Taken

Variam?”

“How do you mean?”

“They’re a bit too good to be in the apprentice program. Why haven’t they taken their journeyman tests?”

“Oh, I see.” Lyle relaxed a little. “Well, mostly because they don’t have a sponsor. Do you know their background?”

I shook my head and Lyle settled down on the railing next to me, comfortable now. Gossip is Lyle’s element. “Well, both of them are in the apprentice program, but they didn’t start that way. Originally they were apprentices to a Dark mage named Sagash.”

She was taught by a Dark mage. Her and that other boy, Variam . . . They started working for a monster! I remembered Natasha’s words from the gym yesterday. Maybe she had been telling the truth, even if it hadn’t been for the right reasons.

“Anyway, there was trouble of some kind,” Lyle continued. “I don’t know the details but it ended with the two of them leaving Sagash’s service on bad terms. After it was clear that they weren’t going back, we got in touch with them via a Light mage named Ebber. He’d had some previous contact with them while they were staying at Sagash’s residence.”

“And?”

“And they turned him down flat. According to Ebber they were quite hostile. He would have been more than willing to put them in touch with a master, but they were totally uncooperative.”

“Huh,” I said. “So instead they ended up with Jagadev.”

Lyle shrugged. “Apparently no one else would have them.” He glanced around. “On the subject, Alex . . . what exactly are you doing here?”

“Got an invitation.”

Lyle frowned. “I’d avoid associating yourself too closely with Jagadev if I were you. He may have some influence amongst the Council, but he’s still a nonhuman.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. So how did your chat with Crystal go?”

“I, er . . .” Lyle looked flustered. “I ought to be going.”

I watched Lyle hurry off. I hadn’t expected that last comment to be the one to chase him away. Maybe I’d hit a nerve.

Down below the night was in full swing, hundreds of people dancing to the thumping beat of the music. Looking down over the crowd and concentrating, I could sense flickers of magic. None were powerful but there were a lot of them. Was that what Jagadev had created here—a sort of haven for adepts? It made sense. Mages wouldn’t let a creature like Jagadev move into their own territory, but adepts aren’t something they concern themselves with.

Up here on the balcony the crowd was thinner. I didn’t recognise most of the guests, but there were a few that I did, and they were generally people I didn’t want to talk to. Crystal and Lyle were leaving but Onyx wasn’t, and he was heading back towards me. I stepped out of his line of sight again, waited until he was past, then walked away in the opposite direction.

As I did, I saw Anne. She was leaning on the balcony railing and looking out over the crowd, and everybody else was giving her a wide berth. I couldn’t see Luna. I considered it for maybe half a second before coming to lean on the railing next to Anne. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” I said, “but I think your normal clothes suit you better.”

Anne gave me a glance and a half smile. She didn’t seem surprised, as if she’d known I was there. “Lord Jagadev likes me to wear it for gatherings.”

“And you do what Lord Jagadev tells you.” I put the tiniest stress on the title.

Anne looked out over the crowd. “It’s . . . difficult.” She was silent for a moment. “I don’t like everything he asks us to do. But there are worse things than having to dress up.”

“Trust me, I understand that part.” I paused. “Thanks for showing up when you did back there.”

“It’s no problem.” Anne turned back to me. “Did you find out anything?”

I shook my head. “Looks like I’ll be around to give you updates though.”

Anne gave me an enquiring look.

“So what’s Jagadev’s end of the deal?” I said. “He uses his connections to keep the two of you in the apprentice program?”

Anne looked away again. “That’s part of it,” she said at last.

“And the other part?”

Anne hesitated, seemed about to speak.

“Anne,” a voice said from behind us.

I turned to see Variam. “He wants you,” Variam said, ignoring me.

Anne sighed. “All right.” She looked at me. “I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll see you soon?”

I nodded. “Till then.”

Anne left. Variam gave me a flat unfriendly look which I returned blandly, then he escorted her away, glancing over his shoulder to keep tabs on me.

I waited until they were out of sight, then followed. I was curious about why “Lord” Jagadev suddenly wanted to talk to Anne. Anne and Variam entered Jagadev’s court a little way ahead of me. I wouldn’t be able to follow