The Magicians' Guild

want.'

Sonea clenched her fists. 'Nothing I did not already want?' she spat. 'I did not want to make the Novice's Vow and then break it. I did not want to lie. You imprisoned my friend. You threatened to kill him. You are ...' she stopped, suddenly aware that all eyes were watching her. Taking a deep breath, she faced the Higher Magicians. 'When I first came here it took a long time before I saw that you were not ...' she paused, not liking the image she saw of herself, standing in the Guildhall calling the magicians names. Instead she turned to point at Fergun. 'But he is everything I had been taught to believe all magicians are.'

Silence followed her words. Lorlen regarded her solemnly, then slowly nodded. He turned to face Fergun.

'You have committed numerous crimes, Lord Fergun,' he said. 'Some of them of the most serious nature. I need not ask you to explain yourself; you have done so quite well enough already. A Hearing to discuss your actions and decide your punishment will be held in three days. In the meantime, I suggest that you cooperate with our investigations.'

He strode past Osen and climbed the stairs between the Higher Magicians. The High Lord watched him, a half smile curling his lips. Sonea shivered as she imagined the conflicting emotions that Lorlen must feel under that gaze.

'The issue we have gathered to discuss is now irrelevant,' Lorlen announced. 'I hereby grant guardianship of Sonea to Lord Rothen, and declare this Hearing ended.'

The hall filled with voices and the thunder of booted feet as the magicians rose from their seats. Sonea closed her eyes and sighed. It's over!

Then she remembered Akkarin. No, it isn't, she reminded herself. But, for now, that is not for me to worry about.

'You should have told me, Sonea.'

Opening her eyes, she found Rothen standing in front of her, Cery at his side. She looked down.

'I'm sorry.'

To her surprise Rothen gave her a quick hug. 'Don't apologize,' he told her. 'You had a friend to protect.' He turned to regard Cery. 'I apologize on behalf of the Guild for your treatment.'

Cery smiled and waved a hand dismissively. 'Get me my stuff back, and I'll forget about it.'

Rothen frowned. 'What are you missing?'

'Two daggers, a few knives, and my tools.'

'Tools?' Rothen echoed.

'Picks.'

Rothen lifted an eyebrow at Sonea. 'He's not joking, is he?'

She shook her head.

'I'll see what I can do.' Rothen sighed, then looked over Sonea's shoulder. 'Ah! Here's a man more familiar with the ways of Thieves - Lord Dannyl.'

Feeling a pat on her shoulder, Sonea turned to find the tall magician grinning down at her.

'Well done!' he told her. 'You have done me, and the rest of the Guild, a great service.'

Rothen smiled crookedly. 'Feeling particularly cheerful, Dannyl?'

Dannyl gave his friend a haughty look. 'Who was right about Fergun, then?'

Sighing, Rothen nodded. 'You were.'

'Now do you understand why I dislike him so much?' Seeing Cery, Dannyl's expression became thoughtful. 'I think the Thieves are looking for you. They sent me a message asking if I knew where a companion of Sonea's had disappeared to. They sounded quite concerned.'

Cery looked up at the tall magician appraisingly. 'Who sent the message?'

'A man named Gorin.'

Sonea frowned. 'So Gorin was the one who told the Guild where to find me, not Faren.'

Cery turned to stare at her. 'They betrayed you?'

She shrugged. 'They had no choice. It was a good thing they did, actually.'

'That's not the point.' A gleam had entered Cery's eyes. Guessing what he was thinking, Sonea smiled.

I do love him, she thought suddenly. But right now it's a friend's love. Perhaps, if they had time together, without all the distractions they'd had for the last months, it would grow into something more. But that wasn't going to happen. Not now that she was joining the Guild and he was returning, most likely, to the Thieves. Knowing this, she felt a small pang of regret, but pushed it away.

Glancing around the hall, she was surprised to see that it was nearly empty. Fergun still stood nearby, among a group of magicians. As she looked toward him he caught her eye and sneered.

'Look at them,' he said. 'One consorts with beggars, the other with Thieves.' His companions laughed.

'Shouldn't he be locked up or something?' she mused aloud.

Rothen, Dannyl and Cery turned to regard the magician.

'No,' Rothen replied. 'He'll be watched, but he knows that there's a chance he won't be expelled if he appears repentant. Most likely he'll be given a duty to perform that nobody wants, probably one that will involve working in some remote place for several years.'

Fergun scowled, then turned on his heel and strode toward the door, his companions following. Dannyl's smile widened, but Rothen shook his head sadly. Cery shrugged and turned to regard her.

'What about you?' he asked.

'Sonea is free to go,' Rothen replied. 'She'll have to stay another day or two, however. By law she must have her powers blocked before she returns to the slums.'

Cery looked at her, his brows knitting. 'Blocked? They're going to block your magic?'

Sonea shook her head. 'No.'

Rothen frowned, then looked at her closely. 'No?'

'Of course not. It would make it a bit difficult to teach me, wouldn't it?'

He blinked. 'You're really staying?'

'Yes.' She smiled. 'I'm staying.'

Epilogue

In the air above the table floated a speck of light. It slowly expanded until it was a globe about the size of a child's head, then rose up to hover near the ceiling.

'That's it,' Rothen told her. 'You've made a globe light.'

Sonea smiled. 'Now I really do feel like a magician.'

Rothen looked at her face and felt his heart warm. It was hard to resist the temptation to keep teaching her magic when it obviously gave her so much pleasure.

'At the speed you're learning, you'll be weeks ahead of the other novices when you start lessons in the University,' he told her. 'At least in magic. But ...' Reaching to a pile of books beside his chair he started to sort through them. 'Your calculation skills are far behind,' he said firmly. 'It's time we got stuck into some real work.'

Sonea looked down at the books and sighed. 'I wish I'd known what tortures you were going to put me through before I decided to stay.'

Chuckling, Rothen slid a book across the table. He paused, then narrowed his eyes at her.

'You haven't answered my question yet.'

'What question?'

'When did you decide to stay?'

The hand reaching for the book froze. Sonea looked up at him. The smile she gave him did not extend to her