Chapter 21
One week later
“No,” I said from my seat on the couch, making a slicing motion with my hand.
“Mrs. Gorax should definitely not be on the list. Strike the name off. I know the company helped with the repairs, but they’re responsible for much of the damage in the first place, and Mr. Gorax is in prison. They don’t deserve to be honored.”
“Very well.” Nelia made a scratching motion with her pen, then pursed her lips. “What about the Tomlinsons? They donated over five hundred loaves of bread from their bakery.”
Holding in a sigh, I continued going through the guest list Nelia had drawn up for the reception we were planning.
Everyone had been working around the clock to repair the damage from the quake, and Iannis had decided a morale booster was needed.
But I was having trouble looking forward to the party, what with Annia gone again and the loss of Fenris still so recent and raw.
I was still waiting to hear if Noria had survived the cave-ins.
To keep my mind off Fenris’s death, and Noria’s fate, I’d thrown myself into the various recovery projects, organizing volunteers to help with the food deliveries to the tent city set up on Solantha’s outskirts.
Shiftertown was almost completely cleared, having been the area least affected by the quake.
Most of the displaced shifters had already moved back into the city and started work on repairing their streets and what damaged buildings they did have.
Maintown was another story entirely—only a third of the buildings were currently inhabitable, and most of the survivors were still living in tents.
Bodies were still being dug out of the ruins, though we hadn’t found Fenris’s yet.
There were mass graves dug and filled daily, since the few cemeteries were insufficient for this sudden influx.
Once we’d finished clearing out the city and tallying up the dead, we would hold a memorial for all the quake victims. I didn’t know how I would be able to face it, but I knew I had to.
I was a public figure now—I couldn’t just hide in my room and cry.
One body that had been recovered from the rubble was Thorgana’s, as well as the rest of the Mendle family. I’d gone to inspect her crushed remains myself, to make sure it wasn’t a fake, and I’d been relieved to confirm that it was indeed her.
Iannis had recruited Noria’s former boyfriend, Elnos, to help figure out how to dispose of the Magic Eraser, since he was a mage with a background in science.
He was still chewing on the problem, but in the meantime, he’d ordered the deadly object to be enclosed in a thick lead casket and kept in a location far away from the city.
The lead seemed to lessen the harmful effects of the object, though it was still inadvisable for mages to get within five feet of it.
Garrett had stayed for a couple of days, wanting to see if the scientists would make a breakthrough, but once it was clear they needed more time, he and Harron packed up.
They’d left by dirigible this morning, to both Iannis’ and my great relief.
A knock on the door interrupted my discussion with Nelia, and I caught Kardanor’s scent. “Come in,” I called before Nelia could answer, much to her annoyance. I gave her an apologetic smile at the interruption, but I wasn’t about to turn Kardanor away.
“Good morning, Miss Baine,” Kardanor said with a smile as he let himself in. He looked as dashing as always, though there were a few patches in his red coat and the pants beneath looked like they’d seen better days. “I hope I’m not interrupting?”
“No, no, we’re about done.” I sat up, then gestured for Nelia to put her things away. “Why don’t you go take an early lunch, Nelia? We’ll pick this up later.”
“Yes, Miss Baine.” Nelia gathered her things up, looking somewhat disappointed, though she tried to hide it.
Her entire face had lit up when Kardanor walked in, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her fickle affections.
I was tempted to tell her not to bother, since Kardanor had his sights set on a certain female mage, but I decided not to break the bad news just yet.
At some point, she’d have to learn to guard her heart better.
“What can I do for you?” I asked him once Nelia had gone and he’d settled himself in one of my chairs.
“I hate to ask you this at all,” Kardanor said, scratching the back of his head.
The tips of his ears reddened, and I was startled to see embarrassment in his dark blue eyes.
“But I was wondering if you might be able to use your magic to make me look a little more…respectable, for Thursday night’s reception. ”
I frowned. “What’s wrong with the way you look now?” I gestured to his face. “Have you not noticed the way women look at you every time you walk by?”
Kardanor gave me a sheepish grin. “It’s not my face or form I’m worried about, Miss Baine, but my attire.
” He gestured to his shabby clothing. “My house was damaged by the fire, and the few decent outfits I have here in the Palace positively reek of soot and dust, after all the rescue work. The senior mages here are always so elegant, not a hair out of place…” He trailed off as a dreamy look entered his eye, and it wasn’t at all hard for me to guess who he was thinking about.
“Anyway, I hear I am to be mentioned in the Chief Mage’s speech, and I would prefer to look less shabby when every eye is on me, however briefly. ”
“Wait a minute,” I said slowly, anger building inside me with each word that came out of his mouth. “Are you telling me that you’re living in poverty right now?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Kardanor said quickly. “My home is still standing, if damaged, which is much better than most Maintown residents can say. But yes, I am just about broke now, because the bank where I keep my account has not yet reopened since the quake.”
“Well, we can’t have that,” I said briskly, standing. “I’ll have Nelia get you fitted today, and arrange for proper evening wear in time for the party. And I will make sure you are compensated for your time and hard work.”
“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you—” Kardanor began, shooting to his feet as I strode past him. “Have I offended you in any way?”
“Of course not.” I opened the door, then turned to smile at him. “I just remembered I have something I need to speak to Iannis about. Nelia will come to your rooms at three with a tailor in tow. We can’t have our favorite architect showing up for the reception in rags.”
I showed Kardanor out of my quarters, then strode off toward the Mages Guild in search of Iannis.
By the time I reached the lobby, I was positively fuming.
Dira glanced up as I stormed in, a startled look on her face, and asked if everything was all right.
Ignoring her, I bulldozed straight through the small crowd milling about the lobby, following the tug from my serapha charm.
The door to the council room opened before I reached it, and the council members spilled into the hallway along with Iannis, Director Chen, and Cirin.
“Miss Baine,” Cirin said, starting at the sight of me. I could tell he was taken aback by my expression, as were Chen and Iannis. “Is everything all right?”
“I need to speak with you three,” I said tersely. “Immediately.”
“Very well,” Iannis said cautiously. “Please excuse us, Councilors.” He stepped past them, and they watched, wide-eyed, as the four of us filed into Iannis’s office.
As soon as the door was shut, I rounded on them.
“Do you three realize,” I said in a deceptively calm voice, “that Kardanor, the very man who is responsible for saving thousands of our citizens, and who has worked tirelessly since I first brought him to the Palace to help with the earthquake plans, has not a coin to his name, nor a stitch of clothing beyond what is on his back? And that we have not thought to do anything about it?”
I turned my glare on Director Chen, who had worked with him the closest, and she recoiled. “Mr. Makis is welcome to as much gold as he needs,” she said. “I had no idea he was in such dire straits, or I would have offered him money myself.”
“He would never embarrass himself by asking you,” Iannis said. “He is a proud man, and an idealist—not one seeking material reward. And he fancies you, besides.”
Director Chen’s ivory cheeks turned an interesting shade of pink. “Well, then, how are we to help him if he will not accept our money?”
“We don’t have to give him charity,” I said. “Name him Secretary of Planning and Reconstruction, and give him a proper salary. Magorah knows he’s the most qualified person for the job, and there’s work enough to keep him busy for years to come.”
All three mages looked astonished by this idea, and began talking at once about how unprecedented it was. But Cirin pointed out that it was only custom, not law, that all secretaries be mages, and they agreed there was nobody else more qualified or motivated to take the position than Kardanor.
“He is already doing the job anyway,” Director Chen said.
“He’s been going over plans with me to put in a better system that will ensure the building codes are not circumvented or ignored again, and I would be hard-pressed to find someone with more enthusiasm for the task.
We may as well give him the title, as Sunaya suggests, and see that he is handsomely compensated for his hard work. ”
“I will speak to him about it,” Iannis decided. “And if he is agreeable, I will announce the appointment at the reception.”
“Thank you.” I beamed, pleased with how quickly we’d come to a decision. Kardanor had saved all our asses, and he deserved way more than an honorable mention in Iannis’s speech.
“Should I also confirm Captain Skonel tomorrow night?” Iannis asked me. “I have not had much time to observe him, but he seems quite competent. In times like these, it would be best to have a permanent captain, rather than an acting one.”
“I have no objection to that,” I said. “He worked very hard to prevent looting during the aftermath of the quake. But we need to do a major overhaul on how the Guild is being run. There are some practices I’m not happy with that are causing a lot of discontent amongst the other enforcers.”
“Very well,” Iannis said. He dismissed the others, and we spent the next half hour discussing my concerns about the bounties, the extra bonuses, and the crew system in general.
These were small issues in the grand scheme of things, but solving them might allow the Enforcers Guild to fight crime smarter and more effectively.
And as Iannis and I discussed the pros and cons of possible solutions, I couldn’t help but think that Fenris and Roanas would be proud if they could see how far I’d come.