“It’ll have to be. If you can’t keep it suppressed, it’ll breach the aura mask. So will using any essence abilities.”

“That’s fine,” Jason said. “It’s just an extra precaution that Clive suggested.”

“Our quarry is cautious and resourceful,” Clive said.

“Probably best not to share any unnecessary details,” Jason said to Clive.

“He’s right,” Jory said. “I can’t spill porridge that’s not in my bowl. I can have that for you tomorrow, or tonight if you’re really in a rush.”

“Tomorrow is fine,” Clive said.

“We’ll let you get back to it,” Jason said. “How are those church of the Healer people working out?”

“Fantastic,” Jory said. “Mostly it’s been Donal, and he’s terrific. It’s like having you on full-time, without the ominous overtones. Oh, before you go; Norwich loved that barbeque you had. It drummed him up a whole lot of business. He wanted me to ask you if you had any interest in doing it on the regular. Your connections, his booze.”

“Norwich?” Clive asked. “Was he the guy running the bar?”

“That’s right,” Jory said. “He has a distillery a couple of streets over.”

“It’s not a terrible idea,” Jason said. “I’m a little busy just right now, but tell him I’m interested.”

* * *

A wagon was making its way through the streets of the Island. It had no animals pulling it; it was being driven by magic. There was a driver, plus another man next to him on the driver’s bench. In the early afternoon, there were people out and about. It remained uncrowded, though, with the wide streets and generous footpaths. The men on the wagon didn't even glance as it rolled past a young woman with short hair, wearing a light jacket over a dress decorated with dark flowers.

After the wagon passed her by, Belinda opened her jacket to look at the crystal plate sewn into it. It showed the aura of the wagon’s dimensional-storage crates and the normal-rank auras of the two men riding it. She took a small tube from her jacket pocket, holding it vertically as she peeled a paper cap off the top. She felt a blast of heat and air, but the magical flare would be invisible and silent to anyone without a special viewing item or certain essence abilities.

Another of the Island’s streets had a row of trees planted down the middle of the two-lane thoroughfare. Sophie had been hidden in the upper branches of one of the trees since before dawn. She was dressed in shades of dark green to blend into the foliage. The clothing was the ideal balance of fitted and loose to provide optimum mobility, but their protective value suffered somewhat.