I nodded, unable to speak.
“We’ve come because we apparently need a note to visit the City of Magic,” Thorne said, interrupting our nonverbal confrontation.
Justin ripped his gaze away from me to give Thorne his full attention. “What kind of note?”
“The kind that lets us through to the City of Magic,” Oss prompted.
A frown marred Justin’s handsome brow. “Why would you need a note?”
“The magistrate,” Oss replied. “He’s trying to get his sticky fingers into the new resource and has posted his guards at the entrance.”
“He can’t do that.” Justin stood and began to pace. “Have we given him so much power that he thinks he can do what he wants and we will just stand back and let him?”
“You aren’t seriously telling me that you just noticed?” Oss spoke the words I had been wondering myself. “He’s been doing that for years.”
“I’ll go with you to get you through the gates, then come back and speak with the other lords. This sort of behavior can’t be allowed to continue.”
“It won’t be as easy as you think to wrest back power. He’s been in charge for a long time and won’t want to relinquish any of it.” I winced when he turned back to me. I should’ve kept my thoughts to myself.
“You don’t think he’ll listen?”
I shook my head. “You’ve never tried to put a stopper in his power before. I’ve tried to explain to you what it’s like for the rest of us. You’ve always been at the top of the power structure, so you don’t know how he behaves.”
Thorne clapped Justin on the shoulder. “First things first. Let’s get to the City of Magic; then we can address the magistrate issue.”
“Why are you going down to the city anyway?” Justin asked.
We spent several minutes explaining Buster’s predicament. Justin focused on me the entire time. It would have been flattering if his expression wasn’t more like he wanted to take me apart to see how I worked than an appreciation of my person. I had never seen him have that sort of intensity outside of the bedroom before.
“Marbrey, do you think you’re the new Gear Master?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll see what happens with Buster. We should get going. Buster can’t wait too long.” We’d already run into problems, and I wasn’t convinced Buster would have as much time as he claimed. After all, he had never been shut off before and was going on words spoken hundreds of years ago. What if the magic supporting him had eroded over time?
Justin tucked his work away, and in ten minutes, we were rushing back out of the manor. When Minerva tried to stop him with fluttering eyelashes and a sweet smile, the brush-off he gave her made my day. We spent our time in the carriage with Oss sharing his previous experiences down below. He had kindly sat beside me, so I didn’t have to share a bench with Justin. It didn’t stop our legs from occasionally brushing together from our opposing seats. I kept my gaze firmly focused out the window or on Oss. I didn’t dare look into Justin’s eyes, or my resolve would dry up and I would be at his romantic mercy once again.
We disembarked in the front of the Tower where we encountered the same guards.
“We did better than a note, we brought Duke Lear himself,” Oss announced with smug satisfaction.
The guard paled beneath Justin’s glare. “Who gave you the authority to prevent anyone from going through the gate?”
“The magistrate told us to let no one through without a written note from a lord,” the guard said as if he had memorized the lines.
Justin frowned. “Where are the tower guards? They were supposed to be in charge.”
A round of shrugging met his question. I didn’t break down into giggles at the guard’s growing pallor, but it was a close thing. They got what they deserved.
“Where is the magistrate?” Justin asked.
I winced. That was one person I didn’t care to meet again any time soon.
“I think he went to visit one of the other cities.” One of the braver guards spoke up.
I perked up at the news. People rarely left the city, and for the magistrate to do so meant he was up to something. The magistrate was responsible for the City of Keys. For him to leave was dereliction of duty.
“I’ll be speaking to him about that later. Let us through and know that any of these people have permission to come and go as they please.”
I tried not to gloat too badly. Later, I might need him to let me through again. I would only have the duke’s protection for this one time. Shame. I loved to cause a bit of mischief.
