Entering Penelope’s room was an entirely different experience, with his Mind Pillar awakened. Lukas’s arcane senses had developed into something significantly more potent. He sensed strands of energy connecting to everything around him. His palms itched as they begged to be grabbed, tugged, and twisted. Lukas wanted nothing more than to experiment, but he resisted.

Dire consequences.

Lukas had learned as a much younger man that messing with something he didn’t recognize or understand was never a good idea. He had a new toy. Breaking it was impossible. However, the chances of breaking himself with it were high. Once the clones gained the power to use shard abilities, he intended to use them endlessly for experimentation. For the time being, he settled for exploring his new senses.

“Please. Sit.” Penelope waved at the couches in her suite. Bass sat on the only armchair mounted on the backrest. When the sorcerer took her seat, he rested his small, cat-sized head on her shoulder.

More arcane threads spread from Bass than Lukas cared to count. It was as he had expected. The familiar wasn’t an ordinary beast that granted sentience and power, but contained vast quantities of magic and multiple spells. He was more a sentient magical creation than an organic creature now. It was likely Penelope had nurtured him over several decades, shaping him into whatever he was now.

“Bass tracked them down,” Penelope continued. “There is a camp of Elder Wyrmkin in the undercity, and they have a ritual laboratory going. Bass failed to get close, but he sensed it in action. They’re the ones creating the mutants. Then, the mutants head out into the undercity, fight, get killed, and eat. The spreading draconic energy spawns more mutants.”

“I expected that might be the case,” Lukas said thoughtfully. “What are we going to do about it?”

“We?” Penelope raised an eyebrow. “There is no we in this. I need to take care of the matter before it gets out of hand. I’m currently debating who else to involve. The Union of Guilds? The council?”

“You’re not worried about them wanting to continue these experiments afterward? I imagine the ritual, reagents, and methods are all coveted knowledge. What if they keep at it? Try to weaponize it?”

“That’s the subject of our concern. I don’t know their goal or whatever they’re up to. Bass sensed a faint draconic presence, but that could be nothing.”

“Let Elvis and me help,” Lukas said. “The three of us can do this together. Let us do the sneaky bits with Silencing Shadows. Slice some throats. Sabotage rituals. Maybe poison their water. Then, you and Bass come in and put them down. We can destroy the laboratory together. No one else needs to get involved.”

“Why? This is dangerous for someone of your power. Suicidal even. Why do you want to risk everything for a place and people to whom you have no ties and owe nothing?”

“I don’t care about this place,” Lukas answered honestly. “I might care about some of the friends and connections I’ve made, but Iskander means little to me. After this is done and my thing with the Grey Rats, I’m leaving. That much is decided. The gang will keep demanding more from me if I stay, and there is too much to learn about Fracture and magic. If you let me travel with you for a bit, I’d love to come along; if not, I’ll find my own path and way.

“This is personal.” Lukas leaned forward in his seat, determined eyes staring into Penelope’s. “The Wyrmkin stole who I am. They almost killed me and my brother. They left me feeling terrified and helpless. Unless I face and stop them, the nightmares won’t stop. No matter the risks, I’m already involved. I’ve been to the depths, pushing Silencing Shadows. It might’ve been suicidal, but I did it anyway. I failed to find the Wyrmkin, but I sensed it too.” He hesitated for a moment. Lukas needed to give the sorcerer something more to win her over. “I wouldn’t have risked a stolen shard and the essences to power it if I weren’t so sure about this.”

“Have you ever stolen from me?” Penelope asked, eyes narrowing.

“If I had, I wouldn’t be so stupid to sit here and talk to you.” Lukas’s eyes wandered around the room, arcane threads begging to be touched and investigated. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. But you gave me work when I needed it. You’ve taught me. Our relationship might be only professional—it's clear you don’t consider me a friend—but I owe you. So, no. I have never stolen from you.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“He’s honest,” Bass commented. “Mostly.”

“Did you go down to the depths yourself, or did you send a shadow construct? I don’t know what they are or how they function. But I’ve sensed them.”

Lukas snorted, amused. He expected some secrets to leak around the sorcerer. Penelope was a far more powerful magic user than Esther. In fact, she confused his senses, feeling more like a magical entity than a human. Her arcane senses were far too keen. It was why he was hesitant to travel with her. Keeping Shadow Clone a secret would prove impossible.

“I sensed a couple of constructs,” Lukas replied. “Since you know, you might as well have the whole truth. One shade died. The other reported back to me. I found the camp and laboratory, and was trying to figure out how to lead you there. There is some sort of hibernating creature in the depths. I think Wyrmkin wants to wake it up.”

“Of course, the bastards want to revive a dragon,” Penelope grumbled, rising from her armchair. She stomped back and forth, eyes focused on the ground. “It's what these Wyrmkin cults do. They hunt artifacts and dragons. They want to summon or please their god. Little else matters to them.” She sighed. “Don’t mistake this for all Wyrmkin being dangerous and evil. A good chunk of their population is peace-loving, quiet folk. These cults go around radicalizing their young, and a few get swept away in religious fervor.”

“You’re not mad that I lied to you?” Lukas asked, failing to keep the surprise out of his voice.

“What?” She looked up at him for a moment, appearing confused. “No. Why would I be?” Penelope shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Would I prefer you tell me the truth? Yes. But as you said, we’re colleagues. Not friends. We don’t owe each other anything besides what’s outlined in the contract. As long as you hold up your end, I’m fine with it.”

“Maybe Penny is, but I’m not,” Bass added. “If she didn’t command me not to, I would’ve ripped you and your brother to shreds quite some time ago.”

“Colleagues don’t owe each other secrets, only loyalty and delivery of promised services,” Penelope continued. “There is plenty I haven’t and won’t tell you. But assuming all of this goes fine, and your job with the rats doesn’t take too long. You can join me when I leave Iskander. It will take me a few weeks to wrap everything up.”

“Job allowing, I’d love to come with you. It feels like there is still much for me to learn from you.”

“Continue providing identification services. Your tracking and improving stealth abilities are an asset, too, and we’ll add them to your contract. Be wary, though, if you join me on a new investigation, I’ll expect you to stick with me until it's done.”

“What about Elvis?”

“I expect the pair of you is a package deal. He can be our baggage handler, gopher, and muscle. To be honest, I don’t really need him. Bass can do everything he can do, but better. I’ve only kept him around thus far because of you.”

“That’s fair. Hopefully, he’ll be able to find work wherever we go. He’s brought home a couple of weapons that I’m struggling to believe he’s made. Elvis’s progress is astounding.” Lukas paused, studying Penelope for a moment. Her pragmatism continued to surprise him. “Do you yet know who tried to assassinate you in the undercity? Or who was sending people after the courier packages?”

“I thought I did, but I’m not sure anymore,” Penelope answered.

“You could still be correct,” Bass said. “Your peers resent you. Since they can’t be you, they want to kill you.”

“That might be true, but I failed to identify the contract seal. The signatures don’t match anything in the city. It would make sense if it's draconic magic.”

“Or, there is someone else in Iskander, pulling the strings and keeping silent over who they are.”

“The first time I saw Mister Grey was in the secret docks. He and Captain Santana silenced a witness. They weren’t alone, though. There was a woman. The way she carried herself and spoke, it was clear she was someone of power and influence. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but I think she might be someone high up. Perhaps someone in the city council or one of the academies.”

“Do you think they’re working with the Elder Wyrmkin? Maybe cause upheaval and then take control?”

“Or use the chaos to steal, kill someone, or something of the sort.”

“I’ll explore the thread after the delve.”

“I’ll help as long as it doesn’t interfere with the Grey Rat job.”

“Thank you.” Penelope waved to the door. “See yourself out. I need to rest and prepare.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lukas nodded, rising from his seat.

“One more thing, Lukas,” Penelope said just as he was about to leave her suite.

“Yes?”

“I don’t mind you keeping secrets. But we can’t work together if you keep vital information related to investigations from me. If this happens again, I’ll do a lot more than end the contract. Consider yourself warned. Your abilities and expertise make you useful, but don’t overvalue yourself.”