Chapter Sixteen
Tumbling in the rushing water, mud caking my face and stinging my eyes, I tried to grab on to one of the roots sticking out of the wall, but came up short. I reached out again and caught one, my grasp slipping. My knee slammed against the ground and pain shot up my thigh. Another root brushed against my other hand, and I grabbed it, my body banging into the wall.
Bastien snatched one beside me. “Use the roots to scale the wall,” he yelled over the rushing water. “It isn’t far to the other tunnel.”
The knot from the rope securing the cloak around my neck dug into my throat. I grabbed root after root, my boots sliding down the wall as I tried to get a foothold. Edgar made it to the other tunnel. We were moving upward so the water sped down the passage going the other way.
When I reached him, Edgar grabbed my arm and tugged me to safety and then turned back to help Bastien. Drenched, muddy, and cold, I leaned against the wall and gulped in the dank air.
Bastien bent over and grabbed his side. “That was unfortunate. Are you hurt?”
“If I get swept away by one more flood”—I took a breath—“I’m giving up.”
“A water main must have broken,” Edgar said, wiping the mud from his face. “Let’s find an exit before something else happens.”
After recovering from the wet and wild ride, we followed the Talpar tunnel to a nearby exit. We climbed up a poorly constructed ladder and through a manhole into the city. Water and mud dripped from my hair and clothes, and I loosened the cloak’s tie around my neck. Edgar shut the manhole cover. The tiles on it were arranged in a beautiful mosaic design.
We were in an alley. The back doors on either side of the road were different sizes and colors. I’d been to Mantello before with Bastien and Nick. We’d come for a trial and spent an evening at the festival there.
Edgar had many allies in the haven. He actually had them all over the Mystik world.
“This way.” Edgar traipsed down the uneven cobblestones. By the slump of his shoulders and the shuffle of his feet, he was tired. We were all exhausted, actually, and I wondered if we could keep going, but then he added, “There’s an inn down the way. We can get cleaned up, have a meal, and get a good night’s sleep.”
Bastien draped his arm around my shoulder. “What’s on your mind? The night we spent here, I’m assuming.”
I decided to play coy. “No. Just how muddy you are. You look like a sewer rat. And you’re not always on my mind, you know.” My lip twitched.
“Ah, your little quirk gives you away, mon amour.”
“Aren’t you two adorable.” Edgar’s whisper held disdain. “Maybe you can save your lovey-dovey crap until we are safely out of sight and you’re a bit cleaner.”
Bastien removed his arm and walked silently beside me. We took turns sneaking glances at each other. He’d smile, and I’d smile back. Yeah, he knew I was thinking about the night we spent in Mantello. And I was happy that he knew, because that meant he was reliving it, too.
Lights flickered behind curtained windows. Our boots clacked across the cobblestones, echoing off the tall slanted buildings. The alley was dark, except when we passed under the bloom of a streetlamp here and there.
We came to the end of the rows of homes. Edgar eased out into the adjoining road and glanced left, then right, before waving us over. He rushed across the cobbles to a dilapidated building just down the way. The name of the place flashed over the top of the building. Nightfall Inn. A sign in the door said only Mystiks were welcomed there.
Edgar opened the door and rushed us inside. To the right was an old-looking tavern filled with various creatures from the Mystik covens. On the other side, there was a reception counter with a wiry boy wearing thick glasses behind it.
“We only have one room available this evening,” the boy said, not bothering to look up from the book he was reading.
“One will do,” Edgar said, which made me shoot a startled look at him.
The boy thought it was odd, too, because he looked up from the page he was on and puckered his lips. “You’re filthy. We don’t let your kind stay here.”
“What?” I snapped. “Our kind? That’s pretty rude.”
Bastien stepped in front of me. “We’re tired from our travels. We obviously had an accident and need to wash.”
“Did you happen to see the sign outside?” the boy asked. “Only Mystiks at this inn.”
Edgar approached the counter and dropped a wet coin purse on it. “We will pay you well. And I know the owner. You might mention Edgar needs a place to stay tonight.”
The boy harrumphed and walked to the door behind him. He had a tail, and I hadn’t noticed it before, but he also had a very hairy neck. He opened the door, peeked inside, and whispered something to whoever was in there.
“Edgar!” a deep voice called from behind the door. When the owner of the voice barged out to the reception counter, I was surprised to see that the voice belonged to a frail looking woman who resembled a bald cat with tiny pointy ears on the sides of her head. She was beautiful, and her big green eyes dominated her face.
Edgar stood straighter. “Calina, it’s nice to see you’re still running this inn.”
Were they an item? The way she was looking at him suggested they had been.
“Of course we can accommodate you,” she said.
“Splendid,” Edgar answered.
She pulled a key off the wall and headed up a staircase. “It’s a shame there’s only one room. I’m not at all surprised you all are so muddy, being with Edgar. He’s always in some sort of trouble—that he is.”
I’m not at all surprised, either. No telling what horrible situations he’d gotten himself in before, as a spy for the Wizard Council.
Edgar nodded for us to follow. “One will do. We’ll only be here this night.”
“Aww, now, that makes me sad.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “No time for love, I suppose.” She clomped across a landing, unlocked a door, and pushed it open.
“It’s tempting,” Edgar said, amusement in his voice. “But I barely recovered the last time.”
What? He actually had a lighter side to his personality. I’d only seen his serious side.
I stepped inside with Bastien. Edgar glanced down both sides of the hallway, then joined us. Before he closed the door, he said, “Our presence here must stay a secret.”
“I am aware,” she said in a hushed voice. “Our rebels are ready to assist whenever you need us. And don’t worry about the boy. He only cares about girls and the fact that his hair is coming in fast…all over his body. Werehound puberty is difficult. It won’t be long before he looks as wild as his father.” She laughed. “Love is a dangerous thing. It never occurs to you how your pups will turn out when choosing a mate. I fear the boy will turn into a full-blown werehound.”
I tried to stifle a laugh.
“It’s okay, dear,” she said. “You may laugh. It’s funny. But you two,” she said, looking from me to Bastien. “You’ll make lovely pups together.”
I felt my cheeks burn and lowered my head.
She laughed this time. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll bring some food up in a bit.”
“Thank you.” Edgar shut the door.
The room had one small bed, a dresser, and tiny table with two chairs by the window. There was plenty of floor space covered with a carpet that must’ve seen a lot of traffic.
Bastien wrapped his arms around me and pressed a quick kiss on my temple. “We’ll make beautiful pups, you and I.” He winked and let me go. “But for now, this pup needs a bath. I smell like a sewer.” On the way to the tiny bathroom, he removed his shirt. How could flexing back muscles be so sexy?
“You okay?” Edgar asked, eyeing me.
“Um, yeah.” I’d forgotten there was someone else in the room with us. Avoiding Edgar’s stare, I took off my cloak and dropped it, before sitting on the floorboards. I removed the canister and rolled parchment from my boot before taking them both off.
Edgar opened the door. “I’ll see if I can get us some clean clothes. You need anything else?”
“I don’t think so. Thank you.”
He shut the door.
The parchment was wet, and I gingerly unrolled it. The ink was smudged, but I could still make out the names Rada had written on it. The name listed for the first heir in Mantello was Mardiana Acardi. He wrote notes beside the names about where to find them. Mardiana spent every morning on a bench across from the bookstore in the village. I’d sat on that same bench the time I came to Mantello with Bastien and Nick.
Nick had squished grapes with the local girls during the festival. He was drunk on wine by the end of the evening. I smiled at the memory and wiped away the tears that normally followed after I’d thought of him.
The steam from the shower seeped under the bathroom door. Bastien was singing again. This time it was a Beatles’ song. “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah …”
I chuckled and removed my socks. My feet were aching and cold. My body protested as I laid back on the floor. The water turned off, and Bastien was still humming. I imagined he was drying off.
A few moments later, the bathroom door flew open, and I sat up. Bastien strolled out, a towel wrapped around his waist.
“That felt great,” he said, stretching his hands over his head, the towel inching down a little below his waist. His skin wasn’t completely dry, his biceps and abs glistening in the light from the lamp on the table. I couldn’t help but stare at his glorious torso.
“You should take one,” he said, breaking the spell the ripple of his muscles had on me. “Mantello has the best showers. The water is always hot.”
“Sounds great.” I scrambled to my feet, darted to the bathroom, and snuck another look at Bastien in his towel as I shut the door. I leaned my back against the door, the steam engulfing me.
Okay, calm down. It’s just Bastien. A. Partially. Naked. Bastien. I sighed.
By the time I’d finished with my shower, Edgar had returned. He knocked on the door, and I eased it open a crack to let him pass me the clothes he’d found.
A cloud of steam followed me out of the bathroom. The nightgown I had on looked like something a princess would wear. I’d prefer pajama bottoms and a tank top, but at least it was clean. I had the bed to myself. Bastien and Edgar were on mats on the floor.
Bastien was already asleep. I pulled back the covers and slipped into the bed. Edgar was mud-free and in a white linen shirt and loose pants. “You’re clean. Where did you shower?”
“Never you mind about that.” He gave me a mischievous smile and rolled onto his side, his back to me. I hadn’t noticed it before—how could I with all that hair he had when I first saw him—but he was a good-looking guy. Especially when he smiled. I could see the females of any species falling for him.
I rested my head on the flat pillow and pulled the rough blanket up to my chin. The window was cracked open, the Mantello breeze pushing the sheer curtains in and out, and I stared at the ceiling.
I hated quiet moments like this. It was when all the worry would catch up to my mind. And regardless of how tired I was, I couldn’t sleep.
Edgar came over to the side of the bed. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah, my mind is whirling.” I sat up and rested on my elbows. “Edgar, what are you? Are you a Sentinel…wizard?”
“I’m a guard. Some children with wizard parents are born without magic. I happen to be one. We tend to go into services where magic isn’t needed.” He turned his hand and showed me a scar the shape of a cross between his thumb and index finger. “When we graduate our academy, we’re branded so we can jump the gateways. My scores were higher than any guard before me, so Merl recruited me to be a spy for him.” He held out a cup to me. “Drink this. It’ll help you sleep.”
The cup was warm when I wrapped my fingers around it. “What is it?”
“Fey Water,” he whispered. I hadn’t noticed his eyes were such a dark green before. There was pain in them, as though they’d seen horrible things.
I took a sip from the cup, and it was as if a fire went down my throat and blazed through my body to my stomach. I coughed. “That’s not water.”
“Well, of course not.” He returned to his mat. “It’s Fey Water. There’s magic in it. Pretty potent stuff.”
The walls were breathing in and out, and I felt dizzy. I fell back against the pillows.
“Just lay there and don’t move. You will sleep soon.”
I couldn’t move if I wanted. My eyes closed, even though I tried to keep them open.
Several or tons of hours later, I couldn’t tell, I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. Beautiful birdsong came through the open window, and the scent of something delicious just recently cooked wafted in the air. I stretched my arms above my head and opened my eyes.
Edgar stared down at me. “You shouldn’t speak in your sleep.”
Startled, I sat up and glanced around. “Wh-what did I say? Where’s Bastien?”
He scowled at me. “Which question would you like me to answer first?”
I shrugged. “Bastien?”
“He went to buy a Mystik Observer. It’s an underground newspaper. You can get arrested for just having it in your possession.” He went over to the table and picked up a slice of bacon. “Calina made breakfast. You should eat. When Bastien returns, we’ll be on our way.”
“Wait. Why would he do that? It’s risky.”
“Bastien can take care of himself.”
My feet were tangled in the sheets, which meant I’d had another restless night, but I couldn’t remember a thing. “You didn’t answer my other question.”
“Let’s just say”—he smiled around a piece of bacon—“if Bastien ever doubted your feelings for him, he no longer does.”
What the hell did I say?
He threw his head back and laughed.
Bastien opened the door carrying a newspaper and mug with steaming liquid inside. “You’re awake,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Um, yeah, I was just going to get dressed.” I grabbed my clothes from the chair. Calina must have had them cleaned and folded for me.
“Here.” Bastien handed the mug to Edgar. “Calina said it’s a fireball coffee.”
The mention of the drink reminded me of Arik. He loved the stuff. Said the coffee was made with chocolate and hot spices. A Djallican girl behind the coffee bar in the Asile castle’s game room had offered him one. We were on our way to the exit that led to some ancient ruins—an outdoor theatre where the Mystik Games were once held—to train with my battle globe. It had rained on us that day, and I’d fallen for Arik.
Back then, staring at Arik in the rain, I would’ve never believed I’d be where I was now. Life changed so quickly. Sometimes what might look right just wasn’t. And we weren’t. But that didn’t change the fact that I cared about Arik. I missed his friendship. Missed my battle partner.
And then, there was Bastien, with his eyes on me as if he could read my mind. He lifted a smile, and it reminded me that I’d apparently done a sportscaster thing while I was sleeping and given him and Edgar a play-by-play of my feelings for him.
“Is something the matter?” Bastien asked.
My eyes widened, as I realized I had been standing there staring when I should be getting dressed. “No. Just enjoying the view.” I glanced at the window and the sheers were closed. My cheeks burned.
Oh gosh.
“It’s even better when the curtains are open.” Bastien winked and slid the sheers to one side. “Get dressed. Wear your hair down. The images of you flashing across the various screens around the Mystik world have it up. And you may wish to hurry, or your breakfast will be cold. We should be on our way soon.”
After shutting the bathroom door, I leaned against it, trying to remember what I’d dreamt about last night. I did witness Bastien in all his bare-chested-towel-only glory. There was no telling what played out in my dreams, or what I mumbled while getting some serious REMs. All courtesy of Fey Water.
When I’d dressed and returned to the room, Bastien and Edgar were in deep conversation, their empty plates between them. Their tall frames didn’t fit at the tiny table, and they had pushed it over to the bed. Edgar was on the mattress, Bastien on one of the chairs, and the other one sat empty for me. The Mystik Observer lay open in the middle of the table. My stomach rumbled, so I took the empty seat and picked up a piece of toast.
“So, what are we talking about?” I took a bite.
Bastien pointed out the top article in the newspaper. “We can’t use the tunnels any longer. Haven guards discovered an entry and are searching them for you.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
Edgar lifted his mug. “We’re splitting up.”
I dropped the remainder of my toast onto my plate. “No, we’re not. That’s a bad idea.”
Bastien placed his hand on my knee. “We must use the gateway. It’s faster. No one knows that Edgar is with us. He’ll go to Esteril and gather the heir’s blood there. I’ve contacted the French Sentinels to meet me in the Senate Library. They’ll be on their way back from delivering your father to the Shelter. I trust them to get me into Couve safely, where I’ll gather our heir’s donation.”
“And me?” I didn’t like this idea. And I didn’t like that it made sense for them to go without me.
“You’ll stay here and find Mantello’s heir.” Bastien squeezed my knee as if it would ease my worry.
“Here.” Edgar dropped some gold coins in my hand. “In case you need money.”
“I don’t know how to use them,” I said. “How much to pay for stuff.”
“Just give them a gold coin,” Edgar said. “Don’t use the silvers. Always use the gold. It’s a lot, and they’ll have to give you change.”
Another headline caught my eye, and I turned the paper to read it. council sentinels kill three in library. The deceased had been traveling illegally through the gateway books. A fight broke out between the Sentinels and a group of protestors from the Santara haven. It went on to say that more guards were stationed throughout the libraries. The guards were given orders to stop all illegal jumps, by any means, even death.
“How can the Couve Sentinels jump with Pop?” I worried my lip, almost breaking the skin. “It’s too dangerous.”
Bastien glanced over the article I’d been reading. “They do a library hop with your father between two Sentinels. The Monitors will sense human, but the Sentinel presence will register higher. It should confuse the Monitors.”
“Should.” I grimaced. “That’s not at all comforting.”
“My Sentinels are some of the best,” he said. “They will give their lives to protect your father.”
The council’s Sentinels killing people at will in the libraries caused a lead ball to drop in my stomach. I fingered the gold coins in my hand. The thought of separating from Bastien and Edgar scared me, but it made sense. We’d get what we needed from the heirs quicker. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore.
After I put on my breastplate and my cloak, Bastien took my hands in his. “Avoid crowds. Stay away from the main roads. You know where you’re going?”
“Yes. Three blocks up. Four right.”
He released my hands and lifted the hood of my cloak over my head. “If something happens to me, get back to Barmhilde and stay with The Red. He’ll protect you.”
I touched his cheek and fought back my emotions, not wanting to upset him. “You’re the one traveling through the gateways. You be careful. I don’t know what I’d do if—”
His lips on mine stopped me. He kissed me deeply, as if it would be the last chance we’d ever have. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting desperately to keep him there with me. Tears slipped from my eyes.
Cupping my face in his hands, he wiped them away with his thumbs and said, “I’ll be back before morning. Nothing will stop me from getting back to you. Have you forgotten? I’m a wizard. Best in my class. Let them try stopping me.” He flashed me that arrogant smile of his that stilled my heart.
I smiled. “I feel sorry for them.”
He smirked. “Besides, we’ll have to fulfill your fantasies one day.”
The blood rushed to my cheeks again. “Exactly what did I say? And it’s Edgar’s fault he gave me that drink. That Fey Water.”
“A gentleman never divulges such things.” He winked.
“All right, now,” Edgar said. “I am in the room with you. Let’s get this done.”
I followed them out into the hall, my embarrassment trailing me. Edgar stopped at what looked like a broom closet and opened the door. “Gia, you go through this back way. It leads down to the alley. Keep your head covered and your face down. Calina will be here should you need her.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding. “Good luck.”
Before I went inside, Bastien caught my hand and kissed my temple. “Stay strong, Gianna.” It was the first time I saw fear in his striking blue eyes. We’d been through scarier things than this, and he had never flinched. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.
“We’ve got this,” I said, holding his stare.
Bastien bounded down the stairs after Edgar. As I watched him disappear around the corner, my mind screaming that I shouldn’t let him go, I realized he was going without knowing my feelings.
I called out for him, but there was no sound of boots returning up the stairs.
He was gone.