Page 37 of Joined By Magic

A pretty woman with long golden hair sat to my left. How would I remember everyone’s names? All the women stared, and I examined their faces. A mix of amusement, curiosity, and hostility. Some whispered to each other.

If only Leo were here. A stupid thought. The whole purpose of this was to prove I could function in his world in my own right. But by now, he’d have greeted everyone, asked pertinent questions about their family members, made them laugh, and been invited out on someone’s yacht for the weekend. That skill was its own sort of magic.

Without him to absorb the attention, it fell on me. Should I introduce myself? It seemed polite, but they all knew who I was.

“Pleased to meet you all,” I managed. “This restaurant looks lovely.”

“What, has the Lord Commander never brought you here?” asked a platinum-blonde woman in a somber black dress. “How remiss of him. You’ll have to take him to task for it.”

“No, we haven’t tried this place.” I kept my tone airy. “I’ll suggest it to him.”

“That’s if he’s ever in Dexia,” said a sharp-faced older lady, pushing sixty. “Not running around playing at being a prince.”

My eyes widened. I hadn’t thought anyone would dare criticize Leo to my face. Before I could respond, another woman cut in. “At least he let you dress properly this time. We all had bets on what sort of outfit you’d turn up in.”

Irritation scorched me. What had these women done anyway? They shared the beds of important men, same as I did.

“Who won?” I countered.

“None of us,” the beautiful lady sitting next to me said. “We couldn’t possibly have guessed an original Vindara gown, and with a Xanthite necklace. Landed on your feet, haven’t you?”

“I’m very happy.” A diplomatic answer?

Someone snorted from across the table. The woman turned back to her menu.

Lunch dragged on. The waiters kept my wine glass filled, but I only sipped. This was not the place to get drunk. We ate five courses, all delicate and presented in elaborate arrangements, mostly expensive seafood and imported fruit.

Conversation ebbed around the table, gossip about people I didn’t know. I soaked it in. A couple of the guests included me, while others only glared. Had my site touched them personally? Maybe. Or maybe they disliked me because I didn’t have magic. The reality was, some people here would always hate me. But it would only take a few close allies to counter that.

“So, what happened last night?” The woman to Celia’s right addressed me with sudden, unnerving directness. “Roger said there was an altercation at the portal but wouldn’t give me any details. I’m dying to try it out once it’s complete, but of course, he says it’s an abomination.” A roll of her eyes told me what she thought of that.

Roger. Roger Anders, Prime of Recreation. By Leo’s account, a boring man, as unsuited to the position as you could get.

How much was I supposed to give away? Leo must have downplayed the attack. “Yes, there was some trouble. Leo’s over in Atar, sorting it out.” I enjoyed the easy way his name ran off my tongue. “The portal’s almost ready, though. They’re doing the final tests.”

“Amazing.” The woman leaned back in her seat. “I’m going to have to put my foot down with Roger.”

“It is an abomination.” The old lady, again. She turned to me. “It’s a disgrace, and so are you. Spitting in the eye of propriety.” She held her hand up, thumb and first finger together and made a flicking gesture—the old-fashioned sign of Zantus, to ward off evil.

“It would make travel so easy, though, if there were more of them,” said a woman in a fuchsia gown. “Think of it, girls—we could be at a resort in northern Alaria in seconds, then back home in time for dinner. The convenience of teleporting without having to drain your power.”

“This is why it’s so dangerous,” said the old woman. She waved her wineglass for emphasis and sloshed some onto the table. “It seduces you away from the true path. We should burn it down.”

I could be useful this way too. These women, lubricated by wine, spoke more freely in front of me than they ever would in front of Leo. Roger Anders, and whoever this woman’s husband was, were against Leo in the matter of the portal. That was useful information. What else could I find out if I got to know them better? If they became used to my face and relaxed around me?

“It took a huge amount of power to create the portal,” I volunteered, to keep the conversation going. “The Atarans had wanted to do it for years, but no one was strong enough until Leo.”

“What would you know about power?” scoffed the woman next to me.

At almost the same time, the blonde in the severe dress asked, “And is it true that it’s completely independent? It works without any input from a mage?”

“Yes, it’s true. The power runs in a loop so it’s self-sustaining.”

The blonde nodded, looking impressed.

The conversation soon moved on to different topics, but I was satisfied. I’d participated and learned something interesting. I couldn’t hope for much more on my first try. Some of the women didn’t seem offended by me. Not friendly, but not hostile either. I could work with that.

The meal wound to a close. As the group dispersed, Celia beckoned Grace and Anita over with a wave of her hand. “Okay, ladies. We meet tomorrow at nine thirty. Is everyone still okay with that?”

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