Shadowy Seas

{First 2 chapters only}

Note: This book is currently a first draft, as is this excerpt taken from it

Chapter 1: Brand New Day

Caligo sat on the terrace under a cloudy sky. He liked cloudy skies; they made going outside during the day bearable. He didn’t get turned into stone or mist or a swarm of birds in daylight like some of his distant relatives, he just didn’t like it. It got in his eyes and made him uncomfortably warm. The sun, he felt, was for plants. He didn’t often get to enjoy the terrace during the day, so he was making the most of it. He lounged on a bench and observed the surroundings. It was a nice view. The house was by a lake in the middle of nowhere. Caligo liked the city, it just didn’t have to be right outside his doorstep all the time. Besides, distance didn’t mean much to him. 

The terrace had an enchanted sundial that still functioned when not in direct sun. An artificial shadow that softly glowed blue was approaching noon. Caligo also had a pocket watch, but the sundial was stylish. His appointment was soon, and Bastanoa had gotten enough sleep.

Caligo rose from his chair and flicked a clawed hand. A tall wavering sliver of darkness appeared in the air in front of him and he stepped through. For a second, he was surrounded by formless shadows, and then he was standing in Bastanoa’s bedroom. It was hard to find a square foot of wall that didn’t hold bookshelves or some art piece or another. A massive rug designed to look like the ocean lay on the floor, and on the ceiling far above was a mural enchanted to shift between showing the night and the day sky. There were four large circular windows inlaid with elegant designs at equidistant points on the walls. In the middle of the room hung a hammock. Caligo could barely see a pair of pale hands rising up from the hammock, holding a book.

“Good morning,” said Caligo, “Although it’s only technically going to be morning for a few more minutes.”

The book snapped close. There was a sound halfway between a sigh and a yawn from the hammock, and Caligo rolled his eyes. “A good morning is one in which I get to read uninterrupted,” said Bastanoa.

“I have an appointment with Mr. Kulkem today,” said Caligo, “Would you like to come? Any large purchases you plan to make?”

“Hmmm,” said the voice from above. Bastanoa could cram more syllables into sounds like “hmm” than anyone else Caligo knew. “Well, I suppose an outing would be pleasant. I’ve a new visage that I thought up recently I’ve been wanting to try on.”

What little Caligo could see of Bastanoa changed. The skin became less pale and more tawny colored and the digits of the hand shortened. A figure rolled out of the bed, although they managed even that with grace. Bastanoa floated down to the ground, wearing the appearance of a woman with thick dark hair and flaming red eyes in a loose dress made from golden scales, so small that it moved almost like silk. There were probably a hundred reasons why such a dress was not physically possible or practical, but that didn’t matter to Bastanoa. Faery glamor tended to care very little for what was possible.

He reached the floor- and yes, he was a he now. Bastanoa’s pronouns changed only slightly less often than his appearance, and he used the same glamor to convey it. There was just the sense that he was a “him”, an observer’s thoughts phrasing themselves that way regardless of his appearance. It could be a disconcerting feeling for those unfamiliar with it, but Caligo had gotten used to it long ago.

Bastanoa’s half-brother wore a plain black jacket, black tunic, black pants, and black boots. Black had never steered Caligo wrong before, and so he saw little reason to abandon it. It got the job done, just like he did. Combined with his dark skin, it made the half-faery almost blend in with the lightless rifts he conjured.

Bastanoa inspected his form for a few seconds. Satisfied, he looked up at Caligo and nodded. The younger brother lifted a hand and a shadowy portal opened in the air in front of them. Caligo went through first and Bastanoa followed immediately after, the gate snapping shut behind him.

To most, the place beyond shadows was nothing more than pure blackness but to someone who could travel it like Caligo, it was more than that. A vast expanse of half-light and contorting distant silhouettes. It wasn’t a place that had direction or physical matter and it was easy to get lost in if you didn’t know where you were headed. Even Caligo didn’t dare stay here for long, although as far as he could tell time didn’t really move here. All he had to do was reach out, focus on Mr. Kulkem’s office, and then there they were.

The imp didn’t look up when the rift of darkness appeared in his room and two Unseelie royals stepped out. Very little bothered Mr. Kulkem. “Punctual as always,” he said, continuing to scribble in a book open in front of him. The book was a small ledger but still about twice as large as Mr. Kulkem himself. The image of the creature a little smaller than a hand sitting studiously at a human-sized desk was always a little funny, but Mr. Kulkem failed to see the comedy and so both Caligo and Bastanoa had learned not to laugh.

Mr. Kulkem closed his ledger and pushed it to the side, showing impressive strength proportional to his body size. “Well, gentlemen-” there was a brief pause. “Are you a gentleman today?” he asked Bastanoa.

“Why not?” said the faery, pulling up a chair and flopping down into it.

“Well, gentlemen,” continued Kulkem, “What can I do for you today?”

“I have a few purchases I’d like to make soon,” said Caligo.

“The words your bank account always dreads to hear,” muttered Mr. Kulkem, “What might these purchases be?”

“There’s a pair of ornate Sorilian silver daggers that I’ve been eyeing,” said Caligo, “Mildly enchanted, I think. One of them would make a good addition to my stepfather’s hoard. He doesn’t need to know they’re a pair. I’d steal them, but the man who owns them now is actually quite nice. They’re seven hundred thousand continental dollars.”

“Each?” inquired Kulkem.

“No, together.”

“And your poor coffers wept for joy,” said the imp as he dragged another ledger on his desk towards himself, “Anything else?”

“Last time I visited Lothrei, the roads were a mess,” said Caligo, “Find out how much it would cost to repair and anonymously donate the better part of the bill to the town, specifying they have to use it to make carriage rides not feel so damned uncomfortable.”

“Of course,” said Mr. Kulkem. Imps weren’t cheap, and they reacted to breaches of contract with heavy fees at best and making you disappear at worst, but they were loyal and very good at their jobs. They didn’t know how to get bored.

“Oh, and get another poetry book collection for me,” said Bastanoa. He had a rather liberal definition of “collection”, which typically meant “at least a couple dozen books in perfect condition”

“Naturally,” said Mr. Kulkem, who had opened the ledger, picked up a small pencil, and was now scribbling numbers furiously. This was not unusual behavior for these two. Bastanoa and Caligo were technically royals, but they were faery royals, who usually had little use for human currency. These two, however, had more of a taste for humanity than most of their mother’s kind. They didn’t like extravagance, at least not in the conventional sense. They didn’t throw balls or cover every surface with gold. But the brothers did like to live comfortably and they did share a taste for being able to do whatever they liked and throw money at whatever pleased them, which tended to be personal hobbies, collections, and charities.

“These new purchases, combined with your monthly donations, the costs of all the artists you are patronizing, and the upkeep for your activities legal and otherwise, leave your account with…” the pencil was a blur and the imp’s eyes darted back and forth as he calculated, “...well, very little.”

“Ah,” said Caligo, “It’s time for another job then?”

“Oh, wondrous,” said Bastanoa, eyes lighting up, “I’ve been in the mood for some hands-on work.”

“Yes, and fortunately there’s been a recent offer for your services,” said Kulkem, although he looked like he didn’t believe the word “fortunately”.

“From whom?” asked Caligo.

“Elody Maamar.”

Caligo sucked in a sharp breath. Bastanoa just looked vaguely confused. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“If you paid attention to the news you would,” said his brother, “She’s the most powerful woman in the Northern Span.”

“Quite right,” said Mr. Kulkem, “Elody Maamar and Ceneric Dolat are the directors and founders of the Maamar and Dolat Trading Company which essentially controls most of the major commerce in the Great Archipelago. They have several monopolies and have quite literally overthrown governments in order to get more favorable trade policies. They are quite possibly the richest people in the world, and among the most powerful. Excluding maybe certain kings, great mages, mythical entities such as your mother. They’re certainly the most powerful ska’ols alive.”

“Impressive,” said Bastanoa, intrigued. Bastanoa quite enjoyed being intrigued. “And they want to hire us.”

“We don’t do jobs in the islands,” said Caligo, “We’re continental thieves.”
“Perhaps you should read the letter,” said Mr. Kulkem quietly. He grabbed a folded paper on his desk, flew it over to Caligo, and dropped it on his lap. Caligo unfolded it and inspected the contents, Bastanoa peering over his shoulder. The letter read:

Dear Caligo Archimedes and Bastanoa child of Oana.

(Or any chosen financial agent or representative of such)

I humbly wish to offer you a professional commission for your services. I require a small valuable object to be retrieved from a hostile location containing certain magical dangers. More details will be offered if you are interested in this proposition, but the pay for the successful completion of the task will equal no less than fifteen million continental dollars. If you are interested, visit my estate at the address 28461 in the city of Lorebell sometime before the 80th of autumn, where I will personally explain the terms of the task in full to you. I hope to see you there.

Regards, Elody Maamar, co-director of Maamar and Dolat Trading Company.

“My gods…” said Bastanoa.

“Give me a minute to think,” said Caligo. He re-read the letter. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He liked making lists; sometimes they made the world miraculously easier to deal with.

Item number one: How they had been addressed. Caligo Archimedes and Bastanoa child of Oana. Caligo knew why he hadn’t been addressed as child of Oana. Faeries did not usually have last names and sometimes used the name of their parent to differentiate between those with the same name. But they hadn’t been referred to as Prince Caligo and Princess Bastanoa, as they usually were by those who knew who their mother was. Elody had included Oana’s name, but also written Oana and not Queen Oana. She also hadn’t included “of the Unseelie Court” anywhere in the address. She knew who they were, but had made the conscious choice to not recognize their royalty or fae court. Interesting.

Item number two: The mission description. It was vague to say the least. Perhaps she worried they would have outright rejected her if they knew the specifics. That was hardly comforting. Or perhaps it was simply that the letter had contained sensitive information and Elody worried about it being intercepted. They were being hired to steal something after all.

Item number three: The pay. Fifteen million. Twice their usual pay for a big job and five million more than their largest commission so far. That was… well a lot of money was a lot of money.

Item number four: The deadline for the meeting was in three days.

“When did you get this, Kulkem?” Caligo asked.

“Just yesterday,” said the imp, “I intended to contact you today, but then you came into my office.”

The half-human nodded. He had everything sorted out in his own mind more or less, now he just needed to deal with those belonging to other people. Specifically, Bastanoa, who was saying, “I think we should at the very least go and hear her out. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“I agree,” sighed Caligo, sounding none too happy about the fact, “We have nothing to lose from going.” After a moment, he added, “Assuming it isn’t a trap.” Throughout their career, the duo had done their best to not make enemies, but as their mother said “An absence of rivals, nemeses, or people dedicated to killing you is a sign of a life lived without flavor.”

“Well then,” said the imp, “Does that conclude all of our business for today?”

“It does,” said Caligo, “Thank you for your continued excellent work, Kulkem.”

The brothers stood up and stepped through another shadow portal, which took them to Caligo’s terrace. Technically, it belonged to both of them, but it was on the side of the house Caligo usually occupied. The clouds had broken and sunlight now bathed the terrace. Caligo grimaced and retreated under an awning while Bastanoa lounged on a chair in the sunlight. After a moment he remembered  to make his golden dress glitter especially bright in the light. Those were the kinds of details he forgot sometimes.

“What do you think they want us to steal?” Bastanoa asked, “My top three guesses are: magical artifact, incredibly valuable gem, or important piece of blackmail evidence.”

“All pretty good guesses,” conceded Caligo, “Let’s go see if any are right.”

“What, now?” asked Bastanoa.

“Yes. No reason to wait.”

“Well I need to put on a new visage then!”

“Right,” said Caligo dryly, eying the shimmering golden dress, “What would they think of you if you showed up in those beggar’s rags?”

Bastanoa rolled his eyes. His eye rolls were truly impressive; they seemed to pull his whole head slightly with them. A ripple pink light spread across him. When it cleared, he was an androgynous figure with orange eyes, gray skin, and dark blue hair in a ponytail that reached all the way to the ground. She was dressed in dark leather armor and when he grinned, her teeth were sharp and canine. And yes, there was a definite “she”ness now radiating from him, though the projected concept of her being a “he” still remained.

“Now I’m ready,” Bastanoa announced.

Caligo nodded. “Now let’s go see if Ms. Maamar is trying to send us on a suicide mission.”

Chapter 2: The Offer

It took a while to get to the address the letter had given. Caligo had never been to the city Lorebell before, and had trouble forming shadow rifts to places far away that he was unfamiliar with, so he and Bastanoaa were forced to travel via numerous short range jumps.

“Ugh, I detest spending so much time in that awful abyss,” said Bastanoa as they arrived at their destination, “Maybe it doesn’t bother you, but that place gives me the creeps.”

Caligo didn’t say anything about how he thought he had seen something moving out of the corner of his eye while they were in the shadow world. It was best not to think about the things one saw there.

The two looked around. They were standing on a cobblestone walkway that led to the impressive front door of an even more impressive mansion. Their house was large, but the monstrosity before them looked like it could eat theirs whole. There was no conceivable reason for a person to need all that space, except perhaps to house a small civilization of vampires.

“This is a lot,” said Bastanoa, “And that’s coming from me.”

Caligo shook his head. He was rich, well not at the moment but generally, but he wasn’t this kind of rich. This was a kind of rich that he would never understand, the kind who thought it completely necessary to have a hundred golden plates they never used, but thought it a waste to feed starving people a mile outside their estate.

Bastanoa strolled up, grabbed the knocker, and banged it against the door three times. Many fae had a mild compulsion to do things in threes. After a few moments, the door was opened by a ska’ol butler. “Mr. Caligo and Mx. Bastanoa?” she asked.

“The very same,” said Bastanoa, striking a bow, “We’re here to see Ms. Maamar.”

“Of course, she has been expecting you. Come in.” The two stepped into the foyer, which could upon first glance be confused for a ballroom.

“I shall go notify Ms. Maamar you have arrived,” said the butler, “Please wait here.” And then she walked away, reptilian hair swinging behind her. Ska’ols were rare on the continent but more common in coastal cities like this. The appearances of their kind varied radically, and it was said they came from two ancient humanoid races: one large and reptilian and the other more like small blue humans.

Bastanoa and Caligo observed the room above them. The goal of the fine marble, chandeliers, and potted plants which were probably exceedingly rare seemed to be to cram as much wealth as possible into a single room without technically crossing the border into tastelessness. There were kings who could walk into this place and feel poor. The thieves certainly were. Caligo fidgeted slightly in his functional clothes which no felt out of place and even Bastanoa made her visage’s leather armor slightly shinier.

The butler returned. “Ms. Maamar will see you in one of the drawing rooms,” she said, “Please follow me.” The duo did as instructed, following the butler through the intimidating halls of the mansion to the drawing room. 

It was unexpectedly lacking in opulence compared to the rest of this place, although it was large and still probably quite expensive. The floor and much of the furniture was mahogany, and the walls were occupied with either bookshelves or windows. In the center of the room were a few couches, one of which occupied a relaxed ska’ol woman with a metal goblet held in one hand. There were four other ska’ols in the room, all armed. Two of them stood behind the woman on the couch, the other two casually stood off to the side, doing a very good job giving the impression of not being important enough to notice. Caligo recognized trained bodyguards when he saw them.

“Hello!” exclaimed the woman on the couch, setting down her goblet and standing. She towered over both of them at seven feet tall. She had black hair reaching down to her waist and dark red skin, though it was dotted with patches of yellow scales. Her eyes were both yellow and reptilian, and each of her fingers ended with long iguana-like claws. Much like the room they were in, she didn’t match the opulence of the rest of the mansion. She wore a simple cream colored shirt and plain black breeches. Her left hand was decorated with… iron rings. Iron and fae magic didn’t agree. She extended her right and Caligo shook it, Bastanoa following suit a moment later.

“I’m Elody Maamar,” said the woman, “And may I take a guess that you’re the infamous Caligo and Bastanoa?”

“I don’t know about infamous,” said Bastanoa, smiling, “But I am glad that our reputation precedes us. Yours does as well, Ms. Maamar. I have great respect for you as a fellow businesswoman.”

While the two of them exchanged pleasantries, Caligo’s eyes darted around the room. Elody’s rings were iron, as was her goblet. The guards likely had steel weapons, which were almost entirely iron. The butler was staying in the room, and Caligo would be willing to bet she was armed too. The touch of iron nullified Caligo’s magic and was burning agony for Bastano. Caligo didn’t think this was a trap, at least not yet. But Elody Maamar was clearly a woman who accounted for the possibility of negotiations going south. Caligo couldn’t fault her for that, but he was still on his guard.

“Please, take a seat,” said Elody, sweeping back towards the couches. The thieves took their seats on the couch opposite her as she sat back down and picked her goblet up. Caligo sneaked a glance at Bastanoa. He looked perfectly relaxed, but Caligo knew his sibling better than that. She would be able to sense all the iron; Bastanoa was just as on guard as his brother.

“The Maamar and Dolat trading company typically refrains from resorting to magic,” said Elody, “By the insistence of my husband and co-governor Ceneric. The only arcane arts we typically use is basic communication magic. It took some convincing to get Ceneric to agree to employ the pair of you. But sometimes exceptional problems require exceptional solutions.”

“And exceptional work is what we provide,” said Bastanoa, “For exceptional pay. You know, I was rather intrigued by the mission description. Curiosity is a vice of mine, would you be so kind as to satisfy it? What is this job?”

“Oh of course,” said Elody, “Terribly sorry about all the vagueness, it’s sensitive information and my communication channels on the continent are less secure than those in the islands. I do most of my business there after all.”

“I’m surprised that an islander has her house on the continent,” said Bastanoa, “At a coastal city, true, but still.” Caligo did his best to hide his annoyance at the delay. Bastanoa liked to make people get distracted; sometimes they gave useful information when they did.

“Oh, I don’t spend most of my time here,” said Elody, “This is just my house on the coast.”

“Ah, of course,” said Bastanoa, processing the outrageous statement without so much as blinking, “It’s a lovely estate.” He considered using a touch of glamor to make Elody more talkative and less guarded, but decided against it. Best not to start the business relationship with magical manipulation. Bastanoa couldn’t read thoughts, but she was pretty good at reading people. Elody had a voice as smooth and strong as polished marble and a presence to match. Bastanoa recognized a fellow performer when he saw one; Elody’s casual air was just as false as his, and there were some minds you had to be careful about glamoring. “But pardon me for the digression, you were saying something about our assignment?”

“Ah, yes indeed. My company needs something retrieved from a remote island, recently discovered. Upon the island is a dense forest, infused with magic. This forest has ferocious protectors. No one we’ve sent onto the island has come back alive, but we need something in it.”

“But what is it?” asked Caligo.

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” admitted Elody, “It will be a small object infused with enormous amounts of magic. It will likely look… vaguely natural. A seed, a wooden idol, a lotus flower, something like that.”

“My curiosity’s hunger has only grown,” said Bastanoa, “Whyever do you need this object you know exists but know not the appearance of?”

“I’m sorry to say that information is confidential,” replied Elody, “I can only tell you what will help you complete the job.”

“Well, are you allowed to tell us about these guardians?” asked the fae.

“I can tell you what I know,” said the ska’ol, “But I did mention they killed all our agents. We know this: the animals and possibly plants of the forest are under someone’s control, and this someone doesn’t like outsiders. There is magic at work and at least one of these guardians is a human, or human-appearing. I know the task sounds daunting, but that is why we chose the pair of you.”

“What was the context in which your agents were sent?” asked Bastanoa,  “It may seem an odd question but persuasion is my specialty and it would be helpful to know what made the island inhabitants want to kill your employees.”

“The first group were sent for exploration,” said Elody, “They didn’t know if there was anyone on the island but if they had found them, they would have asked them questions to gather information about the isle. But they never came back. The second group was sent to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal that would secure us some of the island’s resources. They were, however, also equipped to eliminate potential dangers if they were met with violence. At least, we thought they were. They too failed to return. Everything we know, we know from what was observed through a telescope in a ship near the island.”

“Any other details to share?” asked Caligo.

“We will provide transport to the island,” answered Elody, “As well as the supplies for the journey and protection as long as you are on the ship. You should be back on the continent by three weeks after departure.”

“Splendid,” said Bastanoa, “May we have a moment to privately confer?”

“Of course,” said Elody. The pair stood and left the room. They stopped just beyond the closed door. With a flick of her hand, Bastanoa wreathed a thin glamor around them so they couldn't be heard by any eavesdroppers.

“Before you say anything,” said Bastanoa, “May I please remind you: fifteen million dollars.”

“We are being sent to an island full of violent beasts and who knows what else to retrieve something, although we have no clue what that something is.” Caligo paused. “Well, we have a clue,” he amended, “Small and wooden or natural-looking. Which narrows it down to almost everything in a damn forest.”

“She also said it would be brimming with magic,” said Bastanoa, “It will probably give off some indicator of that, glowing or the like. And even if it doesn’t, we’re the children of a fae queen. We should be able to sense a magical artifact when we’re touching it. Besides, it will probably be guarded. If you’re trying to figure out where someone keeps their precious gemstones, it’s a good idea to check their vaults.”

At the mention of their mother, Caligo’s eyes widened slightly. “We’re supposed to see  mother next week. If we take the job, we won’t be able to make it.”

“So we visit her early, before we leave,” said Bastanoa, “At worst, we promise her that we’ll visit again after we come back. Come on, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Think of it: an adventure in the isles! Braving impossible odds, charming and sneaking our way past deadly monsters, and getting paid excessive amounts of money to do it.”

“I don’t like going in on so little information,” said Caligo, “This many unknowns is dangerous.”

“If we didn’t have a taste for danger, we wouldn’t be in this line of work,” said Bastanoa, “I agree that it’s risky and there’s lots to be suspicious of. We will have to be smart about this but fortunately for us, we are smart.”

Caligo looked up and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, thinking. Then he said, “Alright. But be careful. And do not trust Elody.”

Bastanoa snorted. “Oh obviously not,” he said, “That’s a woman who climbed over bodies to get where she is if I’ve ever seen one. She reminds me a little of the Seelie queen.”

Caligo suppressed a shudder. That woman had scared him to the bone. The comparison between her and their soon to be employer was far from comforting. “Let’s go and seal the deal then,” he said.

The thieves walked back into the room where Elody was continuing to drink her wine without a care in the world. “You have a deal,” said Bastanoa, “One magical artifact for fifteen million continental dollars.”

“A bargain if ever I heard one,” said Elody, standing. “Shall we shake on it?” Again, she extended her non-ringed hand.

“No contract?” Caligo asked. He’d expected it from a businesswoman.

“Sometimes recording things is more trouble than it’s worth,” said Elody, withdrawing her hand to dismissively wave it through the air, “Which reminds me: this did not actually happen. The Maamar and Dolat Trading Company of course does not associate with criminals, especially faery ones.”

“Naturally,” said Bastanoa.

Elody extended her hand again. Bastanoa looked at Caligo who after a moment gave a small sigh and nodded. The faery took the hand and shook it. She was almost disappointed that there were no dancing shadows or glowing runes. When you grew up among faeries, you came to expect these things.

“Will you be ready to leave by tomorrow morning?” Elody asked.

“We should,” said Caligo.

“Fabulous,” said Elody, “I’ll meet you at the docks then. I look forward to our business together.”

Caligo nodded and stood. A shadow portal opened in the middle of the room and he stepped through, Bastanoa following behind him.

Elody Maamar watched it close, taking a sip of her wine. She pulled a runed circular stone out of her pocket and said aloud “Loqui.” At the command word, the complex sigil on the stone flared with light. 

“Well?” asked a gravelly voice originating from the stone, “Did they take the job?” 

“That they did, pet,” said Elody, “They’re setting off tomorrow morning.”

There was a moment of silence. Then the voice from the stone said, “You know that I don’t like this, love. You know I don’t like all this magic.”

“How do you think we’re talking right now, pet?” Elody, bemused.

“That’s different!” snapped the voice, “Quite different. Using reliable and simple communication magic is not the same as all this… devils and faeries and haunted woods.”

“Well, hopefully we won’t ever have to deal with any of them after this. Well, for the most part. And ideally, they all kill each other.” Elody finished her wine and set the goblet back down.

“Working with that thing and its pet I understand the necessity of. But these two? I don’t like introducing new elements like them to the mess when it isn’t needed. Don’t like it at all.”

“We don’t need them,” Elody conceded, “But they’re quite convenient. Worst case scenario they’re killed before they can get it to us and we won’t have to pay them. There’s one and a half fewer faeries in the world, we’ve wasted a few days, no great tragedy.”

A sigh sounded from the speaking stone. “Fine,” said the voice, “I trust you as always, love. But if they become difficult, they get to join all the other faeries who’ve come to our seas.”

“Obviously, pet,” said Elody, “The island will be ours before you know it. Till next we speak, my dear Ceneric.”

“Till then, love. Silentium.” At the command word, the light from the rune switched off. Elody put it back in her pocket. Business was good.