11. Gaius
Chapter 11
Gaius
T he waitress had barely set the tankards in front of us before Magnus started right in.
“I assume there’s a reasonable explanation as to why you’re connected to several unusual occurrences within the walls of this city as of late?” His tone held no condemnation, and his eyebrow lifted with something like amusement as he brought his ale to his mouth.
“Define reasonable .”
Magnus snorted, then shook his head and relaxed back in his chair. “You know, my niece is quite wise for being just a youngling.”
“Niece?” I frowned at him. This chat was already proving far more disjointed than I was prepared to manage. I understood now where Imogen got her conversational skills.
“Yes, Greta. She’s mated to the white-haired demon who helped us with the horde that managed to get inside the city gate?”
I nodded. I wasn’t daft. “Yes, I know who she is, I just didn’t think we were here to talk about your relations. Or their mates.” The bond flared under my ribs, my thoughts straying to Lovette at the mere mention of the word.
“I have a point, I promise. She told me I had to make things right, even if I didn’t know where to start.”
The back of my neck tingled, a warning of what he was on about. “Make what right?”
Magnus was as uncomfortable as I was, his hands clenching and unclenching around his ale tankard, his body shifting position in his chair. “This.” He gestured between us with one hand. “My discord with you, Gaius. For the things that have driven us apart all these years. It is foolish to continue allowing what happened to come between us when we could have long since been allies. Friends.” He glanced down, focused on something carved into the tabletop instead of looking me in the eye. “We have to forgive one another. It’s well past time.”
I scoffed, unable to censor my knee-jerk reaction to such a suggestion. But it was no different than what Lovette had told me, and in truth, since he and I had gotten into a brawl outside of Caster’s shop not long ago, regret had festered away inside me.
“You broke my nose, you know,” I said, hearkening back to that day. We’d had an altercation in the street, several punches thrown and landed between us. Blood spilled. And revelations on both sides.
“Looks like it healed up fine. It’s no more crooked than it has always been.” Magnus smirked, but it was short-lived. “There are things I cannot move past, regarding Grace. I am on her timeline where her history with you is concerned. Ours is a separate thing. I’m sure you understand.”
I adjusted my aching leg, shame cool as it swirled through my veins. I’d unintentionally terrorized his mate, believing I was flirting. Setting us up to be something far more than we were ever meant to be in my mind only. I’d needed a new perspective on my actions to see what I was doing, to realize how far I’d fallen into my assumed persona while I worked for Caster under the blessing of the council.
I gulped deep from my cup, the heat settling in my chest as I formed the necessary words. Words that tasted like ashes but left me feeling lighter once they were out. “I do. And I am sorry, to the both of you, for how I behaved. You were right, I had every opportunity to make choices that would have actually been helpful to her and did not. If you could extend my apologies to her, I’d appreciate it.”
“Oh,” Magnus said, mouth agape. “I will, of course.”
I nodded, finishing the contents of my cup and raising it to signal the waitress I needed a refill. She hurried over with a pitcher, filling my cup and his with a smile. In the back of my mind, I conjured Lovette’s face, a smile on her lips. My heart thumped at the idea of making her proud. I shook my head, clearing thoughts of her away so I could focus on her father, but the burn under my ribs refused to abate.
“Which brings us to the several other things we need to discuss, Gaius. Do you happen to know anything about what happened to Caster or his shop?” I stared across the table, saying nothing as I sipped at my refreshed ale. “I see. Was what happened sanctioned? Like your employment there?”
I snorted. “Hardly.”
“And the merchants?”
“What merchants?” I tilted my head to the side, playing dumb, curious to find how much he’d discovered.
“The ones who all had estates on that street with the faulty well.”
His levity, not to mention the excuse I’d known would be used, made me laugh. “Seems like several items are much more readily available in town since they met their untimely end.”
“Indeed.” He settled back in his chair again, the tension between us having relaxed to a much more comfortable level. “Listen, Gaius. What happened at covenants?—”
“Should be left in the past.” I forced the words out, trying to avoid any chance of keeping them in. I could see Lovette again in my mind, smiling at me. Craving her approval so desperately was an annoyance, but it was one I found myself growing used to little by little.
“I…” Magnus frowned, his eyes widening. “Yes. I agree. I came to say the same. That I have regretted many things that happened that day, but I should not blame you for them. Ygritte would be very cross with me for continuing to hold a grudge over what happened. She met her end as she wished, and there is no one at fault for it save the creature she was battling at the time.” His features went still, his focus once again on the table instead of me.
I could easily guess what he was seeing in the wood—the faces of those we lost that day, the enemies that bested us if only for long enough to take many dear to us. I thought of my brother who’d fallen to a blade that should have been easily deflected. A blade that turned his veins black…
The memory startled me. My ale sloshed over the rim of my cup, drawing Magnus’s attention. As the bubbles popped on the tabletop, I wondered why such an important detail had evaded me until now. “Magnus, that sword, the one that was used on me, did Imogen have a chance to evaluate it before the council forced her to turn it in?”
He nodded. “Yes. It’s much older, obviously, but was fabricated much like the one she made for my niece. Not quite the same, however. There were elements she hadn’t been able to separate out from her sample when it was confiscated.” Magnus tilted his head, scanning my face. “What are you thinking?”
“Do you recall ever seeing a blade like that before? One that does what it did to me?”
Magnus shook his head. “No. But something tells me you have?”
“Yes. Though…” I didn’t know how to explain the new memory. Wasn’t sure it was even real, though it felt more honest than many things the past several decades. “Do you have faith in our council, Magnus?”
His mouth turned downward. “No.”
The simple, firm admission affirmed all the reasons we’d once been allies. Friends. We were not so different, even after all the distance we’d put between ourselves.
“Good. There’s rot there, and it’s spreading.”
Magnus nodded. “I made the mistake of giving a full report during debrief and mentioned the sword before I could censor myself. I’m the reason it’s in the archives instead of where it belongs—safe at the conclave or perhaps even with the archmage.”
“Mmm. They’ve trained us too well after all these years. I actually have good reason to believe they’ve been drugging some of us into forgetfulness.” I frowned as the words came out, feeling foolish despite not being at fault for something well beyond my control.
“What?”
I drank deep again, preparing to admit things to Magnus I’d barely had a chance to get my own mind around. “I’ve overheard Hugo and Augustus talking. It’s come up more than once. It would explain several things.”
“Mmm.” Magnus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What are you suggesting?”
“We need to expose and excise the disease,” I said, using words I’d head Lovette say in the infirmary more than once.
“But first we need to know how deep it’s invaded.” Magnus nodded. “What have you remembered, Gaius?”
I stared at him for a moment, steeling myself to forge a thread of friendship and trust between us. “Brutus… his flesh turned black before he died, much like mine did when that sword severed my limbs.”
Magnus’s eyebrows drew together. He tossed a glance over his shoulder, making sure we were not being observed. We’d been seated in a private corner, but one never could tell in such places. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s only just returned to me, but I know it to be true. I can remember being horrified at the time, wondering what terrible magic was at play. I cannot be sure when I forgot that detail, but it must have been soon after.” My skin crawled, considering what else I’d conveniently lost from my recollection over the years. “What about you, were there any injured you can recall suffering the same affliction?”
He frowned harder. “No, but we were not in the same part of the battlefield.” He leaned forward, voice lower still. “There was a book I obtained from the archives, a journal. It detailed the beginnings of the council. Have you read anything like that?” I shook my head. “It went through, in real-time entries, how in the beginning, the goals of the founding members were pure. Lofty but well-intentioned. Then the power began corrupting, little by little. There’s a reason such a record was locked away. Perhaps we can avail ourselves of the knowledge and improve things, if we work together.”
He’d read my mind. “I’d love to read such a book for myself, if you still have it? There are two members I know for sure are operating under only their own motives. What’s to say it’s not more? Or all?” I fought the urge to shudder under the implication of such a thing.
“Indeed. There’s a history of disappearances—people and items alike—when they were seen as problematic to the council’s goals. Be cautious, Gaius.”
“Are you telling me I should play nice, Magnus?”
He snorted. “I suppose, though I’m assuming it’s already too late?”
I didn’t justify the comment with a response, just inclined my head and drank more ale. My arm had begun to ache, but I forced myself not to touch it.
“Greta may have an elixir to help restore memories,” he muttered thoughtfully. “I’ll speak with her.”
Silence fell over our table while we both considered what we’d learned. Then the scheming began, and there were few things more dangerous than two well-battled generals who had reason to believe the ones handing down their orders were self-motivated traitors.
By the time we were finished strategizing, we’d ordered several more drinks plus the equivalent of a second supper. In thanks for her attention and our privacy, we’d tipped the waitress more coin than she likely saw in a full night’s work. We’d also come to detailed decisions on when and how we should make our move on the councilmen and two contingency plans just in case anything went sideways. It was invigorating in a way only battle planning could be.
“I’m glad to have you back, old friend.” Magnus slapped me hard on the shoulder as we made our way to a part of the city where we could take to the rooftops and sky without being seen.
I didn’t know what to say in response, but I felt lighter than I had in ages. Proud. Like I still deserved to have a place among my people. Like I had a sense of direction.
And it was taking me right back to the conclave, toward Lovette.