The Magic Catcher by Cassie Clarke Page B

hair. To Tony, it would look like he
was simply nuzzling her neck as he whispered in her ear, “Play
along.”
    In her
element, Aprestine tittered, tossing a mane of auburn hair over her
shoulder and fluttering her lashes in Marcus’s
direction.
    “ I can smell magic.” Tony said. His engorged nose sniffed the
air. Marcus’s gaze slid towards Aprestine for a fraction of a
second.
    “’ Course you can.” Marcus said. “Got a collection of my own,
right here.” He lifted his coat to reveal a lantern hitched to his
waist. Aprestine fought back a gasp.  It was filled to the
brim with magic, more than she’d ever seen in one lantern before,
the whole thing glowing so brightly it illuminated every inch of
the alley, from the drains blocked up with leaves to the cracks
that snaked up the walls of the two buildings they stood between.
It must be worth thousands. How had he got it? What had he done to get it? There
was only room for a fraction more magic inside it, and she became
dizzyingly cold with fear at the thought that he might be
expecting her to
be the final donor. She tried to pull away from him but his grip on
her waist tightened, his fingers digging through the fabric of her
dress to keep her in place.
    Tony
frowned. “Awful lot, you got there.”
    “ Got lucky.” Marcus said. “Dying old wizard just gifted it to
me.”
    “ That mean you selling?”
    “ Not today.” Marcus said. “Got big plans for this stuff, you
see. More than you could afford.”
    Tony
licked his lips. Aprestine could almost see the cogs turning in his
head. The amount of magic that hung from Marcus’s side was more
than most catchers could collect in a year, and it would fetch a
sizeable sum on the black market. Pathetic lords and ladies would
pay ridiculous amounts for even the smallest slice of magic. It
would only last a few days, but during that time they could pretend
they were powerful, smiting down their enemies or entertaining
their friends with silly parlour tricks. The whole thing was
distasteful, in Aprestine’s opinion.
    Tony
wanted the magic. But Tony was half Marcus’s size, and he didn’t
have anyone by his side, the way Marcus did. Tony looked at
Aprestine, and her lips curled upwards, daring him to try and take
her on. Even if he did think she was a commoner that Marcus had
picked up in a brothel, it was still two against one, and it was a
fight he couldn’t win. His shoulders sank as he accepted defeat,
but his dark eyes still glinted with animosity. Aprestine
swallowed.
    “ Alright then.” Tony said, nodding at Marcus. “You know where
to find me if you change your mind.”
    He
shoved his hands into his pockets and walked back into the night,
whistling carelessly. He seemed to be walking slowly on purpose,
and Aprestine’s eyes narrowed as she watched him saunter out of the
passage. When he was finally out of sight, she sighed in relief
before shoving Marcus away.
    “ Where on earth did you get all that?” She asked, gesturing
towards the lantern. “You’re not one of them now, are
you?”
    Marcus
was a hired assassin when she’d met him. He worked for the
catcher’s every now and then, but only when it was someone they
didn’t think they could take on their own. He could have been a
catcher in his own right, but he’d always said the profession
didn’t sit quite right with him. Aprestine had warmed to him
immediately, which was a mistake. She’d told him she was magical
herself, thinking she could trust him to keep her secret safe, and
he’d immediately gone and asked the catchers whether he should kill
her.
    “ No.” Marcus replied. “Had to kill four of them to get all
this.”
    “ And what do you plan on doing with it, now you have
it?”
    Marcus
paused. “I’ve got myself in a pickle.”
    “ You’re always in a pickle of some sort.” Aprestine said. “Why
have you come looking for me to get you out of it?”
    “ Because you’re the only one who can help.” Marcus said.