Rebel Magisters Page 2

  “You weren’t followed from the laundry?”

  “If I was, there was no evidence whatsoever of any other ill-advised behavior,” I assured him.

  “I’m going to quit using you as a courier like that,” he said as the color gradually returned to his face. “It’s too dangerous, and I can’t ask you to take that risk for me.”

  “Well, since you’ve stopped pulling off armed robberies for the time being, you shouldn’t have much need of a courier for awhile,” I shot back.

  He grinned. “Touché, Miss Newton. But really, Verity, we must be careful.”

  “I’m always careful. And as I said, I have friends looking out for me.”

  I thought for a moment that he might say something more—he always seemed to be on the verge of saying more to me when we talked like this—but a small figure flew into the room. “Miss Newton! Did you bring me anything?” Olive cried out as she threw her arms around me.

  “Olive, Miss Newton is under no obligation to bring you anything when she runs errands,” Henry said, scolding his niece.

  “No, I am not,” I said, unable to restrain a smile. “But on this one occasion, I did happen to pass a candy store.” I took the bag of candy out of my basket and handed it to her. “But you must share with your brother and sister.”

  “Flora won’t want any. She’s watching her figure,” Olive said with all the disdain a six-year-old could muster for a teenage sister.

  Before she could run off with her treasure, Henry cleared his throat. She stopped, her eyes widening in horror. “Oh! Miss Newton, I’m so sorry I forgot to thank you. Thank you so much. You are so kind.” She opened the bag and held it toward me. “Would you like one?”

  “No, thank you, Olive. But it was very polite of you to offer, and you are quite welcome for the treat.”

  She ran off, shouting, “Rollo! Miss Newton brought us candy!”

  “I’m afraid some refresher lessons in deportment are in order,” I said.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Henry said. “I don’t expect you to purchase treats for the children.”

  “I went into the candy shop to distract my follower,” I said. “It’s one that has no rebel ties that I know of, so I knew it wouldn’t be suspicious, and if I went into the shop, I had to purchase something. You give me more than enough money for these errands.”

  “I couldn’t possibly pay you what these errands are worth to me. But this is the last one.”

  “You know that won’t stop my actions for the cause,” I said, perhaps a bit too defiantly, considering he was my employer.

  “Yes, but then it’s not on my head if something awful happens to you.”

  “I know what I’m doing, and I know full well the danger I face.”

  “You didn’t at first. I should never have sent you on those errands without warning you.”

  “I already knew—or guessed.”

  “But I didn’t know that, which means I sent a girl unknowingly into danger on my behalf.”

  It was an argument we’d had a few times since all our secrets had come out. I’d suspected he was the leader of the Masked Bandits, but had learned it for certain at the same time he’d learned I was spying for the Rebel Mechanics. Later, he’d learned I wrote for the unauthorized rebel newspaper under the name Liberty Jones. As he’d joked, the foundation of our friendship was the fact that we had enough information to utterly destroy each other.

  It was only later that evening at dinner that I realized I’d forgotten to tell him about my possible sighting of Colin, but since I wasn’t sure I’d actually seen Colin, I decided I didn’t need to tell him, and I didn’t get an opportunity to speak privately with him after dinner.

  The following day was more routine for me: Olive and I walked Rollo to school, then spent the morning doing lessons. In the afternoon, Flora joined us for some supervised reading mandated by Henry, who wasn’t content with letting his oldest niece be little more than a pretty face. Olive and I retrieved Rollo from school, and after going over his homework with him, I got a free hour while the children had art and music lessons.

  As I usually did, I headed into the park across the street. It was a fine, crisp autumn day, and I reveled in my momentary freedom. My job was so much easier and more pleasant than those worked by most of the other members of my network, and I got to live in a mansion, but there were times when working with the children strained my patience. I knew I was a good teacher, and I was qualified, but it wasn’t quite the profession I would have chosen if I’d had any options.

  Not that I had any intention of leaving. I loved the children and felt like a part of the family. And then there was Henry…

  I was lost in thought, musing over my employer and his unique temperament, his lovely blue eyes, and the way he was so different when he was alone with me, when I heard a familiar voice call out in a hiss just above a whisper, “Verity!”

  I whirled and saw a man lurking under a tree a few feet from the footpath. He wore a somber dark suit and a bowler hat, but I recognized Alec Emfinger, the man who’d recruited me into the Rebel Mechanics under the guise of a suitor.

  So, the rebels really were back in town. But why?

  Chapter Two

  In Which

  I Am Asked

  and Ask a Favor

  So many emotions surged through me that I wasn’t sure which one to express. I was glad to see him, even if just to know he was safe. But I also remembered my anger at him for letting me act like a lovesick schoolgirl when he was merely reeling me in to his cause. And I was curious as to what he was doing back in the city after he’d made such a narrow escape, thanks to Henry and me.

  I decided it was best not to express anything at all, especially while we were in public. That required me to steady my breathing and release the fists I’d formed. “Why, Mr. Emfinger, what a surprise to see you here,” I said, acting like he was any acquaintance I’d happened to encounter in the park. “I didn’t realize you were back in the city.”

  He moved closer to me and said in a voice too low for passersby to make out his words, “It’s the machines and the group they wanted. They hardly notice the individuals.”

  “So you’ve come back? I thought I saw Colin yesterday.”

  He smiled. “Yes, and he’s rather put out that you snubbed him.”

  “I was in a situation in which I thought it best not to draw attention to him—or to myself.”

  He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “So he gathered. Otherwise, you know him. He’d have made a scene.”

  I couldn’t help but smile in response at the mental image, but then I remembered what I’d asked. “You didn’t answer my question about being back in town.”

  “I make frequent visits.”

  I gave my best impression of the kind of trilling, lighthearted laugh Flora and her friends used when they attempted to sound witty at parties. “And you just happened to run into me in the park when I was taking an afternoon walk. What an extraordinary coincidence!” More seriously, and with an edge to my voice, I said, “What is it you need, Alec? I thought you’d learned that it’s best to be straightforward with me. We’re long past the point of playing coy games with each other.”

  He offered his arm to me. “Would you care to join me for a turn around the park, Miss Newton?” In a whisper, he added, “For appearances.”

  I stared at his arm for a long moment, as one might contemplate a potentially venomous snake, before I took it, and we began strolling. “We’re doing quite well,” he said, speaking softly and tilting his head toward mine in the manner of a young man courting his girl. “I won’t tell you exactly where we are, but we’re out of reach of the British government. We’re still working on our machines, and we believe we’ve proved that they might help equalize us against the magisters, so the revolution stands a chance of succeeding, but it will take far more than one or two steam engines and an airship. What we have are merely prototypes. We need to produce dozens—even hundreds—of th
em in order to make a difference.”

  “You’d need a factory,” I said.

  “Yes, and raw materials. Lots of steel. Coal for furnaces. People to do the work. All that requires funding. Since we’re doing this in secret as part of a revolution, we can hardly go to the bank for a loan, and we won’t be selling anything we make, so there will be no profits for investors, until perhaps after we win and we turn these machines to civilian uses. We’ll need them then for power other than magic once we kick the magisters out.”

  “Wars are rather expensive. That’s part of why taxes are so high. Just maintaining a military presence throughout the Empire must take tremendous amounts of money.”

  “Exactly. What we want to do will take almost as much money as running a small country, but we can’t collect taxes to pay for it. We’re all poor—part of the reason we’re rebelling—so we can’t fund ourselves. Which is why I wanted to talk to you.”

  I was afraid I knew what he would ask of me, but I pretended I didn’t and said, “You think an article in the newspaper might help?”

  “Not to the extent we need. I thought you might talk to your employer. The Masked Bandits might be the only ones who could raise that kind of capital, and they’ve already been helping fund our activities.”

  I stopped abruptly and faced him. “Absolutely not.” I surprised even myself with how vehement my protest was. “Do you realize the amount of money you’re asking for? Robbing a train a day wouldn’t be enough, and that would be far too dangerous. They’d surely be caught. As a matter of fact, the Bandits are taking some time off because one of them did get caught. They need to throw off suspicion. I can’t possibly ask Lord Henry to take that kind of risk.”

  “I think he should get the chance to say no for himself, don’t you?”

  I had protested when Henry didn’t want me running errands for him because he wanted to keep me safe. Was my refusal to even ask him if he was willing or interested the same thing? “I’ll talk to him,” I said, grudgingly. “He may have other ideas. I know he’s as committed to revolution as you are, and he’d be pleased that you’re finally being practical about it instead of just making a lot of noise.”

  “That’s all I want, for you to ask. Even if he has nothing to offer but advice, we’d be grateful. It would be that much more we owe him.”

  “It is interesting how much more you like the magisters when they have something to offer you,” I remarked dryly.

  “Well, maybe if more of them were as generous as your Lord Henry, we wouldn’t be plotting revolution. And maybe there are a few who aren’t bad sorts.”

  “Didn’t you once say something about how magic corrupts people?”

  “Maybe not everyone, but look at the evidence all around us.” His gesture encompassed the mansions nearby and the magical roadsters humming down the park paths with little regard for pedestrians.

  I bit my lip to keep myself from saying anything as we resumed strolling. He still didn’t know about my magical heritage, and I wondered what he would think about it. He was willing to ask Henry for help, but I doubted he’d ever see Henry as a friend. If he cared at all for me now, I wasn’t sure that esteem would continue if he knew my secret.

  “I’m sure you’ll manage to find me to learn what Lord Henry has to say,” I said, my voice sounding stiff and a little frosty.

  “And you know where to go so I can find you. Failing that, you know the usual places to leave word.”

  “Do you want the article, as well? I know most of your followers are poor, but pennies can add up.”

  “Write something and we’ll see.” He turned to face me, looking earnestly at me in the way that used to set my heart aflutter—which had been carefully calculated to achieve that effect, I reminded myself. There was still a tiny involuntary reaction, because few girls are entirely immune to being looked at that way, but it wasn’t the same. “I do appreciate this, Verity.”

  “Yes, I’m very useful.”

  He groaned. “I know how it sounds. But you really were heaven-sent. More than that, though, you’re a truly amazing girl who can make the most of your opportunities. I feel lucky to know you.”

  I knew he meant well, but he was incapable of expressing affection for me without mentioning my use to the cause. There wasn’t much point in pushing to get more from him, not if I wanted him to be honest. “And I am glad I met you because you opened my eyes,” I admitted. I deliberately removed my hand from his arm. “I must be going. We’ll talk again.”

  It was probably just my imagination, but it seemed to have grown chillier since I entered the park. Had an autumn wind blown through, or was it merely my nerves giving me chills? I pulled the collar of my coat closer around my neck and hurried my pace.

  As much as I wanted to leave Henry out of it, I felt honor-bound to at least pass on what Alec had said. It would be wrong to withhold the information. But would Henry be sensible? He wouldn’t have done things like rob trains and government offices in the first place if he hadn’t been somewhat predisposed to taking risks.

  *

  I already had an appointment with Henry that evening. We met regularly after the younger children had gone to bed, supposedly to discuss the children’s academic progress. The truth was, ever since he’d learned about my magical heritage, he’d been teaching me magic.

  I wasn’t sure what good it would do. My powers must have come from an illicit liaison between my mother and a magister, since no one else in my family had magic. My very existence as a half-breed was illegal, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if anyone found out about me, but it likely wasn’t good. I didn’t dare use magic in public because another magister could detect when magic was being used nearby. Henry was the only person who knew, and he believed that anyone who had a gift needed to develop it. Given the nature of our activities, he thought I should know how to fully use my powers.

  After dinner, I helped Olive get ready for bed and read her a story. As I left her room, I ran into Henry in the hallway. In a whisper designed to be heard by any eavesdroppers, he said, “May I have a word with you, Miss Newton? I would like to discuss Rollo’s latest report from school.”

  “Of course,” I replied, matching his tone. He escorted me into his study and closed the door. I had to move a pile of books in order to sit. Henry’s study was a carefully cultivated image of chaos, with enough bugs pinned to cards on the wall and spiders in jars to keep the housemaids out of the room if they dared disobey orders to stay out. This was the nerve center of the Masked Bandits and the place where Henry hid his most incriminating secrets. It was also the one place at home where he dared drop his guard and his pretense of being an absentminded amateur scientist.

  As soon as he’d closed the door, he set about activating the wards he’d built into the room, which blocked anyone outside the study from being able to detect magic being used within or hearing anything we said. Then, without warning, the lights in the room went out.

  I knew what that meant. I held my hand out in front of me and tried to sense the ether swirling around me. It took some concentration, but I managed to pull energy from the ether into the palm of my hand to create a light. More concentration magnified it to illuminate the room. Once I’d created the light, it took little attention to maintain it, though Henry put me to the test by picking up a butterfly net and waving it around. My light flickered as I giggled and went out entirely when he threw the net at me.

  The room’s lights came back on, and he said, “Better. But you need to be able to form the light instantly and maintain it when distracted.”

  “Even when someone’s throwing something at me?”

  “Especially when someone’s throwing something at you. And it’s not just about the light. Learning to control the light is learning to control power, and that applies to any magic you perform. Now, let’s work on physical manipulation.” He dumped a dish of paper clips on the floor and handed me the dish. This was a little easier for me, as it was a use of magic I�
��d taught myself when I’d discovered my powers. After the third paper clip, however, the task became more difficult, as I found myself battling with Henry. He moved them so that I had to redirect the ether, and we had a tug of war with each other over the last clip. It was fortunate that the wards muted sound in the room because I couldn’t hold back a cry of victory when I wrested the clip away from him and landed it in the dish.

  “Excellent! This may prove to be your area of expertise,” he said, sitting in his desk chair and removing the spectacles I knew he didn’t need. I thought for a moment that this meant he was ready to let me rest, but instead he held up the butterfly net and said, “Make it look like a fan.”

  I tried not to groan out loud. Illusions were the most difficult thing for me, and I’d never seen another magister other than Henry perform one. But Henry said they’d once been a staple of magic, before magisters grew lazy and complacent with their position in society, and he wanted me to have every advantage. I stared at the butterfly net for a long time, picturing the fan I would make it look like. Next came the hard part, shaping the ether around the net to give it the illusion of a fan. It flickered back and forth between the reality and the illusion for a moment before finally settling on the illusion.

  “Good,” Henry said. “Now, have you read any good books lately?”

  “Books?” I asked, baffled by the abrupt change in topic.

  Henry laughed and pointed at the net, which still looked like a fan. “Good work, Verity! You managed to maintain the illusion while you were distracted. Now let’s see how long it will last. Tea?”

  Breathing a little heavily from my exertions, I wiped beads of sweat off my brow and said, “Please.”

  “Then boil the water.”

  I should have known better than to expect him to give me a break so soon. This was a tricky use of magic because it required finding just the right amount of heat. I’d already broken three teapots when I got it wrong. I activated the ether around and within the teapot, fighting to keep the excitement slow and under control. When steam came out of the spout, Henry measured tea into the pot, and I slumped back in my chair. The fan was flickering, but it was still visible. I allowed myself a small smile of triumph.