quietly.
Ian’s face was impassive. “I am. Does that bother you?”
Millie chewed her lip. “No. He was mean and he didn’t pay me much. But, I didn’t have much choice, my family needed the money. He only fired me because his nephew can legally become his apprentice now. He didn’t care one bit that losing my job would hurt us. And he always called me such bad names.”
Then, to my surprise, Millie ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you!”
Ian stared at me over the girls head looking dumbstruck. He obviously didn’t have much experience with emotional teenage girls. I laughed and made a hugging motion with my arms. I nearly laughed out loud when Ian mimicked the motions, stiffly patting Millie on the back.
After a long moment Millie backed away, her face flushed. “Thank you both. I didn’t know how I was gonna tell Mama and Papa I was fired. But knowing I can take my test and knowing Mr. Fegley will get what’s coming to him will make it easier.”
Then she turned and ran down the street.
As soon as she was out of earshot, I let the pent up laughter fly. Ian still looked a little bit in shock.
“What are you laughing at?” he asked indignantly.
“You! Big bad Master Necromancer scared of a grateful little girl!” I hooted.
“I was not afraid. She just caught me off guard. Now, can we please get on with this? I have a class in less than an hour.”
I forced myself to stop laughing and compose myself. “Okay. What do you think this was?”
“I’m still not sure.” If he did have an idea, his face gave nothing away.
“Well, I have an idea. It sounds like a necromancer messing around.”
His face remained impassive, but his voice held a sharp edge when he said, “This was not a necromancer.”
I had my doubts, but I wasn’t up to arguing with him. I was exhausted and still encrusted with dried mud. I wanted to get home. Besides, I’d only been dispatched to witness the questioning and give a report to Sam. This was not officially my case. “Fine. Good day to you, Ian.”
“Don’t you want a ride back to the Blade building?” Ian asked. They were still standing in the alley way opposite from where they came in.
“No need. I’ll scry Sam with my report.” I waved my hand at the street behind me. “I’m not far from home.”
“Ahh, yes. You live above a bar. I’d almost forgotten.” Ian said.
Almost forgotten? How did he know in the first place? No matter. “Well, Pinky likes to call it a pub, but yes. I do. I’ve been up for about 23 hours now, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to head there now.”
“Of course.” His voice was stiff and formal again. “Good day, Fiona.”
“Good day,” I said again. I turned and headed down the street, completely aware he watched me until I disappeared into my building.
SIX
FIONA
Pinky often told me that in two centuries, with all that had changed in the world, Broadway was much the same as it had been before the Cataclysm. Back then it had been a row of mostly bars and restaurants with live entertainment with a few shops mingled in. Now there were a few restaurants and shops and mostly bars that catered to paranorms, most specifically Vampires. Most of the buildings that had more than one floor also housed apartments, or in the case of most of the bars, had become inns to accommodate travelers. To me, Broadway was home.
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t live over Pinky’s Pub, though there was one. There had been a small yellow house with a white fence covered with flowers and a vegetable garden. Or so my mother had told me. She had met my father, a first generation mage, at the Academy of Magic and Science. My father came from a wealthy norm family from New Nashville. My mother had grown up the daughter of mages in the magic district of Nash City. The District, with its dirty old buildings converted into apartments it was considered only barely a step above the Slums.
They were
Ian’s face was impassive. “I am. Does that bother you?”
Millie chewed her lip. “No. He was mean and he didn’t pay me much. But, I didn’t have much choice, my family needed the money. He only fired me because his nephew can legally become his apprentice now. He didn’t care one bit that losing my job would hurt us. And he always called me such bad names.”
Then, to my surprise, Millie ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you!”
Ian stared at me over the girls head looking dumbstruck. He obviously didn’t have much experience with emotional teenage girls. I laughed and made a hugging motion with my arms. I nearly laughed out loud when Ian mimicked the motions, stiffly patting Millie on the back.
After a long moment Millie backed away, her face flushed. “Thank you both. I didn’t know how I was gonna tell Mama and Papa I was fired. But knowing I can take my test and knowing Mr. Fegley will get what’s coming to him will make it easier.”
Then she turned and ran down the street.
As soon as she was out of earshot, I let the pent up laughter fly. Ian still looked a little bit in shock.
“What are you laughing at?” he asked indignantly.
“You! Big bad Master Necromancer scared of a grateful little girl!” I hooted.
“I was not afraid. She just caught me off guard. Now, can we please get on with this? I have a class in less than an hour.”
I forced myself to stop laughing and compose myself. “Okay. What do you think this was?”
“I’m still not sure.” If he did have an idea, his face gave nothing away.
“Well, I have an idea. It sounds like a necromancer messing around.”
His face remained impassive, but his voice held a sharp edge when he said, “This was not a necromancer.”
I had my doubts, but I wasn’t up to arguing with him. I was exhausted and still encrusted with dried mud. I wanted to get home. Besides, I’d only been dispatched to witness the questioning and give a report to Sam. This was not officially my case. “Fine. Good day to you, Ian.”
“Don’t you want a ride back to the Blade building?” Ian asked. They were still standing in the alley way opposite from where they came in.
“No need. I’ll scry Sam with my report.” I waved my hand at the street behind me. “I’m not far from home.”
“Ahh, yes. You live above a bar. I’d almost forgotten.” Ian said.
Almost forgotten? How did he know in the first place? No matter. “Well, Pinky likes to call it a pub, but yes. I do. I’ve been up for about 23 hours now, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to head there now.”
“Of course.” His voice was stiff and formal again. “Good day, Fiona.”
“Good day,” I said again. I turned and headed down the street, completely aware he watched me until I disappeared into my building.
SIX
FIONA
Pinky often told me that in two centuries, with all that had changed in the world, Broadway was much the same as it had been before the Cataclysm. Back then it had been a row of mostly bars and restaurants with live entertainment with a few shops mingled in. Now there were a few restaurants and shops and mostly bars that catered to paranorms, most specifically Vampires. Most of the buildings that had more than one floor also housed apartments, or in the case of most of the bars, had become inns to accommodate travelers. To me, Broadway was home.
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t live over Pinky’s Pub, though there was one. There had been a small yellow house with a white fence covered with flowers and a vegetable garden. Or so my mother had told me. She had met my father, a first generation mage, at the Academy of Magic and Science. My father came from a wealthy norm family from New Nashville. My mother had grown up the daughter of mages in the magic district of Nash City. The District, with its dirty old buildings converted into apartments it was considered only barely a step above the Slums.
They were
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