would be able to overcome your combined strength? She must be better at Warrior Skills than her marks indicate.”
Regin’s sightless eyes sought his guardian.
“What were the six of you doing in the forest in the first place?” Vinara asked.
“We were just... exploring. For fun.”
“Hmmm,” she said. “That’s not what your friends say.”
Regin opened his mouth, then closed it again. Garrel rose. “My novice has suffered an injury and needs rest. Surely this questioning can wait until he is recovered.”
Rothen hesitated, then decided it was worth the risk. He turned to Vinara. “He’s right. We don’t need to hear Regin’s answers. I’m sure Sonea will submit to a truth-read to prove her innocence.”
“No!” Regin exclaimed.
Vinara’s eyes narrowed. “If she is willing, you cannot prevent it, Regin.”
The novice grimaced, as if tasting something bad. “All right. I’ll tell you. We followed her into the forest and played a trick on her. It was nothing dangerous. We were just... practicing what we’d learned in class.”
“I see.” Vinara’s voice was chilly. “Then you had better tell us what this trick was - and bear in mind that Sonea’s memory will confirm or deny everything you say.”
Sighing, Sonea marked the page of the book with a slip of paper, then rose to answer the door. She opened it carefully, bracing it with magic in case Regin tried to force his way in. To her surprise, Lord Osen stood in the corridor outside.
“Forgive the intrusion,” Lord Osen said. “Administrator Lorlen wishes you to meet him in his office.”
Sonea stared at him, the warmth draining from her face. A cold dread entered her stomach. The Administrator... she hadn’t spoken to him in months. What did he want? Was it anything to do with the High Lord? Had Akkarin discovered that she knew his secret?
“Don’t be concerned,” Osen told her, smiling. “He just wants to ask a few questions.”
Stepping out of her room, she followed him out of the Novices’ Quarters, across the courtyard, and through the back entrance of the University. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. As he opened the door to the Administrator’s office, Sonea drew in a breath. The room was filled with magicians. Some sat in chairs, others were standing. As she stepped inside she realized that most of the Higher Magicans were present.
Seeing Rothen, she let her breath out in relief. Then she saw Lord Garrel and her heart sank. So this was about her encounter with Regin, then. He must have told a fine tale to stir up the Higher Magicians.
Rothen smiled and beckoned to her. Feeling ill, she moved to his side.
“Sonea.”
She turned to face Lorlen, who was sitting behind a large desk. The blue-robed magician’s expression was sober.
“An incident that happened between you and six novices earlier this evening has been brought to our attention. We want you to tell us what happened.”
She looked around the room, then swallowed hard.
“Lord Kiano took me to the fields for a test. I came back the long way, around the Healers’ Quarters. Regin and his friends stopped me in the forest.” She hesitated, wondering how she was to avoid saying anything that could be taken as an accusation.
“Go on,” Lorlen said. “Tell us what happened.”
Taking a deep breath, Sonea continued. “Regin said he wanted to show me something he’d learned from Lord Balkan,” she glanced toward the red-robed magician, “and then the others put their hands on his shoulders. His strike was stronger than usual and I realized the others were giving him extra power somehow.”
“What did you do?”
“Shielded.”
“That’s all?”
“I didn’t want to strike back. They might not protect themselves well enough.”
“Wise. What happened then?”
“I still had my globe light so I knew I had power left.”
A sharp intake of breath to her left made her jump. She turned to see Lady Vinara looking at her appraisingly.
“Go on,” Lorlen said.
“I knew that they wouldn’t give up, and I had to get away before they decided to do something else. So to stop them following me I dazzled them with light.”
She could hear many low voices murmuring behind her. Lorlen made a small gesture and they fell silent.
“A few questions come to mind,” he said. “Why did you take the long way back from the fields?”
“I knew they would be waiting for me,” Sonea replied.
“Who?”
“Regin and the others.”
“Why would they do that?”
“They always...” She shook her head. “I wish I knew, Administrator.”
Lorlen nodded. He looked to Vinara.
“Her story matches Regin’s.”
Sonea stared at the Healer. “Regin told you that?”
“Regin accused you of trying to kill them,” Rothen explained quietly. “When he realized this meant he must submit to a truth-read, he withdrew his accusation. So I said you would submit to one to prove your innocence. After that, the truth came out.”
She looked at him in surprise. He had suggested someone truth-read her? What if Regin hadn’t confessed? Rothen must have been sure Regin would tell the truth once he knew it would be revealed anyway. “So what’s this meeting about, then? Why are all the Higher Magicians here?”
Rothen did not have a chance to reply.
“Does anybody have questions for Sonea?” Lorlen asked.
“Yes.”
Lord Sarrin straightened and stepped forward.
“After this confrontation did you feel tired? Exhausted?”
Sonea shook her head. “No, my lord.”
“Did you perform any other magic tonight?”
“No - actually, yes. I put a binding on my door.”
Lord Sarrin pursed his lips and looked at Lord Balkan. The Warrior regarded her speculatively.
“Have you been practicing Warrior Skills on your own time?” he asked.
“No, my lord.”
“Have you had any other encounters with novices using this method of combining power before?”
“No, I’d never heard of it.”
Lord Balkan leaned back into his chair and nodded to the Administrator. Lorlen looked around the room.
“Any more questions?”
The magicians looked at each other, then shook their heads.
“Then you may go, Sonea.”
She rose and bowed to the magicians. They watched silently as she passed. Only after the door had swung closed did she hear voices in the room, too muffled to be understood.
She stared at the door, then slowly began to smile. In trying to cause her trouble, Regin had brought worse on himself. Turning, she made her way back to the Novices’ Quarters sure that, for once, no one would bother her on the way.
“So much power in one so young.” Lord Sarrin shook his head. “Only a few have progressed so quickly.”
Lorlen nodded. His own powers had developed rapidly. As had Akkarin’s. And they had both been elected to two of the highest positions in the Guild. He could see the dismay in the Higher Magicians’ faces as this occurred to
