“Well, if that’s the case, you’ll need to let the Chief Mage know,” Fenris said. “After all, the invitations must go out at least six months early. To send them later would be an insult.”

I rolled my eyes at that. All these rules! “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Yes,” Fenris said, his lips twitching as he sensed my annoyance. “Since the ceremony is magically binding, it will be conducted in Loranian. So you’ll need to improve significantly.” His smile widened when I groaned. “Thankfully for you, Iannis has instructed me to tutor you in Loranian for at least two hours a day,” he added in mindspeak. “So you should be more than prepared.”

“Just great,” I muttered, tucking the primer Janta had given me into my leather jacket. “Thanks so much for your advice, Miss Urama. Please let me know if you have any other helpful information for me.”

“I will,” Janta said, her eyes twinkling knowingly. I strongly suspected that she knew of my desire to keep Fenris in the dark about my true purpose for being in the library, and I made a mental note to send her fancy chocolates or something—the woman was a true godsend.

“I’ll see you later,” I told Fenris as I headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To Witches End,” I called over my shoulder as I left. I had time to kill before my lesson with Iannis, and I wanted to check in with Comenius. Hopefully, he would have news from Annia and Elnos. I hadn’t forgotten my promise to help them ensure Noria’s safety, and it was about time I made strides toward that end.

3

I rode my new steambike down to Witches End, enjoying the freedom of having steampower beneath my legs once more. No, it wasn’t the steambike I’d lost in Turain, the one I’d scraped and saved to own, but it was an engagement gift from Iannis, and it was pretty fucking cool. The machine belched a hell of a lot less smog, making the ride cooler and more pleasant, the seat was made of smooth, custom calf leather, and there were strong protection spells laid into it that would activate if someone tried to attack me.

I’d tested the spell myself by lobbing a fireball at the bike to see what would happen. It had deflected the threat easily, and nearly singed my eyebrows off in the process. I wondered if there was a way to make the bike absorb attacks rather than deflect them, so innocent bystanders weren’t harmed. Perhaps I would ask Iannis during my lesson this afternoon.