tried to keep up. Kail was up ahead, checking each corner before they passed. “I’m not magical!”
“Your team has enough magic in it to take out the average town guard or team of justicars.”
“But they’re military.” Loch chewed on it, still jogging. “They answer to the Voyancy, and Bertram was on my side not a half hour ago.”
“I’m guessing someone doesn’t much care what Bertram wants, then.”
Loch looked over at Pyvic. “Wonderful timing, by the way.”
He shook his head. “Would’ve been here sooner, but I had to deal with getting you cleared for departure. Dumb luck I heard about the intel request and got tipped they were coming for you.”
She shot him a smile. “Thanks.”
He didn’t smile back. “I want to help.”
They crossed a plaza, prompting startled glances and delighted screams from the children at the sight of a unicorn. “You can do more up here at Heaven’s Spire than down there breaking laws with me.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to need intel.”
“I know.”
“You don’t need to get yourself arrested or killed out of some kind of . . .” She broke off. “You know.”
“I hate this,” he said, panting now. He’d burst into the kahva-house at a run to get them out the back to safety. He’d likely run all the way from the justicar station. “Bertram’s setting you up.”
“Looks that way. Got a better idea?”
“Find out what’s so damn important about The Love Song of Eillenfiniel,” Pyvic said without missing a beat. “Nobody would go to war over a single work of art.”
“Probably easier if I find the book first.”
“I might be able to help with that, too.”
The group reached the cargo docks where Kail had docked the airship. Hessler and Tern had cleared them there instead of at the passenger docks in hopes of avoiding attention. At this time of day, it was busy, with shirtless sweating workers loading crates onto massive cargo freighters. Pallets of crates that had just been unloaded were lashed down. A daemon-powered crane picked the pallets up with a great hook and lowered them gently into wagons, where they could be driven to warehouses. Their little passenger airship, a quarter the size of the freighters, stood out like a nightgown in an armory.
Loch stopped by the great domed hangar that offered airships protection from the elements when they weren’t in use. Everyone else was still with her, although Hessler had gone from red to white and would likely pass out if asked to do anything more strenuous than walking. Ululenia returned to human form and cupped his head gently, presumably using magic to help.
“If you like, I can suggest cardiovascular exercises to improve your endurance,” Icy said.
“I’m . . . fine . . . just . . .” Hessler wheezed a little. “Never . . . liked . . . running.”
“Kail, Tern, get us cleared to depart,” Loch ordered. “Icy, Ululenia, make sure the Knights of gods-damned Gedesar aren’t already behind us. Hessler . . . breathe. Pyvic, the book?”
As the others headed off, Pyvic jerked his chin at the registry house. “All departing ships have to state a destination. It’s the same for every major port in the Republic. Let me pull out the Justicar Captain badge and wave it around a little.”
Loch nodded gratefully, and Pyvic jogged off. The dockworkers were giving her group funny looks, and Kail and Tern were dealing with several large and angry men who were apparently unhappy that a small passenger airship had been occupying a prime cargo dock for the past several hours. As Kail seemed to have the matter in hand, Loch let them deal with it.
“Hessler,” she said, and he looked up at her, some color finally back in his cheeks.
“Sorry. Exercise makes me perspire, and—”
“Listen. I need you to do something for me.”
Hessler pulled himself as close to upright as he ever got. “Name it.”
“Pyvic thinks there’s something important about The Love Song of
“Your team has enough magic in it to take out the average town guard or team of justicars.”
“But they’re military.” Loch chewed on it, still jogging. “They answer to the Voyancy, and Bertram was on my side not a half hour ago.”
“I’m guessing someone doesn’t much care what Bertram wants, then.”
Loch looked over at Pyvic. “Wonderful timing, by the way.”
He shook his head. “Would’ve been here sooner, but I had to deal with getting you cleared for departure. Dumb luck I heard about the intel request and got tipped they were coming for you.”
She shot him a smile. “Thanks.”
He didn’t smile back. “I want to help.”
They crossed a plaza, prompting startled glances and delighted screams from the children at the sight of a unicorn. “You can do more up here at Heaven’s Spire than down there breaking laws with me.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to need intel.”
“I know.”
“You don’t need to get yourself arrested or killed out of some kind of . . .” She broke off. “You know.”
“I hate this,” he said, panting now. He’d burst into the kahva-house at a run to get them out the back to safety. He’d likely run all the way from the justicar station. “Bertram’s setting you up.”
“Looks that way. Got a better idea?”
“Find out what’s so damn important about The Love Song of Eillenfiniel,” Pyvic said without missing a beat. “Nobody would go to war over a single work of art.”
“Probably easier if I find the book first.”
“I might be able to help with that, too.”
The group reached the cargo docks where Kail had docked the airship. Hessler and Tern had cleared them there instead of at the passenger docks in hopes of avoiding attention. At this time of day, it was busy, with shirtless sweating workers loading crates onto massive cargo freighters. Pallets of crates that had just been unloaded were lashed down. A daemon-powered crane picked the pallets up with a great hook and lowered them gently into wagons, where they could be driven to warehouses. Their little passenger airship, a quarter the size of the freighters, stood out like a nightgown in an armory.
Loch stopped by the great domed hangar that offered airships protection from the elements when they weren’t in use. Everyone else was still with her, although Hessler had gone from red to white and would likely pass out if asked to do anything more strenuous than walking. Ululenia returned to human form and cupped his head gently, presumably using magic to help.
“If you like, I can suggest cardiovascular exercises to improve your endurance,” Icy said.
“I’m . . . fine . . . just . . .” Hessler wheezed a little. “Never . . . liked . . . running.”
“Kail, Tern, get us cleared to depart,” Loch ordered. “Icy, Ululenia, make sure the Knights of gods-damned Gedesar aren’t already behind us. Hessler . . . breathe. Pyvic, the book?”
As the others headed off, Pyvic jerked his chin at the registry house. “All departing ships have to state a destination. It’s the same for every major port in the Republic. Let me pull out the Justicar Captain badge and wave it around a little.”
Loch nodded gratefully, and Pyvic jogged off. The dockworkers were giving her group funny looks, and Kail and Tern were dealing with several large and angry men who were apparently unhappy that a small passenger airship had been occupying a prime cargo dock for the past several hours. As Kail seemed to have the matter in hand, Loch let them deal with it.
“Hessler,” she said, and he looked up at her, some color finally back in his cheeks.
“Sorry. Exercise makes me perspire, and—”
“Listen. I need you to do something for me.”
Hessler pulled himself as close to upright as he ever got. “Name it.”
“Pyvic thinks there’s something important about The Love Song of
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