Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
I rub my arms as if I can still feel the sensations.
“Holy mucking shit,” Lark breathes. “That’s incredible. What did you do?”
Sparrow chimes in. “She told the authorities, like she should have.”
“But then it happened again,” I tell them. “Just before recruitment day. I could feel the dead man nearby. He was in an alley again, and this time I could feel things about him. Like memories that weren’t mine. What he was thinking. What it felt like when they cut his throat.” I stroke a hand over my neck in sympathy. “And I had to leave him there, because I can’t exactly go around pointing out dead men in alleys, can I?”
My friends are silent.
“That’s all I know.” It feels good to get it out in the open, to quit carrying it around like an anvil. “I don’t know where this power came from or how to make it stop. I wish it would go away. All I want is to be an artificer so I can make a decent living.”
Mereden taps a finger on her lips, thinking. “And this never happened back at the hold?”
“Never.”
She continues to think, then glances over at Sparrow. “Is it possible that all the magic in Old Prell is activating it? That all that power below Vastwarren is somehow bringing this to the surface?”
Lark turns to look at her wife. “You aren’t more concerned about people being murdered in the alleys? That’s two now, right? With throats cut?”
I nod at them. “Both repeaters.”
“I’m just saying, for a guild that’s supposed to keep us safe, they’re doing a piss-poor job of it.” Lark leans back in her seat, scowling. “How’s anyone supposed to raise a family in this?”
“I don’t imagine you’re supposed to,” Mereden says, soothing her with a smile. “But we’re going to do it anyhow.”
“But you said you were being targeted,” Lark points out, putting a hand on Mereden’s leg under the table. “Do you think someone’s going to try to murder you next, Gwenna?”
I hadn’t thought of that. “Well, now I do.”
Mereden frowns, her expression unconvinced. “I’m not sure these incidents are connected to your power. Why would someone try to out a mancer as a thief when all they need to do is notify the authorities?”
It’s a good question, and one I don’t have an answer to.
A calico cat jumps on the table and then makes its way over to Sparrow’s side, tapping her politely with a paw. She reaches for the cat, cradling it in her arms like a baby and rubbing its belly. Before I can ask where all these cats have come from, she turns her gaze to me. “What if we give you an artifact? A fake? We could use it as a decoy to try to flush out whoever’s harassing you. Or better yet…the emergency globes have a tracking spell on them. We can leave one out and see who takes it.”
“Anyone involved with the guild would recognize a tracking globe,” I point out. “It’s a good idea, though.”
“If you ask me, you should cozy up to the big Taurian in your Five. What’s his name again?” Lark asks.
“Raptor.” My face gets hot just saying his name.
“That’s the one. Don’t let him out of your sight.” Lark reaches out and scratches the chin of the cat in Sparrow’s arms. “Are you two friendly?”
Now I’m really turning red. I clear my throat, determined to change the subject. “Friendly enough. Sparrow, where are all these cats coming from?”
Sparrow presses a kiss to the cat’s head. “These are my cats. Some of them needed homes and I thought, Why not with me?”
“Why are they here and not at the archives?”
“Oh, the cats at the archives are different cats.”
“But why so many?”
Sparrow grins wickedly at me. “Because I’m my own woman, and no one can tell me no. And I love cats. And Hawk loves me. So…cats.”
Fair enough. What would I do if I was married to a big Taurian who doted on me and gave me anything I desired? A mental image flashes to mind, of me atop the counter, Raptor’s hand in my pants.
I guess I’m a far more carnal sort than Sparrow, because if I had a big Taurian in my bed all the time, the last thing I’d be thinking about is cats.
* * *
Lark and Mereden and I eat all the snacks that Sparrow puts out for us. We pet all the cats, gossip about nothing and everything, and then share a long, wonderful hug when it’s time to go. Lark and Mereden leave first, as they want to visit the orphanage before heading home. I linger a little longer, listening to the returning students tromping up the stairs.
“Sounds like Hawk and Raptor are back.” Sparrow puts her hand on mine. “I’m still learning what I can about mancers, but I’m trying not to draw attention. Archivist Kestrel has me working on a cataloging project, so it’s taking me away from my research, but I promise I haven’t forgotten.”