Wizard of Jatte by Rowan Erlking (ereader ebook .TXT) 📖

Milrina think about it just in case Theissen’s cousin’s own shock had blocked any memories of any enemies that she didn’t already know of.

Shaking her head again, Milrina closed her eyes. “No. Nobody but the magician.”

Tippany looked ready to collapse. She slumped her shoulders the same way Theissen did when he was tired. “Do you know of any friends he has that might be able to help us?”

Milrina stared at her, yet nodded, wiping her face. “That Westhavener and the magister he writes—Jonis.”

Looking up, Tippany said, “Yeah, he told me about him.” She turned to Dobbis. “Doesn’t he have a red envelope he uses to contact that magister with?”

Dobbis shrugged. “I don’t have a clue. Theobold mostly dealt with that Westhavener. We didn’t have anything to do with his magic dealings.”

But Tippany nodded to herself. “We could write that Jonis, and then seek out this Westhavener.” She turned toward Milrina. “Where can we find that man?”

Wiping her eyes, rising, Milrina replied, “The docks. The Westhaven docks. It’s down the coast near the food pier.” Milrina stared at the ground again, sniffing. “But Theissen is already dead.”

Tippany grabbed Milrina’s blouse, shaking it. “Until I see his body, Theissen is still alive. Got it?”

Staring up at her again, Milrina nodded.

“Good. You are coming with us to the docks. Get a coat.” Tippany marched back through the door, going straight to the curb where the carriage driver was waiting.

Dobbis followed. It took a bit of urging to get Milrina to move with him. Milrina seemed frozen in disbelief, but finally she sniffed, going for her coat as ordered.

They were just about to climb into the carriage when the merchant came back with a man in tow. It was Korgin.

Tippany jumped out of the carriage, ran up to him, and slapped him.

“Where is your thug? That creep Migdrin!”

Korgin pulled back, glaring. “I came here as a favor. How dare you assault me?”

“I want to know where that man who hates the wizard is at!” Tippany shouted. Her face was now a furious shade of white. “You should know!”

“Well,” Korgin straightened out his own clothes, taking another step back from her, “I don’t know. He ran off after that last confrontation. I haven’t seen him since.”

“Tippany, he’s telling the truth. I asked around this past month,” her father the merchant said.

“You asked around?” She stared at him.

He gave her a gentle smile. “I wanted to make sure my daughter’s potential suitor wasn’t going to get murdered before his wedding day.”

Tears formed in her eyes. She hung her head and bit her lip. “Daddy—”

“It’s ok.” The merchant reached for her, letting Korgin go, though the man just stood back and smirked at them as if the entire situation was amusing. The merchant wrapped his arm around his daughter. “I was just hoping for you. That’s all.”

She started to cry.

“He’s a good man. Go find him.” After a warm squeeze, the merchant released Tippany with an urging push towards the carriage.

Taking his urging as a wish that she hurry, Tippany rushed back to the carriage, climbing on. “To the wizard’s tower.”

The driver nodded and snapped his reins. The horse jerked forward with a start, pulling their carriage back up the hill.

As soon as they arrived at the tower, Tippany ran upstairs to Theissen’s room to look for the red envelope. It wasn’t there. But then she also saw his pen on the desk with the inkbottle still out and a few sheets of paper out of order.

“He already used it,” she murmured aloud.

Stepping back from the desk, she clenched her arms across herself, thinking hard as to what to do next. Turning, her eye caught on the box on the writing desk next to the somewhat bloody teacup. With a shudder, she ran from the room and back down the stairs.

Dobbis stood with Milrina and Manda, reading off the list. Manda turned when she saw Tippany.

“Well? Did you get the envelope?” Manda asked expectantly.

Tippany shook her head. Then she looked down at Manda. “Did you go to the magicians’ yet?”

Manda shook her head. “They’re out. We picked the lock to their house, but there was no sign of the wizard there. It could be that they dragged him out as soon as they snatched him. Or he could be stashed someplace where no one could find him.”

“You mean like that bottomless pit he talked about in the foreign offices building?” Dobbis asked. Sweat beaded all over his flushed face.

Nodding, Manda frowned. “He could break out the prison on his own, but if he were dropped into that pit—”

“Stop it!” Tippany grabbed hold of Milrina who had begun to cry again, glaring at them. “Theissen is stronger than that!”

Dobbis shook his head at her. “He doesn’t have wings. He can’t use his magic to fly. He couldn’t even stop that plant from grabbing him.”

“For all we know, he could be dead and buried,” Manda said.

With a glare that seared, Tippany pulled Milrina with her towards the doors. “I’m going to find him. Milrina, you are going to take me to that Westhavener. As for you two! If you dare give up on him—”

But she didn’t finish her threat. The merchant’s daughter who had in their eyes been but an innocent child with a crush on the wizard had now turned into something different altogether, someone they believed could actually fulfill her threats. Tippany stomped off, dragging Milrina by the arm to the outside. She brushed past Karo who trudged dejectedly with the jeweler at his side.

Karo turned to her. “The guild is closed. We can’t get in. We have to wait until tomorrow to try.”

She gave him a firm nod. “Fine. Just do what you can.”

He nodded again to her and trudged back through the door.

Tippany hopped back to the curb to find the carriage, but it had gone. The driver apparently had decided it was too late to linger and not worth the money to stay. The moon was already high, and the stars twinkled out over the city with only a few clouds to block their light from the world.

“We should go tomorrow,” Milrina said, resting her hand on Tippany’s arm.

“I’m not giving up,” Tippany said through clenched teeth.

“It’s not giving up to get some rest,” Milrina said.

Shaking her head, Tippany clenched her fists. “I have to keep looking.”

“It is dangerous for a girl like you to go wandering around this city without protection.” Milrina’s grip tightened.

Tippany tried to shake her off. “I can’t—”

“Theissen wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” Milrina said.

The merchant’s daughter dropped against her in a sob.

“I feel the same way, but there is nothing we can do right now.” Milrina tried to lead Tippany back to the tower.

“I can’t believe that.” Tippany wouldn’t move.

“I’m not letting you go out there,” Milrina said at last. “Theissen wouldn’t want you to go out there alone. Now, come inside.”

Closing her eyes, Tippany let her body fall, leaning against Milrina for support. “I can’t lose him.”

Though it was a peculiar flip, Milrina took Tippany back inside. They went up to one of the spare rooms where they found a bed. Both women stayed for the night, sobbing in each other’s arms over the loss of someone very precious to them.

*

The tower was a center of commotion that morning. A few more jewelers showed up for hire while the others continued their search for Theissen. Ronen had returned with Daanee bringing news that the feather merchants, though angry with Theissen for meddling in their business, never stooped to using magic against him. Teppan had found Captain Shmiter in a bar near the docks, cursing Theissen’s name. But he didn’t even know that Theissen was missing. And when he had heard, he laughed with delight. Then he immediately began plotting what to do next against Emrit now that the wizard was out of the way. Of course, hearing that, Teppan punched the captain right on the jaw and was hauled into the dock jail for the night by the local constables. He wasn’t quite charged with brawling, but he was given a warning when he was released in the morning. Manda and her daughter were gone before breakfast, already scouting the magicians out.

“So, what did you find?” Karo asked Winder, the former birdman, and Kalli, the other twin.

Winder sighed loud. “Nothing. Lord Baron Kirsch was still shouting what he would do to our wizard when we brought his name up. We didn’t even mention he went missing.”

“Scratch the lord baron,” Karo murmured, looking to the floor. “I have to go back to the Jewelers today. I don’t think I’ll get in. But we might be able to recruit some volunteers among the men here to help out.”

He looked up at the new recruits from the old guild. Some of them nodded, agreeing to help.

“What about the herbalists?” Dobbis asked him.

“No results yet,” Karo said. “There are several registered in the city. However, Theissen did meet one at that foreign office building, so I’m thinking it might be him.”

“Where is the merchant’s daughter?” Dobbis peered at the door anxiously.

“Milrina and she are getting ready to go to the docks right now. They already grabbed something to eat.”

Dobbis lowered his head and whispered. “What if he really is dead?”

Karo lifted his head squarely and set his jaw in a firm line. “I’m siding with the merchant’s daughter. Our wizard is tough. We stabbed him. Your people poisoned him. That thug slashed him and stabbed him in the gut. He can walk through rock. The guy is invincible.”

But Dobbis’s frown deepened. “But didn’t you ever listen to him? He said all the time that he’s not all-powerful. He can be killed.”

“But he won’t be,” Karo said. “I heard him too. He refuses to die.”

The former birdman chuckled and nodded. “He did say that, didn’t he?”

“We’re ready,” Tippany announced, walking into the room. She was wearing a long coat. She had a bag under her arm stuffed full of the clothes Theissen left on the floor when the plant had dragged him underground. Milrina was dressed the same, her eyes as red as Tippany’s. But she looked like she had less hope in this expedition than Tippany did.

“You’re going for that man?” Dobbis rose from his chair.

Tippany nodded firmly. “He should be able to help us. Theissen said he could do some magic.”

“You don’t think that he—?”

Shaking her head with a grim smile, Tippany turned towards the door. “No. Theissen trusted him. He’ll help us.”

She reached out for Milrina’s hand. Milrina took it, squeezing it for support.

They hired a carriage to take them to the docks. The carriage driver asked about Theissen, being the same one that had driven Theissen the other day before he had vanished. But Tippany said nothing except to urge him to go faster.

“So, where is it?” Tippany asked once they got out on foot, dragging Milrina down the steps to the promenade where the merchants were setting up their carts and fishermen were laying out their catch. The crowds were minimal at the moment.

Lifting her arm, Milrina pointed to the steamships at the far end. Setting her eyes on the iron-clads, Tippany quickened her pace.

“Hey pretty ladies,” a man called after them.

Neither one of them turned or stopped. They rushed on towards the Westhaven docks. The catcalls only increased though.

“Hello hot momma!” “Sweet thing!” “Tender lips!” “Hey, curvy hips.” “Nice knockers!”

Past each sailor and merchant, Tippany and Milrina practically ran until they reached the Westhaven dock. Panting, they jogged up the wood planks. The calls only got worse, though most of it now came in a foreign tongue.

“Hello, sweet lady. What are you here for?” a Jatte sailor asked.

Tippany glared hard, leading Milrina who seemed likely to scream. The last time she had been there, Theissen and Theobold had been with her. No sailor had been foolish enough to tease her then.

“Come on, I won’t hurt you,” the man called after her, following them.

“What are those women doing on the docks?” others whispered as most whistled.