persuasion, he was not going to fool himself. He would not know if he was capable of remaining silent until he faced such a trial.
It was possible that the magicians could read his mind anyway. If they did, they would discover he knew little that could be used against the Thieves. Once they realized that, they would probably leave him in the dark permanently.
But he doubted that the Thieves were their target. They would have questioned him by now.
No, the only questions he had been asked concerned Sonea. During his journey to the University, Fergun had asked what kind of relationship Cery had with her. If the magicians wanted to know if Cery was important to her, they probably meant to use him to blackmail her into doing something she didn't want to do.
The thought that he might have made her situation worse tormented him as much as, sometimes more than, the fear of being left to die. If only he hadn't been tempted to see the University. The more Cery thought about it, the more he cursed himself for his curiosity.
Between one breath and the next he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. As they grew louder his anger subsided and his heart began to race.
The footsteps stopped outside the door. There was a dull metallic click, followed by the lighter patter of his tools falling to the floor. A long slice of yellow light appeared as the door opened.
Fergun slipped through, his light following. Blinking at the brightness, Cery saw the magician regard him with narrowed eyes, then look down at the floor.
'Well, look at this,' Fergun murmured. Turning to one side, he let go of the plate and bottle he was carrying. Instead of falling, they descended slowly to the floor. He spread his fingers out and the picks rose obediently to his hand.
As he examined them, the magician's eyebrows rose. He looked up at Cery and smiled.
'You didn't really think these would work, did you? I expected you to have a little experience with such things, so I took precautions.' His eyes dropped to Cery's clothes. 'Do you have any more of these hidden away somewhere?'
Cery swallowed the denial that came to his lips. Fergun would never believe it. The magician smiled and held his hand out.
'Give them to me.'
Cery hesitated. If he gave up several of the objects hidden within his clothes, he might be able to retain a few of his more valuable possessions.
Fergun stepped closer.
'Come now, what use are they to you here?' He wiggled his fingers. 'Give them to me.'
Slowly, Cery reached into his coat and pulled out a handful of his less-useful tools. Glaring at the magician, he dropped them into the outstretched hand.
Fergun looked thoughtfully at the picks, then his eyes rose to meet Cery's. A malicious smile thinned his mouth.
'Do you really expect me to believe this is all you have?'
His fingers flexed. Cery felt something invisible push against his chest and he staggered backward until he hit the wall. A force wrapped itself over him, pressing him against the bricks.
Fergun drew closer and examined Cery's coat. With a jerk, he ripped open the lining to reveal hidden pockets. He plucked out the contents, then turned his attention to the rest of Cery's clothes.
As he drew the knives out of Cery's boots, Fergun made a small grunt of satisfaction, then a more appreciative 'ah' as he found Cery's daggers. Straightening, he pulled one of the weapons out of its sheath. He examined the widest part of the blade, where a rough picture of the small rodent that was Cery's namesake had been etched.
'Ceryni,' the magician said. He looked up at Cery.
Cery stared back defiantly. Fergun chuckled and stepped away. Taking a large square of cloth from his robes, he wrapped up the tools and weapons, then turned to the door.
Realizing that the magician was going to leave without giving any explanation, Cery's heart skipped.
'Wait! What do you want from me? Why am I here?'
Fergun ignored him. As the door closed, the magical restraints vanished and Cery stumbled forward onto his knees. Panting with fury, he felt his coat, cursing as he confirmed that most of his tools had been taken. He regretted the daggers most, but it was hard to hide weapons of that size.
Sitting back on his heels, he let a long sigh escape him. He still had a few items. They might come in handy. He would just have to come up with a plan.
Chapter 22
An Unexpected Offer
'Do I have to?'
'Yes.' Dannyl grasped Rothen's shoulders, turned him about and pushed him out of his rooms. 'If you hide yourself away you'll only add strength to what Fergun's supporters are saying.'
Rothen sighed and followed Dannyl down the corridor. 'You're right, of course. I've barely spoken to anyone for the last two weeks - and I should ask Lorlen to delay visiting for a few days. Wait ...' Rothen looked up, his brow creasing. 'What have Fergun's supporters been saying?'
Dannyl smiled grimly. 'That she learned control in a few days, and you've been keeping her locked away so Fergun can't see her.'
Rothen made a rude noise. 'What nonsense. I'd like to see
'No,' Dannyl agreed.
They reached the entrance to the Magicians' Quarters and stepped outside. Though the snow was melted from the paths and pavement by novices each morning and evening, the courtyard was already covered in a thin white powder. It crunched under their boots as they crossed to the Seven Arches.
As they stepped into the warmth of the Night Room, several heads turned in their direction. Dannyl heard his companion give a low groan as several magicians began to move toward them. Sarrin, the Head of Alchemists, was the first to arrive.
'Good evening, Lord Rothen, Lord Dannyl. How are you both?'
'Well, Lord Sarrin,' Rothen replied.
'Any progress with the slum girl yet?'
Rothen paused as several magicians moved in to hear his answer. 'Sonea is doing well,' he told them. 'It took some time before she was able to stop pushing me from her mind. She was, as you'd expect, quite suspicious of us.'
'Doing well?' a magician in the crowd muttered. 'Few novices take as long as two weeks.'
Dannyl smiled as Rothen's expression darkened.
His friend turned toward the speaker. 'You must remember that she is not a reluctant novice sent to us by coddling parents. Until two weeks ago, she believed we intended to kill her. It has taken some time to gain her trust.'
'When did you begin Control exercises?' another magician asked.
Rothen hesitated. 'Two days ago.'
A muttering began among the magicians. Several frowned and shook their heads.
'In that case, I'd say you've made impressive progress, Lord Rothen,' said a new voice.
Dannyl turned to see Lady Vinara moving through the crowd. Magicians stepped aside respectfully as the Head of Healers approached.
'What did you see of her power?'
