“I’ll be fine. My Talent may even be gone at this point.” Erinna shrugged, and the two men exchanged doubtful looks. They all knew better than to believe a Talent would simply disappear. Weaken with little use, sure, but not gone away. Not completely.
Anyone touched by the arcanum, who could pull on the threads of magic, held some innate inclination. A Talent determined how one could shape spells or interact with the world.
A summoner could call on animals to control, a conjuror was best known for their elemental prowess, an abjuror could protect and hold. An aberrant, however, had Talents that aligned with the darker forces of nature. Mind readers, manipulators, and death whisperers. Erinna had only felt her Talent a handful of times, but that didn’t change the punishment that would befall her and everyone she cared for if anyone found out.
Kenneth sighed and turned to his friend. “You’re all set. Safe sailing, and may The Mother Goddess guide you true.”
The two clasped hands for a long moment before parting. Erinna wrapped Rexin in her arms. The old man had been part of the business, both legal and not, for seven years since his release. He was rough around the edges, sneered instead of smiled, and could handle the harshest part of Erinna’s personality with finesse.
Back on the docks, Erinna and Kenneth waved a final goodbye to their friend.
Another gong rang across the water.
Chapter
Two
The Yarrow home was small but well-made, built with Kenneth’s own hands atop a hill overlooking both city and sea. From the large front windows, they could watch over the business—count the bobbing ships in their shipyard and monitor the comings and goings from the workshop.
Past their shipyard was the Harbor Market. Erinna loved to watch the flickering lamplight illuminate the buildings and streets with warm red and orange. A few well-off storefronts boasted witchstone sconces, but their light was a pale, harsher white.
No matter how late, businesses were open and thriving on tourist zeal and sailor fatigue. Drunk visitors and locals would be stumbling over the worn cobblestones, singing shanties and shouting poems from all over the continents.
These days, the seaside revelry was not immune to the tension that stirred the nation. Everyone held their proverbial breath for the old mage.
Erinna worried about the number of patrolling guardsmen stationed in the populated trade area. Grievers from the three Great Continents—East, West, and South—had visited the island kingdom in droves to pay their respects. Perhaps they should bedeveloping a contingency plan when everything eventually went to shit, Erinna thought.
Another muffled gong from the Chancellor’s tower rattled her already sensitive nerves.
If Erinna tried hard enough, she could ignore the few bells that would undoubtedly sound in the middle of the night. The most devoted citizen would likely pause at every toll and send prayers of healing to the old man.
She frowned, wondering how much pain the Chancellor endured just to remain half-dead in slumber. Erinna thought it was selfish to prolong his suffering for so long. Iprix had lived for generations, crafted a magical haven on the island, and outlived three kings. He was the only council member with two highly trained apprentices who continued to serve him. The Major and Minor Apprentices. Two highly esteemed and gifted mages who surpassed the rest.
One was surely capable enough to take up the mantle after his passing. All things ended, and no one was meant to escape the ruling of The Reaper. Not even the mage of wonder, Iprix Hagan.
Another muffled gong filtered into their home, as if the Chancellor himself could hear Erinna’s blasphemous internal opinions.
“Meeting with the captain of the Royal Navy in less than two days. Not ill-advised at all,” Erinna murmured and slumped into a plush chair by the fireplace, debating whether the burn of mid-shelf liquor was worth numbing her senses.
A headache was starting to thrum at her temples, and the promise of drunken stupor seemed even more appealing.
In the end, Erinna decided it was better to keep a clear head. There were still things she had to prepare, contracts left to finalize before the exchange. This would be their largest and most profitable project all year, if it all went well. And godsknew they would need the money if Kenneth kept taking on last-minute clients.
Clearly oblivious to her thoughts, her father let out a sigh of relief, crossing to the stone fireplace. Dancing flames blazed to life once more in their hearth, and moments later, a warm cup of Ionian tea was between Erinna’s hands, soothing her hands from the night chill that crept in. A hearty aroma, crisp but warm, graced her senses, and she allowed herself a moment of reprieve.
Kenneth settled in the chair across from Erinna with an identical dark red mug, eyeing her knowingly. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“We’re getting careless.” It came out as a half groan through careful sips. The tea wouldn’t numb her senses like alcohol, but the familiar scent and taste brought its own comfort. It was all Erinna remembered of her mother. How she smelled like cinnamon and vanilla in every embrace.
Kenneth gripped the mug, white-knuckled. “Not careless, desperate.”
He was, indeed, acting in desperation. More than he usually did. He would come home with new deals and put plans in place without her consultation. In the past few months, she had been left in the dark much more frequently. Simply told what to do and where to be with no input on the matter.
Erinna eyed her father for any signs to indicate his reasoning. His sturdy build, hardened by manual labor, slumped in the seat. Streaks of grey decorated his dark brown hair. The same color as Erinna’s own. Weariness carved lines into his face and darkened his storm-gray eyes.
There was no secret motive to be read. All Erinna saw was a man tired of toiling in the dark and ready for bed.
“We have a deal with Broman for a reason. We use his old mines to move our clients stealthily below ground, and he usesour boats. It is much safer to bring them through the tunnels than in a coach in broad daylight,” she continued.
