Advent (Advent Mage Cycle) by Honor Raconteur Page A

week or so. By the time this letter reaches you, I think we’ll be ready to resume our mission in Chahir. Come get us, won’t you? I don’t want to wade in mud all the way to Del’Hain.
    There’s a huge open courtyard in front of Headquarters in Ascalon. Come up there. I’ve left word to be expecting you.
     
    De Xiaolang
     
    I smiled with relief when I realized nothing was wrong. He just wanted a ride.
    “Xiaolang is ready to resume the mission in Chahir,” I reported to Haben.
    “I expected that to happen soon.” He nodded without any surprise. “I’ll update Guin when I find him. Go, Garth.”
    I was half out of my chair when I realized there was one thing I needed to know. “Do you know where Chatta is, by any chance?”
    “No idea, why?”
    “I was hoping you’d be able to save me the time of tracking her down,” I admitted with a wry shrug. “But that’s all right. I’ll see you later, Haben.”
    Haben just waved me out, his mind already switching to other matters.
    As I walked down the Palace hallway, I considered the best way of finding my friend. Chatta and I hadn’t been able to see much of each other over the past four months, considering that I was out and about most of the time. We’d tried to keep track of each other by mirror communication, though.
    Wait, that was a good idea…where was that mirror broach? I paused in my tracks, searching my pockets until I finally located it. Very softly—I was always paranoid about cracking the thing—I touched the surface with a bit of power.
    “Chatta?”
    “ Garth! I haven’t heard from you in a few days. Are you back in Del’Hain finally?”
    What was with the “finally?” You’d think I’d been gone for months instead of weeks. “Yes, I’m back. Where are you?”
    From the other end, there was a frustrated growl. “ Stuck doing something for the Trasdee Evondit Orra.”
    I wasn’t sure if it was safe to ask for details. “Ah. Well, I just got a letter from Xiaolang. He wants me to come and pick up the team.”
    “Now, I suppose. All right. Come get me after you’ve gotten them. I should be done by tonight.”
    “Understood. I’ll fill you in on everything when I come back to get you. Do me one favor while I’m gone?”
    “ Certainly, what?”
    “Make a copy of the Index for me. I think we’re going to find it very handy when we go back into Chahir.”
    There was a digestive pause. “ You’ve figured something out, haven’t you? I can hear it in that smug tone of yours.”
    “Yes,” I agreed. “I’ve figured something out. I promise to tell you later.”
    “You’d better. All right, I’ll make a copy. Anything else?”
    “No, not now. I’ll see you tonight.”
    “ Right. Have a safe trip up.”
    I put the broach back into my pocket as I headed for Trev’nor’s apartment again. I needed to pick up a certain nreesce before we could go up to Ascalon.
     

     

Chapter Four: Preparation
     
    I had never been as far north as the Empire of Sol before. Even when I dropped Xiaolang and the Red Hand off last fall, he had me deliver them to Q’atal. He claimed that having a Mage suddenly pop out of the ground without any warning would give Ascalon Security a heart attack. This time, however, I was expected. I went the straight and easy route—not to mention the fastest.
    In his letter to me he had directed me to come up in the main courtyard of Headquarters, supposedly a mostly deserted place that would give me room to arrive in. Despite all of the precautions, there were still people who jumped, screamed, and scrambled over each other when I popped out of the ground, the earth melting away from me, sloughing off in all directions. I stared around me, heaving a resigned sigh. Really, was it that strange? Did I look like some sort of ghoul?
    “I thought Xiaolang warned them about this,” I complained to Night.
    “ Maybe they didn’t take him seriously, ” Night suggested casually. He seemed to find grown adults