Page 15 of The Malice of Moons and Mages (The Broken Bonds of Magic #1)

Fifteen

Lua

T he thread chafed Lua’s sternum as Audra scurried away. He’d expected her to test him sooner. But the way she’d done it, much like everything about her, was irritating. It didn’t matter, she’d be easy to find.

Lua couldn’t blame her for her disbelief, really. He’d tested his first anchoring repeatedly, until the distance left both he and Eras dizzy and in pain. He hoped it didn’t go that far. But Audra was stubborn and untrained, he should expect the worst.

Beneath the shade of the vendor’s awning, Lua tried one of the black hats that was stacked neatly outside. It was lightweight, but the horsehair weaving made it partially sheer and ultimately useless until Audra got stronger. As it was, drawing even a small amount of her energy risked taking too much. She should have been stronger by now, but it was as if something else was draining her. Still, the anglers’ lives should sustain him for another few days.

He’d never had to consider disguises before, but Audra’s cautions seemed astute. A tightly woven bamboo hat that field workers wore was the most hideous thing he’d ever seen but wide enough to block all of Starling’s rays from reaching his neck and shoulders. No one would expect to find the Moon tribe Oji in such a common and visually offensive outfit.

The vendor tried to sell Lua a finer hat when he saw the flash of gold coin, but Lua held firm. Tucking the silver and copper change into his pocket, he turned to follow the thread. He strolled down refuse-littered side streets, past begging children and thin bodies that slept against stained walls, ignoring the offers of sexual satisfaction that came from haggard men and women alike. A man nearly clasped Lua’s shoulder before the Oji jerked away. His magic reached out hungrily, aching for the fool who’d come too near, and it took all of Lua’s effort to restrain it. The gloves and clothing helped, but if he lost his focus, the magic would readily siphon anyone who touched him. Lua cursed and spat at the man, which worked to dissuade the others from coming closer. Overt hostility typically kept most people at a respectful distance.

Forcing his little thief to return would take too much energy and sow further resentment between them. Tracking her would prove that he could and perhaps eliminate future tests, though he was doubtful. He’d lied when he’d said he knew her thoughts. Nothing had come to him other than her name and an image of the dagger in her pocket. Obviously, she’d doubted his words. But he could feel her emotions, which was close enough. And right now, she was warm, excited, as if...

“Damn it.”

As if she were meeting a lover. No wonder she’d been so set on this town. And he’d caved to her, like an idiot. Another complication he’d be forced to deal with. What would Audra do when Lua had to kill them? He rounded a corner, veering into a cleaner part of town.

Audra sipped from a cup beneath a shade tree of a small, dilapidated restaurant. A squat woman bustled between tables and manned the grill behind a small partition. That his anchor had sought to outmaneuver him so easily was insulting. Lua began to cross the road when a flourish of white robes rounded the restaurant’s corner. He paused. A smile broke across Audra’s face when she saw the Starling mage. Their embrace lasted a moment too long.

Lua glowered beneath the tilt of his hat and resumed his post with crossed arms. Perhaps she’d say more than she ought to. Maybe she would ask for help. Killing a Starling might make Lua feel marginally better, but that tasted sour.

Audra’s happiness was unexpected. It was an emotion he wasn’t used to from his anchors. Amusement, yes. Ecstasy in bed, yes. Comfortable, yes. But happiness was rare.

The Starling was tall and broad. Her arms didn’t quite reach across his back. His dark hair curled past his shoulders, bleaching at the ends. Only mages stopped cutting their hair after they pledged themselves, whereas soldiers kept regimental short crops. That was true for southern and northern tribes, regardless of gender. The commoners did as they chose.

The plump woman gave them a plate of grilled meat and a bowl of rice to share. They leaned casually toward each other. Lua’s scowl deepened each time Audra covered her mouth in laughter or the mage rested his hand on her forearm with too much familiarity. The northern tribe elders would have shamed this outward display of affection.

Lua’s jaw tightened. If Audra revealed their predicament, Lua would have to kill her lover. But, he considered, a thief and a mage were a novel enough combination. Maybe they weren’t lovers. Either way he didn’t like it.

The Starling pulled a small package from the inside of his robes and slid it across the table. She smiled and rested her hand affectionately on his knuckles before pulling the package toward her.

Enough. Lua crossed the street. He’d have to?—

He froze inside the restaurant’s gate as the object in her hands caught the light. An opaque green stone dangled from a black cord. The relic was tear-dropped shaped, etched with ancient symbols that caught the light. Dragon’s-eye jade. Audra turned it over in her hands, wearing a look of relief.

Caution held him where he was, but he tugged on the thread to draw her attention. Audra bit her lip and looked up. She frowned when she saw him and subtly shook her head. With surprising strength, she resisted the summons, remaining exactly where she was. Her impudence knew no bounds.

His skin prickled as he edged closer. The jade should have all been destroyed during the cleansing of the Western monasteries .

“You here to eat or glare?” The restaurant owner startled him. She placed her hands on her hips. “Either sit or leave, but there’s no loitering.”

Awkwardly, he sat at a small table and faced sideways to watch Audra and her companion. She glanced at Lua. Her irritation brought a thin smile to his lips. The Starling mage started to turn, but she grabbed his hand and his attention.

The woman placed a serving of rice and meat before Lua when the Starling stood suddenly. He moved behind Audra and secured the cord around her neck. Her cheeks flushed at his touch.

Lua yanked the thread again, but she pulled back with equal strength.

Two white-robed figures paused outside the restaurant’s entrance. One was an older man who looked bothered by the entire scene, the other was a striking woman with dark umber skin and a long white braid that swung down her back. Her hazel eyes narrowed when she caught sight of the mage sitting with Audra. Recognizing the jealous look, Lua’s smile broadened.

“Traq!” The woman’s voice was deep.

The man turned, square jawed, and disappointingly attractive in a laborer sort of way. But he had no elegance whatsoever that Lua could see.

“We depart in an hour,” she said. When Traq questioned her, she glanced at the patrons. Her eyes paused appreciatively on Lua before she spoke. “Foreign vessel heading toward southern waters and reports of missing fishers north of us.”

She was probably more than a seven star, but Lua couldn’t be certain. There was something sharper about her magic than her older companion’s. She winked boldly when she caught Lua staring, adding a toothy grin. He coughed and turned to his meal, ignoring Traq’s quick farewell to Audra. The meat was overdone, and it took work to chew and swallow it.

After the mages disappeared, Audra slid into the chair across from him. Her mannerisms bordered on hostile. “You enjoy spying?”

“Didn’t have a choice since you rudely abandoned me so that you could meet with your Starling lover,” he said. “You said that you hated them more than the Moon tribe.”

Audra’s laugh was humorless. “No. I said that I hate you both equally. Difficult to decide if it was your people’s assaults or the Starling’s opportunistic abuses that have done more damage.” Audra glared until he looked away. “Traq’s different. He’ll always be Western tribe, no matter what colors he wears.” She stabbed a piece of meat with her dagger and took a bite. The silence between them lengthened, neither looked at the other.

Finally, she said, “I was going to find you once we’d finished. Just thought it best to keep the two of you apart to prevent misunderstandings like this.”

“You should have told me.”

She raised one eyebrow. “Really? Do I owe you that, Moonie? Give me your name, then. Let’s start there. It’s strange that we’re supposedly bonded and I don’t know your damned name.”

Lua pursed his lips. The less she knew, the better. It was bad enough she knew his stars. In the unlikely event that they separated, not knowing his identity might buy some time. Besides, with her obvious affection for the Starlings, he couldn’t trust her. That trust worked both ways, that they’d have to rely on each other for the journey, was something he didn’t want to acknowledge. His eyes flicked to the relic beneath her shirt, its power pulled at him. “That stone?—”

“Is none of your concern. Don’t even think about it,” she snapped. Her fingers drummed on the table. “You’re going to have to give me something if you want me to trust you. So far, you’ve proven to be one of the most arrogant and demanding people I’ve ever had the misfortune of crossing paths with. That your own people want you dead makes me wonder if they need any reason other than knowing you well.”

He remained stoic. She didn’t deserve a response. The monks would dispose of her once they reached the monastery. He’d just have to tolerate her until then. But she made everything so difficult.

She threw a disgusted look at him and stood. “Let’s find an all’ight and horses before someone recognizes that boat moored in the public dock. ”

“We don’t need all’ight. Moon mages can see clearly in the dark.”

“Good for you, but I can’t.”

“I’ll be the eyes for both of us.” Forcing her to rely on him might teach her respect.

She cursed and turned away. “You’re impossible.”

Lua tossed random coins on the table and followed her into the street. When they rounded the corner, Traq blocked their way.

His jaw clenched as he glared at Lua over Audra’s head. “Who’s this?”

Audra’s arms went out, creating a barrier between the two men with her body.

The Starling would be easy to kill. Three stars at most. His life force was thick and siphoning him would bolster Lua’s stamina. Yet the press of Audra’s hand against his chest stopped him. They had weeks together, and he didn’t want them to be more miserable than they already were.

Her words flowed smooth as silk with an alarming conviction. “Traq, this is Chon. He helped me on the Requin .”

Lua held his surprise in check. That Audra was able to lie so easily to someone whose affections were clear would have unnerved Lua if he hadn’t felt the intention behind it. She wanted to protect her friend.

A muscle twitched in Traq’s jaw as a hair-fine gold thread wriggled from his hand toward Lua. Lua choked down a dismissive chuckle for Audra’s sake. He didn’t bother deflecting the thread. Rather, he tucked his magic down and created a barrier so that the boy wouldn’t sense anything.

“Where are you going?” Traq’s words were leveled at Lua, but Audra answered.

“Nothing’s changed,” she said flatly. “We’re headed to Ferin.”

His eyes slid to Audra’s. He didn’t lower his voice. “You trust him?”

She took Traq’s hand. “He saved my life.”

Lua watched the softening of her shoulders and the way her head tilted. Had he saved her life, or did she truly believe that he had? Her mannerisms were sincere, and there was something in the way her fingers intertwined with Traq’s that Lua didn’t like. Maybe he should kill him for good measure .

“Do you trust me?” Audra asked. The tension left Traq’s jaw as he nodded. “Then trust my choices.”

That didn’t sit well, but the boy could do nothing about it. The girl he cared for apparently had differing priorities and emotions. Lua considered there’d been versions of this conversation before. A wound festered behind Traq’s eyes, one Lua wouldn’t mind prodding.

“Traq!” The white-haired woman from before called from the end of the street, scowling as her eyes landed on their clasped hands. “Now.”

Traq nodded to her, catching Lua’s eye. He pulled Audra into a hug and whispered in her ear before hastening after the mage.

Lua waited for Traq to glance back before wrapping a possessive arm around Audra’s shoulders and turning her away. Sadness shimmied down their thread as they took three synchronized steps.

Audra peeked back to catch Traq’s expression. Then, with a curse, she shoved Lua away and stepped out of reach. “Asshole.”