The High Lord

Guild? Why can't he learn elsewhere?'

'Where? At your own Guild?'

'Yes.'

'And who would you be answerable to?'

The Dem opened his mouth, then closed it again without speaking. He looked at Farand, then sighed.

'I am no monster,' he said. 'I did encourage Farand, but I would not have if I had known how dangerous it was.' He looked at Dannyl. 'You do realize the King might kill him rather than let the Guild discover whatever it is that he knows.'

'Then he will have to kill me as well,' Dannyl replied. 'And I don't think he will dare to attempt that. It would only take a short mental call for all magicians in the lands to know his little secret. And now that Farand has learned Control, he is a magician, and the King would break the treaty of the Allied Lands if he tried to harm him. Farand is the Guild's concern now. Once there, he should be safe from assassins.'

'The Guild,' Farand said in a small voice. 'I'm going to see the Guild.'

Royend ignored him. 'And what then?'

Dannyl shook his head. 'I cannot say. I would not give you false hopes by guessing what the outcome of this will be.'

Royend scowled. 'Of course not.'

'So. Will you cooperate? Or shall I drag you both with me as I find the way out of here?'

A glint of rebellion entered the Dem's eyes. Dannyl smiled at the man's expression, guessing at the thoughts behind it.

- Errend?

- Dannyl.

- Have you arrested the others?

- Everyone. Can you tell us your location yet?

- No, but I will have it soon.

Dannyl looked up at Royend. 'Delaying will not give your friends time to escape. Farand will tell you this is so.'

The young man looked away and nodded. 'He's right.' His gaze strayed to the bell rope. Dannyl looked up at the ceiling, wondering who was stationed above. Farand's host, no doubt, with some method in place for warning others in the group. Would there be an opportunity to arrest this rebel as well? Probably not. Errend had agreed that Dannyl's first priority should be to capture Farand and Dem Marane. If he identified or arrested anyone else, it should not be at the risk of losing the rogue.

Royend followed Dannyl's gaze, then straightened his shoulders. 'Very well. I will show, you out.'

The day had been bright and warm, but darkness had brought a chill that Sonea could not banish, even by warming the air in her room with magic. She had slept well the last few nights, but this one was different and she couldn't work out why.

Perhaps it was because Akkarin hadn't been present all evening. Takan had met her at the door when she returned from classes to tell her that the High Lord had been called away. She had eaten dinner alone.

He was probably carrying out official duties at court. Yet her imagination kept placing him in darker parts of the city, tending to his secret arrangements with the Thieves or facing another spy.

Sonea stopped in front of her desk and stared down at her books. If I can't sleep, she told herself, I may as well study. At least then I'd have something to occupy my mind.

Then she heard a noise outside her room.

Gliding to the door, she opened it a crack. Slow footsteps echoed softly in the far stairwell, growing louder. She heard them stop in the corridor, and then heard the click of a door latch.

He's back.

Something loosened within her and she sighed with relief. Then she nearly laughed aloud. Surely I'm not worrying about Akkarin.

But was that so strange? He was all that stood between the Ichani and Kyralia. Worrying about him being alive and well was perfectly reasonable when considered in that light.

She was about to close her door when a new set of footsteps filled the corridor.

'Master?'

Takan sounded surprised and alarmed. Sonea felt a chill run across her skin.

'Takan,' Akkarin's voice was barely audible. 'Stay and I will give you this to dispose of.'

'What happened?'

The shock in the servant's voice was clear. Before she could think twice, Sonea pulled open her door and padded down the corridor. Takan was standing in the entrance of Akkarin's bedroom. He turned as she approached, his expression uncertain.

'Sonea.' Akkarin's voice was low and quiet.

A tiny, weak globe light illuminated his bedroom. He was sitting on the end of a large bed. In the dim light his robes seemed to retreat into the darkness, leaving only his face and hands visible... and one forearm.

Sonea drew in a breath. The right sleeve of his robe hung strangely, and she saw that it had been cut open. A red mark ran down his arm from elbow to wrist. His pale skin was stained with streaks and smudges of blood.

'What happened?' she breathed, then added, 'High Lord.'

Akkarin looked from her to Takan and snorted softly. 'I can see I'll have no rest until you have both heard everything. Come in and sit down.'

Takan stepped inside the room. Sonea hesitated, then followed. She had never seen inside his bedroom before. A week ago it would have terrified her to think of entering it. As she looked around, she felt a wry disappointment. The furniture was similar to hers. The paper screens that covered his windows were a dark blue, matching the border of a large carpet that covered most of the floor. The door to his cabinet was open. It contained only robes, a few cloaks and a longcoat.

As she turned to look at Akkarin again, she found he was watching her, a faint smile on his lips. He gestured to a chair.

Takan had taken a jug of water from a cabinet beside the bed. He produced a cloth from within his uniform, moistened it, and reached toward Akkarin's arm. The High Lord plucked the cloth out of his hand.

'We have another spy in the city,' he said, wiping the blood from his arm. 'But she is no ordinary spy, I think.'

'She?' Sonea interrupted.

'Yes. A woman.' Akkarin handed the cloth back to Takan. 'That is not the only difference between her and the previous spies. She is unusually strong for a former slave. She has not been here long, and could not have grown so strong by killing Imardians. We would have heard, if she had killed people.'

'They prepared her?' Takan suggested. His hands gripped the stained cloth tightly. 'Let her take strength from their slaves before she left?'

'Perhaps. Whatever the reason, she was ready for the fight. She let me think she was exhausted, then when I came close she cut me. She wasn't quick enough to get a hold on my wound and draw power, however. After that, she tried to draw attention to our fighting.'

'So you let her escape,' Takan concluded.

'Yes. She must have thought I'd let her go rather than endanger the lives of others.'

'Or she knows you'd rather the Guild didn't hear of magical battles in the slums.' Takan's lips thinned. 'She will be killing to strengthen herself again.'

Akkarin smiled grimly. 'I don't doubt it.'

'And you are weaker now. You've had little time to strengthen yourself after the last one.'

'That will not be a problem.' He looked at Sonea. 'I have one of the Guild's strongest magicians to help me.'

Sonea looked away, and felt her face warming. Takan was shaking his head.

'This sounds wrong to me. She is too different. A woman. No Ichani would free a woman slave. And she is strong. Cunning. Not like a slave at all.'