Chapter 2 #2
“That makes sense,” I murmured, scanning the shelves with apprehension and curiosity.
What sorts of spells were so dangerous that they had to be kept under lock and key?
And would I be able to learn any of them, now that I was betrothed to the Chief Mage?
I imagined my new status would afford me some privileges other than riches and comfort.
But that was a thought for another time—I was hardly in any position to start learning spells of that caliber.
“Now, what is this personal matter for which you need my assistance?”
“I’m looking into my parentage,” I explained. “Specifically on my father’s side. I’m trying to embrace my heritage as a mage, and I feel I can’t do that unless I know more about that side of my family.”
“I see.” Janta was quiet for a moment. “Have you asked the Chief Mage about this?”
“He’s been very busy,” I evaded. It wouldn’t do me any favors to tell Janta that Iannis didn’t want me to know my father’s name.
After all, he was her employer, and she wouldn’t want to do anything to anger him.
“Lord Iannis lost a significant amount of time when he went missing, and again when he rescued me from that island, and he’s still got his hands full with the fallout from the failed uprising.
I don’t want to trouble him, if I can find the information elsewhere. ”
“That’s true. He must be overburdened with duties just now.” Janta’s voice briefly softened in sympathy, then became businesslike again. “Do you have any information that may help narrow our search?”
I thought for a moment. “My mother lived in Solantha before my birth, and did not travel during the time she would have conceived me, as far as I know. It is likely that she met my father right here, but how, and who he was, is a mystery. Hookups between shifters and mages are really rare, even in Rowanville. She would never tell me, and none of her surviving family ever said anything about him.”
“Is there anyone who might remember their affair?” Janta pressed.
“My aunt Mafiela. She and I haven’t had the best relationship, and she would never speak a word of anything to do with my mage heritage.
But she and my mother were close, so it is possible Mother confided some detail or clue to her.
Perhaps if I asked her to lunch, she might be willing to divulge something now. ”
“That would be helpful.” Janta eyed me speculatively. “Your eyes and coloring must come from your father rather than the Jaguar Clan,” she noted. “That may help narrow things down, as there are not very many mage families known for such brilliant green eyes.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed as a memory popped into my head.
“I did meet someone in Dara, a mage, who bore an uncanny resemblance to me. His name was Coman ar’Daghir, and, last I knew, he was the Rhodea Mages Guild’s Legal Secretary.
He did not act as though he knew anything when we met, and he is too young to be my father—I think.
But he might be a relative of some kind. ”
“That is very helpful indeed,” Janta replied, pulling a notepad from her sleeve. She extracted a pen as well, then wrote the information down. “We have an up-to-date genealogical section. I should be able to trace his family history and connections.”
“That’s great!” Excitement bubbled up inside me, but it quickly faded as I recalled Iannis’s warning about my father. “Is…is there any way my father could pose a problem for my upcoming marriage to the Chief Mage?”
“Most certainly,” Janta said, her eyebrows rising. “Your father could prevent the marriage if he decides he does not want his family allied with Lord Iannis’s.”
“What!” I shouted, then winced as Janta frowned. “Sorry,” I said, lowering my voice. “But how could my father do such a thing? He gave up his right to be my father the moment he walked out of my mother’s life. Surely he has no legal authority over me.”
“I’m afraid that’s not how it works,” Janta said, sympathy in her eyes.
“Regardless of whether or not your father raised you, you are of his bloodline. You would not have your magic if that were not the case. That you no longer have a living mother only strengthens his claim, should he choose to exercise it.”
“And just what claim is that?” I asked, doing my damndest to keep my voice even. Janta didn’t deserve my fury—she was just the messenger. “I’m an adult, aren’t I? Why does he get to decide who I do or don’t marry?”
“Well, by shifter standards, you most certainly are an adult,” Janta allowed, a small smile briefly curving her lips.
“But mages don’t reach their majority until they are thirty years of age or finish their apprenticeships, whichever comes first. If you were done with your apprenticeship, your father would not have a say, but considering your late start, I doubt that will happen anytime soon.
Therefore, your father unfortunately has every right to disallow the match, should he find Lord Iannis an unsuitable candidate for any reason. ”
I snorted. “That’s so ridiculous. He’s the Chief Mage. Magorah knows that the majority of Canalo doesn’t think I’m a suitable match for him, but I doubt anybody would claim that he isn’t good enough for me.”
Janta nodded. “That is true. However, I assume you don’t wish to count on your father’s benevolence, considering his track record with you.”
“No,” I admitted, my jaw tightening. “I have no idea what kind of man he is.” For all I knew, he would gloat at the chance to strike at Iannis, should he prove to be some kind of rival or enemy. “I need to find a way around this.”
“I’m not sure there is one,” Janta said gently. “Even if you weren’t years behind in your mastery of Loranian, any shortcuts you might take have severe consequences.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I winced a little—Loranian was the language of magic, used in spell casting, and I was nowhere near mastering it. “What kind of shortcuts are you referring to?” I asked, curious despite myself.
Janta pursed her lips. “They are not worth speaking of.”
“Oh, come on. You can’t just say that and not tell me anything.” When she just stared at me, I gave her my best puppy-dog look. “Please?”
She frowned. “Very well, if only to dissuade you. One such method involves transferring the knowledge and memories of an older mage into your own mind. You would instantly gain mastery of Loranian as well as any spellcraft he knew and practiced.”
“By Magorah!” My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. “You can do that?”
“Yes, but it is hardly recommended.” Janta’s lips thinned. “The procedure has been known to alter a person’s character, and the newly gained knowledge is not always easily assimilated.”
“Yeesh.” I made a face at that—I certainly did not want to take on the personality of some cantankerous old mage. “Why was such a procedure even invented?”
“It was mostly used in wartime, when a master was near death and had not yet imparted all his knowledge to his favored apprentice. But such a scenario has not occurred in quite some time, at least not in the Federation.”
“Really? Even though war recently broke out here in Solantha?”
An uncomfortable expression flitted across Janta’s face. “If it has happened as a result of recent events, I do not know of it.”
I let out a small sigh. “Oh, well. It doesn’t really matter—I don’t think I’d be comfortable trying such a thing, even if I could find a volunteer mage.”
“Agreed.” A thoughtful expression crossed Janta’s face, and she reached into her sleeve again.
A moment later, she pulled out a small text bound in light blue cloth.
The title Spellcraft for Beginners was embroidered across the front in gold thread.
“This is a basic primer a friend of mine had printed for his daughter when she was young. He was a notable Federation mage. Not many copies exist, as unsupervised practice is generally frowned upon. I do hope you’ll be careful when you practice with it. ”
“Oh, thank you!” I took the book carefully from her, then opened it. To my delight, it was written primarily in Northian, and the Loranian spells all had a pronunciation guide. “So this has all the basic spells that mage children learn?”
“Nearly,” Janta said. “And I’m sure Lord Iannis will teach you anything that’s missing.”
“Is that trick where you pull large objects out of your sleeve one of those spells?” I asked, staring pointedly at Janta’s sleeve.
I’d seen Iannis do the same thing multiple times, and I really wanted to add it to my list of skills.
I could carry much more food around, which would be handy because using magic always left me famished.
A knock on the door sounded before Janta could answer, and we turned to see Fenris standing on the other side of the glass.
“Sunaya?” he asked, surprise flickering in his dark eyes as Janta opened the door for him. “What are you doing here?”
I folded my arms and arched a brow. “I could ask you the same question.”
He huffed. “I came here looking for Miss Urama. Lord Iannis asked me to retrieve a book from the restricted section.” He smiled briefly at Janta. “I was told she was already back here, but not that she was with you.”
“Miss Baine wanted to find out more about mage weddings,” Janta said smoothly, saving me from having to lie to Fenris. He was a friend, sure, but he was still more Iannis’s friend than mine, and he probably wouldn’t approve. “I was explaining to her about the legalities involved.”
“Ah.” Fenris’s expression cleared, and he shut the door behind him. “Thankfully, you won’t have to deal with the usual contracts and endless negotiations between mage families, but you will still need to observe the proper protocol expected of any Chief Mage who marries.”
My heart sank a little. “What kind of protocol?” By Magorah, I really did not want this to get any more complicated than it already was.
“A man of Lord Iannis’s position would be expected to invite the other Chief Mages in the Federation to the ceremony,” Fenris explained. “Some couples choose to have the ceremonies held in Dara when the Convention is in session, since the Chief Mages will all be gathered in one place anyway.”
“Ugh.” I made a face. “I’m definitely not a fan of that idea.
” I wanted my friends to come to the wedding, and I didn’t know if that would be possible if we held it in the middle of the Convention.
Besides, I didn’t want to have to travel across the country to get married—I wanted to do it right here, in my hometown.
“Well, if that’s the case, you’ll need to let the Chief Mage know,” Fenris said. “After all, the invitations must go out at least six months early. To send them later would be an insult.”
I rolled my eyes at that. All these rules! “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Yes,” Fenris said, his lips twitching as he sensed my annoyance.
“Since the ceremony is magically binding, it will be conducted in Loranian. So you’ll need to improve significantly.
” His smile widened when I groaned. “Thankfully for you, Iannis has instructed me to tutor you in Loranian for at least two hours a day,” he added in mindspeak. “So you should be more than prepared.”
“Just great,” I muttered, tucking the primer Janta had given me into my leather jacket. “Thanks so much for your advice, Miss Urama. Please let me know if you have any other helpful information for me.”
“I will,” Janta said, her eyes twinkling knowingly. I strongly suspected that she knew of my desire to keep Fenris in the dark about my true purpose for being in the library, and I made a mental note to send her fancy chocolates or something—the woman was a true godsend.
“I’ll see you later,” I told Fenris as I headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To Witches End,” I called over my shoulder as I left.
I had time to kill before my lesson with Iannis, and I wanted to check in with Comenius.
Hopefully, he would have news from Annia and Elnos.
I hadn’t forgotten my promise to help them ensure Noria’s safety, and it was about time I made strides toward that end.