I lifted an eyebrow at him. “One of the old houses?”
He nodded. “It was sold to the senate some fifty years ago after the owner went bankrupt avoiding the wars.”
I sighed and stiffened my jaw. “Well, let’s get this over with.”
I didn’t expect open arms and didn’t receive so much as a smile as we strode through the two open wooden doors. Scenes had been carved into the wood and featured depictions of magicians fending off beasts and curing sick people. I couldn’t help but notice that one of the beasts greatly resembled a dragon.
The interior was as stately as a funeral parlor and with the same air. Huge columns stretched from floor to gabled ceiling where you could see the darkened rafters. Doors led into rooms on our left and right, and ahead of us was an imperious pair of metal doors standing on the opposite side of the foyer. They, too, were engraved with scenes of people, but they weren’t using their magic. Their arms were stretched up to the skies where the moon and sun hung.
A desk occupied much of the space on our right and a weaselly man of some indeterminate age sat behind it in a high-backed chair. His thinning hair had been slicked to one side in the worst comb-over I’d ever seen. He wore elegant silk robes of a gaudy cranberry color. Three chairs of lesser stature sat in front of the desk.
The man had a pile of paperwork which he shifted through and occasionally marked with his ink quill. He tilted his head just high enough so his eyes flickered between us. “How may I help you?” There was plenty of irritation in his voice and no welcome.
Tegan nodded at me. “This young woman is a newly created witch.”
The man rolled his eyes. “Clasp.”
I blinked at him. “Pardon?”
He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “That is your title. It isn’t witch or wizard, but Clasp.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Witch sounds a little less. . .metallic.”
The man only glared at me but Tegan cleared his throat to clear the air. “She needs some guidance in her new powers.”
The man turned his attention to Tegan and looked him over. “Are you her Key?”
Tegan shrugged. “I suppose I am.”
Our new acquaintance’s cheeks reddened with annoyance. “Surely you knew what you were doing when you felt the woman’s potential.”
“I was a little preoccupied at the same and I don’t really have any training for that sort of thing,” Tegan admitted.
The man narrowed his eyes. “What is your Key registration number?”
Tegan folded his arms over his chest and gave him a sly smile. “I’m afraid I left my registration card in my other overcoat.”
His mouth dropped open. “Are you telling me you’re not a registered Key?”
“It wasn’t my idea to become a sudden member of that illustrious class,” Tegan countered.
The bureaucrat again pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can you even tell me if she’s a day or night witch?”
Tegan gave him a sheepish smile and a shrug. “I’m afraid not.”
The man’s shoulders slumped and he furiously tapped the tip of his quill against the desk. “Really, you are making this impossible for me. You have no Key registration and no idea what type of witch she is.”
“And she’s a visitor from the other world,” Tegan added.
The man froze in his tapping and his body quivered with fury. He stood and scooted his chair back. “I will have to consult with my master. Wait here.” The man strode out of the hall and through the door on the left.
I couldn’t help but fidget. Tegan set a hand over mine and his whispered voice floated over to me. “Easy.”
“I don’t think that’s what this is going to be. . .” I muttered.
The bureaucrat stepped back into the room and lifted his nose at us.
“The senator will see you now.”
Tegan lifted an eyebrow. “A senator? Why do we need to see one of them?”
The bureaucrat narrowed his eyes at us. “Because you are bidden, and as a Key and Clasp you are required to go to them when they demand it.”
I looked up at Tegan for guidance and his tense expression only increased my heart rate. He gave my hand a squeeze and nodded. “Show us to the senator.”
The man led us over to the metal doors and pressed a hand against them. A soft white light emanated from his palm and the doors opened with a heavy groan to reveal a long, wide hall. Doors stood on either side and at the end was another pair of rather plain doors, but from this distance, I couldn’t make out their material.
He guided us down the passage and stopped at a door halfway down where he turned to face us. The man rapped his knuckles gently on the entrance. “Ma’am? They’re here.”
“Show them in.”
The voice was most definitely feminine, and not young, either. The man opened the door and stepped back. We slipped past him and found ourselves in a strange office. An oriental rug covered the marble floor and a window on the opposite wall looked out on a courtyard filled with dozens of varieties of flowers. The rest of the walls were covered in bookshelves from floor to ceiling, and those were filled with thick tomes with aged bindings. A large globe sat in one corner and a desk was kitty-cornered near the window and a bookcase.
A woman of about seventy was seated in the broad, high-backed chair. The seat was only slighter smaller than what I imagined was the size of a throne. The chair even had wooden arms that curved down at the ends. She sat nonchalantly in the seat wearing robes of vibrant purple with huge open bell sleeves. Her permed hair was a shocking color of equally astounding purple and a pair of spectacles sat on the end of her nose.
She gestured to a pair of chairs seated before her desk. “Please have a seat.”
Tegan led us over to the chairs and our ‘guide’ shut the door behind us. We took up our seats and I couldn’t help but notice the gap of several feet between the desk and our seats. She noticed my discomfort and smiled. “You needn’t worry.”
The woman beckoned to us and our chairs hopped forward. I yelped and grasped the arms as we bounced up to the desk. My heart rate only fell when we came to a stop with a hard jerk.
The woman entwined her fingers together and studied us. “I have been informed that you are rogues. A Key without a registration number and a Clasp without a clue as to her powers.”
I shrugged. “We’ve had some bad luck.”
She smiled and shook her head. “This is worse than bad luck, my dear, but before we get to the particulars, what are your names?”
“I’m-”
“Miss Lirien,” Tegan spoke up as he smiled at our hostess. “And my name is Hal.” I glanced at him in confusion, but a look of warning in his eyes made me keep my mouth shut.
She inclined her head to us. “A pleasure to meet you, Hal and Miss Lirien. I am Senator Morrigan Shea.”
“You are a daylight witch,” Tegan mused.
“As you see,” she answered as her attention fell on me. “I’ve been told you have yet to discover your power due to the unique circumstances of your meeting, Miss Lirien.”
I nodded. “Yeah. It just hasn’t come to me yet.”
Shea examined my companion with a curious look. “And you are from the other world, Miss Lirien? How did you two happen to meet?”
“I found her in the middle of a violent storm and we connected,” Tegan told her.
“What experience do you have as a Key?” she inquired.
“Not a drop.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Did your own Key not teach you how to become a teacher yourself?”
“Most of my skills are self-taught,” Tegan mused as he strolled over to the window and studied the view. “You have a lovely view here.”
A smile graced Miss Shea’s lips. “I’m glad you think so. The courtyard is a wonderful place to relax.” Her eyes fell on me. “Both of you will be allowed to venture in there when you have become members, but that is just the tip of what we can offer you should you join our little group.”
“And if we don’t?” Tegan wondered as he turned to face her.
The corners of her lips tightened as she shifted in her seat. “That would be very tragic. Very tragic, indeed, but I don’t wish to rush your decision. If you need time to consider the matter then please do so.”
Tegan smiled and bowed his head. “We’re most grateful for your kindness. We’ll certainly think the matter over.”
“Where can we reach you in case we should need to ask you a few more questions?” she wondered.
“The Magadh Inn,” Tegan told her, a name that made me lift an eyebrow. “You can leave any messages for us at the front desk.”
Shea smiled and nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be sure to do so.”
We moved toward the door and my quick-beating heart slowed a little on its temp. That is, until Shea called to us.
“There is one favor I wish to ask of you.” We paused at the door and turned to face her. She had her hands clasped together on the desk and a smile lay on her face, but the corners of her lips were pulled tight. “I would ask that you not leave the city during your deliberations. We wish to have your answer before you leave.”
“We’ll be sure to stop by to give you our answer,” Tegan assured her as he set a hand on the lower part of my back. “Good day.”
“Good day.”