Bound by Magic (5 page)

I fought against the urge to gnash my teeth, knowing that walking into the training room angry was only going to make this evening worse. But that was the whole crux of the situation – I wouldn’t be so angry about his lack of time to train me if he’d just let me do my job as an Enforcer so I could earn some money.

I pushed open the training room door, then bit my lip when I saw the open, rectangular space was empty. Checking my watch, I realized that I’d gotten here a few minutes early, so I went and sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor to meditate while I waited for him. No, I wasn’t going to give up on my crusade to make Iannis let me go back to work, but tonight I knew I needed to swallow my pill and keep my mouth shut about it. I’d already pissed him off enough.

Closing my eyes, I placed my hands on the insides of my thighs, then drew a deep breath in through my nostrils. I held it for a moment, then let it out, and tried to visualize my anger and frustration exiting my body along with the breath. It was an exercise Roanas had taught me, and one that he’d found useful in mitigating his own emotions – an important skill for an investigator. I’d never been as good as it as he was – I’d always preferred the physical aspects of Kan Zao, the Garaian martial art he’d taught me, over the mental ones.

I scented the Chief Mage’s approach before I heard his soft footsteps in the hall – his fragrance of sandalwood, musk and magic was unmistakable. My heart began to beat a little faster as the door opened, but I forced myself to take another deep breath and calm down. I didn’t give a damn if he saw me meditating on the floor – at least he’d know I was trying to control myself.

But when his robes swished across the floor in front of me, I couldn’t keep my eyes closed any longer. Nerves prickling, I lifted my head to meet his eyes, wondering what I would see. His face was as impassive as ever, but to my surprise there was no ire in his eyes – just contemplation as he gazed down at me.

“Come,” he finally said, holding out a hand.

I hesitated. “We’re not using the training room today?”

“No. I have something else in mind.”

I took his hand, and warmth flowed down my arm as he wrapped his strong fingers around me. He pulled me up in one effortless motion, and I wondered, not for the first time, about what kind of body lay beneath those blue and gold robes. He was strong, stronger than a man who relied so heavily on magic should be, and I was curious as to just why that was.

As soon as I was on my feet, the Chief Mage dropped my hand, then turned to leave, his robes swirling about behind him. My hand tingled as I followed, and though I itched to ask where we were going, I decided to keep my mouth shut. If he’d wanted me to know, he would have told me already, and I’d decided to do my best not to be annoying tonight.

I expected Iannis to take me somewhere else in the Palace, but to my surprise we headed out through the side entrance, where carriages and steamcars dropped off their deliveries. A horse-drawn carriage waited for us, and the driver hopped down from his seat to open the door, greeting the Chief Mage with a reverence and respect I’d never been able to manage.

“Okay,” I said as the carriage rumbled off, its wooden wheels bumping over the cobblestones as it made its way onto the smoother, paved road. “I can’t take it anymore. Where are we going?”

Iannis’s violet eyes gleamed in the dark interior of the cabin. “Somewhere I should have taken you from the very beginning of your apprenticeship.”

I tried to get him to tell me more, but he ignored my attempts to pry information out of him, so I sighed and settled back against the suede upholstery. The carriage took us up Firegate Road, and I leaned forward a little so I could look out the window as we drove across the bridge. The huge red towers soared above us, and using my eyes I traced the cables that stretched between them on either side of the carriage. Beyond the cables, I could see Prison Isle, the watchtower attached to the compound gleaming brightly in the darkness. The moon shining overhead was brighter still, already visible even though the sky was streaked with the lingering pastels of the dying sun. It was only half-full, but I felt the tug of its power. Shifters had a close relationship with the moon – Magorah actually meant ‘moon’s child’ in an ancient language – and when it was full we were able to shift faster and more frequently than usual.

Once across the bridge, the carriage turned onto a winding road that I recognized as the one that led up to Hawk Hill. My interest was instantly piqued – Hawk Hill was an excellent vantage point from which to view Solantha and the Firegate Bridge, but it was also frequented by mages, and wards at the top of the hill prevented anyone else from going past a certain point. Looking down at my hands, I wondered if I could breach them now, the way I’d temporarily breached the wards around Solantha Palace in order to save my cousin Rylan from his botched attempt to rescue me a few months ago.

But then, I had a feeling I wouldn’t need to force my way past these wards, not with the Chief Mage at my side.

The driver took us to the top of the hill, then parked in a safe, level spot to wait for us while we did… whatever it was we were doing. The wind tugged at my curls as I disembarked, bringing a faint touch of sea salt with it, and even more strongly, the burnt-sugar scent of magic. The hairs on my arms prickled at the enormous amount of magical energy here – I was unprepared for how strong it was, and I’d never felt anything like it anywhere else. Nervous, I turned my head to glance back at the bay. I had a feeling that whatever the Chief Mage was about to show me would change my life in some way, and I’d already been through so many changes in the last two months. Was I ready for another?

“Come.” Iannis’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Much as I would love to stand here and enjoy the view, my time is limited.”

Right
. I followed Iannis up the hill, the soft grass rustling beneath my boots. The scent of magic grew even stronger, and after about ten paces he held up a hand.

“Repeat after me,” he said, and then he spoke a Word.

It took me three tries to get it right, but when I did, the air in front of us shimmered, like heat waves were suddenly rising from the grass. I gasped as a domed building suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and took an involuntary step back. It towered above us, crafted of some kind of strange blue stone that shimmered in the moonlight, with round, stained glass windows set into the walls.

“What is this place?”

“A temple.” The Chief Mage glanced back at me, amusement flickering in his violet eyes. “I didn’t realize you were frightened of buildings.”

“I’m not frightened,” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest. “I’m just not used to fifty foot structures appearing out of thin air, is all.” Holy shit, the mages had been hiding a
temple
here the whole time? What for? I wasn’t aware they even had a place of worship. I stared up at the structure, still flabbergasted that this thing existed. Golden runes shimmered along the edges of the dome, the windows, and the arch that framed the front door. The scent of magic here was thicker than in Solantha Palace, which was really saying something since the Mages Guild was housed there.

“Come,” the Chief Mage said again, gesturing impatiently. “Let’s go inside.”

“What is this temple
for
?” I asked as we approached the doorway. The wooden door looked heavy and imposing, but it swung open on its own, and I had a sense that the building was welcoming us inside. Which was weird, because buildings weren’t sentient as far as I knew.

“It’s where we worship the Creator,” the Chief Mage said simply.

We stepped inside, and I stood still for a long moment, taking in the space. The torches lining the walls helped illuminate the rounded space, as well as a circular skylight set into the top of the vaulted dome, and decorative pillars that lined the inside of the temple. But all of this paled in comparison to the sight of the enormous white statue that dominated the center of the temple. The sculpture stood at least thirty feet tall, carved out of pure white marble into the shape of a woman. Her long hair was unbound, and a set of robes flowed around her willowy figure. A large book lay cradled in one arm, and the other was outstretched, revealing an open palm facing upward from which a blue-white flame blazed.

“Who is that?” I asked, pointing up at the woman.

The Chief Mage gently laid his palm over my outstretched hand and pushed it down. “It’s rude to point,” he said quietly, and I stared -- he was looking up at the statue with a reverent expression I’d never seen before.

“This is Resinah,” he said, still looking up at the statue. “She was the first mage brought into existence by the Creator, and was endowed with the power to transform humans, animals and matter. She chose twelve disciples to share her power with, and it is from Resinah and her disciples that our lineage as mages springs.”

“The Creator?” I echoed, staring up at the statue again. “You mean Magorah?”

A frown briefly touched the Chief Mage’s face. “You may call him by a different name, just as humans believe in the Ur-God, but I believe we all worship the same deity. It’s just a matter of which interpretation is the correct one,” he allowed. “I am not here to invalidate your faith, Miss Baine, but Resinah is a very important part of our heritage, and all mages learn her teachings very early on.”

“How come Resinah and her disciples are never mentioned in any of the public school text books?” I demanded. I wasn’t devout, not by any means, but I’d always grown up with the idea of Magorah in my head and heart, and in His place of worship it was taught that mages were simply the instruments He used to create shifters, and that we were His favorite children.

“We are very… private, about our religious beliefs. The teachings of Resinah are not intended for outsiders, and are of little use to non-mages in any case. Additionally, it was decided long ago that rather than try to indoctrinate other races into our teachings, that we would allow you to keep your own religions. Not all mages agreed with this decision, but so far we have all abided by it,” he added dryly.

“Okay.” I glanced up at the statue again, wondering if Resinah had really looked like that. She had a stern but classically beautiful face, and the book in one hand and the flame in the other seemed to emphasize knowledge and power equally. I found it interesting that she was a woman; in our faith the first shifter had been a female as well – Taili the Wolf. Females were the ones primarily responsible for procreation, so I supposed it made sense that Magorah would choose females through which to do His work. Much as I wanted to deny it, a holy presence permeated the air of this temple. It was like the presence I’d felt in Magorah’s temple in Shiftertown, except that here the air was also heavily laced with magic. Maybe Magorah and Iannis’s Creator really
were
one and the same, as he’d said.

“Do you come here often?” I wondered aloud. “Do mages have a worship schedule or something, or do you just come and go as you please?”

“There are certain times of the year that we gather, but mostly we come and go of our own accord, generally when we are seeking guidance.”

“Does she talk to you then?” The idea was half-absurd, half-intriguing – I’d felt Magorah’s presence at times and thought I’d heard His voice once or twice in moments of need, but I’d never out-and-out had a conversation with him.

“She’s not a conversationalist, but she will provide guidance in moments of true need.” Iannis stared up at the statue, some undefinable emotion glimmering in his violet eyes. “Not very long ago I came to Resinah seeking advice on how to deal with a rather terrible dilemma. Her wisdom encouraged me to show mercy in a situation where the law would suggest otherwise.”

“Huh.” I stared at the Chief Mage, wondering just what kind of situation had been so untenable that he’d sought out advice from his deity rather than enforce the laws he governed so strictly with. But I could tell from the look in his eye that he wasn’t going to say any more about it, so I didn’t press.

“So did you bring me here just to show me the temple?” I asked, wanting to change the subject. “Or is there more?”

“There is more.” The Chief Mage sighed a little as I turned to face him again. “I don’t condone your behavior in my office today, nor your absence from the Mages Guild this morning… but I do acknowledge that your education has been lackluster so far. I realized that you have not been given any of the education most mages already receive from their families by the time they begin an apprenticeship, and that because of your unusual power level I may have been harder on you than I should.” He reached into his sleeve, and pulled out a heavy, leather-bound tome. “This is a copy of the
Residah
, the book of scripture that holds Resinah’s teachings. Every mage reads this book early on, and it’s time you did so as well.”

“You really need to teach me that trick sometime.” I took the tome from him gingerly, running my hand across the runes carved in relief across the teal-colored leather. “Being able to pull objects out of thin air would be a useful talent for someone like me, you know.” I’d decided that Iannis’s sleeve itself wasn’t enchanted, otherwise he’d have to move all the stuff he stored in there to a different robe each time he changed. Maybe he had some kind of mystical air pocket that hovered near his forearm.

“I can imagine.” Iannis’s lips twitched into a rare smile, softening his stern features and drawing my attention to how handsome he was. “When you finish reading this, I will teach you the spell.”

“Now
that’s
motivation.” I glanced down at the heavy book in my hand, not so much because I wanted to look at it again but because warmth was spreading through my cheeks, and I didn’t want Iannis to pick up on it. I’d thought that between moving out of the Palace and seeing him so infrequently, his effect on me would lessen, but the butterflies in my stomach were just as active as they always were when I caught brief flashes of humor, compassion or heat from him. The fact that we were alone here didn’t help matters.

I raised my head as a thought occurred to me. “Why is no one else here?” I asked. “Don’t other mages come here to umm… worship? Or whatever it is you do here?” And wouldn’t there at least be attendants or something?