“Try some humility,” Comenius called as I strode out the door. “I find that works best when you’re apologizing for something you’ve done wrong.”
I bared my teeth at the idea. I had a few ideas about things I wanted to say to the Chief Mage when I saw him, but an apology definitely wasn’t on the list.
6
By the time I skidded to a halt outside the manicured grounds of the Palace, I’d worked myself up into a fit of righteous indignation. The sun blazing high above my head seemed to champion my thoughts, and I marched up the walkway with my shoulders back and my head held high, determined not to look like I was crawling back to my master with my tail tucked between my legs.
I took the steps of the wide staircase two at a time, the white stone edifice of the Palace looming up above me, majestic as ever with its red-tiled roofs and proud turrets that speared the gorgeous blue sky. The large, elegant foyer I stepped into was equally impressive, the sun shining in through the tall, stained glass windows splashing colorful patterns onto the walls, the oil paintings, the parquet floor and the thick, expensive rugs that covered it. Canter, the old, grizzled mage who manned the reception desk, gave me a disapproving glare from behind his hooked nose.
“You’re late.”
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious.” I rolled my eyes at the supercilious look on his wizened face – Canter hated me, and no doubt his shriveled little heart was bouncing up and down with glee at the idea that I was about to get a scolding from the Chief Mage. Ignoring him, I made my way up the right side of the double staircase that curved around both sides of the foyer, and down the carpeted hallway towards the West Wing, where the Chief Mage’s study was.
It wasn’t too long before I found myself in front of the familiar carved mahogany door, and I sighed, tracing the elegant patterns carved into the wood with my eyes. It seemed that every time I came to this room, it was always so that I could get into a fight with the Chief Mage. And even though it was in my nature to balk and fight, there was a part of me that wished that for once he would summon me to his study for a pleasant reason, like telling me that I was doing such a good job shuffling papers around, or that he was going to take off the restrictions he’d placed on my power level so I would have full access to my magic.
If wishes were steambikes, I thought, and pushed open the door.
The Chief Mage looked up from the report he was studying, his violet eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I see you’ve forgotten the art of knocking.”
“Yeah, well you don’t wear pants, so I figured there was no chance of catching you with them down or anything,” I quipped, shutting the door behind me. “Would you like me to go back out into the hallway and try again?”
Something suspiciously like humor flickered in Iannis’s eyes, but his stony expression didn’t budge. “Sit down,” he ordered, gesturing to one of the two chairs in front of his desk.
I did as he asked – if we were going to fight, I might as well make myself comfortable. Settling myself into the low, cloth-covered scoop chair, I crossed my right ankle over my left knee and clasped my hands in my lap, then looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to make the first move.
“Well?” he finally demanded. “Where have you been all morning?”
“I’ve been working on an investigation,” I said evenly, determined to hold onto my temper for as long as possible. “You know, because that’s what Enforcers do.”
His iridescent eyes turned glacial. “You’re my apprentice first and foremost. I expect you to act like one.”
“I do act like one, ninety-nine percent of the time,” I snapped, digging my fingers into the arms of my chair. “Don’t pretend like I haven’t been working my ass off every day at the Mages Guild, because I have. But there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to work on this investigation, no matter what you say my schedule is.”
“I see.” The Chief Mage’s icy expression didn’t change one iota, and I sighed, wondering if he really did see. There were times when he showed glimpses of compassion, but for the most part he was like a rock wall – completely impenetrable without the assistance of explosive devices. Which probably explained why I blew up at him so often.
“What is this investigation that was so burningly urgent?”
“Oh, you don’t know?” I asked mockingly. “I figured you’d know what I was doing, since you magically seemed to know exactly where to have your secretary call this morning.”
Iannis gave me an impatient look. “I put a tracking spell on you after you were kidnapped by Yantz, so that I could find you again should you end up in a similar situation.”