Free Magic (complete)

Chapter 29

Jak couldn't sleep. Now that everything at Whitethorn had been settled, he was consumed by the girl who robbed him. He ingrained every memory of her into his head. Her face, her silhouette, her accent. Every item in his pack, even her brand of lies. She was practiced at using her small defenseless appearance, and Jak was willing to bet he wasn't the only one looking for her. The underbelly of Dhalvnais, capital of Unays was easy to maneuver and his chances of finding her were good. They say Unays runs on two things, gossip and coin. Jak had both, and was ready to use it to the best of his ability.

Eventually he gave up on rest, and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It was the names of Hughes's household. The missing journal still ate at him, but he wondered if it ate at Anders more.

"Maybe I should let him see this." Jak mumbled. After all, he could be in Dhalvnais months chasing down his thief, if she was there at all. Anders might just want to pursue this first.

He shoved his boots on his feet and took his pack with him. He still had to wear his eye patch, but he was finally getting used to it. He hated how it made him look, but the sight of all the magic in town turned his belly. It was still early, but Anders was not likely to sleep in today of all days. Jak took an apple from a cart on the corner on his way down the main road. The town was still lively with visitors and every inn yard he passed was a bustle of activity with travelers packing to get an early start on the road.

Jak left town and walked lazily towards Whitethorn. He had been afforded a lot of perks in his association with Harlow, and today was probably the last day he could make use of his free access to the keep. The usual morning watch nodded him in.

"Here to see Magister ga Harleurngin?" The gangly young watchman asked.

"Here on business with Anders Black." Jak replied.

"You and everyone else in Selstad." The other guard grumbled.

"Is that right?" Jak grinned. He saw it in every country when the tests happen. Scholars, nobles, and the ruling classes clamored over the most powerful and knowledgeable mages. Anders would be no different, and if Jak had to guess, his most desperate recruiters would be the army. With the destructive capability of lightning, and the militant nature of Selstad, the one to recruit the country's youngest black mage would be sure to get a promotion.

Jak climbed the stairs grinning. He heard the commotion before he rounded the last corner.

"This is the last time I'm going to tell you people to leave me alone!" Anders's fury was evident on his face, and everyone in the hall around his door backed up a step when the mage's anger crackled down his body in sparks.

"Have you no sense of patriotism?" A gruff looking soldier demanded.

"The pay at my master's estates would be beyond anything you've seen before!" A young man promised.

"The royal university would offer you a grand workroom, your own staff!" A woman in robes insisted.

Anders spotted Jak and ducked into his room for a moment, slinging a bag over his shoulder. Jak laughed down the hall, holding his stomach while the recruiters glared at him.

"Let me through." Anders growled. He pushed through the people around his room and towards Jak. The mob followed him offering bribes and promising important work.

"You lot are courting the wrong mage." Jak called as Anders passed him into the stairwell. "This one's headed out of Selstad and likely not looking back."

"Did you need something?" Anders grumbled. Jak followed him, but so did the crowd.

"Aye, got something that might be of interest but we shouldn't talk about it here." Jak wiped the tears of laughter from under his eye patch.