Chapter 4 #2
The closer they got to the academy, the wealthier the area became. Houses with sagging roofs and patchwork paint gave way to sturdy two-story homes. Businesses went up in stature and station, replacing tarped canopies with real storefronts. Still, Erinna preferred Harbor Market.
On a corner, just before formal academy-owned grounds at the edge of Market Square, sat a small bakeshop. The two friends had finally arrived, and Erinna couldn’t hide the rumble in her stomach as the smell of fresh scones and bread seeped from the inside.
Mad Batters was a small bakery frequented by locals, students, and travelers alike. There was always a line, no matter the season, and the small space inside packed quickly. In the window sat the mouthwatering confections of Madds Nadir.
A group of waiting customers was already gathered inside, threatening to spill out the door and into the street. From their attire and the regulatory badges that hung around their neck, she could tell most were from continental kingdoms.
A gong echoed from the tower, and the murmuring crowd paused for a beat. Silent respect, growing fear.
Damien and Erinna pushed and weaved through bodies in search of their usual bench, tucked into the corner just beside the counter.
Erinna’s gaze stalled on fresh-baked garlic rolls cooling on shelves in the back.
An old woman moved in a flurry of bright pinks and florals, hastily taking and preparing orders to appease the crowd.
Damien sat and secured the small booth while Erinna edged her way to the back just within Madd’s eyesight.
“Little Rinna! Always a delight,” chirped the old baker as she quickly finished an order before turning her attention to Erinna. Crows’ feet and laugh lines graced tanned skin. Stray silver hair peeked out beneath her baker’s cap.
Erinna pulled a small pouch of coins from her bag. “Madds, you’re too kind.”
The old woman took it and frowned at the extra weight.
They always tossed in extra, much to the baker’s chagrin.
Madds opened her mouth to protest, but her warm brown eyes darted to Damien.
She grumbled but kept her contempt silent.
The Nadir family was one of the Yarrows’ closest allies, and the establishment had been used more than once to aid in aberrant affairs.
Complaining wasn’t worth the risk of exposing them to an academy mage. No matter how friendly Damien may be.
“Hold on,” she said and disappeared into the back despite the growing protests from the stalled line.
The smell of yeasted dough wafted from the ovens, prompting another gurgle from Erinna’s stomach.
Madds returned with a bag of her own, though instead of coins the parcel contained a few loaves and some buns.
“Oh, and I can’t forget…” She waddled quickly to a line of fresh, sweet buns and wrapped them in paper. “See that your father gets one. He’s been asking about them lately.”
Erinna took the goods and grabbed two mugs of Aramoorian coffee to bring back to the table. The warmth and earthy smell eased her apprehension slightly.
Damien smiled at her approach. It reached his hazel eyes and filled Erinna with warmth. She remembered the way he used to make her heart race when they were younger. Reminded her of the times when she more freely wondered if there was a chance they could ever be something more to each other.
But things could get complicated with mages. Especially if your Talent was aberrant in nature.
“Time for business, then?” he teased, crossing his arms in front of him with flair.
Erinna laughed. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” She summoned her most professional tone.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” His voice sang, and he graciously accepted the warm drink.
They had planned this meeting a week ago with only one exchange.
Erinna asked for a simple favor, and in return she promised him another installment of her parents’ old travel journals.
Damien had been quick to accept and refused any follow-up.
As a man who craved adventure, there were few things he wouldn’t give for more tales beyond Tarthan shores.
“I was hoping you could get me a ride in an academy carriage.” It was a small request, but Erinna appreciated any help he could offer.
She wasn’t fond of relying on anything academy-related, but it was hard to deny its efficiency.
Damien possessed more authority around the academy.
More than Erinna could ever hope for as an apparently Talentless individual.
He’d be able to secure a carriage ride much more easily than she could.
Sure, she could walk the length of Capital City’s main road from start to finish. But the journey would take over three hours, and she was not particularly inclined to show up at a business meeting drenched in sweat.
The Academy of Arcanum rested halfway between the docks and Crown Quarter; a carriage ride would cut her time in half.
“Done.” Damien leaned in closer, sipping the warm beverage.
Erinna let out a soft laugh. “That easy? No questions asked?”
He shrugged and nudged her foot playfully beneath the table.
“How often does Erinna Yarrow ever ask for help?”
She shrugged. He had a point. “Will you help me with anything?” She pursed her lip and cocked her head to the side.
“Anything.”
It was in the moments of unabashed support that she caught herself slipping.
The urge to share her secrets pressed against her heart.
Erinna lost count of the times she wished for his help when they struggled to protect young aberrants and their families.
But fangs were easy to hide and far too lethal to chance.
Damien could never know; it was far too great a risk to get him involved.
Her attention fell on his academy robes and the small stitching above his heart that marked him as an abjuror.
“Um, do you have class or something? I don’t want to take you away from your studies.
” She needed to change the subject, needed to distract herself from the gnawing of self-inflicted loneliness.
“There are very few classes in fourth year, but most of them are elective. I’m actually expected at Major Apprentice Haru’s office. Preparing for my initiation rite.”
Erinna blinked in shock. “I thought that was in winter?”
“They’re trying to move it up for as many as they can.”
“Oh,” was all she managed to say in response.
Another gong sounded.
Erinna busied herself with her bag, collecting the copied notes about her parents’ past voyage around the Tempest’s Ring and the brief encounters on northern waters.
He had asked for those specifically once.
Anything about the northern continent or as close as one could get to the veil that surrounded it.
She figured he had grown too familiar with the other tales.
Damien let out a small sigh of relief as he took the papers.
Erinna eyed her friend more closely, the weariness in his features growing apparent.
The robes he usually wore pressed to perfection bore a few wrinkles around the sleeves.
The set in his jaw, a tight-lipped smile, dark rings beneath his eyes from lack of sleep.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Damien’s responses to their sending box letters had become less frequent. Erinna figured he had exams, but intuition told her otherwise. This was a different sort of stress. Damien’s mask of normalcy faltered; his smile grew tighter.
“Minor Apprentice Afton has been”—he paused for a moment, as if searching for the right word—“distracted, so Major Apprentice Haru started screening early. Avoiding a backlog. You understand.” He scratched the back of his neck, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Erinna knew his tells; he was keeping something from her. “Distracted?” She raised an eyebrow in question and took another sip of her drink.
Damien’s shoulders sagged as he considered his options. Would he tell her the truth or wave it away as a mage problem? He tossed his head over his shoulder, as if to ensure there were no prying ears, before turning back to Erinna.
“Minor Apprentice Afton’s been kidnapped by that pirate, and we’ve lost a few fourth-year mages to burnout.”
Erinna took in a breath, mind racing to comprehend the news. The Yarrows were well known in Tarth for their craft, but preferred to stay away from the dealings of the crown and the academy. Still, it was a surprise that she hadn’t heard rumors nor rumblings of a kidnapping.
They were keeping it under the radar, it seemed. If the populace knew that the Minor Apprentice had been kidnapped while the Chancellor was breaths away from death, it would cause nothing but chaos.
That would explain why they were keeping Captain Kane Atwater alive. He’d been caught two months ago, with no clear intent to send him to the gallows—at least not yet.
“What does this mean for you? Is there anything I can do?” Erinna placed a comforting hand on his forearm. She could spare no sympathy for the apprentice, but it twisted her heart to see the worry lines etched into her best friend’s face.
Damien offered a weak smile. “Unless you have some trick up your sleeve that can get the pirate to talk, or find a way to cure burnout, we’re all just taking it a day at a time.”
Everyone was worried, whether they showed it or not. A missing apprentice was one thing for the academy, but dealing with the increasing magical affliction on top of everything else—Erinna couldn’t imagine the pressure.
Every year, there were more students who suffered burnout.
Four in the past week was unprecedented.
For the first time in a while, Erinna found herself wishing she had some way to help.
If not for the academy, then at least for Damien.
Unless they needed a ship repaired, she’d be of no use to the academy.
A muffled gong echoed through the din.
The silence that came felt awkward. Erinna was never good at comfort. Instead, she pulled a small tin from her bag. The tiny box was decorated with painted flowers and leaves. She had packed it especially for him, knowing he would be stressed, just not aware of how much he was dealing with.
“We got some more Ionian tea in. Figured it might help you sleep better.” Erinna used it herself on rare occasions.
The mixture of flowers and herbs was particularly good at keeping the midnight whispers at bay when she was a child.
The times her Talent used to flare before she managed to bury it so deep not even an enforcer would be able to find it.
“You’re the best, Eri.” He took the decorative container, eyed it for a moment, and then pocketed it inside his robes.
“Oh, I made you something.” Damien rummaged through another one of his hidden pockets, pulling out a dark leather bracelet. Erinna arched her brow in question and curiosity. It was midnight blue, made of high-quality material.
“Hand,” Damien requested, and Erinna obliged. She reached out her arm, and he wrapped his fingers gently around her wrist. The feather-light touches sent shivers down her spine as he fastened the small metal clasp.
“There.” He gave her a wide grin, pleased with his work. The joy was intoxicating. Erinna examined the intricate braiding, her fingers trying to determine the pattern.
“It’s perfect,” she breathed. The color was dark enough to hide any stains, and the material was strong enough to withstand manual labor—to an extent. The Eughler coating would also make it water-resistant and less likely to tear.
But if she looked hard enough, there was a pattern that shimmered gold when the light hit it perfectly, almost like…
“I warded it myself.” Damien couldn’t hide his excitement. “It took a while to weave the protection into the material, but the arcanum should hold for a while.”
“Protections?” It was an incredibly thoughtful gift and must have taken quite some time to imbue. She wished she had more than tea to give him.
He nodded, animatedly, and rubbed his thumb against the leather. “Nothing too much. Just a little something to keep you safe from aberrants.”
Erinna’s blood ran cold. This was the reminder— the reason she had to keep him at an arm’s length.
If her secret was ever exposed, he could likely end up her executioner.
Erinna always wondered exactly how he felt about aberrants; he didn’t speak of them with the same repulsion as most, but his mood always soured at the mention.
“Safe from aberrants?” Erinna hoped the tremble in her voice wasn’t too noticeable, but the bracelet around her wrist felt more like a cuff. Was she about to be discovered by a simple piece of leather?
“Yeah, well, to any who mean to cause you harm. I guess it could work against a mage, but I took extra steps to make sure it would ward against mentalists, particularly. Truth be told, we’ve seen a rise in reports of unclaimed aberrants, yet the Enforcers haven’t been able to track them all down.”
“That’s terrible.” The words tasted like sandpaper on her tongue.
Damien leaned in so close that Erinna could practically feel his warm breath against her cheek. “I’ve heard talk of some sort of rebellion. That’s what Dean Harrowood thinks.” He leaned back slightly, giving Erinna some room to breathe.
“And you, what do you think?” Erinna’s mind and heart raced at a dangerous pace. Calm. She told herself. Calm. A rebellion made no sense, and she would have heard windfall of it through her contacts. The Dean was grasping at straws with nothing more than poorly aimed fear.
Damien waved his hand dismissively, clearly trying to remain nonchalant, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.
A darkness flashed across his face. “I think we’re all just scared, Eri.
” His hand went to her wrist, wrapped it in a gentle hold as his thumb traced small circles in her skin, just above the leather. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
Erinna slowly released her breath and tried to unknot the tension.
“How does it work?”
“It’ll get warm if someone tries to use their Talent against you with ill intent. That way you know to run.” Damien looked at her expectantly, scanned her face to see how well his gift was received.
Erinna forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s perfect, thank you.” It won’t betray you, Erinna chanted through her mind. It wouldn’t recognize her, and in all honesty, a ward against someone trying to read her mind or scry her location was frightfully useful.
Still…
Another gong echoed, and even the travelers were starting to feel its foreboding pressure.
The nervous knot Erinna had grown so accustomed to had awoken once more.