The Magicians' Guild

The lock clicked, and the door swung open. A globe of light hung over Fergun's head, dazzling Cery's eyes. Despite the brightness, Cery recognized the silhouette of the other visitor. His heart leapt.

'Sonea!'

'Cery?'

Sonea reached up to her face and pulled a blindfold away. She blinked at him, then smiled and stepped into the cell.

'Are you all right? You're not sick or hurt?' Her eyes roved over him, looking for signs of injury.

He shook his head. 'No. You?'

'I'm well.' She glanced at Fergun, who was watching them with interest. 'Fergun hasn't hurt you?'

Cery managed a wry smile. 'Only when I asked for it.'

Her brows rose. Turning, she regarded Fergun with narrowed eyes.

'Give me some time to talk to him alone.'

Fergun hesitated, then shrugged. 'Very well. A few minutes, no more.'

He gestured and the door swung shut, leaving them in complete darkness.

Cery sighed. 'Well, we're trapped together.'

'He won't leave me here. He needs me.'

'What for?'

'It's complicated. He wants me to agree to join the Guild so he can have me break a law and get kicked out. I think it's his way of getting revenge for me knocking him out in the Purge - but I'm guessing it's also about convincing the Guild that they shouldn't take in dwells. It doesn't matter. If I do what he says, he'll let you go. Do you think he will?'

Cery shook his head, though he knew she couldn't see him. 'I don't know. He hasn't been nasty. Thieves would've been worse.' He hesitated. 'I don't think he knows what he's doing. Tell someone.'

'No,' she replied. 'If I tell someone, Fergun will refuse to reveal where you are. You'll starve.'

'Someone else must know about these passages.'

'They might take days to find you, Cery. We walked a long way to get here. You could even be outside the Guild.'

'It didn't seem far to m -'

'It doesn't matter, Cery. I wasn't going to stay, so there's no sense in risking your life.'

'You weren't going to join the Guild?'

'No.'

His heartbeat quickened. 'Why not?'

'Lots of reasons. Everyone hates magicians, for a start. I'd feel like I was betraying the people I know if I joined them.'

He smiled. It was so like her to see it like that. He took a deep breath. 'Sonea, you should stay. You need to learn how to use your magic.'

'But everyone will hate me.'

'No they won't. Truth is, they'd love to be a magician if they had half a chance. If you turn the magicians down, everyone will think you're mad, or stupid. They'd understand if you stayed. They wouldn't want you to give it all up.' He swallowed hard, and forced himself to lie. 'I don't want you to give it all up.'

She hesitated. 'You wouldn't hate me?'

'No.'

'I would.'

'The people who know you wouldn't think it was wrong,' Cery told her.

'But... I'd still feel like I'd changed sides.'

Cery sighed. 'Don't be stupid, Sonea. If you were a magician, you could help people. You might be able to do something about stopping the Purge. People would listen to you.'

'But... I belong with Jonna and Ranel. They need me.'

'No they don't. They're doing fine. Think how proud they'd be. Their own niece in the Guild.'

Sonea stamped her foot. 'It doesn't matter, Cery. I can't stay. Fergun said he'll kill you. I'm not going to abandon a friend just so I can do a few magic tricks.'

A friend. Cery's shoulders drooped. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh. 'Sonea. Do you remember the night we spied on the Guild?'

'Of course.' He could hear the smile in her voice.

'I told you that I knew someone, a servant in the Guild. I could have gone back to that man, and asked him to find out what the Guild planned for you, but I didn't. Do you know why?'

'No.' She sounded puzzled now.

'I didn't want to find out that the Guild really wanted to help you. You'd just come back and I didn't want you going away. I didn't want to lose you again.'

She said nothing. Her silence told him nothing. He swallowed, his mouth dry.

'I've had lots of time to think here,' he told her. 'I've ... well, I've told myself to face up to it. There's nothing between us 'cept friendship, so it's unfair ...'

A soft gasp escaped her. 'Oh, Cery,' she breathed. 'You never said anything!'

He felt his face burning, and was grateful for the dark. Holding his breath, he waited for her to speak, hoping she would say something to show she felt the same, or, perhaps, that she would touch him ...

The silence stretched on until he could stand it no longer.

'Well, it doesn't matter,' he told her. 'What matters is that you don't belong in the slums. Not since you found your magic. Now you might not fit in real well here, either, but you have got to give it a go.'

'No,' she told him firmly. 'I've got to get you out of here. I don't know how long Fergun intends to use you to blackmail me, but he can't keep you down here forever. I'm going to make him bring me messages from you so I know you're alive. If he doesn't, I'll stop cooperating. Remember the story about Hurin the carpenter?'

'Of course.'

'We'll do what he did. I don't know how long it will take before he frees you but I -'

She stopped as the door clicked open. The magician's light fell upon her face and Cery felt his heart twist.

'You've been in here long enough,' Fergun snapped.

Sonea turned back to Cery, gave him a quick hug, and stepped away. He swallowed. Somehow the brief encounter hurt more than her earlier silence.

'Stay warm,' she told him. Backing away, she stepped past Fergun into the passage. As the door closed, Cery hurried forward and pressed his ear to the wood.

'Do what I tell you and you'll see him again,' Fergun said. 'Otherwise ...'

'I know, I know,' Sonea replied. 'But just you remember what Thieves do to those who break their promises.'

You tell him, Cery thought, smiling grimly.

It was clear from the moment Dannyl entered the Night Room that he was worried about something. Extracting himself from a circle of questioning magicians, Rothen walked across the room to greet his friend.

'What's wrong?'

'I can't tell you here,' Dannyl said, his eyes flickering about.

'Outside then?' Rothen suggested.

They walked out into falling snow. White flakes fluttered all around them, hissing as they met Rothen's shield. Dannyl moved to the fountain and stopped.

'Guess who I saw in the University just now.'

'Who?'

'Fergun and Sonea.'

'Sonea?' Rothen felt a twinge of anxiety, but pushed it away. 'He has the right to talk to her now, Dannyl.'