into contact, it’s too late for that sort of behavior. We should share what resources we have available, if you are, in fact, working for the same people that I am.”
“Would either of you tell me who you’re talking about?” the masked man asked them. He was still using an outrageously deep voice. Jonan found it adorably pretentious.
“No,” the sorceress replied.
“Not really,” Jonan said, shaking his head.
When Jonan had been given his assignment, he had been told that there was a single other person affiliated with his organization in the city. His instructions had been to communicate with this contact by trading information through anonymous notes, but he had explicit orders not to determine his contact’s identity.
For that reason, he had started looking for his contact’s identity immediately, but thus far he hadn’t had any luck. When he had discovered that the bearer of the Sae’kes had been imprisoned, he had immediately reported that information to his contact. The sorceress’ actions implied that she might be acting on the information he had provided. He considered asking her questions based on the notes he had sent to his contact, but he decided that might be playing his hand too quickly.
Jonan turned back to the masked man. “Sorry, friend, but you haven’t even told me your real name.”
The masked man scoffed. “Any names we give one another are pointless until a level of trust is established.”
Jonan put a hand over his chest, trying to look wounded by the point. “You do not trust me? I have guided you to the safety of my home, at great personal risk.”
“We seem to be at an impasse.” The woman leaned back against one of the tables behind her, pushing an unfinished mirror on top of it aside to make herself comfortable. “Fine. I’m not in the mood for riddles and games. I am Lydia, and I am a court sorcerer for Queen Regent Tylan. This man,” she said, gesturing to Taelien, “Is Volar, my apprentice.”
“Let me stop you there,” Jonan said, turning to sit side-ways in his chair and address Lydia. “I already know that this man is a prisoner, and that you’re helping him escape. I was planning to break him out myself, but you got to him first.”
Lydia pushed her glasses up further on her nose. “That is quite an accusation you’ve made.”
“Again, there’s no need for these pretenses. I will hide you until morning, at which point you can safely escape the city.” He gestured to the next room, which contained the staircase, though it was currently obscured from his sight by a half-closed door. “I regret that I only purchased male clothing, as I did not anticipate your involvement.”
Lydia glanced at her masked companion, and then back to Jonan. “How did you discover us?”
“I am a practitioner of sight sorcery,” Jonan admitted. “As I’m certain you noted from my attempt to follow you invisibly. I have been monitoring the comings and goings at the palace as best I could. When I saw the bearer of the sacred blade captured, I could not stand idly by and allow him to be harmed.”
Jonan glanced back to the masked figure, but the other man just stared at him, his expression unreadable with the mask. It was somewhat disconcerting.
“All right,” Lydia said. “Stand up. We’re going to take a look around this place and make sure you don’t have any friends listening in on us. When I’m satisfied we’re alone, we’ll talk further.”
The ensuing tour of the house took a few tense minutes. The house was particularly large by Jonan’s standards – he never could have afforded such a home on his own. The entrance chamber was cluttered with tables where he worked on various glasswork projects, such as mirrors, windows, and spectacles. The kitchen was directly across from the entrance, the majority of its brown wooden cabinets empty, but a few of them containing useful food or other more obscure supplies.
On the right side of the main room,
“Would either of you tell me who you’re talking about?” the masked man asked them. He was still using an outrageously deep voice. Jonan found it adorably pretentious.
“No,” the sorceress replied.
“Not really,” Jonan said, shaking his head.
When Jonan had been given his assignment, he had been told that there was a single other person affiliated with his organization in the city. His instructions had been to communicate with this contact by trading information through anonymous notes, but he had explicit orders not to determine his contact’s identity.
For that reason, he had started looking for his contact’s identity immediately, but thus far he hadn’t had any luck. When he had discovered that the bearer of the Sae’kes had been imprisoned, he had immediately reported that information to his contact. The sorceress’ actions implied that she might be acting on the information he had provided. He considered asking her questions based on the notes he had sent to his contact, but he decided that might be playing his hand too quickly.
Jonan turned back to the masked man. “Sorry, friend, but you haven’t even told me your real name.”
The masked man scoffed. “Any names we give one another are pointless until a level of trust is established.”
Jonan put a hand over his chest, trying to look wounded by the point. “You do not trust me? I have guided you to the safety of my home, at great personal risk.”
“We seem to be at an impasse.” The woman leaned back against one of the tables behind her, pushing an unfinished mirror on top of it aside to make herself comfortable. “Fine. I’m not in the mood for riddles and games. I am Lydia, and I am a court sorcerer for Queen Regent Tylan. This man,” she said, gesturing to Taelien, “Is Volar, my apprentice.”
“Let me stop you there,” Jonan said, turning to sit side-ways in his chair and address Lydia. “I already know that this man is a prisoner, and that you’re helping him escape. I was planning to break him out myself, but you got to him first.”
Lydia pushed her glasses up further on her nose. “That is quite an accusation you’ve made.”
“Again, there’s no need for these pretenses. I will hide you until morning, at which point you can safely escape the city.” He gestured to the next room, which contained the staircase, though it was currently obscured from his sight by a half-closed door. “I regret that I only purchased male clothing, as I did not anticipate your involvement.”
Lydia glanced at her masked companion, and then back to Jonan. “How did you discover us?”
“I am a practitioner of sight sorcery,” Jonan admitted. “As I’m certain you noted from my attempt to follow you invisibly. I have been monitoring the comings and goings at the palace as best I could. When I saw the bearer of the sacred blade captured, I could not stand idly by and allow him to be harmed.”
Jonan glanced back to the masked figure, but the other man just stared at him, his expression unreadable with the mask. It was somewhat disconcerting.
“All right,” Lydia said. “Stand up. We’re going to take a look around this place and make sure you don’t have any friends listening in on us. When I’m satisfied we’re alone, we’ll talk further.”
The ensuing tour of the house took a few tense minutes. The house was particularly large by Jonan’s standards – he never could have afforded such a home on his own. The entrance chamber was cluttered with tables where he worked on various glasswork projects, such as mirrors, windows, and spectacles. The kitchen was directly across from the entrance, the majority of its brown wooden cabinets empty, but a few of them containing useful food or other more obscure supplies.
On the right side of the main room,
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