Scorched by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #7)(5)

And I would, I told myself as I walked away from Galling. But it would be about reforming the bonus system, not cashing in on it myself.

Determined not to spend the entire reception stewing, I put a smile back on my face and sought out Iannis. He was by the refreshment table, discussing something with Lakin, and I was very curious as to their topic of conversation. I’d been worried that Lakin’s crush on me would prevent him from wanting to work with Iannis, but I was pleased to see that was not the case. He was the Shiftertown Inspector first and foremost, and even though he wasn’t native to Solantha, he took his job very seriously. I knew he and the volunteers who worked with him were overloaded since the town was in the middle of a rebuild, and I made a mental note to make time in my schedule to help him out.

As I made my way to the refreshment table, I caught sight of a group of well-dressed humans crowded off to the side. Iannis and I had talked to them earlier—the Mendles and the Goraxes, two wealthy human families who ran the largest construction companies in Canalo. They had offices all over the state, I’d learned, and they’d built most of the newer buildings here in Solantha. I found it interesting that the two families were huddled together, talking like allies—they were supposed to be fierce competitors.

“It’s very unfortunate about your hair,” Mrs. Gorax said to Mrs. Mendle. She touched a hand to her own red locks, which were thick and lustrous. “It’s curious that it has affected your whole family. Are you sure it’s not something contagious?”

“Of course it’s not contagious,” Mrs. Mendle said, her voice sharp with annoyance as Mrs. Gorax subtly edged away from her. Her blonde hair was very thin indeed, and what I guessed was normally a pretty face was haggard despite the makeup she’d caked on. Her husband, a tall, lean man, was almost completely bald, only a little bit of mousy brown hair left on the sides and back of his skull, and their son, who looked barely twenty, was sporting a comb-over. “It must be some kind of mold or bug in the new house that’s causing an allergic reaction. We’re having an exterminator come tomorrow to take a look.”

Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, I moved on, even though I was very curious. I’d never heard of a bug or mold that could cause hair loss, or of an entire family suffering from the condition at the same time. The thought of losing all my hair sent a shiver through me, and I raised a hand to my own curls to reassure myself they were still there. Thankfully, Iannis could heal me if whatever the Mendles had was contagious, but I’d rather not find out either way. Honestly, what had they been thinking, coming to an event like this if they were sick? It was clear by their sallow complexions and sunken cheeks that they were suffering from more than just hair loss.

“Sunaya,” Lakin cried as I finally approached, his reddish-yellow eyes lighting up with delight. “Lord Iannis and I were starting to wonder if you’d ditched the party.”

I laughed, embracing Lakin briefly. “I wish, but that would make Iannis look bad, and I’d never do that to him.” I slipped my arm into his and leaned against him, soaking up his calming presence. His sandalwood-and-magic scent soothed my still slightly ruffled feathers, washing away the bad taste in my mouth from my conversation with Galling. “How are things in Shiftertown?”

“The rebuild is going fairly smoothly; there’s hardly any trace left of the Uprising,” Lakin said. “But I’ve been thinking that repairing the buildings isn’t enough. Lord Iannis and I have been talking about shoring them up with magical defenses as well. Some of the older buildings are developing cracks from the recent quakes.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” I said. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you need any help dealing with local cases, or with any of the rebuild projects. I know you’re really shorthanded.”

“We do need all the help we can get,” Lakin said. “There have been a lot of civil disputes and small crimes, and having you around would help a ton. But I know you’re busy, Sunaya, and you have bigger things to worry about.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all—”

“Trouble,” my ether-parrot squawked, materializing in a flash of blue light. Lakin jumped as the bird settled on top of his head—he wouldn’t feel the weight, but the blue glow and the magical hum were bound to be disconcerting. A laugh burst from my lips before I could help myself, and it was echoed by the mages in the crowd around us.

“Come here, Trouble,” I commanded, holding my arm out. The parrot squawked again, then flapped his wings and launched himself off Lakin’s head. He landed on my arm, sending a magical tingle through me.

“What is that thing?” an elderly mage in the crowd asked, too far away to be addressing me.

“I think it’s supposed to be an ether pigeon,” a mage apprentice I’d met a few times said, a scathing note in her voice. “But Miss Baine bungled the spell, and now she has an obnoxious parrot instead.”

“Really? The ether pigeon spell is so simple,” the first mage said. “I had it mastered before I even started my apprenticeship. How is Miss Baine supposed to stand by Lord Iannis’s side if she can’t master Loranian?”

“Don’t,” Iannis said in mindspeak, just as I was about to break away from him to confront those insufferable bastards. “They aren’t worth your attention. Power-wise, you are already running circles around those cretins.”