“Is that a fire sprite?” said Shelley.
“That’s Dex,” I said. “He’ll be helping us out. He can get in and out of places with being seen… provided he doesn’t set them on fire, that is.”
“I won’t start a single fire unless you ask me to,” he said.
“Let’s hope I don’t need to,” I responded. “Anyone want to back us up? We’re not going to start any fights if we can help it. I just want to know if the suppliers are selling cantrips to anyone who might be linked to the Family. We need to know if they’re knowingly involved or if the people who murdered the guards at the House of Fire got the cantrips from elsewhere.”
“All right, I’ll come,” said Shelley. “Only to stop Miles from getting into trouble.”
Miles grinned. “I’ll be on my best behaviour.”
We made our way down the darkened street. I didn’t have much reason to fear what lurked in the eerie silence—not when I’d spent the last few weeks hanging out with liches and zombie horses—but I still tensed at every small noise. Then a familiar squawk from behind us made me spin around. Sure enough, something small and feathered lurked behind us.
“Er, Miles, one of the chickens followed us.”
“Ah, hell.” He stepped in and picked up the chicken around the middle, and when it let out an indignant sound, he covered its beak with his hand.
I stifled a laugh. “Nothing ever goes without a hitch, does it?”
“I’ll hold the chicken,” said Shelley. “Since we’re not starting any fights, are we, Miles?”
Bloody hope not. After Miles passed her the chicken, we walked on until we reached the supplier’s house, at which point I used a cantrip to turn invisible.
“Dex, we’re going in,” I whispered to the fire sprite. “If anyone shows up, can you distract them?”
“On it,” he whispered back.
“I’ll be right behind you,” added Miles.
An unlocking cantrip took care of the door, and I slipped into the darkened room. Boxes of cantrips filled the space, all marked with labels indicating who they were meant for. And all of them held the COS’s logo, too. That meant they were reusable cantrips from Arcadia, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t made another stop en route.
I peered into a couple of the boxes. It was too dark to see if the Family’s logo was on any of the cantrips, but I assumed they wouldn’t be that blatant. If there were clues in here, they’d be hidden away.
Dex landed on my shoulder, making me jump. “There’s two shifty-looking guys outside. I think they’re on their way here.”
“Shit.” I ducked around the boxes and crossed the room to the door, darting outside into the night. Miles and Shelley must have hidden themselves nearby under the guise of invisibility cantrips, because nobody was within view. The murmur of voices sounded from the adjacent street. I walked on silent feet, holding my breath, and ducked within an alley as two men dressed in dark clothing approached the shop and eyed the closed door.
“He’s late,” one of them said.
“Probably checking for spies,” his friend replied. “You know how hard it is now they’re watching the COS so closely. They’re scared they’ll come here next.”
“They can’t watch everyone,” his friend responded. “That’s the beauty of reusable cantrips. The evidence is wiped clean.”
“Not to experts,” said the first guy. “Luckily, that’s not most people.”
“Yeah, and soon enough it won’t matter,” said his friend. “The COS was always a front and even with the guy who started the operation rotting in the ground, someone will get a foothold in soon enough.”
“We have to do this by the book until then,” said the first guy. “Man, I can’t wait until the Houses come out on the right side.”
What is that supposed to mean? These guys were definitely up to something shady, but I couldn’t see anyone from the supplier nearby. At least until a broad-shouldered figure walked into the alley beside the shop, carrying a box. There must be another entrance around the back, and I thanked my invisibility cantrip for keeping me hidden from sight. Regardless, I pressed myself against the wall as he walked past, recognising him as the assistant who worked at Dawson’s place. Does his boss know he’s hanging out here at night?
“There he is,” said one of the men. “About time.”
The assistant approached them, and they conversed in low voices over the box. Did Dawson know his assistant was selling cantrips to dodgy-looking strangers? Whether he did or not, I didn’t need to be able to see their faces to know the two men for mages. They’re from one of the Houses. Not the House of Fire, I didn’t think, but in order to find out which House they belonged to, I’d have to follow them.
One of the two men took the box in his hands, and the pair of them walked back down the alley. I waited for Dawson’s assistant to return to the shop before following them silently. I didn’t see Miles or Shelley, but I wasn’t about to let the pair of them out of my sight until they reached their destination.
The two mages kept walking, speaking in low voices. I sensed Dex’s warm presence nearby and spotted the flicker of the fire sprite’s light, but I didn’t dare speak to him in case I alerted their attention.
“This stealth shit is getting old,” said the first guy, who carried the box. “Wish the other Houses would hurry up and capitulate.”
The two mages rounded a corner and came to the central headquarters of the House of Earth. The building resembled the House of Fire from the outside, except with a brown door and fittings instead of red. I’d never met the person in charge of the House of Earth, but did they know these two men were breaking the law? Nobody bought cantrips in the dead of night unless they had something to hide—from the other
