And now, with a single touch of his hand, Mychael’s magic had merged with mine, and we could hear each other’s thoughts. It was only for a few intensely intimate, breath-stopping moments-but it had happened. It was similar enough to what had happened between me and Tam to scare me, but the Saghred hadn’t stepped in to join me and Mychael. It was only the two of us. Mychael was white magic; Tam was dark-it could be as simple as that, but I didn’t think so. Nothing the Saghred ever did was simple.
I blew out my breath. It was a little shaky. “What’s happening to us?”
Mychael’s face showed no emotion. He knew that “us” included Tam. “I don’t have an answer, but we will find one.”
“Best plan I’ve heard all day.” I stood; I couldn’t sit still anymore, either. “Vegard said that Volghuls are advance guards for a legion of demons, and implied that we have ourselves a Hellgate opening on the island.” I didn’t mention that Tam had told me the same thing in my mind. If Mychael didn’t know, I didn’t need to tell him. “What does it take to open one?”
“Dark mages using the blackest of magic.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Mychael’s. “You have suspects?”
“I do.”
I met his response with silence. He knew one of the names I was thinking-no magic-linked mind reading necessary.
“It wasn’t Tam,” I said quietly.
“I know that.”
“Others won’t be so sure.”
“I know that, too.”
“Carnades despises goblins,” I said. “Especially ones as powerful as Tam.”
“Tam’s not the only dark mage on this island,” Mychael said. “I’m ashamed to say it, but more than a few of the Conclave’s mages and the college’s professors practice black magic. The vast majority of our mages and faculty want nothing more than to do research or teach. But some can’t take the temptation of that much power. Practicing black magic is illegal, but that doesn’t stop experimenting behind locked and warded doors. If they’re caught and convicted, they will be executed.”
“You’d think that’d be a deterrent.”
“The punishment is harsh, but it has to be. I’m responsible for the safety of thousands of students, mages, and citizens on this island. No one, or no thing, will endanger the people I’m sworn to protect.”
One of those people had gotten himself endangered right onto a slab in the morgue.
“Sedge Rinker said the dead mage was the chairman of the demonology department.”
Mychael nodded. “Professor Laurian Berel.”
“Those demons wanted something and they were convinced the professor had it,” I told him.
I didn’t know what “it” was, but recent near-death experiences had taught me that when bad guys wanted something, things would generally go to the lower hells in a handbasket if they got their hands-or in this case, claws-on it. And considering that the bad guys were demons, that trip to the lower hells could be literal.
“The professor said he didn’t have it,” I said, seeing the scene replay itself in my head, complete with the professor getting his throat ripped out. “And I believed him. I didn’t know this Professor Berel, but from what I saw, he didn’t strike me as the type to give his life to protect something.”
“He wasn’t.”
“But he must have known what it was; otherwise, he couldn’t have said that he didn’t have it. Unfortunately he’s dead, and the demon that killed him is stuffed in a bottle.”
“Some of his colleagues aren’t,” Mychael reminded me.
I jerked my head in the direction of the cells. “You’re going to question the blue ones out there?”
“I am. If they don’t know anything, I’ll have to let the Volghul out of the bottle.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“It might be necessary. And since I’ve interrogated demons before, and I am the paladin of this island, it’s my duty to do it. But if I did have to interrogate the Volghul, I couldn’t do it here. Sedge has top-notch shields and wards on his cells, but they’re nowhere near strong enough for a Volghul. I’d have to take him to the demonology department for that.”
“Let’s hope the blue ones are talkative.”
Chapter 5
All naked, blue demons looked the same to me. Perhaps that opinion offended delicate demonic sensibilities, but somehow I doubted this bunch had anything delicate. An hour or so closed up in a warded cell had given their collective aroma ample time to seep out. Believe me, there was nothing delicate about that. Wards and shields would hold in or keep out most anything-unfortunately a stomach-turning, gag-inducing stench wasn’t one of them.
Vegard saw my grimace. “Brimstone.”
“What?” I tried unsuccessfully to talk and breathe through my mouth at the same time. Must have been a gift I didn’t have.
“The smell,” he clarified.
“So that’s what Hell smells like.”
“I assume so; never been there myself.”
“Not many have,” came a woman’s voice from behind us.
“Afternoon, Sir Vegard.”
The big Guardian turned and smiled. “Professor Niabi, good to see you.”
“Considering how today’s gone so far, it’s good to be seen.”
The woman was human, about my height, with nut brown skin, and black hair pulled back into a serviceable braid.
“So Hell’s not a top-ten vacation spot?” I quipped.
Her teeth flashed in a good-humored grin. “The beaches suck.” She put out her hand. “Sora Niabi, professor of demonology.”
I hesitated only a moment before taking it. Her hand was warm and callused. Sora Niabi had done more work than just turning pages. I might have to adjust my opinion about academic types.
“I’m Raine Benares, seeker and…” I looked up at Vegard.
“What else are people calling me now?”
The big Guardian chuckled and shook his head. “A lot of things, ma’am. Some you’ve heard, most you haven’t, but I’m sure you could guess.”
“No titles necessary,” Sora Niabi said with a grin. “I know who you are.”
She knew, and she wasn’t afraid of me. She also didn’t want my power or want me locked up. I could sense it, and my instincts about people had never been wrong. Well, at least not yet.
“After this morning, Professor Niabi’s also the new department chair,” Vegard informed me.
Sora Niabi blew her breath out in disgust. “Looks that way. Though if Laurian Berel hadn’t been such an idiot, I wouldn’t be.” Her robes were a riot of bright colors. They were also slashed up the side, exposing practical trousers underneath, and good, sturdy boots.
She noticed me noticing. “When you study demons for a living, Miss Benares, it’s healthy to be able to haul ass when you have to.”
That did it; I liked her.
“Call me Raine.”
“Only if you’ll drop the ‘professor’ and call me Sora.”
“Done.”
Mychael joined us. “Professor Niabi, thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“Not a problem, Paladin Eiliesor. The coroner needed me to officially identify Professor Berel, so I had to be here anyway.”
“He was a talented mage.”
“Laurian was a better fool, and you know it as well as I do. You should have been a diplomat, Paladin. You actually managed to say that with a straight face. I was hardly surprised to hear he’d gotten himself killed; I’ve been expecting that news for years. In our line of work, talent can get you into trouble, but arrogance will get you killed and eaten-and not always in that order.”
I nodded toward the warded cell. “Those four and their buddies were after something and they thought Professor Berel had it. He said he didn’t. Any idea what it was?”