Page 68 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
“Felix and I are old friends,” Mia replied. “We ran into each other in Marsan. I suspected he was travelling with you, so I, ah… convinced him to take me to you.”
Old friends? Her eyes jumped back to Felix. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. An unfamiliar gnawing sensation settled in Isolde’s stomach. What did Mia do to convince Felix? Did he owe her a favour? Did she blackmail him? Or… something else?
“Convinced him?” she asked, her voice sounding small and stupid to her own ears.
Mia smiled disarmingly. “You sent those two to the city to get information. I think I have most of the answers you are after. I know who is ahead of you, who is behind you, what the mages are planning…”
“And what do you want in return?” Garren said, his arms still crossed.
Mia did not take her eyes off Isolde. “To bear witness. At the Nexus. I want to be there.”
“What? You said you just wanted to meet her, then you’d leave!” Felix blurted out.
Mia threw him a dismissive glance, as if he had no say in the matter. Isolde bit her lip. Mia’s request – tobear witness,as she called it, caught her off guard. She stood and regarded the other woman in silence for a moment.
“You have magic,” she said finally.
Mia startled, but gave a single nod. “Not much, but yes.”
“Are you aware of what happened at the midsummer ball?” She kept her voice cold and distant. She did not like recalling that night, but she would wield the fear it inspired if she had to.
Mia squared her shoulders. “I am. It was a risk I was willing to take.”
Isolde regarded Mia for a long moment. Even though she didn’t really understand why, she was inclined to trust her. Felix had brought her here, after all. He was always suspicious of people, but apparently he trusted Mia, or at least he did not consider her a threat. She nodded once. “Then tell us,” she said, “and you can stay.”
Felix, Garren and Luella all talked over one another.
“Wait, what?”
“You’re going to let her come?”
“She’s a complete stranger!”
Isolde raised her eyebrows at Felix. “Isn’t she your friend? Why would you mind?”
He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Isolde turned to Mia. “Will you share your information, then?”
“Where would you like me to start?”
“Hold on,” Felix said, looking grim. “We had some… trouble in Marsan.”
Luella’s head snapped in his direction. “Trouble? What did you do?”
“Um… it was my fault,” Leif said quietly, staring at his toes. “I had a few drinks…”
Felix shot Leif a wry look. “Let’s just say that quite a few people in Marsan now know Isa – Isolde has healing magic,” he said.
Isolde looked down at the blue lines etched on her skin. Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Might they not be more sympathetic towards her…? But the others did not seem to echo that sentiment.
Luella rounded on Leif, hands on her hips. “Idiot! I knew you shouldn’t have gone.” She turned to Felix. “Were you followed?”
He shook his head. “No. That’s why we left the horses.”
“I’ll scout the area again,” she said with another glare at Leif.
Garren stepped up next to Luella. “We should be prepared for pursuit, regardless. If the mages –”
Isolde’s brain was spinning with too many things to keep track of at once. She held up her hands, eyes squeezed shut. “Stop, please. I understand this is important, but I want to hear what Mia has to say first.” She looked at the bard. “Start at the beginning, please. What made you leave Azuill and travel north?”
