Santa Marta, Monday, 25 May 1840

Your Reverence, Magister Arminio Cavallaro

My daughter Lorelia has been missing since April. She has not responded to my numerous telepathic calls. As your presence in Santa Marta is necessary for family matters, I ask for your help.

I have enclosed a portrait of my daughter. She is 26 years old and completed her apprenticeship last autumn. Since then, she has been pursuing her own studies of precious stones. As there are numerous gemstone deposits in Brazil, I suspect that she is hiding in one of the mines in Minas Gerais or the surrounding forests. This area became her second home during her training with Magistra Glandera.

As I am aware of your special skills in dealing with fugitives at the gendarmerie in Rome, I would like to commission you privately: bring my daughter back to me by the end of July, and you will receive one kilogram of gold as payment.

Yours sincerely,
Thiveus Guedes Flores

Arminio

Is that all you're offering for a runaway brat: only one kilogram of gold? Are you trying to insult me? Arminio shook his head and dropped the letter onto his desk. Che palle! You're too stupid to understand how I work. If your daughter meant anything to you, you'd offer me more. How am I supposed to find her from a portrait? Arminio tapped the drawing dismissively with the back of his hand. He leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window at the bar in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. Why had the Air Mage sent him a letter instead of communicating his request telepathically, as was customary?

Frowning, the Capitano reached for the drawing and stared into the journey woman's eyes. For a Colombian woman, she had unusually cornflower-blue irises. Why don't you answer your father's calls? he asked the picture, tilting his head. The wanted woman's smile was clearly fake. Her long, dark hair and full lips would not help him search for her in South America. The place teemed with beauties like her. To find her, he also needed her body's heat signature. Had he not avoided the gatherings in Chattenberg over the past decades, Glandera's acolyte would certainly have caught his eye.

A nervous premonition ran through his body. The forests of Colombia were mafia territory, and Brazil was no better. This case stinks to high heaven. Even though the pay is ridiculous, I need to know why Lorelia feels safe there of all places.

The Capitano took a thick grey envelope out of the bottom drawer of his mahogany desk. He dipped his quill into the inkwell and wrote 'Lorelia' on the file. Arminio had a tried-and-tested tactic for non-magical women: his copper-red hair was eye-catching, and his Sicilian charm was disarming. He read her thoughts, spoke to her and engaged her in conversation about her interests, convincing her to come with him. At the latest, when he assured her that he would protect her, he had her where he wanted her: either in his office at the gendarmerie or in bed. However, since Lorelia was a magician, Arminio had to find out what motivated her by other means. He grinned broadly as he prepared to establish a telepathic connection with the woman wanted by the Mastress.

“Glandera? This is Arminio. May I have a moment of your attention?”

The Earth Mage answered him immediately. “Greetings, Arminio. Please speak.”

"I have a few questions about your former student, Lorelia. May I come and see you?"

There was a brief pause before Glandera replied. “Ferron and I are sitting on his terrace in the sun right now. Come over for a cup of coffee.”

“With pleasure, thank you very much.”

With practised movements, Arminio tidied his desk, folded the letter, and returned it to the envelope containing the drawing. His hand swung in a horizontal figure of eight. A blue-violet, shimmering circle with a diameter of over two metres formed, and the Sicilian stepped through the portal into the Earth Wing of the Magician Academy of High Arts in Chattenberg.

“Zio Ferron.” Arminio bowed his head to greet his godfather.

“Greetings, Arminio,” replied the Earth Mage.

“Greetings, Glandera.” Smiling, the fire mage bent down to greet the crystal mage with two kisses on the cheek.

Glandera looked at the Sicilian with a warm smile. “Arminio, it's good to see you. Please sit down.” With an inviting gesture, she pointed to the cast-iron garden chair and stroked her belly.

“Gladly. Thank you for taking the time to see me. How is the baby?” He folded his hands on his red trousers.

“Very good.” Glandera had that inner glow that only a pregnant woman could radiate. She reached for Ferron's hand with her free one. “We are so happy.”

The fire mage nodded and was glad that they were finally fulfilling their dream of having children. “And how is the father-to-be?”

Ferron's rays resembled a lighthouse. “Also excellent.”

Glandera rolled her eyes. “He's even more excited than I am and hardly leaves me alone. He keeps telling me to get more rest.”

Arminio smiled. “No wonder. For Ferron, this baby means the world.”

The Earth Mage leaned back and relaxed. “I've been waiting over four hundred years for this moment, too.”

Arminio stared at her belly with a magical gaze. He quickly found the umbilical cord and observed the blood circulation of the unborn child. “You already know the sex of the baby, or shall I tell you?”

“No way. We want to be surprised.” Glandera waved her hand dismissively and laughed.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” asked Ferron.

“No, thank you.”

Glandera tilted his head. “How can I help you?”

The captain ran his fingers through his short, copper-coloured hair. “Can we discuss this matter inside?”

The mistress rose slowly. “You know I have no secrets from Ferron. I will certainly inform him of our conversation.”

Glandera's study had changed since Arminio's last visit, but he was not interested in the new, colourful minerals sparkling in the sunlight. He followed the earth mage to her desk, next to which a crib stood, and took a seat in the visitor's chair.

Glandera sighed softly and leaned back in her chair. “Well, Arminio, what is it?”

“Journeywoman Lorelia is missing, according to her father. Apparently, she hasn't been in touch with him since her examination.' He reached into his breast pocket and handed her the letter. “Magister Thiveus has tasked me with searching for her in the Brazilian gem mines. Before I set off, though, I wanted to ask if you could tell me anything about her. After all, you were her Mastress.”

Glandera scanned the letter and her brow furrowed. 'What exactly do you want to know?'

“When was the last time you saw her?”

Her eyebrows formed a fine line in the middle. “About two months ago.”

“Why?”

Glandera shook his head slightly. “Quite mundane things. She wanted to talk to me about her latest research findings.”

“Gemstone topics?”

“Yes, exactly.”

He lowered his chin. “How was she?”

Glandera shrugged his shoulders in disbelief. “She was happy; her eyes were shining with enthusiasm. We were both in our element when we talked about work. Arminio, I don't know what you hope to gain from questioning her. Would you like me to call her? Then you can talk to her directly.”

“No. I don't want to warn her.” He paused before continuing in a quieter voice. “I wonder what her reason is for not responding to her father's calls. What woman would choose to live in the wilderness?”

Glandera laughed playfully. “What nonsense. Some people appreciate untouched nature because it is their home. We spent most of our training time in the mines. As an earth mage, she knows every stone and rock. She knows how to defend herself against wild animals and has a good sense of direction. She doesn't just get lost.”

“Is the area extensive?”

“Oh yes.” Glandera gently stroked her belly. 'Brazil is rich in gemstone deposits. It's a real paradise for us.'

“What about the cartel? Have you ever been threatened or caught in a shootout?”

“The easiest thing to do is announce that you'll be in the area for the next few hours. As long as you wear the insignia openly, they will leave you alone. Since you can't use magic for a few seconds after stepping through the portal, you're vulnerable. Once the magical shield has been rebuilt, you can move around freely.” Glandera sighed and tapped her stomach. “But in this state, Ferron won't let me travel to South America. I won't be able to support you.”

Arminio sat up straight in his chair. “I would do the same. Alternatively, could you give me a map of the Brazilian forests showing where the mines are?”

The Magistra nodded, and they both stood up. As she stood before him, her eyes changed colour from brown to amber. She placed her thumb on Arminio's forehead. The landscape appeared before his inner eye. Cities and place names that he recognised helped him to get his bearings. This knowledge was supplemented by glowing dots representing the location of gemstone deposits deep in the earth.

“It’s impressive how many deposits there are.” Arminio thanked him with a nod.

“You don't need to pretend with me. I know how little you care about precious stones.”

Arminio lifted his chin. “What does journeywoman Lorelia specialise in?”

Glandera's eyes sparkled. “Litho therapy. She is currently researching alternative healing methods. She only has the basic knowledge necessary for earth elementalism, much to Ferron's annoyance.”

“You know I need a thermal image to find her. Could you describe what she looks like? Do you also remember a mission I was called to?”

She touched his forehead again. An image of an earth mage in regalia appeared in his mind. Lorelia wore her dark hair loose and smiled as she showed Glandera a purple gemstone.

“Let’s think about it together.” Glandera walked purposefully over to a display case, took out a green and purple gemstone shaped like an octahedron, and held it up. “Here, the fluorite will help us concentrate.”

Arminio didn't believe in this supposed effect, but he knew that Glandera was a great crystal mage. He allowed her to place the stone in his hands and enclose them with hers. He gazed spellbound into her amber irises as she worked her magic.

“On 25 May 1834, you were called to an earthquake site to search for people buried under the rubble. She assisted me there.”

Arminio searched his memories at lightning speed. Back then, he had helped find the bodies of the victims. He then informed the earth mages of their location so they could clear the rubble from the buildings. Every human being has a unique appearance, and the same applies to their heat signature in his magical vision. The veins in the body resembled a fingerprint, and since he knew Glandera”s signature, he quickly recognised a woman at her side. She was tall and slim with a well-trained physique, moving gracefully. With that, he could begin his search.

“Thank you. Does she continue to live by the code of the Academy of Magicians?”

“Of course she does. The sicarios aren't squeamish when someone doesn't wear their insignia openly.”

Arminio was reassured that Lorelia had revealed herself to the assassins. She did not seem to be quite as reckless as her father had claimed. “Have you ever heard of any complaints about Lorelia not responding to a magister?”

“Never. When we call them, we get an immediate response.”

That just doesn't add up, thought Arminio. “Then what do you think could be the reason she's not responding to her father's calls?”

Glandera shook her head. “The relationship has been tense for a long time. Since he is an Air Mage, I'm not surprised that they have opposing views. But Thiveus didn't even show up for her journeyman examination celebrations.” She took the gemstone from his hand and took a step back. “Lorelia is a proud Latina who loves her freedom. These are character traits you should be familiar with.”

Arminio's mouth slowly turned upwards. Her sophistry amused him. With a practised movement, he formed a horizontal figure of eight. “Thank you, Glandera. Please give my regards to Furio if you see him before Sunday.”

“I will.” Glandera bowed his head in farewell. “I wish you every success, Arminio.”