The High Lord

had parted outside the Palace gates, and he hadn't seen her since.

The voices in the room suddenly fell silent. Looking up, Cery saw that Sonea and Akkarin were striding down the room toward them. He stepped forward and grinned.

'Takan just told us you got the woman.'

'Yes,' Akkarin replied. 'She carried a blood gem, so Kariko probably knows we are here.'

'And about the passages under the city, too,' Faren added. 'We're not safe down here any longer.'

'Will the other Ichani enter the passages?' Ravi asked.

'Probably,' Akkarin replied. 'They will try to find and kill us as quickly as possible.'

Sevli crossed his arms. 'They won't find you. They don't know the ways, and no one will show them.'

'All they need to do is capture a guide and read his mind to find their way around,' Akkarin reminded him.

The Thieves exchanged glances. 'Then we got to send the helpers away,' Cery said. He looked at Akkarin. 'I'll guide you from now on.'

Akkarin nodded in gratitude. 'Thank you.'

Sonea looked at Akkarin. 'If they come down here, they might split up to corner us. We could use that to our advantage by circling back and attacking them separately.'

'No.' Akkarin shook his head. 'Kariko will not risk parting from his allies.' He looked at Faren. 'What are the Ichani doing now?'

'Talking,' Faren replied.

'I bet they are,' Senfel rumbled.

'Not any more,' a new voice said.

All turned to regard a messenger hurrying toward them. 'They've gone back to wrecking buildings.'

Akkarin frowned. 'Are you sure?'

The man nodded.

'Do you think they're trying to get us to come out and stop them?' Sonea asked.

'Maybe,' Akkarin replied.

Akkarin doesn't know what the Ichani are doing, Cery thought. But I do. He resisted a smile.

'They're taking the magic from the buildings that have been strengthened with it.'

Akkarin regarded him in surprise. 'How did you work that out?'

'I overheard Kariko and two others talking, when I was in the Palace.'

Faren choked. 'The Palace? What were you doing there?'

'Just looking around.'

'Just looking around!' Faren repeated, shaking his head.

Akkarin sighed. 'This isn't good,' he muttered.

'How much power will they get?' Sonea asked.

'I'm... not sure. Some houses have more magic in them than others.'

'You could take this magic, too,' Senfel suggested.

Akkarin winced.

'I'm sure the owners won't mind if their homes are used to defend the city,' Cery added.

'They've wrecked a lot of them,' Ravi said. 'Not every building in the Inner City is magically enhanced. There can't be many left.'

'But they haven't been to the Guild yet,' Senfel pointed out.

Akkarin looked pained. 'The University. It's not the only magically enhanced structure in the Guild, but it contains more power than any other in the city.'

Sonea sucked in a breath. 'No, it doesn't. The Arena has got to be stronger.'

Senfel and Akkarin exchanged grave looks. The old magician cursed vehemently.

'Exactly,' Akkarin agreed.

Cery looked at the three magicians. 'That's bad, isn't it?'

'Oh, yes,' Sonea replied. 'The barrier around the Arena is strengthened by several magicians every month. It has to be strong enough to withstand stray magic from Warrior training sessions - some of them quite vigorous.'

'We have to stop the Ichani taking that power,' Akkarin said. 'If they do, we may as well hand the city over to them.'

'We take that power ourselves?' Sonea asked.

'If we must.'

Sonea hesitated. 'And then... confront them?'

His eyes rose to meet hers. 'Yes.'

'Are we strong enough?'

'We have taken power from four Ichani, if we include Parika. We have used little of our own, and we have taken strength from the volunteers.'

'And you could again,' Senfel reminded them. 'It is nearly a day since you tapped their reserves. They will have recovered most of their strength.'

'And there are only three Ichani left,' Faren pointed out.

Akkarin straightened. 'Yes, I think it is time to face them.'

Sonea went a little pale, but nodded in agreement. 'Looks like it.'

The group fell silent, then Ravi cleared his throat.

'Well, then,' he said. 'I had best get you to our volunteers as quickly as possible.'

Akkarin nodded. As the Thief turned toward the door, Cery looked at Sonea closely. He caught her arm.

'This is it, then. Are you scared?'

She shrugged. 'A little. Mostly relieved.'

'Relieved?'

'Yes. Finally we'll fight them properly, with no poison, traps, or even black magic.'

'It's fine wanting a fair fight, so long as they fight the same,' Cery said. 'Just be careful. I won't relax until this is all over, and I know you're all right.'

She smiled, squeezed his hand, then turned to follow Akkarin out of the room.

38 The Black Magicians

For the last hour, messengers had reported that the Ichani were slowly making their way toward the Guild, destroying houses as they went. Sonea and Akkarin had hurried to the volunteers, who had dealt with their swift visit with admirable tolerance and courage, then raced back to the Inner Circle. During the journey Sonea had burned with impatience, but as she stepped through the secret door into Lorlen's office she began to wish the journey hadn't passed so quickly. Suddenly her knees were weak, her hands were shaking, and she could not help feeling there must be something they had forgotten to do.

Akkarin paused for a moment to look around the office. He sighed, then shrugged out of his shirt. Sonea pulled the dress over her head and dropped it to the floor. She looked down at herself and shivered. Full magician's robes... black magician's robes...

Then she looked at Akkarin. He stood straighter, taller. A little thrill ran down her back, similar to the fear he had once inspired.

Akkarin glanced at her and smiled. 'Stop leering at me.'

Sonea blinked innocently. 'Me? Leering?'

His smile widened, then it faded away. He walked up to her and pressed his hands gently against the sides of her face.

'Sonea,' he began, 'if I don't—'