The next few weeks passed by in a blur of constant activity. I bore the stress of prepping for the Convention with a smile, determined not to worry Iannis or let anyone else know how much of a downer all this madness was. Thankfully, I had Nelia to help me juggle everything, and once I rolled up my sleeves and dove into this mess, I tackled things with a combination of ferocity and efficiency that surprised even me. The entire time, I kept my upcoming honeymoon in the forefront of my mind—the shiny carrot I was chasing. This hectic phase would be over soon, I reminded myself. Only five weeks to go.
“Miss Baine?” Nelia called through the telephone intercom to my office in the Mages Guild.
I bit back a sigh and answered. “Is the spokesman for the firefighter union here?” I asked. I was supposed to arrange schedules for setting anti-fire wards with him, freeing up the Mages Guild to deal with the tricky Convention logistics.
“Actually, he cancelled at the last minute because of a fire in some warehouse. Your next appointment was postponed too. You’re free until four o’clock.”
I blinked. Four o’clock? I glanced at the clock on my wall. That was hours away! “Thank you,” I said with a grin. “I’ll be out of the office until then.”
I hung up before Nelia could respond, then bounced out of my chair and left the Guild. I couldn’t remember the last time I had three whole hours of time to myself, and even though there was paperwork I should catch up on, I desperately needed the break. Rushing up to my room, I changed into a pair of shorts and an old but well-loved T-shirt, then called Comenius.
“Hey, Com,” I said when he answered the phone. “Is Rusalia around?”
“She’s off school today,” he said. “Are you finally free to tutor her?”
“I was actually thinking more of a playdate,” I said, “with her, Liu, and Tinari.” I used to spend time with the girls every week before things got so hectic—I tutored Rusalia on controlling her magic, and in general I enjoyed playing with the high-spirited little girls. “Do you think you can bring her by?”
“She would love that,” Comenius said as Rusalia squealed in the background. “She’ll be at the palace within the hour.”
I hung up the phone, then checked in with Janta and Mrs. Tandry. Liu was baking bread right now, but she’d be free soon, and Tinari was nearly done helping Janta catalogue a section of the library. They promised to send the girls straight to the playroom as soon as they were done.
With half an hour left until the girls arrived, I wandered back to the Mages Guild wing to see if I could catch Iannis for a few minutes. He’d already been up and gone when I’d opened my eyes this morning, and my serapha charm had told me he’d left the palace. But he was back now, and after barely seeing him for nearly a week, I missed him.
“Sunaya,” Iannis greeted me with a smile as I opened the door—he was seated behind his desk, with a mountain of papers in front of him. His eyebrows rose a little as he took in my outfit. “Playing hooky today?”
I smiled back. “Two of my appointments cancelled, so I’ve found myself with a bit of free time. You?”
Iannis chuckled. “Free time is the last thing on my agenda,” he said. “I’m glad you came by, though. I have good news. Fenris called earlier.”
My jaw dropped. “He did? And you’re only mentioning this now? What the hell, Iannis?”
“I got caught up in something!” Iannis held up his hands in a placating manner. “It was a very short conversation, so it wasn’t as if I had time to get you. His friend was dying from a rare poison, and he called to see if I could give him the recipe for the antidote.”
“Dying?” I plopped into one of the visitor’s chairs, my head spinning. “What kind of trouble has Fenris gotten into?”
“I don’t know,” Iannis said, sounding frustrated. “But the lady in question sounded like more than just a friend.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. “Are you saying that Fenris has a girlfriend?”
Before Iannis could answer, the phone rang. “Yes?” he asked impatiently as he snatched it up.
“There’s a call coming through to your line from the same number Fenris called from earlier,” I heard Dira say, and my heart leapt into my throat. “Shall I put him through?”
“Right away!” Iannis ordered. There was a click as Dira transferred the line. “Fenris, is that you?”
“Yes,” Fenris’s familiar baritone came through the line, and I felt a swell of relief.
“By Magorah, it’s really him!” I exclaimed, leaning across the table. “Damn you, Fenris, for worrying us like this! Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, and yes, the antidote worked,” Fenris said, and he sounded as grateful as I felt to finally hear his voice again. “I owe you a great debt, Iannis—Mina would have died today if not for you. I’m sorry I cut you off earlier, but time was of the essence.”
“I understand completely,” Iannis assured him. “You owe me no debt, Fenris—you have helped me more times than I can count. I am only glad that you and your lady love are safe.”
“Speaking of lady loves,” I said, snatching the phone away from Iannis. My throat was tight with emotion, and it took me a second to get out the words. “You’ve got to bring her to our wedding, Fenris. I don’t care what we have to do to make it happen—I want you to be there. I miss you.”
“I miss you both, too,” Fenris said, and he sounded as if he meant it. “But I don’t want to put you in any danger—”
“You won’t be,” I insisted, “and I don’t want to hear any excuses. Give me your address so I can send you a formal invitation under whatever alias you’re using.”
Fenris laughed, a tinge of disbelief in his voice. “I’ll get one from you in person, if I decide to go,” he said, though he didn’t sound very convincing. “If I end up unable to make it, you know that my thoughts and wishes are with you both.”
“What happened with the poison?” Iannis asked, wresting the phone back from me. “Have you found out who is responsible? Croialis is not something that one could take by accident.”
“We have suspicions, but no proof yet,” Fenris said. “A large fortune is at stake, and greed is likely the motive.”
“I know you can’t tell us exactly where you are,” I called, “but are you in any immediate danger?”
“No,” Fenris assured me. “Mina is the target, not me. I will be taking extra precautions to ensure her safety, and we will be leaving here as soon as we’ve finished our business. I’ll let you know where I settle permanently when it’s safe to do so.”