muted tinkling.
“Strike again, but stronger.”
This time lightning covered the entire domed barrier. Yikmo smiled and nodded.
“Not bad. Now put all your strength into it.”
Power flashed through and out of her. It was an exhilarating sensation. The shield crackled with light and Yikmo chuckled.
“Now give it
“I thought I had.”
“I don’t think you did. Imagine everything that matters to you depends on one immense effort. Don’t hold back.”
Nodding, she imagined that Akkarin stood in front of the barrier. She pictured Rothen standing beside her, the target of Akkarin’s immense power.
The Arena barrier glowed so brightly she had to shield her eyes. Though the tinkling was no louder, her ears vibrated with the sound. Yikmo crowed quietly.
“That’s more like it! Now do it again.”
She looked at him. “Again?”
“Stronger, if you can.”
“What about the Arena barrier?”
He laughed. “It would take much more than
After another few strikes, Sonea realized she was beginning to enjoy herself. Though battering the Arena barrier posed no challenge, it was a relief to be able to strike without worrying about precautions or restrictions. Each strike was a little weaker, however, and soon all she could do was send a few ripples of light across the barrier.
“That will do, Sonea. I don’t want you falling asleep in your next class.” He looked at her questioningly. “How do you feel about this lesson?”
She smiled. “It wasn’t as hard as your usual ones.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I guess.”
“In what way?”
She frowned, then suppressed a smile. “It’s like... seeing how fast I can run.”
“Anything else?”
She couldn’t tell him that she had imagined she was blasting Akkarin to ashes. But he had noticed her hesitation. Something similar, then? Looking up at him, she smiled mischievously. “It’s like throwing stones at magicians.”
His eyebrows rose. “Is it really?” Turning, he gestured for her to follow him to the Arena portal. “We’ve tested your limits today, but not in any way that will measure your strength against others. That will be the next step. Once you know how much power you can safely use against another, then you should stop hesitating before you strike.” He paused. “It is two days since Regin exhausted you. Were you tired yesterday?”
“A little, in the morning.”
He nodded slowly. “Go to bed early tonight, if you can. You’ll need your strength tomorrow.”
“So what do you think of my sister?”
Seeing that Tayend was grinning broadly, Dannyl chuckled. “Rothen would say she speaks plainly.”
“Ha!” Tayend replied. “That’s putting it mildly.”
Mayrie of Porreni was as plain as her brother was handsome, though both were slim and small-boned. She had a forthright manner and a bold sense of humor that made her easy to like.
The estate her husband managed produced horses, some food crops, and wines that were sought after in all of the Allied Lands. The house was a sprawling single-story mansion with a verandah all around. After dinner, Tayend had taken a bottle of wine and some glasses and led Dannyl out under the verandah, where chairs were arranged to take in the view of the vines.
“So where is her husband, Orrend?” Dannyl asked.
“In Capia,” Tayend said. “Mayrie manages everything here. He only comes out to visit once every few months.” He looked at Dannyl and lowered his voice. “They don’t get along very well. Father married her off to someone he decided she’d be suited to. But, as always, the Mayrie he has in his mind is vastly different from the Mayrie she actually is.”
Dannyl nodded. He’d noticed how Mayrie had tensed when her husband’s name had been mentioned by one of the dinner guests.
“Mind you, the man she would have chosen had her marriage not been arranged would have been an even bigger mistake,” Tayend added. “She’ll admit that these days.” He sighed. “I’m still waiting for father to select some appropriately disastrous wife for me.”
Dannyl frowned. “He’d still do that?”
“Probably.” The scholar toyed with his glass, then looked up abruptly. “I’ve never asked before, but do you have someone waiting for you in Kyralia?”
“Me?” Dannyl shook his head. “No.”
“No lady? No sweetheart?” Tayend seemed surprised. “Why not?”
Dannyl shrugged. “I’ve never had time. Too much to do.”
“Like what?”
“My experiments.”
“And?”
Dannyl laughed. “I don’t know. When I think back, I wonder how I managed to fill my time. Certainly not by attending those court gatherings that seem designed for finding a wife or husband. They don’t attract the sort of woman I’d be interested in.”
“So what sort of woman are you interested in?”
“I don’t know,” Dannyl confessed. “Never met one who interested me enough.”
“But what about your family? Haven’t they tried to find you a suitable wife?”
“They did once, years ago.” Dannyl sighed. “She was a nice enough girl, and I planned to go ahead with the marriage just to keep my family happy. But one day I decided I couldn’t do it, that I’d rather remain alone and childless than marry someone I didn’t care for. It seemed crueller to do that to her than refuse the marriage.”
Tayend’s eyebrows rose. “But how did you get out of it? I thought Kyralian fathers arranged matches for their children.”
“Yes, they do.” Dannyl chuckled, “but one privilege that magicians have is the right to refuse an arranged marriage. I didn’t refuse outright, but I found a way to persuade my father to change his mind. I knew the girl admired another young man, so I made sure that certain events occurred that convinced all that he was a better match. I played the part of the disappointed suitor, and everyone felt sorry for me. She is quite happy, I am told, and has had five children since.”
“And your father didn’t arrange another match?”
“No. He decided that - how did he put it? - if I chose to be contrary, then so long as I didn’t scandalize the family by choosing some low-born servant, he’d leave me alone.”
Tayend sighed. “Sounds like you got more out of the affair than being able to choose your wife. My father has never accepted my choices. Partly because I am his only son, so he’s worried there will be no one to inherit after me. But mostly he disapproves of my... well... inclinations. He thinks I am being willful, that I am enchanted with perverse things, as if it’s only about physical gratification.” He frowned, then drained his glass. “It’s not, in case you’re wondering. At least, not for me. There is a... a
