Spy Glass

6

MY RECENT STREAK OF BAD DECISIONS CONTINUED. What had I been thinking when I agreed to a drink with one of the prison officers? The rumblings of discontent over my presence in the Spotted Dog tavern increased. A couple men moved closer to the two drunks who had started this confrontation, and one of the elite officers joined the growing mob.

Tossed out would be the best scenario for me. Beaten to a pulp the worst.

“She cleaned out the riffraff,” Finn said to the two in my defense. “Did us a favor, and you know it. Besides, you hate your cousin, Cole. Said he couldn’t guard a baby.”

Not the right thing to say. Braids…Cole drew his sword. “You takin’ her side, LT?”

Finn stood in one fluid motion. The tension thickened the air, making it hard to draw a breath.

I rose to my feet, being careful not to make any sudden moves. “Gentlemen, Councilor Moon has no intention of changing anything at the prison. I was merely delivering a message for her. I’m sorry about your cousin, Cole. If you tell me his name, I can try to find him another job.”

He blinked at me as if trying to make sense of my words. Before he could respond, Finn said, “The government will be hiring construction workers to build an addition to HQ when the weather’s warmer. Lots of jobs then.”

The friction eased. A voice announced that a barrel of special ale was open and most of the crowd disbursed. When a few more COs entered the tavern, cheerful calls to a rookie hotshot erupted. Knowing a good distraction when I saw one, I grabbed Finn’s hand and headed toward the door.

I didn’t release my hold until we were a few blocks away. The setting sun cast long shadows along the street.

“Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would recognize you,” Finn said.

Confused, I asked, “Why not? You did.”

“I’m naturally nosy.” He quirked a smile. “Actually, knowing who is who in town is part of my job. A new arrival might mean someone is trying to aid a prisoner.”

“To escape?”

“Escape, or just to smuggle in supplies. Trading goods inside is very lucrative and every single item in there has two different uses at least. I keep track of all the merchants and delivery people. If I see a new face, I’m automatically suspicious. When I heard the Councilor hired a new assistant, I made sure to get a good look at you.”

“I hadn’t realized there was so much involved with your job.”

“A common misconception. Everyone thinks we just stand around. But we have to be one step ahead of the prisoners or risk being surprised by a weapon made of crushed glass mixed in feces.”

I stopped. “You’re not serious. Are you?”

His queasy grimace didn’t change.

“Yuck. At least you have one more person who has a greater appreciation of what you do. Thanks for the drink. I’d better get back before the Councilor worries.”

“I’ll escort you.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Finn was my only link to Wirral. “Okay,” I agreed. He could be my way inside.

We walked for a while in silence.

I mulled over what he had told me. “Do all the different areas of the prison have specific titles like SMU?” I asked.

“Yes. There are a ton of official designations, but we have nicknames for almost all of them.”

“Where does a rookie hotshot work?”

He laughed. “That’s the new guy in the SMU. The nickname for us is the hotshots. And rookies are the ones either newly graduated from training or new to the prison. I was called the rookie LT until he arrived.”

“Here you go.” Faith dropped a thick file folder on my desk. “Delivered this morning.”

Her amused tone drew my attention. I glanced at her. She stood with one hand resting on her cocked hip. Her short hair was tucked behind her ears as always, but she smirked.

Oh no. “What’s the catch?” I asked.

“The warden wasn’t…happy with your interruption two days ago.”

“And?”

“And you’re barred from entering his prison again.”

I shuddered, remembering the conditions. “That’s fine by me. So why so smug?”

“You’ve met the man. Not much upsets him, but our request plus your audacity—his word, not mine—in not trusting him or his people has galled him. He has issued you a challenge.” Faith was downright gleeful.

“Why me? You wrote the request,” I grumbled.

“Come on, Opal. The warden isn’t an idiot.”

“Since you’re dying to tell me, go on.”

“He challenged you to find anything, anything wrong with his correctional officers or his prison.”

“He’s that confident?”

She nodded.

Nothing was perfect. “Tell him I accept his challenge.”

Faith whistled. “Bold.”

“What’s bold?” Tama Moon asked from behind Faith.

The First Adviser jumped a foot. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry.” But the Councilor didn’t appear apologetic. In fact, her eyebrows were pinched close, puckering the skin on her forehead. “What are you two plotting?”

I noted her word choice. Plotting. Paranoid vibes wafted from her.

Quicker to respond, Faith said, “Nothing.” However she couldn’t lie convincingly, which added to Tama’s suspicions.

“Nothing important,” I said. “Nic challenged me to spar with him. My sais against his sword, and I not only accepted but claimed I would win.”

Tama released a breath and her shoulders eased down a fraction. “That is bold.” Her frown remained. She shoved a stack of files at Faith. “Here, I need you to check the payroll numbers and send them down to accounting.”

Faith clutched the packet to her chest and shot me a worried glance before hurrying away.

“Opal, I need to speak to you in my office.”

I studied her as I followed. Uncombed white-blond hair hung in clumps as if she just rolled out of bed. Her hands hugged her arms. When we reached her desk, she snatched a paper from the surface and waved it at me.

“What is this?” she asked.

I reached for the sheet and touched magic. A thick bubble resisted my hand, but I pushed through and took the paper from Tama. Damn it, Zebb. We had a deal. I squashed my desire to find him and crack his head open with my sais. He had just undone weeks of improvement, sending Tama back to where we started.

Instead, I kept my face neutral as I scanned the letter. When a person was convicted and sentenced to prison, all his assets were turned over to the Sitian government to put toward the cost of his incarceration. The letter was a standard reversal of assets to the Moon Clan and not something that would need the Councilor’s approval. Except in this case, the prisoner was Akako, Tama’s sister. Akako’s signature meant she agreed to the terms stated in the letter, and it was countersigned by Tama.

Confused, I tried to determine what she was really asking. “You approved the transfer.”

“I know that! Look here.” She stabbed her finger at a line of text below her signature.

I squinted at the fine print. “You also waived your right to purchase her assets. Is that bad?”

“Of course it’s bad. She owned my parent’s house! I want to buy it. It’s a good thing I found that before it went to the realty office.” She rounded on me. “How did you do it, Opal? Stick it in the middle of a bunch of papers so I wouldn’t see it when I signed it?”

Her accusation took a moment to sink in. She believed I had tricked her into signing away her rights. “I didn’t—”

“Don’t lie to me.” She snatched the paper from my hands. “This is an act of espionage.”

“Why would I do that? What would I gain?” I tried to reason with her, but she wouldn’t listen.

When she called for her guards to arrest me, I realized the magic must be influencing her. Zebb’s way of getting rid of me? Seemed complicated, but I could have underestimated him.

The two guards rushed over. Nic and Eve were off duty. Bad timing for me, but not for the magician. With panic building in my chest, I touched Tama’s wrist, hoping my immunity to magic would somehow cover her and break the spell. No luck.

She shrieked and yanked her arm back. The guards grabbed my shoulders, pulling me away. My mind raced through my five years of magical instruction at the Magician’s Keep, searching for something, anything that would help.

“Wait,” I said to the guards. “She’s being influenced by magic. If we don’t break it, it’ll be just like before when Akako took control of the clan.” They hesitated.

“Trust me.” I snagged an idea. “Don’t let go of me. Keep hold, but let’s walk in a circle around the Councilor. We don’t have to get close to her. She’ll be in no danger.”

“No. Arrest her for espionage and for attacking me,” Tama ordered.

“You’ve been guarding her for half a season. Something isn’t right. Trust yourselves,” I said.

“Once around and then down to the cells,” the guard on my left said.

“No tricks,” the other said.

Wedged between them, I stepped to the side, keeping the Councilor in front of me. I reviewed my plan. Magicians pulled threads of magic from the blanket of power surrounding the world. They aimed these strings of power at people or objects. Since the magic around Tama wasn’t from anyone in the room, I needed to find the direction of power. After that, it would be pure guesswork.

She glared at us as she turned to follow our progress. I hoped the magician wouldn’t spread his influence to the guards. In that case, I would be screwed.

Three-quarters of the way around, I started to worry. What if the magician was in the room above or below? And when did I decide it wasn’t Zebb?

After a few more steps, I entered a stream of magic. It pushed against my back. I stopped.

Confusion spread on her face. She reached toward me. “Opal? What…”

The magic moved and she jerked. “Get her out of here!” she yelled. “She’s a spy and should be locked up.”

“I blocked it for a moment,” I said. “You saw her change! I need to get closer.” I dragged the guards three feet and I stepped left and right, searching for the stream. Once again the magic slammed into my back.

The Councilor sagged into her desk chair. “Listen to Opal,” she said in a weak voice.

When the magic moved, I stayed with it. “Get Zebb,” I ordered the guards as I shrugged them off. “Hurry!”

I expected Tama to protest, but she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them, making herself into a smaller target either by instinct or intelligence. It didn’t matter. By this time, I stood close to her and shielded her with my body.

The magical pressure increased and I used every bit of energy to keep from being flattened. Where was Zebb? Gasping for breath, I strained against the attack. My calf muscles burned with the effort. Sweat stung my eyes.

When the door banged, I yelled, “Null shield!” without bothering to see if it was Zebb.

Two things happened at once. The onslaught stopped, and Zebb’s magic pushed me away from Tama. I staggered and dropped to the floor, panting with relief.

“What the hell was that?” Zebb asked.

I let the guards explain. “This is exactly why I need to be near the Councilor at all times,” Zebb said. “I knew you’d endanger her.”

He continued to rant about her safety, but I tuned him out. I wondered again if the magician had been after her or me.

When I felt stronger, I climbed to my feet. “Zebb, shut up.” I resisted smirking when he listened to me. See? I could be mature. “Can you sense another magician nearby?”

“No, but I was on the first floor.”

“How about when you entered the room?”

He shook his head.

I sighed. “Help me out here. Where would a magician need to be to reach her?”

“It depends on how strong he is.”

I noted his pronoun choice. Habit or did he know more than he was telling me? “Can we narrow it down to inside or outside the building?” I asked in exasperation.

“Outside. No one with powers can get by me.”

Ignoring his boast, I asked, “Can you take a few guards out to search?”

He sneered. “I know you’re used to hanging out with the Master Magicians and the Soulfinder. They can walk the streets and sniff out any magicians. The rest of us can’t.”

“But you just said—”

“Line of sight. Everyone coming into the Council Hall has to pass by me. If I can reach their thoughts, they don’t have any power.”

I thought it through. “Then the magician who attacked the Councilor is stronger than average. He didn’t need line of sight.”

His lips parted in surprise. “But he would have to know she was in her office.”

We both turned to the picture window at the end of her office. Sunlight streamed through the large pane of glass. Tama had located her U-shaped desk close enough to it so she could enjoy the view while she worked.

I moved closer, looking outside. Her first-floor office was a mere twelve feet above the street. Below, townspeople strolled or hustled by either on horseback or on foot. Wagons bounced along the cobblestones. From this distance, I could see clearly. No one seemed interested in the window. No one lurked in the shadows. At least not now.

Zebb joined me.

“Would curtains help protect her?” I asked.

“To some extent. The magician would have to guess if the Councilor was here. Or risk alerting me by sweeping the building. We could move her desk to make it harder for him.”

“No curtains,” Tama said. Her first words since the incident. A touch of color had returned to her pallid cheeks.

“But—”

She cut Zebb off. “I understand your concerns. How about a compromise?” She swiped the hair sticking to her face. “No curtains and I’ll let Zebb and his null shield stay with me.”

“Finally,” Zebb said. “It’s what I’ve wanted from the beginning!”

Not a diplomatic response and uncertainty filled her eyes.

“You’ve made a smart decision,” I said. “Zebb may be a pompous ass, but he’s trustworthy.” The background check on him hadn’t found anything.

Faith rushed in before he could retort.

“Tama, are you all right?” She gathered the Councilor in her arms. Tama leaned into her.

“What happened?” Faith demanded.

I let Zebb handle the explanation while I mulled over a possible reason for the attack.

When he finished addressing all her questions, I asked Tama about her enemies. “Any other relatives that might be trying to usurp you?”

Faith answered for her. “No. Akako is her only sister. Her parents died years ago and she has one aunt and a couple of cousins on her father’s side. They live in the Krystal lands and she’s never even met them.”

Tama pulled away. “My father was from the Krystal Clan. He met my mother while here on business.” Her colorless lips formed a wan smile. “He claimed love at first sight, but it took him a few seasons to convince her. The clan wasn’t happy about their heir marrying an outsider. But he won them over just like he did with my mother. Everyone loved my father.”

A sweet story, but no help for our current problem. “Can you think of anyone who might be after you? Or a reason someone wanted to control you?” I asked.

“Perhaps we missed one of Akako’s people,” Faith said. “Only Tama can release Akako from prison.”

“Then why did he force me to arrest Opal?” the Councilor asked. “I was convinced she was a spy and I’d only be safe once she was secured in Wirral.”

“Basic strategy,” Zebb said. “Eliminate the person’s supporters so no one protests when the person changes her behavior.”

A logical argument, yet an uneasy chill swirled. Being incarcerated in Wirral would be a waking nightmare.

For now, at least the null shield protected Tama, and I had my immunity. Faith declared she would go over Akako’s files, searching for any insurgents who may have been missed.

I returned to my desk and the thick file on the hotshots in the SMU. Perhaps Akako had managed to bribe one of them or one could already be loyal to her. I would have laughed at the irony if I had the energy. The creative reasoning that netted me the file in the first place might lead to an answer and to something to prove to the warden that his prison wasn’t perfect.

I read through the files until I was cross-eyed with fatigue. After spending the entire afternoon studying the information on the hotshots, I had nothing to show for it. Finn’s matched his story. Complete background checks with confirmations from two different sources had been attached to each CO’s dossier. Even the rookie Lamar’s papers had been included. His letter of recommendation from the Iolite Prison’s warden had been verified twice.

When the words swam together, I stopped for the day. Tama had retreated to her suite for the night, but Faith remained in her office. I debated. Should I skip supper and get a few extra hours of sleep or go to the Pig Pen for a bowl of stew?

Preoccupied, I left the Hall and paused. The black sky meant I had missed the late-afternoon training again. Nic and Eve would harass me about it.

“Working late?” a voice asked from behind me.

I drew my sais, whipping around. Finn leaned on the Councilor’s Hall. He spread his hands. “Easy there.”

“Sorry.” I slid my weapons back under my cloak.

“Are you always this jumpy?” he asked.

“No. It’s been a long day.” I gathered my scattered wits. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Why?” The question popped out without censure.

Finn laughed. A nice rumble. “I enjoyed our conversation the other day and wanted to continue it.”

“Oh.” My tired brain finally caught up. This was good. Right? I wanted to get closer to him and find out more about the prison. Kade would understand. I was working undercover. But what if our roles were reversed? How would I feel if he had to seduce another woman? Horrible. I shook my head. Ridiculous speculation. I didn’t plan to seduce Finn.

“Would you like to have dinner with me?” he asked in an uncertain tone.

“Of course. I’m sorry. I’m tired and—”

“We can go another time then.”

“I didn’t mean that. I’m famished. How about I pick the place this time? I know a tavern with the best stew in town.”

He flashed me his slanted smile. “Any angry officers?”

“We shouldn’t need a distraction in order to leave.”

He swept his arm out. “Lead on.”

The jumble of voices reached us before we entered the Pig Pen. Nic’s brother served drinks, and Nic and Eve sat at their usual places. Not good. I thought they were on duty. Fulgor soldiers filled every table and people crowded the bar. I was about to retreat to another tavern when Ian waved me over. He snapped his fingers a few times and two stools next to my friends emptied. So much for a quiet conversation.

Finn whistled. “Wow. You must be a good customer.” He nodded to a couple of people as we claimed the stools. I made sure to sit between Finn and Nic.

“Have you been here before?” I asked him.

“No, but I know a few of Fulgor’s security forces. All part of the job.”

Hoping Nic and Eve wouldn’t blow my cover by mentioning Kade, I introduced them to Finn. Nic sized him up and gave me a questioning look before Eve elbowed him in the ribs. If Finn noticed he didn’t react. Two bowls of stew appeared in front of us, and I turned Finn’s attention to Ian. When Finn made the connection between the brothers, I felt a strange sense of pride.

“Is he the reason you’ve missed four training sessions?” Nic asked me.

“I’ve been busy with work.”

“No excuses,” Nic said. “It’s too important. Does Kad—Ow!”

“Time to go,” Eve said, standing. She pulled Nic off the stool. “Nice meeting you, Finn. We’d love to stay and chat, but we’re on duty tonight. Opal, we’ll see you in the morning.” Her pointed gaze warned me she would question me thoroughly.

Eve hustled Nic out the door. Confusion creased his face, but he followed his partner.

Finn and I ate our stew. He pushed his empty bowl aside and drank his ale. “You’re right. It is the best in town.”

The food revived me, and cleared my mind. “It’s better than my mother’s, but don’t tell anyone I said that or she’ll disown me.”

“Your secret is safe with me. Although I could blackmail you with it.”

I smiled at his teasing tone. “You could try.”

“You never did answer my question.”

“Which one?”

“If you think you can beat me with those sais of yours?” He touched my arm, resting his warm fingers on my forearm. “Think about it. You did miss a few training sessions.”

“How much training have you had?” I asked.

“Ten years.”

I had gotten serious about improving my own skills only a year ago. “I doubt I could win a match against you.” Unless I cheated and used those pressure points Devlen had inadvertently taught me.

“You may surprise yourself. From what I hear, you’re rather resourceful.”

“What have you heard?”

“There wasn’t much information in the gossip loop, and you didn’t give me a whole lot, either.”

“I hardly know you.” Yet I didn’t pull my arm away.

“True. But you’re in a powerful position, working so close with the Councilor and the First Adviser.”

I couldn’t argue with him without telling him why I took the job. “And?”

“And I knew someone in security had to know something.” He leaned his elbow on the bar with a smug casualness.

“Who ratted me out?”

“Do you know a Captain Alden?” He gestured to the still-empty stools. “Your friends’ boss?”

“I’ve met him once or twice.” Nic and Eve had reported everything they witnessed in Hubal to him. Their report had lacked a few important details. “How do you know him?”

“Friend of a friend.”

“Are you proud of yourself?”

“Of course. Plus I feel better knowing you are with the Councilor, and I can tell the warden good things about you.”

“The warden asks you because…?”

“I know everyone in town.”

“You didn’t know Alden.”

“Miss Logical. I see you’re going to keep me on my toes. I didn’t know Alden personally, but if I passed him on the street, I could tell you his name, rank and his position on Fulgor’s security force.”

We talked about random things until I steered the conversation to the SMU and the hotshots.

Finn leaned close. “I know why you’re so interested in them.”

“You do?” My mouth felt dry, and I resisted the urge to gulp my ale.

“No one is escaping from the SMU, Opal. No one. Stop worrying. Those men who stole your magic won’t hurt you ever again.”

Covering my face with the mug of ale, I tipped it up and took a long drink. Did he know about the file on my desk? I decided to tone down my focus on the hotshots in Finn’s presence for now, and pretend he had guessed everything right.

I placed my hand over his and gave it a light squeeze. “Thanks.”

Our conversation returned to more mundane topics. When I couldn’t stifle a yawn, Finn stood. “Time to go. I have an early day tomorrow.”

“Me, too.” I grimaced. Nic would be extra hard on me and Eve would pepper me with questions. Ugh.

Finn grasped my hand when we reached the street. Our footsteps echoed along the empty road. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten.

“The day after tomorrow is my day off,” he said. “Would you like to go riding with me?”

I hesitated. Quartz would love the exercise, and I hadn’t taken any time off since I arrived.

“There’s a pretty little waterfall in the forest north of the city,” he said.

“Sounds fun.” But guilt welled. I tried to rationalize my actions by reminding myself of my goal—finding my blood. If Finn’s feelings were hurt in the process then I would apologize and move on.

“Great. I’ll meet you at the inn’s stables after your morning training.”

That would make Nic happy. Finn escorted me home, but I started to worry when we drew closer to the inn. Would he want a kiss good-night? What would I do? Being undercover was harder than I’d thought.

The kissing issue turned out to be a needless concern.

One block from the inn, magic brushed my shoulder, warning me a split second before four armed men surrounded us.