Daron’s shoulder in gratitude. Drink up, you saved the show!
He swallowed painfully, the knot in his throat having tripled in size since last night. Before he knew it, he was at Kallia’s side, reaching for her.
“I don’t need help.” She swatted him away, tossing back her hair. “I’m fine on my own.”
Her grimace said otherwise. When it was clear she couldn’t shake him off, she gave a resigned huff, ignoring him as he matched her stubborn pace. If she paused to rest, he paused, his hand inches from her back. They walked side by side down the hall, down the stairs, and to the Alastor Place without care for the whispers at their backs.
Thankfully silent all the way, until she abruptly parted ways with him as they entered the show hall. Contestants on one side, judges at the other. The harsh reminder jolted him.
From his seat, Daron watched her brow furrow so deeply, lost in thought. He was grateful she didn’t return his stare, for it took much longer than he wished to admit to finally look away.
“Rayne,” Mayor Eilin spoke delicately. He appeared to be the calmest in the theater. Disturbingly so. “What in Zarose name did you do?”
“Nothing!” the other man insisted. “I like having tricks up my sleeve but this was not one of them.”
Daron was inclined to believe him. If he’d had a hand in this, he would’ve acted far more coy and obnoxious about his part. His astonishment, while perversely amused, was genuine. “If we should be pointing fingers at anyone, Eilin, it should be you.”
“Me?”
“It’s your city walling us in. A little warning would’ve been nice.”
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Mayor Eilin sputtered. “Not until you arrived. No, it was that damn contract, wasn’t it? You made us all sign it, and now look what’s happened. What in the world did you put in it?”
“The only bit of magic infused in that contract is a locator,” Erasmus reassured. “If you run from what you signed up for, it’s my right to be able to find you. Easily.”
Something sinister lingered on that last note.
“Then how do you explain the other magicians who’ve gone missing?” demanded Judge Silu. “And every other accident that’s happened since?”
“Like I would ever sabotage my own show. That’s just desperate.” Scalding offense dripped from the proprietor’s scoff. “But those cads are still in town, somewhere. I did think it rather odd when their locations remained in Glorian, but now I suppose it makes sense all things considered.”
“Nothing about this makes a lick of sense.” Mayor Eilin threw his hands up. “I don’t see how you can be so cavalier about this.”
“Would you rather I mope and hiss like the rest of you? Because that’s productive.” He smoothed back his gelled hair, looking smug when no one responded. “Honestly, it’s not as if we’re dead or in imminent danger, we’re simply … stuck. Which is convenient, for we’ve got a show to put on.”
“You can’t be serious.” That left the mayor’s jaw hanging. “This all ends now.”
“Fine, try it. But you’ll be met with disappointed audience members. In your case, you’ll have a whole city of them to deal with.”
“Citywide disappointment,” the mayor deadpanned. “How will I ever recover?”
“How about citywide ruin, will that change your tune?”
Mayor Eilin stopped short. “It’s already ruined. This whole thing is completely beyond us, Rayne. It’s a matter for the Patrons, that’s the level we’re approaching.”
For once, no one glanced Daron’s way. The relief was short-lived at the rise of Erasmus’s knowing smile. “Then why haven’t you corresponded with them yet? Last night—hell, the instant you heard the news this morning—why didn’t you rush straight to your desk and start scribbling out a cry for help?”
The blood drained from the mayor’s face, little by little.
“Because you know,” Erasmus drawled on, “the moment this ends, so does everything else.”
“What do you suggest we do, then?”
“What this city does best: keep itself under wraps. Raise no sign for alarm, return once the dust has settled,” the proprietor advised, dancing his fingertips against each other. “No Patrons, no press. At least, not until we’ve got a better handle on things. That way, when we’ve got our bearings, we’ll have the world lining up at the gates, waiting.”
Daron couldn’t have been more relieved this man was not a magician, for he would make a dangerous one. It was almost frightening, how he worked with nothing more than his cool, slippery nature and still enchanted a room. Moments ago