We floated out of the shadowy confines of the bridge and I breathed in the sweet, less stifling air of the open city. We received a few looks from some walks along the shoreline, but I noticed the two trees that were the Key and his Clasp still stood in place. I wondered how far the strange man would have to travel to free them.
That brought up a whole mess of other questions. “What exactly happened back there?” I asked my companion. “I mean with that magic we did.”
Tegan stared ahead with a tense expression on his face as he pursed his lips. “Conmagicae. It’s the act of borrowing magic from another person to create an even greater magic.”
“You mean like what you did to me when we first met?” I guessed.
He shook his head. “That was a far more extreme form.”
My face drooped. “Extreme? So does it just give the borrowed the shakes or can it get worse?”
“It can be far worse. Both the person who holds the magic and borrower have every chance of losing their lives if the magics oppose one another or if the intended spell takes too much energy from them.”
I winced. “So drained dry?”
“Of everything, including your life. If I had known he intended to do something that complicated I would have volunteered myself.”
I smiled up at him. “Thanks for the offer but I’m glad I was able to do something to help.” I paused and dropped my gaze to the papers in my lap. “Now we just need to find out what kind of trouble I just helped us get into.”
“None, so long as we don’t sign the documents,” Tegan assured me as he took the roll from me. He unfurled the papers and revealed a bunch of legalese in small type.
“Do we need to find the nearest lawyer’s office?” I asked him as he studied the contents.
He shook his head. “The contract is surprisingly straightforward. We would enforce the agreements laid out in other contracts and in exchange, we would be paid a rather handsome sum along with access to a library of knowledge.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “A literal library?”
“It doesn’t say,” he told me as he flipped the page and scanned the paragraphs. “We’re also offered a house in Dimness and some rare magical items to help with our tasks.” He folded the papers in half and tucked them away inside his coat. “Domini must be hard up for recruits to offer such generous terms.”
“Who is this Domini guy, anyway?” I wondered.
“A rather elusive figure in the shadow markets of the magic world,” Tegan told me as he furrowed his brow. “Rumors are all anyone hears about him, but he’s believed to be a human with a great deal of wealth who uses his money to fund research into ancient magics and history, though to what ends other than to increase his coins is anyone’s guess.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “I think I know what a normal shadow market is, but what’s in a magic shadow market?”
“You might be able to purchase a curse or a rare breed of magic-imbued animal,” Tegan explained as we floated along. “Those with the gift for potions also offer their services there and I wonder if more might not join the market to evade the Keys.”
I blinked at him. “Why would they avoid them?”
“The senator mentioned the king had granted the Keys permission to imprison anyone with a gift of magic. Many of the people who make potions don’t have quite as much magic as the Keys, but they have to possess a little bit to become truly great at their craft.”
My face fell. “You. . .you don’t think they’re going to jail them, too, do you?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. That would fill the cells rather quickly. But here’s our stop.”
We had floated down to familiar streets, at least on the westward shores. The sentient vines slithered their way like water snakes across the river and latched onto the plants on the bank. Tegan stood with me in his arms but I tapped one of his limbs with my finger.
“I think I can try standing,” I assured him.
He set me gently on my feet and my legs were a little weak but otherwise balanced. Together we disembarked and the moment both our feet touched the earth, the barge pushed itself out to sea. The vines soon separated from one another and sank beneath the waves.
I lifted an eyebrow at Tegan. “How many magic elements are there, anyway?”
“Many,” was his reply as he helped me over the short stone wall.
We soon arrived weak and weary at the back door of the fashionable inn. The cook who answered Tegan’s persistent rapping wasn’t surprised to see us.
It was a red-headed man who opened the door and his face fell when he beheld Tegan’s disheveled appearance. The man leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you in trouble again, Mr. Tegan?”
Tegan flashed him a smile. “When am I not, Caith?”
Caith sighed and stepped aside. “If you must warn Father, then you’ll find him in the dining hall speaking with the dinner guests.”
Tegan nodded and guided me through the massive kitchen. There was a massive hearth and four large ovens, and all of them were roaring. Pots danced on the stove tops and two other men worked feverishly to chop vegetables, seer meat, and do other basic shores. The delicious smells made my stomach rumble.
Our path took us through the maze of family apartments and to the lobby in the front. The sounds of chinking glasses and laughter came from the dining hall and Conor had briefly left his post behind the desk to light the gas lamps outside. The day had vanished but the memories lingered.
Tegan led me up to the doorway of the hall but he didn’t go inside. Instead, he peaked in and searched the room. A moment later, he beckoned to someone and MacAlastair made his appearance. He didn’t look happy to see us once he got a good look at our ruffled and mucked-up attire, courtesy of our adventure with escapism and the greenery.
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at us. “What have you done now?”
“We only proved that your suspicions with the Keys weren’t completely unfounded,” Tegan told him with a weary smile. “You might wish to cross our names off your list of guests.”
MacAlastair snorted. “I didn’t even bother adding you, now get upstairs. I’ll have something taken up to you.”
“A cart with barrels would be best,” Tegan told him.
MacAlastair’s good humor dropped away faster than a piranha’s at a vegan restaurant. “It’s that bad?”
Tegan nodded. “That bad.”
Our host jerked his head at the stairs. “Go up there and wait. I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises about a quick escape.”
Tegan nodded. “I owe you.”
“I’ll be sure to put it on your charge,” MacAlastair promised before he turned and strode back into the dining room.
“So there goes the rest of your coins?” I wondered as we hurried our way upstairs.
Tegan shook his head. “I doubt we’ll see a coin more on our bill. MacAlastair is gruff, but he has a heart big enough for all his friends and steely enough to stab his enemies in the street.”
I gave him a teasing smile. “You fall on the first list, right?”
Tegan grinned. “When I’ve paid my bill in full.”
We stepped into the room and I was glad to plop myself on the bed. Still, the danger we found ourselves was ever-present. Tegan moved over to the window and glanced out the side to study the rear.
“Do you think they followed us?” I wondered.
He pursed his lips. “It’s hard to tell, but I doubt it, otherwise they wouldn’t have been so worried about us leaving the office.” He turned his attention to me. “On the topic of the Keys, what did you feel from the senator that made you reject her so spectacularly?”
My heart grew heavy at his words and I fell back atop the covers. I stared up at the ceiling and furrowed my brow. “I. . .I don’t really know. It just felt so wrong for her to be digging into me like that. It wasn’t at all like it felt when you were looking for my magic.”
Tegan chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that.”
I propped myself up on my arms and furrowed my brow. “That reminds me, what did you throw at those two guys as we flew off?”
“The gift from MacAlastair,” Tegan informed me with his eyes dancing in glee. “It’s a paste that sticks to everything it touches.”
“So magic?” I guessed.
He shook his head. “Merely some rare cooking items anyone can create if they have the knowledge and the ingredients. No doubt his son crafted them in case they should be needed for defense of the inn.”
“I’ll have to thank the chef again,” I mused as I tapped a finger against the covers. “And now that we’ve pissed off one of their senators and their Keys, what do we do? Is there another school for training clueless witches?”
Tegan stood and reached into his coat. He drew out the white card with Domini’s name on it and furrowed his brow as he held up the slip of stiff paper. “There’s always this offer.”
I hopped onto my feet and strolled over to join him at his side. “You think it’s safe?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure, but his people evidently have practice evading the Keys. We might stay with them long enough to learn those skills before venturing out on our own.”
I folded my arms over my chest and sighed. “I. . .I just don’t know what to do. . .”
Tegan set a hand on my shoulder and smiled down at me. “Wait until tomorrow. A new day will grant you a clearer mind.”
I glanced at the window. Night had nearly come. I stared down at my upturned palms. “Bye-bye, magic.”
“Until the morrow,” Tegan insisted. “And I’ll keep the first watch while you get some rest.”
I stifled a yawn. “I could use it.”
Unfortunately, I was about to have a very sleepless night.