Chapter 11 Keelan
Ridley, the Captain-Commander, and another Guardsman who also wore a Lieutenant’s chevron stood outside the headquarters building as I approached.
Before I could say anything, a man in blue robes stepped from behind the Commander.
In the center of the man’s robes was a golden Phoenix, and two lines of gold ringed his collar. It was Arch Mage Velius Quin.
The Captain-Commander spoke before I reached the top step. “Lieutenant Rea, Cadet Doa told us what you found at the infirmary. Arch Mage Quin and I may be able to add to your investigation. Let’s step inside where we can have a little more privacy.”
I raised one brow at Ridley.
The Arch Mage’s presence was unusual, but the need for privacy was even stranger. They stood in the heart of the Guard’s complex, one of the most secure locations in the country.
The group wound through the building, passing several administrative areas before approaching the Captain-Commander’s private office. A set of double doors that towered from floor to ceiling bore deep etchings of Melucia’s most cherished symbols, the Phoenix, Quill, and Sword.
In direct contrast to the grandeur of the doors, the Captain-Commander’s office was simple, bordering on bare.
One wall peered onto the training grounds through a glass window that spanned the length of the entire wall.
Glass wasn’t uncommon, but windows this large were.
I smiled to myself as I surveyed the simple furniture, thinking that my plainspoken Commander wouldn’t have those windows if he hadn’t inherited them from a predecessor who enjoyed finer things.
The only piece of furniture that displayed the prestige of the office was a large desk and chair that sat at the far end of the room.
The desk had been used by Captain-Commanders for generations.
Melucian lore claimed a distant Arch Mage had crafted the desk to commemorate the only Captain-Commander who had also belonged to both the Guard and the Mages’ Guild.
The Crest of Melucia, similar to the one on the door, covered the front of the desk but with one significant difference—the Phoenix was inlaid with gold and practically flew off the wood.
On the desk’s surface, under a cover of clear glass, was a remarkable carved map of the Melucian Empire complete with mountains, streams, and lakes.
Quin smiled faintly as his eyes took in every aspect of the desk, of the wooden piece. I swore there was pride in eyes that rarely betrayed any expression.
“Gentlemen, please take a seat.” Commander Albius motioned to chairs around a conference table.
“Lieutenant Rea, let’s start with you. Cadet Doa reported the break-in at the infirmary. Did you find anything in your inspection?”
“Sir, we found scratch marks and dents on the lock and strike plate of the front door. Small wooden chips were scattered on the ground beneath. This was clearly a forced entry. The storage room where Tiana—sorry, sir— the Healer kept her equipment had been ransacked.
There were broken bottles and jars everywhere. I couldn’t tell for certain if anything had been taken, but it didn’t appear so. Nothing in the other rooms had been disturbed, including a very expensive tapestry that hung on the wall of the foyer.
All of this leads me to believe this wasn’t a simple robbery.”
I reached into my pocket. “I found this scrap of cloth stuck to the corner of one of the exam tables. Its unusual quality made me take a closer look. I don’t recall seeing anyone wearing material like this before.” I handed the cloth to Albius, who turned it over, then passed it around the room.
“There was nothing unusual in the perimeter, on the grounds?” Albius asked.
“No, sir. Ridley and I found nothing out of order. There were two packages that had been delivered and were still in the post box behind the building, but nothing appeared tampered with.”
The room breathed as silence fell over the group.
“Sir, while I conducted my search, Ridley returned with instructions for Guardsmen to visit the Healer’s home. Do you know if they’ve reported in?”
Before Albius could answer, the large door opened, and his clerk’s head appeared.
“Sir, pardon the interruption. Your additional guest just arrived.”
“Send him in.”
“Yes, sir.”
Barely a heartbeat later, the door opened again, and the clerk ushered in a Guardsman whose hair was disheveled and breathed as though he’d just run from across the city.
“Thank you, Del. Close the door behind you.” As soon as the door clicked shut, Albius turned to the newcomer. “Guardsman, report.”
The man’s eyes darted between the Captain-Commander and Arch Mage, and beads of sweat formed on his brow.
“Sir, the Healer’s home was empty,” he said without further explanation.
“And?”
“It was . . . just empty, sir. The door was standing open. There was no furniture, no clothing, nothing on the walls except mounted lamps. The place had been cleaned out. It was too dark to do a more thorough search of the grounds, but the interior was bare.”
The group asked a few questions before Albius dismissed the man, then turned to Ridley. “Cadet, this is about to go above your rank. You are excused.”
Ridley startled and stood, offering the Commander a sharp nod before leaving.
Albius then turned to Quin. “Arch Mage, a little more privacy?”
“Certainly.” Quin removed a silver box no larger than his thumb from the pocket in his robe.
Two rubies glittered on the lid, which I saw bore an etching of the Phoenix.
Rubies were often used as eyes in statues and carvings of the sacred symbol.
And, while most thought it an artistic choice, I knew from my time in the guild they served to amplify powerful magics.
Quin pried the box open and muttered a few guttural words before glancing toward Albius, nodding once.
“Thank you,” Albius said, facing the rest of the group around the table. “Gentlemen, the Arch Mage just extended a barrier around this office so we can speak without being overheard. Hold nothing back. What’s said in this room stays here, understand?” He punctuated the last word with a stern glare.
The other Lieutenant and I nodded.
“Arch Mage?”
Quin leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table.
“The Mages of the various cities often share information that may be useful or have impact across the Empire. Earlier this week, I received word from our Guildmaster in Freeport that a young woman was reported missing in that city. While tragic,
this would not usually raise the alarm of Mages across the country. However, this girl is a member of our local guild and the daughter of a prominent Merchant family, so we agreed to assist. The family provided a few personal items from the girl’s dressing chamber: her hairbrush,
a silver ring she often wore, and a small journal containing poetry that she had written by hand. With more than one item, and the personal nature of each of these, our Mages should have been able to locate her even if she was on a ship in the ocean on the other side of the world,
but their scrying failed. That is when they reached out to me.”
He cleared his throat and continued. “It is a closely guarded secret that the Saltstone Mages’ Compound is built at the base of the Silver Mountains for a very specific reason.
There is a vein of natural magic that bubbles like a stream deep beneath its stones.
This river of untamed magic gives our buildings more strength and offers our Mages far greater power when they act within our walls.
The tower in the back of the compound serves as a focal point, a magical amplifier, if you will.
“I enlisted the aid of our Mage with the greatest scrying ability and led him to the top of the tower. He worked through most of yesterday and into last night with no success, not even a hint of the missing woman’s whereabouts. I have never seen him fail.”
Quin paused and looked around the room, finding my eyes before continuing.
“We had no reason to believe the disappearance of Saltstone’s Healer was related to the missing woman in the south, but something tugged at my mind. When Cadet Doa returned, we attempted to scry for your Healer. It was a simple,
quick spell that I did not expect to offer anything beyond a general direction and confirmation that she still lived. And yet, for the second time in two days, we failed to sense anything, much less discover her location.”
Wind whistled against the glass wall as the men stared at one another.
The Captain-Commander broke the silence.
“Lieutenant Rea, I know you only took command of the Academy a few months ago, but this situation has implications far beyond our city. I’m putting you in charge of these cases, effective immediately. Lieutenant Eagan,
you will take over temporary leadership of the Academy until Rea is finished with these cases.”
“Yes, sir,” we said in unison.
Albius then turned to me. “Rea, there is no higher priority for the Guard than solving these cases and recovering the women. We’ve already lost a week on both disappearances.”
I nodded and began to speak, but the Arch Mage interrupted, “Keelan, as a member of the Mages’ Guild, you already have access to our complex, our Mages, and many of our resources. Due to the sensitivity of this situation, and what we believe may be broader implications,
you will also have my personal assistance if you need it. The full power of the Empire’s Mages’ Guild is at your disposal.”
What the hell is going on?
To have the direct assistance of the Arch Mage on a missing person case was nothing short of remarkable.
And the Commander’s insistence that this case held broader implications, perhaps ones of national import, was even more so.
I was clearly missing pieces, but neither the Arch Mage nor Albius appeared willing to supply them.
I gathered my thoughts, then nodded. “Thank you, sirs. Commander, I would like to assemble a small team, including Ridley and a few other Constables.”
“Cadet Doa?” Albius sat back.
“Yes, sir. I know it sounds odd, having a cadet join an investigation, but Ridley was a solid investigator before entering the Academy, and I’ve worked with him for years.”
Albius considered a moment. “Your team, your men. Just get me results. Anything else?”
“No, sir.”
“Good. Keep me posted.” Albius stood, a clear dismissal. “Rea, Arch Mage, please stay.”
When the heavy door clapped shut again, Albius glanced at the Arch Mage. Quin nodded. “Rea, this stays here. Not a word to your team or anyone else, understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Albius moved to the large glass window, peered out at the night-shrouded practice yard, and lost himself in thought.
After several minutes, he spoke into the glass in a low voice that I strained to hear, “Keelan, report your findings only to the Arch Mage or myself. The offices of the Triad, the Army command, even the Guard, have been compromised. We’ve only found one spy so far,
but we believe that there are others. Trust no one. Do you understand?”
My head spun. “Sir, what would spies have to do with a kidnapping? What am I missing?”
Albius turned to face me. “We don’t know that the two situations are connected, only that more than one fact seems to cross with the others, and I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago, especially where magic is concerned. I can’t read you into the specifics,
so you’re going to have to trust me. Keep this quiet. Any information you learn stays between the three of us.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
I thought a moment, then turned to the Arch Mage.
“Who can I speak with in Freeport? I need to gather information regarding the missing woman and everything surrounding her disappearance. Also, has any of this gone public? If so, we should think through a cover for why investigators from the capital are being called in on a local matter.
Our presence will stir the rumor mill.”
Quin eyed me. “The second question is easier than the first.
Yes, the disappearance in Freeport hit the local papers, and there is talk of little else.
Serious crimes, especially kidnappings, are rare.
Our greatest advantage is that reporters in Freeport don’t know Saltstone may also have a kidnapping.
Furthermore, the missing woman from Freeport is prominent in her community.
She is the sole heir to a significant family holding, and her father commands political influence throughout Melucia.
It would not be unusual for him to call in a favor to get someone from the capital to help find his daughter.
“As to your investigation, we have already assembled some notes, including names of interested parties and reports from the local Constables and their initial investigation.” Quin handed me a leather folio.
Albius returned to the table. “Lieutenant, go figure out your teams and how you want to divide up the searches. There’s a lot of land between Saltstone and Freeport, and you will need men you can trust to lead the various efforts.
The Arch Mage and I will meet you at the Mages’ Guild tomorrow at noon to review.”
As I took my leave, my mind raced at the enormity of what I’d just learned and the task before me.
I’d never seen the Captain-Commander so ashen as when he gave the order to keep information between the Arch Mage and himself, and I shuddered, remembering the sound of the unshakable man’s voice.
Albius hadn’t said that the members of the Triad themselves had been compromised—only their offices—but he also hadn’t ruled it out, and there was only one member of the ruling council not present.
I understood the sensitivity of a high-profile investigation, especially when a noble’s daughter was a victim, but the whole spy thing made my head hurt.
Why would a spy care about a few missing women?
Who even wanted to spy on Melucia? The Empire barely had a standing army and had never threatened its neighbors.
Sure, Melucia was a rich trading nation, perhaps the wealthiest in the world, but who spied on Merchants?
Kee, you’re doing it again, I scolded myself. The Mages always said, “If you focus on the problem, you’ll never find the solution.”
I thought through who I wanted on my team and the various assignments involved, then froze and stared at the cloudy night sky above.
This isn’t some case involving strangers.
In the excitement and strangeness of the last few hours, I’d nearly forgotten how it all started, with Tiana disappearing. The same Tiana I’d just spent an evening with. The same Tiana I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about for weeks, despite struggling with the courage to court her.
My old childhood companion, my nagging inner voice, chattered again, asking more painful questions and threatening to overwhelm me:
What happened to her?
Why would someone kidnap a woman who only wanted to help other people?
Is she hurt?
Is she still alive?
If she is, how long does she have?
How long do I have before . . . ?