floor. This time I had no hope of moving. My energy was completely depleted. After a while I noticed that someone gripped my hands. Strong fingers wrapped around mine, encompassing them with warmth.
With effort I opened my eyes to see who held me. Then I closed them tight. I must still be asleep. But after hearing Irys’s insistent calls, I looked again. And there sat my brother, holding my hands and sharing his energy with me.
Weariness lined Leif’s face. “You’re in big trouble,” he said.
His words didn’t seem malicious, just factual, and, as expected, past his shoulders, I saw Irys, Roze, Hayes and Bain all frowning at me. Leif released my hands, but remained on the floor beside me.
Roze eyed him, her displeasure evident in the tight twist of her lips. “You should have let her die,” she scolded him. “One less magician to taint our land with her incredible stupidity.”
“A little too harsh, Roze,” Bain said. “Though I agree about the stupidity. Child, why did you try that alone?” Bain asked.
I couldn’t even speak in my defense for I hadn’t the energy to form words, let alone try and explain myself.
“Cocky and stupid,” Roze said for me. “Since she cured Tula of her physical injuries, she must have believed she was an all-powerful magician and could do anything. The fool will probably be asking to take the Master level test next.” Roze snorted with disgust. “Maybe she’ll feel differently after we assign her to the first year’s barracks. There she can learn the basics of magic while scrubbing the floors, like every new student.”
I glanced at Irys. Roze’s punishment sounded horrible. Irys said nothing. Disapproval pulsed off her. I braced for an outburst.
Instead, Opal called, “Tula’s awake!”
I closed my eyes in relief as everyone focused on Tula. When I opened my eyes, the magicians had all disappeared from my view.
“You’re still headstrong and reckless; an out of control strangler fig,” Leif said. “I guess Ixia didn’t change everything about you.” He stood on shaking legs, and I watched him join the others by Tula’s bedside.
I puzzled over his comment. Good or bad? I couldn’t decide. But then Roze’s harsh voice jarred me out of my reflection. She bombarded Tula with questions about her attacker, but Tula wouldn’t answer. I cringed, knowing that Tula wasn’t up to Roze’s interrogation. Thank fate, Hayes intervened.
“Give her some time,” he said.
“There is no time,” Roze replied.
A thin raspy voice asked, “Who are all these people? Where’s Yelena? I can’t see her.”
“She’s here,” Opal said. “She’s just exhausted from helping you, Tullie.”
“Hayes, get some assistants and go dump the fool girl into another room,” Roze instructed. “She’s done enough damage for one day.”
When Hayes moved to obey, Tula said, “No. You leave. All of you. I won’t tell you anything. Yelena stays with me. I’ll talk to her.”
A mummer of irritation and discussion rumbled through the magicians before Roze agreed with reluctance to bring a bed in for me. Hayes and Irys hoisted me off the floor and dropped me without fanfare onto the mattress. Irys still hadn’t said a word, and her silence scared me.
“Child,” Bain said to Tula. “I understand your fear. You have awakened to a room full of strangers.” He then introduced everyone in the room. “First Magician and Leif are the ones you need to tell about your abduction. They will find your kidnapper.”
Tula pulled the sheet up to her chin. “I’ll tell Yelena. No one else. She’ll take care of him.”
Roze’s harsh laughter scraped in my ears. “She can’t even talk! If your attacker walked into this room, he would kill you both.” She shook her head in disbelief. “You’re not thinking clearly. I’ll be back in the morning, and you
Hayes shooed everyone else out. As the door closed, I heard Bain tell Irys to assign an extra guard for the evening. A good idea. If Goel came in, I couldn’t prevent him from carrying out his promises to torture me.
Apprehension about being so helpless crawled along my spine. A similar situation that haunted Tula. One of her many ghosts was being at the mercy of another. Her promise to tell me everything weighed on my mind; I had just gotten rid of my own ghost. Though, I hated to admit, Reyad still retained some power. Whenever I had doubts, he seemed to enjoy visiting my nightmares. Or did he cause them? Or did I invite him?
To distract myself from such troublesome thoughts, I tried to muster some energy to talk to Tula, but exhaustion claimed me instead and I sank into a deep dreamless sleep.
I felt a little better in the morning, but had only enough strength to sit up in bed. At least I could ask Tula how she felt.
She closed her eyes. Pointing to her temple she said, “Come.”
I sighed with regret. “I don’t have the energy to link our minds, Tula.”
“Perhaps I can help,” Leif said from the doorway.
“No! Go away.” Tula shielded her face with her arms.
“If you don’t talk to me, First Magician will come and take the information she needs from you,” Leif explained.
Tula peeked out at me in confusion.
“It won’t be pleasant,” I said. “It’s almost as bad as what your attacker did to you. I know.”
Leif averted his eyes. I hoped he felt guilty. Studying him closer, I wondered why he had aided me the day before. What had happened to his smirk? Where was his derision and condescension? I realized I barely knew this man.
Not wanting to guess his motives anymore, I demanded, “Why did you help me?”
A scowl gripped his face, but, with a sigh, he smoothed his features, shuttering his emotions. “Mother would kill me if I had let you die,” he said.
He turned to Tula, but I refused to let him get away with such a flippant response. “What’s the real reason?”
Hatred blazed in Leif’s jade eyes, but a second later his posture softened, as if someone had blown out a candle. He whispered, “I couldn’t bear to do nothing and lose you again.”
Then, his mental defenses dropped and I heard his thoughts.
His trust surprised me, though his petulant comment failed to concern me. An emotion, even hatred, was better than apathy. Could this be a first step in bridging the distance between us?
“What did he say?” Tula asked.
“He wants to help you,” I said. “Tula, this is my brother. Without him we wouldn’t have gotten you back. If you want me to find your attacker, I’ll need his strength.”
“But, he’ll see. He’ll know about…” Tula squeezed her arms together.
“I already know,” Leif said.
He pulled Tula’s arms away from her face with a gentleness that amazed me. I thought back to my mother’s comments about Leif’s magic. She had said he helped with crimes, sensing a person’s guilt and history. Now, as I watched him with Tula, I wanted to know more about him and how he used his magic.
“We need to find him and stop him from hurting another girl,” Leif explained.
She swallowed and bit her lip before nodding. Leif stood between our beds, took Tula’s hand, and reached for mine. I reclined on the mattress and grabbed his hand. Then, using his energy, I formed a mental link with Tula.
In her mind, the two of us stood by a gray stone furnace. Leif’s power roared around us like the fire under the kiln.
“I was here, putting coal into the furnace. It was close to midnight when…” She clutched her apron. Black soot streaked the white fabric. “A dark cloth wrapped around my face. Before I could scream, I felt a sharp stab in
