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sixteen

Cal

Cal couldn’t help sneaking wondering glances at Griff’s back as he followed him across the city.

Just an hour earlier, he’d been ready to give up.

After Kelsith’s betrayal and his loss of the void orb, he’d convinced himself that he had no business continuing the investigation.

He’d resigned himself to carrying on alone as he always had.

Then, Griff had shown up on that rooftop.

He snuck another glance toward Griff through the curtain of rain.

The shadowy profile he caught of the inspector’s chiseled jaw and stern face set his heart racing.

He could still scarcely believe that Griff had cared enough to come after him.

Not to arrest him or to berate him for his failures, but to lift him up.

To encourage him.

Eternal Dark, he might actually care about me…

That was a hard truth to wrap his head around, especially when the one other person he’d thought he could trust had proven how wrong he was.

No matter what Griff claimed now in the heat of the moment, the truth was that neither of them knew what would happen once this case was over.

Likely, whatever infatuation Griff had for him would fade.

But the least Cal could do for being so careless with the void orb was reward Griff’s faith in him by helping however he could in the meantime.

He only hoped that Griff was right and there really was something the sage could do to jog his memory.

His nerves spiked as Nathaniel’s cozy estate came into view.

It looked the same as it had when Cal had come here disguised to retrieve Griff’s medicine, save for the nearby streetlights that turned the yard silver thanks to the glistening moisture from the rain.

Though the gate remained open, the front door was shut.

Griff tried the door anyway, grunting when it wouldn’t budge.

“Locked. He must have retired for the night.”

Cal’s fingers strayed to his right thief’s mark, where he kept his thief’s tools stored.

“Give me a couple seconds, and I can have it open, no sweat.”

Griff raised a brow.

“Did you just offer to break into a Sunkeeper sage’s home in front of an inspector?”

Cal’s cheeks flushed, his fingers dropping.

“On second thought, maybe you should try knocking first.”

The corners of Griff’s lips quirked as he did just that, giving the door several hard raps with his knuckles.

The nerves in Cal’s belly intensified as they waited.

At least a peaked overhang kept them out of the rain.

When there was still no answer, Griff repeated the gesture.

He was about to knock a third time when a muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. By the Light, quit your racket!”

The door was yanked open a second later to reveal Nathanial’s disgruntled face.

He wore the same golden robes he had the last time Cal had been here, though they appeared far more disheveled.

He’d probably yanked them on over his nightclothes before answering the door.

Griff cleared his throat.

“Hello, Nathaniel,” he said, his voice stiff.

Nathaniel’s gaze widened a fraction when he took in Griff standing there.

“Griffin. Can’t say I expected to see you so soon.” He scowled, glancing past them at the stormy night sky.

“Especially not at this time of night in the middle of a downpour. Couldn’t whatever case you’re working now have waited until morning?”

“I’m afraid time is of the essence. May we come in?”

Only then did Nathaniel’s eyes drift to Cal standing a bit behind Griff.

His eyes narrowed on Cal’s face.

“Have we met before?”

Cal cursed under his breath.

Eternal Dark, he was off his game.

Had he thought about it, he should’ve probably swapped back to the same disguise he’d used the last time he was here to make things simple.

Not that he recalled exactly what that had been.

He’d worn so many faces the past week, it was impossible to keep them all straight.

“I, uh…”

He was still struggling to come up with an answer that wouldn’t give too much away when Griff said impatiently, “He’s helping me with the case. Now, will you help us, or not?”

“Always in such a hurry to put yourself in danger.” Grumbling under his breath, Nathaniel stepped back from the door and turned, vanishing back down the hall.

Though he didn’t make any motion for them to follow, Griff seemed to take the open door as invitation enough.

Cal trailed after him as they shut the door and followed the hall to the same open room where Cal had found Nathaniel working last time.

The sage was already bustling about his workstation in the back, though Cal couldn’t tell why.

He looked up at them as they entered, squinting once again at Cal.

Cal tried not to shift beneath the scrutiny.

He wasn’t used to being the center of attention like that—not after all the effort he usually went through to blend in.

A moment later, Nathaniel gave a satisfied grunt.

“Of course. Griffin’s new partner. I knew I recognized you.” He frowned.

“Though you’ve changed your appearance. Duskflame, is it?” He grunted to himself before Cal had a chance to answer, nodding.

“Aye, must be for such a seamless transition. Runeflame would leave more of a trace.”

Cal’s discomfort intensified.

So much for keeping my talent a secret.

He briefly considered denying it, but that seemed a poor choice when they needed Nathaniel’s help.

Besides, the Sunkeeper already seemed to have decided the matter was closed, dismissing Cal to turn toward Griff.

He eyed Griff critically.

“You seem to have recovered well enough from your injury. Not that you made any effort to inform me. For all I knew, you could’ve perished after I sent this partner of yours away with that poultice.”

Griff’s lips tightened.

“You’re right. I should have sent word. I’ve been preoccupied with this case.”

Nathaniel huffed, turning back to his workstation.

“No doubt it’s as vitally important as all the others. At least, I hope so if you decided it worth rousing an old man from his bed. So, what’ll it be this time? Do you have another playing card for me to divine?”

Cal stilled, his shocked gaze shooting to Griff.

Was that how the inspector had tracked him down?

Eternal Dark, Cal should’ve known better.

Leaving a calling card was the sort of arrogant move Kelsith would’ve made.

Griff snuck a quick glance at Cal, then crossed his arms. “A memory enhancement. Cal saw something that might be vital for our investigation, but he can’t quite remember the details. I was hoping you could coax it out of him.”

Cal frowned at that.

They hadn’t really discussed how Nathaniel was going to help before now, and he wasn’t entirely sure he liked the sound of unfamiliar magic messing with his mind.

Nathaniel, however, merely sighed and gestured to the cot in the middle of the room.

“If that will get you out of my home quicker so I can rest. Should be simple enough.”

Conscious of the other two watching him, Cal shoved down his unease and slowly approached the cot.

His trepidation grew with each step.

When he reached the bed, he hesitated beside it.

Griff must’ve sensed his reluctance because he stepped forward, resting a hand on his back.

“It’s all right. This kind of magic is routine—Nathaniel has performed its like thousands of times. It’ll be completely painless.”

Swallowing, Cal nodded, meeting Griff’s eyes.

If this was what it took to correct his mistake losing the void orb, then he’d gladly do it for Griff.

He managed a tenuous grin.

“Well then, who am I to refuse?”

As he slid onto the cot, he caught the keen glance Nathaniel cast between him and Griff.

But whatever the old Sunkeeper thought, he kept it to himself as he approached the cot and offered a gnarled hand.

“Here, take it. I need a physical connection to establish the link.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Cal glanced at Griff’s calm face to rally his courage, then reached out and grasped Nathaniel’s hand.

Almost instantly, a strange tingling began to spread along his arm.

It wasn’t exactly unpleasant—more like the way a limb felt when you tried to move it after a long bout of inactivity.

The sensation extended up his arm and into his shoulder before rising along his neck and tingling across his scalp.

When it reached his head, he noticed a faint golden glow begin to emanate from his skull.

His grip tightened around Nathaniel’s hand.

“Is that normal?”

“Quite,” Nathaniel said.

“That’s the dawnflame settling into your mind. You may not consciously recall what you saw, but the information is buried there nonetheless. It just needs a little nudge. When you’re ready, focus on what you can remember from that moment. How you felt, what you saw, your other senses: every bit helps.”

Shifting on the cot, Cal tried to put himself back in that moment after the gala.

It had been so quick, his fleeting recognition there and gone.

Eternal Dark, what if he really had imagined it and was now blowing it way out of proportion out of sheer desperation for a lead?

Nathaniel gave an impatient grunt.

“You have to focus.”

“I am focusing!”

Nathaniel fixed Cal with a deeply unimpressed look as tingles continued to ripple up his arm like marching ants.

“No. You’re not. You’re distracted. If you can’t clear your mind, then we’re wasting our time here.”

Cal frowned, annoyed.

“You know, you could really stand to work on your bedside manner.”

“My patients usually don’t arrive pounding on my door in the middle of the night. But if you’d rather call it quits and abandon your investigation, that works for me.”

Nathaniel started to release Cal’s hand, the tingling fading.

Cal clutched at the sage’s retreating fingers.

“No! Sorry. I’ll…I’ll see what I can do.”

He felt a hand on his other arm, and looked up to see Griff standing there, smiling at him.

“You can do this, Cal. I believe in you.”

Warmth flared in Cal’s chest, along with a newfound determination.

Fighting down a grin pulling at his lips, he took a deep breath and tried again to focus.

He remembered the night air, so refreshing after being cooped up inside the ballroom for so long.

His exhaustion, then his irritation with Griff.

The press of the crowd around him.

And through the bodies, a fleeting glimpse of a cloak…

He was so focused on remembering that he didn’t realize anything had happened until Griff suddenly squeezed his arm.

Cal straightened his back, peering about.

“What? What is…?”

He trailed off, his eyes widening when he saw the image that now hovered above his and Nathaniel’s linked hands.

Comprised of pure golden light, it was nevertheless recognizable as a figure wrapped in a cloak.

As he watched, the figure lurched forward with an odd, shoveling gait.

Yep, definitely the same protector who’d picked up the void orb from Bald Locke.

He leaned closer, squinting at the figure.

Now if only he could make out their face better…

He startled, almost toppling off the cot as the golden image abruptly shifted, zooming in on the figure’s face.

Eternal Dark, had he done that with a mere thought?

The detail on the face was astonishing.

It was hard to believe so much had been stored somewhere in his subconscious.

The face didn’t mean much to Cal—it looked like any one of countless protectors he’d seen patrolling Derimay’s streets.

Griff, however, sucked in a haggard breath.

“I…I recognize him,” Griff said, sounding dazed.

“His name is Sasha. He’s a former protector, recently promoted to serve as High Commander Pern’s personal liaison.”

Triumph surged through Cal as he peered more closely at the figure.

It was one thing to suspect the Pentarchy’s involvement.

But now at last, they had a concrete link to one of them.

“He’s the one I saw picking up the relic. I’m sure of it. I’d recognize that walk anywhere.”

Griff bowed his head.

Sorrow flickered across his face before his expression firmed.

He looked up, meeting Cal’s eyes.

“Then it seems to me like we need to pay the High Commander a visit.”

Griff turned and started back toward the hall.

Cal broke his hold on Nathaniel’s hand.

The instant he let go, the golden image winked out.

He flashed Nathaniel his usual charming grin.

“Thanks for the help. I’ll make sure Griff doesn’t do anything too reckless.”

Griff’s quiet snort made it clear he’d heard that.

Cal moved to follow after him when Nathaniel called out, “Hold on, Griffin. I don’t know what kind of mess you’re wrapped up in that involves the Pentarchy, and I don’t think I want to. But before you go rushing off to hurl yourself headlong into danger, I’d like to speak to you.”

Cal saw the indecision warring on Griff’s face.

No doubt he was as eager to pursue this new lead as Cal was.

Especially since, in Griff’s case, it sounded like it was personal.

At last, Griff sighed and turned back toward Nathaniel.

“Fine,” he said, crossing his arms. “But be quick about it. We really don’t have any time to spare.”

Nathaniel gave Cal a pointed look.

“Alone.”

Well, that was just downright rude.

Cal glanced at Griff, raising a brow in silent query.

When Griff gave a reluctant nod, Cal strolled past him down the hall.

He made it to the door, opening it with a loud creak…

and then silently crept back down the hall.

He’d promised to leave them alone in the room.

He’d never said anything about not listening in.