The Traitor Queen

“I am retiring you,” Anyi said. “You won’t be my bodyguard, you’ll be my second. Like you were for my father. I don’t know why he didn’t just call you that and be done with it.”

“To make me less of a target,” Gol told her.

“Well, you can’t pretend to be a bodyguard any more. Nobody’ll believe I’d choose a bodyguard twice my age.”

Gol crossed his arms. “I’d still beat you, any day.”

Anyi stood up. “Oh, really? Let’s see—”

“I apologise for interrupting,” Rothen injected, “but may I suggest you test that theory somewhere other than Sonea’s quarters? And the Higher Magicians will not look favourably on us arriving late, especially after we insisted this meeting take place as soon as could be arranged.”

Anyi looked at him thoughtfully, then at Lilia. Her expression was apologetic.

“I’m sorry Lilia, but if I am going to take my father’s place, I can’t go to this meeting.”

Lilia stared at her. “But... we need you to tell your story.”

“No, you don’t. It will make no difference whether I tell it, or you, or Lord Rothen.” Anyi’s expression was serious. “We know Skellin had allies in the Guild. Who knows which Thief has adopted or inherited those allies? If these spies don’t know what I look like, then I should keep it that way. If they do, I shouldn’t remind them.”

Lilia’s heart had begun to race. “But... how will you visit? I’m not supposed to leave the grounds. Once the Guild finds out a Thief was living in the tunnels and that Skellin was there, they’ll fill in all the passages.”

Anyi walked over to Lilia and hugged her. “We’ll find other ways. You didn’t think we could live here together, did you?”

“I suppose not.”

“You’ll graduate soon. They’ll let you out of the Guild grounds then. Maybe they’ll even let you live in the city, like other magicians do. Whatever happens, we’ll still see each other. Nobody is going to stop us being together.” Anyi pulled away, then turned to Gol. “I’ll go out the other way. You won’t fit and people might’ve seen you come in, so you’d better leave with Rothen. I’ll meet you at Donia’s.”

“Are you sure you want to go that way?” Gol asked.

Anyi nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

“Just... keep the lamp flame covered. I don’t know how much minefire got spilled.”

Anyi nodded, then looked at Lilia expectantly. Taking the hint, Lilia moved to the door and led Rothen and Gol out. She looked back and saw Anyi wave before the door closed. I hope she’ll be safe going back into the city on her own.

She worried about that all of the way to the Administrator’s office. They detoured to the front of the University, where Rothen arranged for a carriage for Gol. There they found Jonna waiting for them outside Osen’s door. The servant looked a little pale, but she smiled and squeezed Lilia’s hand as Rothen knocked.

“I’ve done this before,” Lilia reminded Jonna in a whisper.

“I haven’t,” Jonna replied.

The door swung inward and they stepped into a room full of Higher Magicians.

“Ah, good,” Osen said as Lilia, and Jonna bowed. He frowned. “Were there more witnesses wishing to tell their stories, Lord Rothen?”

“No, Administrator,” Rothen replied. “You may wish to interrogate the crew I took into custody two days ago, but for now I, Lady Lilia and Jonna, Sonea’s servant, should be able to describe the events and cover the issues without any unnecessary repetition.”

“Good. Who will begin?”

“I think Lady Lilia is best placed to explain where it all started,” Rothen said, turning to look at her.

Lilia took a deep breath. “For some time now Anyi – my friend and the Thief Cery’s bodyguard – have been visiting me in the Guild via the underground passages...” Watching the faces of the Higher Magicians, Lilia saw eyes sharpen and jaws harden, but as she told of the arrival of Cery and his injured bodyguard some softened with understanding. Kallen frowned, but she could not tell if it was from disapproval at her keeping this secret from him, or guilt that his failure to find Skellin had led to the situation.

A few smiled at the trap Cery had planned, arranging for Skellin to walk right into their midst. But then all signs of amusement faded as she described how the trap had failed, of Cery’s death and Anyi’s abduction and, she saw with satisfaction, displeasure in all faces at Skellin’s claim that he had sources in the Guild.

Rothen then took over, telling of their plans to rescue Anyi without the help or approval of the Guild for fear of alerting Skellin’s source. He stopped at the point where Lilia boarded the ship, then looked to her to finish the story.

It was harder than she had expected to describe how she had defeated Skellin and Lorandra. I killed someone with black magic. And yet Skellin’s death wasn’t as nasty as Lorandra’s. Now and then she remembered the woman’s screams. What had been easy to forget on the day had turned into a memory that refused to fade.

When she had finished, the inevitable questions came.

“You left the grounds and used black magic without permission,” Lady Vinara said.

Lilia nodded and bowed her head.

“Actually, she didn’t,” Rothen told them. “I gave her permission to do both.”

“Permission ought to be obtained from all Higher Magicians, or at least the High Lord,” Osen said, but then he smiled and spread his hands. “However, there was reason to suspect corruption among us. Caution was the best approach, in this instance.”

“If Lilia is to fulfil her role as a black magician in future, she should not regard us with unquestioning trust,” Kallen agreed.

Balkan nodded. “I agree. It is more important that we discover who Skellin’s source is.”

“We have a new clue: the magician who delayed Jonna reaching Lilia,” Vinara pointed out. She turned to the servant. “Who was it?”

Jonna’s eyes widened as all attention turned to her. Then her gaze flickered across the room. “Lord Telano.”

All turned to regard the Head of Healing Studies. He looked around the room, then threw up his hands.

“A coincidence,” he protested. “So I tried to help her find Lady Lilia and got the room wrong. That proves nothing.”

“But it is interesting, in light of your recent behaviour,” Vinara said. “It would explain why—”

“Wait,” Osen interrupted. “Lady Lilia. Jonna. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?” As they shook their heads he nodded. “Please wait outside the room.”

“Lilia should stay,” Kallen said. “We may have need of her.”

Lilia stared at him in surprise. Surely, if he was one of Skellin’s spies, he wouldn’t want me here. Osen looked around the rooms and she was even more astonished to see most of the magicians nodding. Except Lord Telano. What had Vinara said? “... in light of your recent behaviour.” What had he done?

“Very well,” Osen said. “Stay, Lilia.”

Jonna took that as her cue to leave. Rothen moved to an empty chair and sat down, leaving Lilia as the only one standing. All attention had returned to Telano.

“Lord Telano,” Vinara said. “Were you Skellin’s source in the Guild?”

“No,” Telano replied firmly.

“Then why is it that the roet most of the magicians and novices acquired can be traced back to you?”

“Why have my assistants seen you visiting members of the underworld and bringing back packages?” Kallen asked.

“I like smoking roet,” Telano said, throwing his hands in the air again. “So do others. There is no law against it.”

“There will be soon,” Vinara said quietly.

“But there is a law against working with criminals,” Osen pointed out.

“I didn’t work with anyone. I just happened to have bought their products. Plenty of magicians do this, often unwittingly.” Telano gestured to Lilia. “She has knowingly worked for a Thief. Nobody is questioning that.”