Scorched by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #7)(3)

“I’m sorry.” I couldn’t imagine what Com was going through right now, and I was damn sure I’d be handling it with a hell of a lot less grace than he probably was. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Elania shrugged one shoulder. “No, but I’m certain Comenius would appreciate another visit. We have been looking forward to hearing more about your travels.” She smiled, banishing the shadows lurking in her gaze. “We have missed you.”

“I promise I will visit soon.” I hugged Elania, my insides squirming with guilt. One hurried visit in three weeks was not nearly enough, but there had been so much to do after being gone for several months that I hadn’t made the time. I’d take Rylan with me tomorrow to see Com, I vowed, no matter what else I had on my plate.

Speaking of Rylan, it was a shame he couldn’t be here with his mother tonight. Like the other Shiftertown Council members, Mafiela had brought her children, and Rylan should have been amongst that number. But he’d been stationed outside the ballroom in his guard uniform, since he was still officially serving as Lanyr, my tiger-shifter bodyguard, as punishment for fighting for the Resistance. As long as he wore that disguise, he couldn’t be with the Baine Clan even if he wanted to.

Glancing to my left, I noticed Iannis had moved off to talk to some other official. Rather than join him, I drifted through the crowd on my own. Maybe I’d go find Inspector Lakin—we were still friends, after all, and I wanted to catch up with him.

Most of the enforcers gave me polite smiles and nods as I passed, but a few outright ignored me. None of them seemed to know how to approach me, and it struck me that I wasn’t really sure how to approach them either. I’d always considered myself an enforcer first and a mage second, but after everything I’d been through, was that still the case? As the Chief Mage’s fiancée and apprentice, I no longer answered to Captain Galling—or rather, Acting Captain Skonel. Socially, I outranked them all, even though within the Guild, I was still just a lowly “lone-wolf” enforcer.

By Magorah, when was the last time I’d taken a bounty? Could I even call myself an enforcer anymore? I still wore my enforcer bracelet, but as I glanced down at my wrist, I was struck by how much it clashed with my finery. Sadness filled me as I realized I was slowly, inexorably, drifting away from my roots.

“Enforcer Baine,” a male voice on my left said, and I blinked, startled from my thoughts. I turned to see Wex Ursini, a bear-shifter enforcer from one of the smaller crews. He was nearly seven feet tall, his massive form crammed into a brown and gold tunic and pants. His normally shaggy brown hair had been slicked back from his handsome face, leaving his dark amber eyes unframed. “Or is it Miss Baine, or Lady Baine? I’m not really sure how to address you,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

“Sunaya is fine,” I said, partly because I wanted to try to establish friendly relationships with the enforcers again, and partly because I didn’t really know how I should be addressed either. Did I have a title? I’d ask Iannis later. “How are you enjoying the party?”

“Very much,” he said, raising his glass. “I’m guessing I have you to thank for making sure we have teca here tonight?”

“Hell yeah.” I grinned. Teca was a spicy-sweet alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the fruit of a plant by the same name, and it was pretty much the only thing strong enough to get shifters drunk. It was being served by request only, because a single drink could kill a human. “I don’t see why the mages and humans should be the only ones to have a good time tonight.”

Wex grinned back. “I appreciate it,” he said, then took another drink. His amber eyes found Iannis in the crowd across the room, and he nodded. “I know that some of the enforcers still aren’t sure how they feel about you, but don’t think a bunch of us haven’t noticed the Chief Mage has been more involved in the community since you’ve shacked up with him. My father has high hopes that things will continue to improve for us.”

“They will. I’m happy that the Shifter Council has become more open to working with the Mages Guild.” Wex’s father was the Chieftain of the Bear Clan—Wex was the youngest of five sons, which was why he could get away with working as an enforcer instead of joining the family’s successful welding business.

“You know,” Wex said, his easygoing expression growing pensive as he looked toward Iannis again, “I do wonder if Lord Iannis will ever truly be able to deal with the corruption in Solantha, and all the favoritism that’s still occurring. He’s a busy man, and unless he finds someone suitable to delegate these issues to, he may not ever have time to address them.”

“Is there something specific you’re referring to?” I asked, even though I already knew there was. I could tell by his body language that he’d been working his way up to whatever he was about to say.

“Well…” Wex leaned in, dropping his voice a little, “it’s recently come out that the mages have been getting double bounties for their captures, and the rest of us are pretty resentful about it. A bunch of enforcers are even threatening to quit. I’ve approached Captain Galling, along with a few others, but he refuses to do anything about it. ‘Take it up with the new captain’ is all he says, as if he’s been absolved of all responsibility now that he’s retiring.” Wex rolled his eyes, and I could sense his ire—he was far more upset about this than he was letting on.