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  “He a good one?” the woman asked, not looking up as she started loading rice into a large pot.

  “He’s better than I deserve,” Riley told her with a smile.

  “That’s good. If he turns out to be anything less than that, you send Mason down to me, okay? I’ll work out whatever is wrong with him right fast.”

  There were few people in New Perth who could speak in such a manner about the Assistant Prefect, but Lucie was one of them.

  She finished adding the rice and turned around.

  “Did Mason send you down here for food again? Because that’s beneath you, and if he does it once more, I’m going to bring the food up there to him myself and let him know what I think.”

  “No, Lucie. He got that message loud and clear last time. He can’t help it; he likes your cooking.”

  “Good.” The woman nodded.

  Riley wasn’t sure Lucie knew how to smile; her face was a solid mask of sternness at all times. Riley had been scared of her when she was a child, but now she knew it was only a mask. A tough one, but a mask all the same.

  “So what brings you down here if Assistant Prefect Mason has figured out how to get his own food?”

  “A man came to court yesterday, and he was saying some...well, ridiculous things. Prefect Ire sent him away, but…” Her voice trailed off, not saying exactly what had transpired.

  “But Mason wants you to look into it a bit more.” Lucie turned around and grabbed the pot. She carried it a few feet to the sink, set it down, and started putting water in it. “This man…what’s he saying?”

  Riley felt relieved at the question. It meant Lucie was going to help, without directly saying so. Lucie had refused Riley before, and there wasn’t anything she could do if that happened. She’d simply have to find another way.

  “He said…” Riley shook her head. “You’re not going to believe this, Lucie.”

  “Girl, do you want my help? If so, then give me the answers to the questions I’m askin’.”

  Riley nodded. “He said that farther north, up the coast, a man is holding people captive. He said sometimes they’re held for years. The man is draining their magic and using it to increase his own. It sounds ludicrous, but that was what he said.”

  “Why would he want to drain magic from people?” Lucie asked, watching the water fill the large pot.

  “I don’t know. Prefect Ire kicked him out before he got the chance to say.”

  “But Mason thinks there’s something to it?”

  Riley was quiet.

  “Fine. Do you think there’s something to it?”

  “I want to talk to him. He was...persistent.” Riley wasn’t going to go into detail about her and Mason’s thoughts on it.

  “If it were true, it would be one way to overtake Perth. No one has used magic here in decades. We are a truly magicless society.”

  “Magic can be dangerous,” Riley answered.

  “It can be, but it might be more dangerous that no one in New Perth knows how to use it. If what that man says is true, it would be very dangerous indeed. A sword can do a lot of damage and a cannonball even more, but a person who understands magic can dispatch both easily.”

  Riley wasn’t going to argue with Lucie about that. No one in New Perth used magic because everyone in New Perth believed it was dangerous. None of the previous Prefects had commanded that magic be banished. It was simply understood that to let loose such forces could be destructive. Peace was easier kept without it.

  “I need to find him,” Riley continued. “The man. Do you know where he is? Have you heard anything?”

  “Might have. Might have been a man who didn’t stop talking even after he got kicked out of the castle.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Mac said he was giving him a room last night, but he didn’t like it too much.” Another grunt and Lucie lifted the filled pot, bringing it back to the stove. “Mac said the man sounded nuts and that he didn’t have any money, but he’d give him a room for one night because... Well, mainly because Mac’s balls are smaller than these grains of rice. He don’t got the stones to kick a crazy man out into the streets, and that’s why he hardly has the money to feed himself.”

  “Thanks, Lucie. I really appreciate it.”

  Lucie turned around. “Riley, I think you should be careful. You’re quick as hell with that sword and you move as fast as anyone I’ve ever seen, but none of that matters as much as the pot behind me when it comes to magic. If what this man is saying is true you’re gonna need help, girl.”

  Riley didn’t like what Lucie had said. She didn’t like the way the woman had looked at her. Lucie had known Riley when she was a child, moving through the streets just as quickly but picking pockets and purses. Lucie had been the one to pull Riley in and show her that there might be another kind of life for her if she wanted it.

  Yet, in all the years she’d known Lucie, the woman had never told her to be careful.

  Riley didn’t have time to worry about it right now. She needed to report back to Mason, and Lucie had been railing about the lack of magic in New Perth for as long as Riley had known her. That wasn’t going to change now, so of course she’d be concerned of rumors about an evil mage descending on the city.

  Riley made her way to Mac’s Lodge, although she had to rent a carriage for it. Mac’s place was away from downtown, although it hadn’t always been that way. Lucie hadn’t been lying when she’d said Mac had a hard time turning people away, and although he’d once had a nicer lodge downtown, he wasn't able to afford the rent anymore.

  Riley found Mac outside the building. His brother Miles and he were sitting at a small table playing a card game.

  “And why do we deserve this visit from a Right Hand?” Mac asked, looking up with a smile across his large face. For every frown Lucie gave, Mac gave a smile.

  If the two married they would probably kill each other, Riley thought, unable to help smiling back at Mac.

  “Well, I’m hoping you can help me.” Riley looked down at the game. Miles hadn’t broken his concentration but was staring intensely at the cards before him.

  “Did you get kicked out of the castle? Is that why you lack your fancy purple robe? Do you need a place to stay?”

  “From the castle to Mac’s Lodge. That would be appropriate, I guess,” Riley mused.

  “Besides the Prefect’s castle, there is no finer lodging in New Perth.”

  Riley didn’t dare look at the two-story building behind him. The two were joking now, but Mac was sensitive about his work. He cared a lot about it, and if his heart wasn’t so big, he’d be a lot richer and have a grander building.

  Riley switched her gaze from the game to Mac. “I spoke with Lucie this morning. She said you agreed to house a man last night, one who didn’t have any currency and might have been saying some pretty odd things.”

  “Lucie told you that, aye?”

  “She did.”

  “That woman has the loosest lips in New Perth.” Mac shook his head though he kept smiling.

  “How long have you known her, Mac?” Riley asked.

  “Since I stood as high as your knees.”

  “Then you know she doesn’t say a word that could hurt those she cares about.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Mac said. “Anyway, yeah he’s here. His name’s Pat, and he’s asking for a second night. I’m not gonna give it to ‘im, though.”

  His brother snorted. “Right. Last time Mac kicked someone out of here I was probably as high as your knees too.” Miles still didn’t look up.

  “New Perth has no heart anymore. I’m the last man in it with one. That’s why when the Father and Mother return, I’m going to be first in line. Yeah, he’s here, Riley. You wanting to talk to him?”

  Riley nodded.

  “I’m assuming this is official business?” Mac asked, his smile dying. “I can’t just let anyone harass my customers, regardless of whether they’re paying or not.”

  “It’s not
official official, but it’s official enough, Mac.”

  The proprietor stared at her for a second, probably measuring whether he wanted to challenge a Right Hand.

  “He’s inside. Second floor. Room 46.”

  Mac looked back down at the game, clearly not happy with what he’d just done but apparently having decided that not official official was indeed official enough.

  “Thanks, Mac.”

  Riley went through the lodge’s front door. The stairs were to her right and she moved up them slowly, taking in the area around her. The man from yesterday had sounded crazy, and crazy created danger. While Riley could move quickly, she understood that to know your surroundings, you had to pay careful attention. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. No one standing in the main room downstairs. The bar was empty and the building quiet, for the most part.

  She reached the second floor and found the correct door.

  Standing to the side, Riley reached over and knocked hard. William would have handled this completely differently, but then again he was twice Riley’s size and could afford to.

  “Who is it?” someone called from inside.

  Riley thought it was the man from yesterday, Pat, though his voice sounded more strained.

  “My name is Riley Trident, and I represent the Assistant Prefect. I’m here to speak with you about what you said in court yesterday.”

  There was silence on the other side for a few moments. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

  “If I were, why would I be knocking?”

  More silence, and then Riley heard someone shuffling toward the door. It slowly cracked open, and Riley turned so that the person on the other side could see her. It was the man from yesterday, but Riley could see that he was nearing the breaking point. He believed what he had said yesterday, even if no one else in the world did.

  “You threw me out,” he whispered harshly.

  “And now I’m here to talk to you about what you said. Would you like to tell me? Just you and me?”

  He stared for a second longer, and Riley was sure he was deciding if this was a trick.

  Finally, he opened the door.

  “I’m leaving here anyway, so I guess it doesn’t damn matter what you want to do. You can’t keep me here, and I’m not staying.” His words were rapid as he walked back into the small room. Riley looked down the short hallway that led to the bedroom but saw nothing dangerous.

  It would be difficult to pull her sword out in this hallway if the man decided to do something, but she felt confident she could destroy him in hand to hand combat as well.

  She followed him in and shut the door behind her. Pat sat down on the bed and Riley entered the room undisturbed. There was more room here, so she could free her sword easily.

  Riley went to the window.

  “I want you to tell me again what you told us yesterday,” she demanded.

  “I done told you all. I done told every one of you. You didn’t wanna hear it, and so now I’m going to cross the desert and tell them. I’ll go to Sidnie, because he’s coming. He’ll come here first, but next he’s going there. That’s the truth, and if you all won’t listen, then maybe they will.”

  “I want to hear it,” Riley persisted. The man had really pulled it together yesterday, because he looked to be coming unhinged. His hair was wild, a bird’s nest of scraggly straw. His face was pale and waxy.

  “It’s what I told you yesterday. What I told your Prefect. He’s got people in a compound, and he’s using technology on them to pull their magic out. It’s going to him. He’s growing more powerful.”

  “All right,” Riley responded. “I get that, but you’ve got to slow down. First, who is he?”

  “I—I don’t know.”

  Pat’s back was to Riley and she shook her head, thinking herself stupid. This was a waste of time, but her duty required her to finish it.

  “How did he find you, then?”

  “You don’t get it. That was years ago. He took me from Sidnie. That’s where I’m from. Maybe he takes us all from there or maybe he doesn’t, but how am I supposed to sit here on this bed and tell you how it happened? That’s what you expect?”

  “I expect you try,” Riley demanded, her voice a steel whip from across the room. She was done wasting time with this delusional man if he couldn’t get it together.

  “I don’t remember,” Pat whispered, his head bowed. “Things are comin’ back slowly—certain things—but some stuff is just lost. That may be one of them. I don’t remember how I got there.”

  Fine, Riley thought. Just move on.

  “Where is it? Do you know?”

  He nodded. “I do know that. I know exactly where that sonofabitch is.”

  “Where?”

  “North. There’s no city name. There’s the ocean on one side and a forest on the other.”

  That describes almost half of the continent, Riley thought. “Could you take me there?”

  The man turned around on the bed and looked at her. “Yes.”

  “How many people does he have?” Riley asked.

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t privy to his accountin’ for bodies,” the man almost spat. “There were a lot. More than I could count when I was runnin’.”

  Riley ignored the hostility, focusing on the important parts of what the man was telling her. She needed to move the conversation forward. “How many days did it take you to travel here? Meaning, how long would it take us to get back?”

  “I…” Pat looked away; Riley thought he was either trying to actually remember...or making something up. “I was sick. It’s hard to remember. I slept a lot of the time in the beginnin’, but if I had to guess, it’d take us ten days on foot.”

  Riley nodded. “I don’t want you to leave New Perth. Wait here at Mac’s for another day. I, or someone in my stead, will return with instructions tomorrow, okay?”

  “Do you believe me?” Pat asked, his eyes finding Riley’s again.

  “I believe you believe it,” Riley answered, her face hard.

  He turned and looked back at his lap. “That’s not enough.”

  “I found him. He’s at Mac’s.”

  “Mac Trolley?” Mason asked.

  “The one and only.” Riley grinned.

  “What do you think?”

  Mason and she stood in the castle’s west garden. The sun was descending on the horizon, casting gold and orange hues across the land. Mason had been out here already when Riley returned. She’d changed into her purple robe, wanting to present herself correctly to the Assistant Prefect.

  “I think the only way to really get the truth is to go up there with him.”

  Mason turned around, his eyebrows raised. “Go north?”

  Riley nodded. “If he’s lying, it’s a perfect story. He was kidnapped and rendered useless for years. His memories of the time are nonexistent, for the most part. He only knows someone is behind everything, and that there’s magic involved. But if he is lying, I should be able to find out pretty soon once I get up there. If he’s not, then we need to know.”

  “Magic…” Mason’s voice trailed off. “My father used to talk of it when I was younger. It was a big deal before he was Prefect, I think. He never gave me the details. I know they use it in Sidnie, and Dad says they use it on other continents too. He’s never wanted it here, though, and neither did my grandfather. It’s too risky, and the desert between Sidnie and us keeps it away.”

  He turned and looked at the flowers behind him, saying nothing.

  Riley knew he was thinking. He’d always thought like this, his back to her, even when they were kids.

  “I talked to Lucie today.”

  “What did she say?” Mason asked.

  “She said to be careful. She didn’t like the sound of what I told her—about magic being involved.”

  “That’s what my dad doesn’t see. New Perth doesn’t use magic, even if the rest of the world does. We’re isolated, though, and so it doesn’t affect us. At least
not yet. It could if someone wanted to use it against us.”

  “You’ve been reading up on the subject?” Riley smiled, teasing him.

  “Actually, yes. It’s my job to watch my father’s blind spots, and one of them is magic.”

  “What would you have me do?” Riley’s smile died away.

  Mason turned around, his blue eyes finding hers.

  I’d die for those eyes, she thought, and meant it. Those eyes had pulled her from the street and put her in this castle.

  “I’m going to talk to Dad. You and William are going to go with this man and find out if what he’s saying is the truth. Hopefully, it isn’t. If it is, New Perth might be in trouble.”

  Chapter Two

  Rendal Hemmons’ eyes were closed. His physical body was inside his compound, but mentally, he was far away. He was south. He was in New Perth.

  He saw her clearly, the woman in the purple robe. She was thin and strong, with short hair which he felt sure had been cut to help her in battle. She was walking in a garden with young Mason Ire. Rendal knew his name and had seen him before, although not in person. Rendal had seen all of the Ires over many years because his magic connected easily with them. They had a long history together.

  Even if the two alive now didn’t know it.

  But how could they? Rendal had been shunned all those years ago by Mason’s grandfather.

  She is perfect, he thought, looking at the Right Hand. Her potential is unlimited, and she doesn’t even know it. She is exactly what I need.

  Rendal had seen her before, of course. She’d been around Mason many, many times, and that was where he had first come to understand her potential. What she could do for him. He only needed to make sure he was ready, which he now was.

  Riley.

  The word rolled through his mind like a huge boulder, flattening everything.

  She’s perfect, he thought for the millionth time. And she was coming for him—finally. Rendal had gathered that much from the current conversation. Mason was sending her to discover the “escaped” man’s truth.

  It was all going according to plan. He would have this Right Hand and all her potential.