“You?” Josef snorted. “If people won’t believe Nico, they’ll never believe you.”
Eli held up his hands. “I admit, aside from you and Nico, there are very few people who know me well enough to know when I’m being sincere, and of those people, only one has the power to bring the kind of help we need. Fortunately, thanks to our guest, I have a pretty good idea where she is.”
Josef gave him a horrified look. “You can’t be serious.”
“Normally I’d agree,” Eli said. “But today is a serious sort of day. You worry about all that king nonsense. I’ll take care of this.”
Josef shook his head. “Just don’t mess it up.”
“Do I ever?” Eli said, but Josef was already walking back to his map.
Eli arched an eyebrow at the king’s back and went to look for Nico. He found her deep in conversation with Tesset, of all people. He approached silently, hoping to catch a snatch of whatever it was they were talking about, but his efforts were fruitless. Both of them fell silent before he was close enough to hear anything.
She walked over when he beckoned. “Spiritualist didn’t work?”
“Not at all,” Eli said, glancing over her shoulder at Tesset, who was watching them. “What were you and the Council man talking about?”
“I was thanking him,” Nico said. “His advice was very useful.”
“Advice?” Eli said curiously. “What kind of advice?”
“Good advice,” Nico said in a tone that signaled the end of that part of the conversation.
For once, Eli took the hint. “Glad to hear it. Now, I was hoping you could do a little repeat of our exercise earlier today. I need another wind.”
“That’s easy,” Nico said. “They’ve been swarming ever since you talked to the first one. I think they want a wizard indebted to them as well.”
“Really?” Eli grimaced. He hated owing favors, and winds were impossible to escape, but he had little choice at the moment. “Can you pick me out a fast one?”
Nico stared up at the afternoon sky for a moment before her hand shot out, pointing at something just above the horizon. “There.”
Eli popped the latch on the window, opening it just enough to stick his hand out. He opened his spirit a crack as well, sending out a beckoning tendril of power. A few seconds later, a strong breeze rushed over his face.
“My,” the wind whispered. “Aren’t you a bright one? Are you the wizard making deals?”
“I am,” Eli said. “And do I have a deal for you. How fast can you fly to Zarin?”
“Where?” the wind said.
“Large city,” Eli said. “West of here on the mainland, white buildings, river through the middle?”
“Oh, there.” The wind circled around them. “Fast enough, if I have reason to hurry. Why?”
“I need you to take a message to the Spirit Court.”
“That’ll cost you,” the wind huffed. “Spiritualists can be pompous.”
“That they can,” Eli said. “But a powerful, clever wind can make them listen, I’m sure.”
“Of course,” the wind said. “If the price is right.”
“Friend,” Eli said, leaning into the breeze. “Today’s your lucky day.”
The wind rushed away from the watchtower feeling extremely pleased with itself. For being a gullible sap, the bright wizard certainly knew how to sweeten a deal. The promise of a personal debt from the human who’d freed Mellinor was a prize indeed, and all for passing on a few words. Plus, he’d been so nice looking, so bright. The wind spun in a circle. It wasn’t every day you met a wizard like that.
By this point, the wind had cleared the strip of ocean between the island and the mainland. It dipped on the warm air, readying itself for the straight push overland to the white city with the tall towers. But as the wind turned west, it jerked to a stop, frozen in the air. For five long seconds the wind hovered, completely unable to move, and then it curled in a deep bow.
“All hail the lord of the west.”
The air flickered as the West Wind suddenly filled the sky, his breezes reaching as far as the wind could see. “Where are you off to in such a hurry, little wind?”
“Zarin,” the wind answered, trembling against the West Wind’s hold. “I promised a wizard I would bring a message to Spiritualist Miranda Lyonette.”
“I see,” Illir said. “And the wizard who gave you this message, he was a bright wizard, was he not?”
“The brightest I have ever seen, my lord,” the wind whispered.
“Thought so,” Illir said. “Very well, give me the message. I will deliver it.”