CH11

"There you are," said Reah coming down the stairs. She smiled seeing the two of them, "What have you two been doing all night?"

Bran woke up with a jolt.

"Bran had a curse on him," said May.

"That is not what I expected to hear."

"I'm fine now, May broke it," said Bran.

"With a kiss?" she joked.

"How would that do anything? Curses must be pulled out of a host then dispelled, I guess there could be a curse that was drawn out by a kiss, but not this one."

"So how did you break it?"

"Blood," Bran said, wiggling his fingers.

"More than just blood but yes that was a main component. You don't have any contacts in the green Tower do you?"

"No, no one of significance but I am meeting the Tower's Ambassador soon."

"Could I come with you? I would like to suss out if there would be any point warning them or if it would just put the culprits on guard."

"That should be fine, we have plenty of time to craft an alias for you."

"Are you sure it's such a good idea? What if they discover you?" said Bran.

"I will be careful," said May.

"The meeting is known by many. He would be a fool to try anything in such a public place. Still Bran is right, your cover needs to be airtight, so we should start right away. If you would excuse us."

"You should get some real sleep," said May.

"Fine. I'll see you later."

She nodded and watched him shuffle out of the room. Slumping lower in her bed, exhaustion creeped back up and played at the corner of her eyes. How could she stop even a single wizard capable of this and there were more. She had to try. Hopefully this ambassador will give her some answers.

"Is this Ambassador a wizard?"

"Yes, but there are much more pressing matters."

"Like what?" her mind jolted awake she did say Geoffry was looking for her.

"Like what is going on with you and Bran?"

That didn't calm her. "I told you I just removed a life sucking curse off him." even with the straightforward answer her cheeks warmed.

"Yes and how did you find this curse?"

"What about you and Tam, why did you show up at the party together?"

She was better than May, "Obviously to spite him and I do like a good party. You didn't answer my question."

"You said Geoffry was looking for me?"

She smiled, "Yes, he is waiting for you upstairs." She helped May up but left her at the foot of the stairs.

She hobbled up stairs leaning heavily on the wall. She already had too much to think about why Reah gave her more? She didn't know what was going on between her and Bran, not in the way she was asking. She couldn't think about it now. Now she had dark casters to worry about and as she neared the top of the stairs what Geoffry wanted from her.

She stopped in front of his desk trembling from the exertion. In an even motion hardly looking up from a letter he motioned for her to sit.

"Partying a little too hard last night?"

"No, a spell probably a little too strong for me."

"Interesting," he finally looked up at her. He looked tired as well. The wrinkles on his face were more pronounced. "As soon as you recover I need your services."

"Oh, does Tam know already?"

"No, this is just for you. I have some disputes to settle with another Boss." she tensed "I want you there in case things go south nothing else."

"Ok," she released her breath.

"Don't worry, I just need you to set a little trap for them so I can find out which one I am dealing with."

She nodded, "I'm sorry I need to get some sleep."

"Do what you need to, but miss mage don't forget who you work for.."

She slept the rest of the day and the next and the rest of the week she still spent most of her time sleeping. She was rarely alone in that time. Reah came down and replaced the peat in her little stove with sweet smelling wood and left a pot of tea for Mays brief moments of wakefulness. Bran was there every moment he could spare. The time Bran couldn't spare Tam or Ruth found. She probably could have gotten up and back to normal sooner but they all were very protective of her. None of them would let her practice till she was completely well again. She was inclined to argue but having people care about her and make a bit of a fuss was nice. She let them take care of her.

Magic had become so much of a consuming past time it was hard to find things to fill the hours. She thought back to the last time she had gone this long without casting. That was a different time she feared casting; she had feared everything. She was alone then not anymore. Tam came and played Mills with her. Tam used the games for many reasons. He continued to teach subtle tricks of deception in poker faces and misdirection; bluffing. As she learned the techniques she also learned to identify deception. Bran always came with a cake or candy no matter the hour usually accompanied with other pilfered items. Somehow he remembered each person he stole from with such clarity.

Ruth came and ate breakfast with her and distracted her with stories from her youth. She tried to talk about imprinting with her. Ruth was by far the most educated in magic. Every time she brought it or the green tower up she had the same reply. That stuff is beyond us just leave it be. You can't stop it knowing more will just be a risk. She couldn't leave it be, but she could with Ruth. Instead she imagined the daring stories Ruth told of when she wasn't older than May. She didn't live in the capital then but on the coast. Like Bran she had many siblings every night they would mend her father's fishing nets or gut the day's catch. When she was seventeen she left/ran away.

"It wasn't as big of a move as you, but it felt like it. I had never been to a city or seen mountains or even been away from the ocean. It took me a while to find my place. I work as a soot girl, the worst job of my life I almost went home."

"Why didn't you."

"Haha, that's a story for another time."

"What do you need from me," she asked hesitantly. Geoffry had summoned her several times but she was too weak to go up to answer him or when she did she was in such a state even he could tell she was useless.

"I am glad to see you are feeling better. I had no idea mages could be taken out of commission for so long."

"Something like this is not likely to happen again."

"Good, then since you are better I need you to make a trap."

"What will it be trapping?"

"People."

"People?"

"Yes or should I say trespassers. Of late there have been some who have dared make a mess of my warehouses. I know another boss is behind it, but I can't find out which one dares mess with me. I need you to create a trap for the next set of rats the boss sends out. Unfortunately it seems they are better trained than my own because one has yet to be caught." the guards behind him flinched at his sharpening words, but then his voice softened. "However I still have hope in you, miss mage."

"I can try, it will take some time. I don't have a specific spell for trapping people."

"Get it done before the next full moon. That is when they come. I will need the traps set out before then. I will accept one but three would be better."

"Okay." That only gave her two weeks to come up with something.

"They do not need to be perfect, just effective. If they get hurt it doesn't matter as long as they are alive and can't escape, that is all that matters."

"I will get right on it." She left right away. It might have been rude but she couldn't stand before him any longer. Would the people she trapped be killed? She certainly wasn't going to make a trap that hurt them, but holding them for Geoffry she would be just as culpable for what happened to them as if the trap did hurt them.

"You look far too worried, for what Geoffry just asked you to do," she looked up to Reah. "Tell me what you are so worried about I might put your fears to rest."

"What will happen to the people I trap?"

"They aren't going to die. For all his brutality, it is driven out of practicality not cruelty."

"How do you know they won't die?"

"Because as soon as they are caught, I am the one to interrogate them. Geoffry wants to recruit them."

"Why would he do that?"

"Whoever they are is highly skilled, he wants that skill for himself."

"Alright, but he said he didn't care if the traps hurt them."

"That is because he wants you to reach your deadline, that was his way of letting you know to cut corners to reach it. As much as he wants the intruder he needs the break-ins to stop more." she sighed "we really are smugglers before anything else. That is not to say, people aren't hurt or worse but that is no one's objective here. It might surprise you but I wouldn't work here if it was."

"I didn't mean to say that you were …"

She laughed, "I am not insulted by your caution. Let's talk about other things. Like do you really want to come with me to meet the wizard ambassador."

"Yes," she nodded

"I have no problem bringing you along. In fact you could be just the excuse I need, but what do you plan to do once you meet them?"

"I know I can't just go up and say that someone in the towers is using dark magic and be taken seriously, but it would be a start to showing something is wrong within the towers."

"Good, because I wasn't going to take you if you were going to make a scene."

"You know I am not one to draw attention."

"Yes, that is just everyone else in your party."

Once fully recovered she resumed her early morning vigil of the green tower. Ruth came the first few days. She tried to dissuade May, convince her it was a fool's errand to go against the tower. May knew well enough she couldn't best a whole organization of wizards. Even so there had to be another way dark magic had destroyed her family, she couldn't rest knowing it did the same to others. Seeing her resolve and never looking comfortable in the shadow of those sharp peaks, Ruth left her to her investigations alone.

She needed to warn Sibahn. She had somehow gotten the girl involved in something even more serious. She needed to know everything even if it was just so she could back out of such a dangerous situation. Though if she still wanted to help she could find out if Cian is using dark magic as well, or if he knew what they were holding power for. She hurried to the meeting point unsure if Sibahn would even show up. They agreed to meet once a week and she had missed the last one while bedridden. She got there early and waited.

She smiled as she saw the green figure of an initiate coming her way, "I'm sorry I missed without leaving word. There have been some big developments recently."

"That's ok. I needed more time to learn this spell anyways, but look now." She confidently conjured an illusion of a flower. It didn't move but it was a vast improvement to the illusions she had seen before.

"That is amazing, you have come a long way."

"I know, those spells that really helped me think about it differently. I don't have much to say about Cian. He is his grumpy self as always. The only difference is that he doesn't suck at magic anymore."

"I have something important to tell you."

"What? New spells?" she said hopefully.

"No, there is dark magic being practiced at the green tower."

"No way?"

"Yes, by Cian's mentors. I understand if you no longer wish to help. I had hoped it wasn't something so serious, but if you are willing I need all the proof I can get to stop them."

"Of course I will still help."

"Something of this caliber, it might get you killed if they find out you know."

"But that is why I should help shouldn't I?"

"I don't want you interacting with the elders, but can you find out if Cian or anyone else is using dark magic? The type they are using leaves a magic mark." She handed over a paper.

"You have got it, this is exciting. We are really like spies."

"Just be cautious."

"You've got it boss!" she smiled and hurried home. She was being very cavalier about dark magic, then again she hadn't seen it like May had. As despicable as imprinting was, it was on the tame side of Dark magic. She had seen necromancy. Terrible homunculi formed of human flesh had chased her and her family as a child. Their twisted form was something she could never forget. Even if this wasn't such a complete perversion of nature, it was killing people and it had to stop.

Albin was happy to be receiving potions again. He didn't seem to care much that she had disappeared for a few weeks. She had been gone for a few days before to hunt the nuckelavee and if she was working as a witch like he thought elsewhere there were plenty of potions that you couldn't leave for days at a time. When she dropped off the simple healing potions that she made to test how well she was recovered.

Albin simply greeted her with "You are back, I hope you have been well. Though it looks like you might have been ill. Was that why you were gone?" He moved over to his draws full of premixed medicine, and handed her some. "Here that should help you recover some."

"Thanks," Even after two weeks she was recovering.

"What were you sick with?"

"I wasn't exactly sick. I just … overextended my powers."

"Well I guess it makes more sense than you being sick, I would have been a little hurt if you didn't come to me for help."

She laughed.

"Speaking of hurt, Rhys was quite worried that you were taken. I told him you were too much of a clever one, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Well I'm sure he is more sensitive about it because he sees all the cases with his job."

"Yes, still would you mind waiting to show him you are fine. He is just out for a moment."

"Of course, honestly I need a little rest before I walk home."

"What did you do to exhaust yourself so much?"

"I was breaking a curse."

"A curse, is the person ok?"

"Yes, I think I caught it in time, but you wouldn't have anything to help them recover. The curse had been draining them of magic for a long time."

"Draining their magic, that doesn't sound like a common curse."

"It wasn't."

"I don't have anything for that specifically. Just share the tea I already gave you. It must have been a powerful curse to push someone like you."

"What is this about a curse?" asked Rhys as he walked in. He stopped as soon as he saw May, "You are alright? I thought you had been taken."

"No, but I do have something to talk to you about."

"I am glad you are alright but could it wait. There have been a lot more disappearances recently."

"It is important, and to do with them."

"Why don't you two go sit in the back." said Albin.

"There have been more?" she asked once they were sitting amongst the stacks of herbs.

"Yes two, I almost put you down as a third."

"The tower is definitely responsible for the disappearances, and it wouldn't surprise me if there are many more people gone that just haven't been reported."

"I know that too," he slumped on a cast aside crate. "I knew a witch up by the north lock. He ran a medicine shop like this, and didn't do anything wrong. he… he." He ran his hands through his hair. "Then this guy started coming around. He didn't say he was from the tower and he wasn't wearing their robes but I know what casting looks like and he didn't hide that. There isn't a rule against witchcraft but he was very interested in his abilities. He asked him about what was the strongest potion and how many he could make in a day. Then not long after that he was gone. No one had heard anything of where he had gone, not friends, family, or anyone. I have friends in that precinct if he had shown up in any state I would have heard."

"I believe we have the same goal. I don't know much more than you but I will share what I know. There are wizards in the Green tower practicing dark magic."

"What, like worshiping Cethlenn or something."

"No, it has nothing to do with that. The magic they are using takes the life force of others to cast spells. It allows someone to circumvent normal magical limitations, but it sucks people dry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, A friend escaped from a wizard of the green Tower. I had to remove one of those spells from him. I am afraid it must be one of the upper echelons to create something like it."

"But he was alive, so they have the people locked up somewhere?"

"I do not think they keep their targets long." She thought of the body's found downstream of the river and the many that spawned the nuckelavee. She had no proof it was them responsible but they showed up with regularity and from the gossip in the storm there was no boss doing this.

"Where was he kept, can I speak to your friend?"

"He would not be of much use, he doesn't remember much from that time, a side effect of the spell. All he could tell you was the wizard was from the Green Tower."

"But those he took are alive."

"Possibly."

"You think they are dead." When she didn't say anything he asked, "Why?" his voice shook barely containing his emotions.

"He escaped almost immediately after being taken and he already had this on him. It was weak and it still would have killed him eventually. I was barely able to remove it."

"Who was this wizard, what was his name?"

"There are three, only two are wizards at the tower, the other is a man with a blue sash that is magical you would know it when you see it."

"The one you spoke of before."

"Yes."

A fire lit in his eyes. "That is the one that took Gwyn." he sprung from his seat. "I should have warned him sooner."

"Wait," she held him back as best she could "I don't know how deep it goes. Accusing someone of black magic is not to be taken lightly, If they find out what's to stop them from taking you."

"A city guard disappearance is not as easy to dismiss." but the rage had left him "we don't know who the wizards are. If they didn't believe me before they wouldn't know and I doubt they would take the testimony of a foreigner either."

"I want them brought to justice as much as you but don't get yourself killed for nothing."

"It wouldn't be for nothing."

"If we don't stop them it is."

"So what do we do? How do I prove there is dark magic?"

"If you find bodies with a purple mark like this" she sketched the imprint mark. "Keep it is the result of imprinting and is evidence of dark magic."

"You will help me. You don't do this imprinting?"

"Never, it is an abomination. Unlike those wizards, I have a code that I do not break. I will do everything in my power to help you."

Of everyone she spoke to about the imprinting only Bran seemed interested in helping her. Tam and Reah were marginally helpful but it was more indulging her wishes than anything else. She knew why no one was eager. She had spent enough time by the tower to see the respect and fear for the place. Everywhere else she went the streets were full except in this district. It was more than just it being tucked in a bend of the river no one came unless they had to.

She settled in as the mist burned away alone for the first time since she recovered. The usual pattern began. Rectar fowl, wild in Sudeland but an exotic pet here, caw from their rooftop coops to announce the morning. The dairyman's cart clattered in the distance it would pass by in forty five minutes. The tower was silent, it was usually at this hour.

Her mind raced as she hurried back. Things were adding up but not in a good way. She had a feeling that there would be many more sad stories before she had all the answers if she ever would. Poor Rhys. Gwyn was a witch, and Albin said the last witch helping him had run out for fear that maybe it was related. Or maybe it was something completely unrelated that they wanted witches for and he was still alive, but she doubted it. Hopefully she could speak with the Sibahn soon and find more about the inner workings of the towers. She slunk back into the warehouse with a heavy heart and practiced spells with a new motivation.