The ward parted just enough to let me in.
“Ratharil!” It was the major.
Damn. I stopped midstride.
“Ambassador Keril has been asking for you for the past hour.” The major grinned and chuckled. “I think he’s lost his reading spectacles again. You’re to go straight to his office.”
I saluted again, this time with less enthusiasm. “Yes, sir.”
I went through the wards and they closed behind me with a sizzle. Forget Keril—I was going to kick Tanik’s crew’s butts from here to the harbor. Thanks to them, I was now Captain Baran Ratharil—the ambassador’s lackey.
Logic, Raine. Just use logic.
I was inside the embassy in an overly ornate, marble-floored reception hall, and I had absolutely no idea where Keril’s office was. Not that I had any intention of going there, but since I was trying to avoid Keril, it’d be good to know where the little weasel was.
Continuing to stand there looking confused would attract attention I didn’t need. I’d been inside one or two government offices before. This was basically the same thing, I told myself; it was just a little fancier than I was used to. In my limited experience, the first floor was for reception and underlings’ offices. The important people worked upstairs—or in Keril’s case, the self-important people.
Piaras was upstairs.
I took a deep breath, adjusted myself, and started up the stairs.
At the top the first flight was a wide corridor, and the walls down both sides were covered floor to ceiling in massive mirrored panels. No doors, just mirrors. Crap.
Naturally, the stairs to the next floor were at the other end. I started walking, and tried to keep my mind off who or what could be lurking on the other side of any mirrored panel. I took a casual glance at my reflection. Yep, still the captain.
“Baran, where have you been?”
I nearly jumped out of my borrowed skin. I recognized the voice, which was the only reason my dagger was still in my hand instead of embedded in the elven ambassador. For all I knew, Ratharil may have wanted to kill his boss, but I didn’t think now was a good time to do it, as much as I’d like to.
Giles Keril stood just inside an open panel. The mirrors concealed the doors to offices.
That was just wrong.
I smoothly sheathed my dagger. “Forgive me, Your Excellency. You startled me.”
Keril’s eyes were a little wide. “When did you start carrying throwing knives?”
“Since this evening, sir. I felt it was prudent considering the circumstances.”
“Quite true.” He swallowed. “You are wise to be so well prepared.”
I inclined my head respectfully. “Thank you, sir. I understand you have been looking for me. My apologies for keeping you waiting. My errand took longer than I expected.”
“I’ve lost my reading spectacles again and I can’t find them.”
I swore silently and followed him back into his office, and went through the motions of looking around. From the looks of things, Keril wasn’t a patient man. He’d essentially trashed his own office. I hoped he didn’t expect me to clean it up.
“Have you looked in all the usual places where you’ve left them before?” I kept my voice casual, as if I had all the time in the world for this.
Keril shot me an indignant look. “Of course.”
One of my hands curled into a fist. “Have you been outside of your office today, in another part of the embassy?”
“I’ve had several meetings.”
“Where, if I may ask?”
“Down the hall earlier this afternoon, and upstairs this evening.”
Upstairs. Perhaps Giles Keril wasn’t a colossal waste of my time.
“Have you searched either place?”
“No, I was certain they were here.”
“Sir, I would be glad to check both locations for you, if you would like.”
“I can look upstairs, if you would take Symeon’s office down the hall,” Keril suggested. “I believe he’s gone for the evening but his assistant can let you in.”
No way, no how. “Sir, you’ve searched your office very thoroughly.” I made a show of looking around at the disaster that was Keril’s office. “And you must be exhausted from what happened this evening.”
The little elf cleared the papers from his office chair and sat down with a sigh. “I am quite fatigued.”
“Then I insist on going upstairs for you. Was your meeting on the top floor?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have your spectacles with you then?”
Keril beamed in realization. “Why yes, I did. It’s been so hectic tonight that I’d forgotten. Inquisitor Balmorlan needed my signature on a prisoner extradition document. I would have needed my spectacles to sign it.”
Son of a bitch.
“Then I’m certain your spectacles are still there.” I smiled at him. “If not, I promise I’ll turn this place upside down until I find what I’m looking for.”
There were two guards on duty on the top floor. One was leaning back in a chair at the end of the hall; the other was walking toward me. A captain. Good. No salutes needed.
“Evening, Baran,” he said as he passed me.
Sometimes it was nice to be recognized.
“Evening,” I replied.
“And make it strong,” the other guard yelled.
“Yeah, yeah, Rance. I hear you. Next time, you’re going for the damned coffee.”
It didn’t take any acting for me to look tired, but amiable took some work. I saw what Rance and Captain Whoever were guarding. The last room on the right was layered and crackling with wards. Somebody had laid them on thick.
Piaras was in there. I knew it.
From the bars on his uniform, Rance was also a captain—and a prison mage. All they did was ward and guard. Chances were he’d constructed those wards himself, and if I tried to take them down, the alarms would bring everyone in the entire compound.
He didn’t have the key to Piaras’s cell—he was the key. Rance leaned forward, the front legs of the chair coming to rest on the floor. “What brings you up here this time of night?”
“Guess,” I said, my voice flat.
Rance chuckled. “What’d he lose this time?”
“His specs. Again.” I ran my hand over my stubble. “He’s positive he left them up here, and he sent me to look. Do you know which room he was in tonight?”
Rance swore and jerked his head toward Piaras’s warded door. “Guess.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“I hate to ask, but could you…?” I made a parting motion with my hands.
“Do you know how long it took me to put those up?”
“Couldn’t have been quick; it’s impressive work.”
“Damned right it is. And that inquisitor’s been making me let him in and out all night.”
“Is he coming back soon?” I resisted the urge to look behind me.
Rance yawned and shook his head. “Not for another hour. But the room will be empty then and you can look for specs all you like.”
I stood completely still. “Empty?”
“He’ll be taking his prisoner with him. Fast ship to somewhere that’s not here. Good riddance, too. That inquisitor’s been a pain in everyone’s ass since he got here. But then they all are.”
“It’s been a long day, Rance.” I tried to sound tired and speak slowly, which wasn’t easy since my heart had just jumped into my throat. “An hour’s a long time to wait.” I paused meaningfully. “I’d owe you one.”
“Yeah, you would.” He regarded me for a second or two, then pushed himself out of his chair with a grunt. “You might want to stand behind me. Wouldn’t want you to get hit with the backlash.”
“I wouldn’t want that, either.” I stepped behind him and reached inside my tunic for one of Tanik’s gifts.
Rance deftly parted a section of the wards. “There you go; that’ll stay for a minute or two. Be quick—”
I was, with a blackjack to the back of his head.
Piaras was on a pallet in the corner. He was either unconscious or asleep. I was hoping for asleep. I leaned over him, my hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him gently.
“Sweetie, wake up.”
Piaras opened his eyes, took one look at the man leaning over him and calling him “sweetie,” and punched that man squarely in the balls.
Chapter 23
I swore I’d never punch, knee, or kick a man in the balls ever again—if I lived through the next few seconds.
I couldn’t breathe; I couldn’t move—at least not out of the fetal position I was in—and chances were good that I was going to throw up.
Piaras was headed for the open door and wards.
“Raine,” I croaked. “Me.”
Piaras stopped, looked, then stared in disbelief, his eyes huge.
“Raine, I’m so sorry… I didn’t know it was you. I didn’t mean to… Are you hurt badly?” His words tripped over each other in a rush to get out of his mouth. His feet did the same getting to me.
I suddenly became aware that I still hurt, but not in quite the same way as before. I took my hands from where they’d been clutched between my legs. They were my hands, not Ratharil’s. My body, not his. My dangly bits were gone. My eyes went as wide as Piaras’s.
I’d lost Ratharil’s glamour.
Oh no.
Rance was going to come to; Captain Whoever would be back anytime; and Balmorlan would be here within the hour.
Breathe deep, Raine. Calm down.
I could breathe, but calm was not going to happen. Fine. Nerves could be productive.
Piaras helped me up.
Captain Rance was lying motionless just outside the door. Guess who was about to become my second glamour subject of the evening.
I reached in my pocket for Tanik’s kid’s pendant and gave it to Piaras. “When I tell you to, put this on,” I told him. “It’ll make you invisible for fifteen minutes.”
