I didn’t let it stop me helping myself to tea and flatbreads the moment the captain had gone, but I told myself I was remaining suspicious. The tea was wonderful, and it did settle my stomach. When I started eating the flatbreads, I couldn’t stop until there was nothing left but crumbs.
They hadn’t been foolish enough to leave me a knife for the bread, though, and two of the Ash Guard remained at the door.
I was starting to feel almost human again, although bruised, exhausted, and weak, when the captain reappeared. She pulled out a chair opposite and slapped a file on the table.
I reached instinctively for power, to ready myself, and wanted to throw up again.
The captain raised an eyebrow.
“Worth a try,” I muttered.
“So. You’re Mennik Thorn, a freelance mage. How’s that going for you?”
“I prefer Nik. And until this morning, not too bad.”
Her eyebrow rose even higher. I found myself wondering if it was just going to keep going up her forehead and over the back of her head.
“Really? Over the last six months you’ve earned a grand total of three crowns, five shields, and seven pieces. I’ve met beggars who earn more than that.” I must have looked shocked, because she added, “What? You’re a mage. We’re the Ash Guard. We keep a close eye on all of you, particularly ‘freelance’ mages.”
“You follow me around?” I desperately tried to remember if I’d noticed anyone lurking about too often. I sincerely hoped they hadn’t witnessed that unfortunate incident in Blackheart Plaza, because what had been left of my clothing hadn’t been enough to protect anyone’s modesty, even mine.
A smile twitched under the Ash. “We do have other things to do, you know, and you’re hardly the most dangerous mage in the city.” She glanced down at the file. “Although you do find yourself in interesting situations.” That was a polite way of putting it. “But we know who you’ve worked for — or not worked, in your case — and what you’ve been up to.” She reached for a cup, poured herself some of the tea, then set it back down. “Here’s what I don’t understand about you. You’re a mage.”
“Bit late to deny it, I suppose.”
She didn’t laugh. “You could be rich. You could have power, influence. You don’t have to be broke.”
I shrugged. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to that. Mages were power hungry bastards. Not all of them, of course, but I had seen it in enough of them. Depths, I’d seen it in the Countess. Something about having that power demanded ever more of it, and what they would do to get it, well, that was a slope I didn’t want to slip down. For a while, just a very short while, years ago I had felt that urge, too. It had revolted me. I had seen where it would take me and the price I would have to pay, and I couldn’t do it.
“Other young mages attach themselves to high mages,” the Ash Guard captain continued, “and if they don’t like the idea of that, they work directly for the Senate or they get a position with a wealthy merchant or a prominent family. You’re nowhere near the most powerful mage in the city, but there are plenty of worse mages doing better for themselves. And you had a position with the Countess. You were set, but you gave it all up to work for a few copper hands for anyone who wanted to employ you. Help me understand.”
“Guess I’m just a people person.”
Except that wasn’t it at all. Leaving the Countess’s service had been the best thing I had ever done, no matter how poor it had left me. It might have been the only reason I was still alive, but I wasn’t about to share that with the Ash Guard.
After a moment she nodded. “All right. Shall we get on with the interview?”
I waved a gracious hand. Or it would have been gracious if I hadn’t ended up scattering crumbs across the table.
“I am Captain Meroi Gale,” the Ash Guard captain said, “and I would really like to know what you were doing at the Silkstar Palace.”
Yeah, I bet you would, I thought.
The truth hurt, they said. In this case, that hurt would be literal. The penalties for theft in Agatos were severe, although they didn’t seem to have much effect on the crime rate. If admitting to theft got me off from murder, maybe it would be worth it. Still, I wasn’t ready to let them chop off my hands.
“It’s the Feast of Parata,” I said. “Thousand Walls always opens up for the Feast of Parata. We were just paying our religious devotions.”
She snorted. “The courtyard opens up. Not the private house. Your companion, Benyon Field, is a known thief.”
“Benny’s never been convicted of anything. He’s just unlucky.”
This time her expression of disbelief was clear through the Ash.
“Something you’ve got in common,” she said. “All right. Quiz time. Do you know how many mages I’ve had sit in that chair and tell me they didn’t do it, honest, Captain? And do you know how many of them walked out again?”
“All of them?” I said, hopefully.
Her eyebrow made another dart for her forehead.
“After they’ve realised that protestations of innocence don’t gather any stones,” she said, “they threaten and bluster. The stupid ones threaten me with their own magic, even though magic doesn’t work in here. The slightly cleverer ones threaten me with their patron high mages, if they have one. A high mage could bring Giuffria’s Spear crashing down and flatten the whole fortress, killing every Ash Guard inside without getting close enough to have their magic disrupted. You would think that would be an effective threat, wouldn’t you? Except it never happens. Not once in hundreds of years. You want to know why it never happens, no matter how closely a suspect might be connected to a high mage?”
No, I thought, but found myself nodding anyway. Bloody, traitorous body.
“Because it only takes one Ash Guard with one pouch of Ash. That’s all. Just one. And you can never be sure you’ve got all of us. Anyone who pulls a stunt like that knows that the survivors — and there will be survivors, because we never keep all our knives in one sheath — will come for them and we will kill them, whoever they are and whatever they can do. No question. You know why I’m telling you this?”
I shook my head. Somehow it felt loose, like it might just bobble off and go rolling over the desk to plop down on her lap. I imagined her picking it up by the hair and continuing to lecture me.
“It’s because I’ve been up all night, and I’m tired, and I was supposed to be off shift two hours ago, and I’d really rather not go through all of that. How does that sound?”
“Uh…” I cleared my throat. “Good?”
“Fabulous. And just so we both understand, you have no rights here and no powers. Whether you leave is entirely up to me. None of your colleagues can rescue you.” She tapped the file. “Although you don’t actually have any friends among the city’s mages, do you?”
I shrugged. “They’re just jealous of my good looks.” I was trying for flippant, but my heart was racing and I could feel panic twisting and biting inside me. Keep calm.
“You look like shit.”
“Ouch.”
“A woman is dead, murdered with magic. We do not consider this a joke. The Ash Guard will defend Agatos. Do not think your life is anywhere near as important as that.”