The Ambassador’s Mission

“You must be the one to catch her.” Regin stared at her, his gaze intense and his expression unexpectedly angry. “People need to see you do it. They need to remember that you’re more than a Healer. That restricting you to that is a waste.” He pointed out of the cart. “Go! Before she gets away!”

Sonea stared at him for a moment, then pulled the flap wide and jumped out onto the road. Her coat flared open and the young woman’s eyes widened as she saw the black robes beneath. Sonea took the hint and buttoned the coat up. “What’s your name?”

“Anyi.” The girl straightened. “Follow me.” The girl broke into a jog, heading back toward the old butchery.

“Have you told Cery?” Sonea asked.

The girl shook her head. “I couldn’t find him.”

They moved into a maze of alleys, jogging from shadow to shadow. Sonea realised her heart was beating fast with a strange mix of long-forgotten excitement and something more primal. I’m like a hunter about to catch its prey, she thought. Then she remembered how it had felt to be hounded and frightened, sought by powerful magicians, and she sobered. Still, this woman is no untrained child. Why was she watching us? Did she know about Skellin’s trap?

She must have known about it. How had she found out? Had she sent Forlie in her place? Close to the old butchery, Anyi entered an alleyway. At the far end Sonea could see a busy main road.

“She was on the roof of this building,” she said. “There’s a spot out of sight around here where you can climb up-”

The girl had been about to dive into a small, dead end side alley, but suddenly checked her stride then backed away from the entrance.

“That’s her!” she hissed, pointing.

Her finger pointed upward. Sonea looked up, caught a movement and felt a chill run down her spine. She drew magic and threw up a shield around them. A woman was slowly levitating down into the side alley. She disappeared into the shadows.

“Can you trap her in there?” Anyi asked.

The sound of footsteps suddenly broke out, coming rapidly closer.

“Only one way to find out,” Sonea replied. She looked at Anyi. “Go back. When Regin returns, bring him here. I might need assistance.”

Anyi nodded and raced away. Sonea adjusted her shield to allow the girl out. When she turned back, the woman was about to emerge from the side alley.

Sonea stepped forward and threw up a barrier to block the woman’s way.

Surprise, shock and dismay crossed the woman’s dark face. Then her strange, angular eyes narrowed. A force hammered against the barrier. It was no test strike, but a full blast that was stronger than Sonea expected, and at the same time another strike flashed toward her. The barrier wavered and fell before she had a chance to strengthen it.

The woman dashed out of the dead end alley and ran toward the main road. Sonea ran after her, throwing out another, stronger barrier to envelop her, but the woman smashed this down with a violent blast. A moment later, the rogue was among the people moving up and down the road beyond.

Sonea reached the alley entrance. She saw the woman pause and turn to look at her, well within the flow of traffic. Seeing the distinctive red-brown skin, she knew why Cery had been so sure that Forlie was not the woman he’d seen. As Skellin’s face flashed through Sonea’s memory, she felt a chill run down her spine. Same reddish dark skin. Same strange eyes. This woman is of the same race!

A smile stretched the woman’s lips. A dangerous, triumphant smile.

She thinks I won’t dare use magic with all these people around, and she is right. I also don’t want to risk harming her. Though it would certainly make matters simpler for the Guild if the woman got herself killed.

To deserve that fate, she’d have to do much worse than be a rogue magician working for roet-sellers as a blackmailer. Like killing Cery’s family.

We need her alive to find out if she’s guilty or knows who is. We also need her alive so we can find out where she came from, and if there are more magicians like her. And find out why she was watching us catch Forlie.

And it would be much harder for Sonea to gain forgiveness for not obeying rules if her disobedience had led to her killing someone.

Sonea drew magic. Lots of magic. She had no idea how long she could hold the woman for. Despite knowing how to take power from magicians and people and even animals, and store it away until needed, Sonea had not done so for over twenty years. She was forbidden to unless ordered to do so by the Higher Magicians.

She was no more powerful than she had been before she had learned black magic. No more powerful than she had been as a novice.

But she had been an exceptionally powerful novice.