"He was a wizard?"
"Not a very good one, but yes." Miranda snuggled herself in the blanket Jemuel had given her. She felt comfortable. No way in the world she'd be here long. "He taught me spells, but mostly it was my own ability that I worked on; I made up my own uses for magic. I didn't really know what I was doing. I talked to a few ghosts, of course, and had some unpleasant experiences with dead pets."
"All part of growing up," Jemuel said drily. He lied well for a man. No wizard pupil would be allowed anywhere near living subjects until she'd learned the ground rules; Miranda knew that, now. Father was careless, but he never could say no to her.
"We were returned to the mainland when I was eight and I was snatched up by the Circle."
"Did you ever see your father again?"
"No."
"And how did your training progress?" Jemuel's voice was always soft, like a father, but different. His voice made you want to go to sleep, but it made you talk instead.
"I was a difficult student, I think," Miranda smiled, dunking her biscuit in her mug and nibbling at it. "The Circle wasn't sure if I could be retrained, as they liked to call it, and God knows I fought them every inch of the way."
Jemuel nodded. Miranda tried to ignore his probing eyes. She wanted to stay in his house and drink chocolate and eat biscuits by his fire, and she had no desire to get complicated. "So when you graduated they didn't try to place you?"
Miranda let out an embarrassed laugh. "Oh, I was placed. The village of Senkewin."
"Mmm-hmm..." Jemuel surely had heard of this. Did he know everything?
"I lasted three months."
"And then what?"
"I pleaded with the Circle to put me on special assignment, and that seemed to suit me. I spent some time in the Far Corners, looking for a few unwizards who were practicing magic."
Jemuel closed his eyes. "Unpleasant business."
"I hated it."
"Why?"
Miranda leaned forward and put her arms around her knees. "Jemuel, this is a magical world. I learned to use it on my own before the Circle ever found me."
"Natural talent."
"Right. So what if they hadn't found me?"
"I don't understand the question," Jemuel said, lying well again. The man seemed entertained by her. Clearly.
"Was I a wizard or wasn't I?"
"Before your training?"
Miranda nodded. The chocolate was running out. "Before my training by the Circle."