hand Fenris over to him on a silver platter.

“I imagine it does,” Garrett said. “He has decades of it, if that is to be believed. Has he been studying magical lore all his life?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said airily, flagging down the waitress to get the bill. “I’ve known him less than a year.”

“Surely, he’s told you about his past, though?” Garrett pressed. “The two of you must be well-acquainted, considering you’re both shifters living among mages, and so close to Lord Iannis.”

“You got any coin on you?” I asked, sliding the bill over to Garrett after the waitress handed it to me. “I figure we’re splitting this.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Garrett said irritably, pulling a hefty purse from the magical pocket in his sleeve. “Are you avoiding my question?”

“No,” I said simply as I rose from the table. “I just think that if you want to learn about Fenris’s past, the best person to ask would be Fenris. I’m not his biographer, you know.” Garrett pressed his lips together. “I’m going to the restroom. Meet you outside.”

And with that, I sauntered off before I could give in to the urge to grab Garrett by the collar and punch him in his too-shrewd face.





12





After visiting the bank, which turned out to be just as fruitless as the other leads, Garrett and I returned to the Palace. Our dinner meeting was in just a few hours, and he wanted to consult with his assistant to see if he’d found anything useful in the magazine archives. Garrett invited me to come with him, but I begged off, claiming I had another matter that needed my attention.

In reality, I just needed a break from him.

“That good, huh?” Rylan asked as I stormed into my suite. I drew up short, surprised to see him sitting on my sofa, reading a book.