Before the sun had even crested the horizon, the Traitors were getting ready to leave. They weren’t preparing to eat first, Sonea noted. When the Traitors are gone we’ll eat the last of our supplies, then head home, she decided. Though whether that “we” was to comprise two people or three was not a certainty.
She looked over to Lorkin, who had slept next to Tyvara for the last two nights. She’d listened to him closely during the negotiations. He had referred to the Traitors as “we” many times, and to the Allied Lands and Guild as “them”. She shivered as a feeling of dread crept over her.
He had changed. Not completely, though. He was still Lorkin. But he had matured. And… something else. Something like the brittleness that he’d suffered after having his heart broken, but compensated by a new resilience. She wasn’t surprised by the latter. He had been through a lot in the half-year since leaving the Guild. And taken on the burden of black magic.
I ought to be appalled, but all I feel is sadness. He has no idea what he’s shouldered. How it will always mark him as untrustworthy, even if they do accept his decision and that it is a cost of stone-making.
“They” being the Guild and other Kyralians. She did not think they would reject him. How could they, now that they’d accepted Lilia? But with every magician who learns black magic we seem to be losing something. Perhaps our innocence. Perhaps caution.
Lorkin had returned from replenishing his supply of water. She thought of the gemstones in her pocket, so far unmentioned to the Traitors. Tyvara smiled up at Lorkin as he handed her the flask. It was hers, not his. Sonea felt a pang of regret that she had no time to get to know the young woman better. The way Tyvara looked at Lorkin sent another shiver of warning through Sonea and she frowned.
For a couple so obviously in love, they are not behaving like they are about to be parted.
As if sensing her gaze, Lorkin turned and met Sonea’s eyes. His smile faded, then he looked back at Tyvara and nodded. Her expression became serious. Sympathetic. She nodded and watched as Lorkin made his way over to Sonea.
“Mother,” he said. “Can we talk privately?”
“Of course.” Standing up, Sonea looked around, then chose a direction at random and began walking. He followed silently. About twenty paces away she stopped and created a sound-containing barrier around them both, then waited for him to speak.
Lorkin suddenly could not meet her gaze. “I… ah… we…”
She sighed and relented. “Are you coming back with me?”
He straightened his shoulders and raised his head. “No.”
She stared at him, fighting a rising panic. I could order him to. I could contact Osen and get him to give the order. But she suspected that would push Lorkin into doing something even more foolish.
“It’s not Tyvara,” he said. “Well, not just Tyvara.” His gaze became intense. She read excitement and hope. “I think the Traitors will win. When they say they will end slavery… I think they’ll do that, too. They’ve been planning it for years. For centuries.”
“So… if they win, will they be any better than the Ashaki?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “And if they lose?”
His expression was grim. She suddenly saw in his face what he would look like in ten years or more. If he makes it through the next few weeks. No, don’t think about that.
“Some things are worth risking lives for,” he said. “If you had seen what the Ashaki do — experienced it — you’d want to rid the world of them, too.”
At the anger and horror in his voice she felt a pain inside. What did they do to him? She wanted to know, and to find whoever had done it, and hurt them. Both for that, and for making my son want to risk his life in this way.
“The Guild won’t like this, but I’m sure you know that,” she told him.
He nodded. “Tell them to officially declare me an exile. That way they won’t be blamed for my actions, if we lose.”
She felt her heart sink. I ought to be pleased that he’s thought this through, but I can’t be. If only I could take his place… but I don’t think that would stop him going to war anyway.
And suddenly she knew what she would do next. If he would not come home, she would not either. She would follow him. She would do all she could to protect him.
“So you consider yourself a Traitor now.” She nodded. “Then there is something you need to know.” She reached into her pocket, drew out one of the gemstones and held it out.
He took it, and examined it closely. After a moment his eyes widened.
“I suspected it was possible,” he breathed.
As he stared at the stone in avid fascination, Sonea felt a bittersweet joy and pride. Here he was, her son, understanding a magic that no Guild magician had ever explored before. And he loves it.
“Where did you get this?” he asked.
She gestured around them. “In the soil and sand. There’s one in the spring, too, keeping it clean. I suspect they’re all over the wastes. You can detect them, if you know what you’re looking for and you’re a black magician.”
Lorkin’s mouth opened and he turned to look at the dry, lifeless land. “Are you saying…?”
“Yes. The wasteland ought to have recovered centuries ago, but it didn’t because of the Traitors.” She touched his arm. “Are you sure you want to leave the Guild to join these people? A people this ruthless? You can still help them to bring about the end of the Ashaki without changing your loyalties.”
He looked down at the gem and frowned. Then he closed his fingers around it and nodded. “I am sure. They aren’t perfect,” his mouth twisted with wry humour, “but they are better than the Ashaki.”
Turning to her, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “I love you, Mother. I have no intention of dying in this war. I will return to the Guild. Queen Zarala gave me stone-making knowledge so that I could pass it on, and I will do that if the Guild wants it. You’ll see me again.”
Then he hugged her tightly. She held him close, and it took all her will not to resist as he pulled away. He smiled once, then turned and strode back toward the Traitors.
Sonea blinked away tears, sighed and followed.
Stepping out of the Magicians’ Quarters into the bright sunlight, Lilia squinted and set off toward the University. More novices were about than usual for this time of morning, she noted. Most were hanging around the University entrance. As she neared them and stepped into the building’s shadow, she realised that all of their faces had turned toward her.
A chill ran down her spine and she slowed.
She recognised a few of them as friends of Bokkin. Two stepped aside. At first she assumed it was to let her through, but a familiar thug filled the gap. He grinned at her as she neared the steps.
“What’s you doing coming in here, Lilia?” he asked. “The Lookout is that way.” He pointed up the hill.
A few of the novices snickered. They drew closer together. She would have to push her way through them or go around to the front of the University.
“We’re not going to let you in,” Bokkin said.
Lilia smothered a smile. Idiot. It’s so obvious what they’re doing, he didn’t need to say it aloud. And now they can’t pretend they weren’t doing anything wrong.
She climbed the first few steps and stopped.
“Are you sure?” she asked, meeting and holding the gaze of each novice. “Black Magician Kallen is inside, waiting to teach me all sorts of black magicky secrets. He might not be too happy with you if you stop me getting to his lesson on time.”
Some of the novices frowned and exchanged doubtful glances.
“Kallen can only get you to pretend to fight with black magic,” Bokkin said. “You can’t learn anything else. You haven’t even graduated yet.”
“I heard you weren’t going to be graduating,” one of the girls near Bokkin added. “People say they won’t let you. You’ll be a novice forever.”
Lilia shrugged. “I’ll be graduating next year. I have more to learn than the average novice.” To make sure the hint sank in, she reached into her robe and pulled out the small, slim knife she had purchased at Kallen’s recommendation. She had wondered why he had insisted she needed one when she wasn’t supposed to use black magic, and suspected it was to be sure he got to approve her choice. He’d told her to buy something plain but good quality. Something more refined than a kitchen knife, but nothing as distastefully flashy as the knives the Sachakans wore. She’d met some knife-makers and chosen an elegant, slim knife with a blade that folded neatly into and out of an ebony and silver handle — an action she had practised doing one-handed.
An action she used now. She resisted a laugh as several of the novices drew in sharp breaths. But she couldn’t just stand there waving a knife around. If a magician saw her she’d be in as much trouble as the other novices. Maybe more. Inside her bag, among the books and study notes, was a pachi fruit. Jonna had put it in there when it had been clear Lilia would not have time to eat all of her morning meal.
Taking it out, Lilia began to cut slices from the fruit and eat them.
“Kallen’s going to come and find out what’s holding me up,” she told them between chews. “I wouldn’t want to b-”
“What’s going on here?” a new voice demanded. Looking up, Lilia saw the head of a magician appear behind the novices. “Find somewhere else to gather and stop blocking the doors.”
At once the novices scattered, the closest ones to the magician sketching a hasty bow. Bokkin was the only one looking disappointed, Lilia noted. The rest looked relieved. He sneered at her as she walked up the stairs, past him. The magician was one she remembered from second year, a middle-aged Alchemist.
“Good morning, Lord Jotin,” she said, bowing.
“Lady Lilia.” He nodded, then glanced about to make sure the novices weren’t going to return before heading back down the corridor. Lilia continued eating the pachi fruit as she made her way to the room Kallen held his lessons in, putting all thought of Bokkin behind her. At some point she would pose Anyi’s question to Kallen, and she had to consider how best to do it. She paused to wipe the knife and gather her thoughts, before pushing through the door into the room.
“Good morning Lady Lilia,” Kallen said, his lips widening into a half-smile as she entered.
“Black Magician Kallen.” She bowed and sat down, then opened her mouth to speak but stopped as she noticed the items on the table. A ceramic bowl stood next to some of the hollow tubes of glass Alchemists used when they needed to shape vessels and pipes to a particular use.
“Today I will teach you how to make blood gems,” Kallen told her.
She felt a thrill go through her. This was a part of black magic that most people regarded as acceptable and safe. Kallen picked up a tube and indicated that she should do the same.
“The process is easiest communicated mind to mind. The former High Lord discovered it by examining an ancient blood ring. I’ve seen and examined this ring, and I have to say I’m glad I didn’t have to work that riddle out for myself. First, melt some glass, keeping it spinning in the air to maintain the shape.”
She put aside Anyi’s question until later and followed his instructions. When they both held revolving spheres of molten glass in the air, he told her to take his hand and focus on his thoughts. She watched him shape his magic and impose his will on the glass, somehow altering its structure, then letting it cool. Then he watched her attempt the same on her piece.
They repeated this a few times, re-melting and shaping the glass, before he felt she was adept enough to try adding blood to the glass. To her surprise, this did nothing more than imprint an identity on it.
“The blood gem only works when someone is touching it,” he told her. “Do you understand the difference between how it works for the one who provided the blood, and the one who touches the gem?”
“The creator can see what the wearer sees, even if he doesn’t want to. The wearer can’t see what the creator sees but can receive mental communications without anyone else hearing them.”
“Yes, but the gem conveys not only what the wearer sees, but their thoughts. Unless the wearer is carrying a blocking stone.”
She blinked in surprise. This was new. “What’s that?”
“Something the Traitors make. Something we may soon have. Instead of glass, these stones are crystals trained as they grow to do a magical task. A blocking stone prevents a mind-read and allows the wearer to project the thoughts they want a searcher to see.”
Cold shivered down Lilia’s spine. “Naki’s ring.”
He looked surprised, then apologetic. “I am sorry. I forgot that you had already encountered a blocking stone.”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. What else can these stones do?”
“Anything a magician can do.”
“Even a black magician.”
“In that they can draw in and store power? Yes — but you must keep that to yourself for now.”
Lilia whistled quietly. “Tell me we’re making friends with these Traitors. They don’t sound like enemies we’d ever want.”
Kallen frowned. “We’re working towards that, hoping to trade for the knowledge of stone-making.” He waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll tell you more about that another time. The important thing is that stone-making requires black magic.”
She felt a thrill of excitement. “I’ll be learning to make these stones?” That would mean she’d be one of the first Guild magicians to be able to use this new magic.
“Perhaps.”
“Will I have to travel to Sachaka?”
“No.” But by the way he paused and looked thoughtful, she guessed that the answer was not that straightforward. He shook his head. “Well, that is all for this morning. Do you have any questions?”
Her heart skipped as she remembered Anyi’s question. “Yes. Would the Guild let Cery and his two bodyguards stay here?”
Kallen’s eyebrows lowered. “Has his situation grown worse?” he asked.
“Possibly. Would they?”
“I will have to get the agreement of the Higher Magicians, but it is likely they would grant it. When would he come here?”
“Soon.” Then, realising that could mean anything, she elaborated. “In a few days.”
He nodded. “I will let you know as soon as I can.” He smiled thinly. “We managed to get some seed from a perfume-maker, thanks to you. The plants aren’t big enough yet to confirm if they’re roet, but it will not be long. If Cery is still willing to help us catch Skellin, we may be able to do so soon.”
She nodded. There was that “soon” word again.
“He’ll be very willing,” she told him. “Of that I’m sure.”
As Anyi and Lilia disappeared into the darkness, heading back to the Magicians’ Quarters and Sonea’s rooms, Gol looked at Cery and raised his eyebrows.
“Yes,” Cery answered, keeping his voice low. “Tell me what you found out.”
Gol leaned forward. “Everything has changed. The rest of the Thieves… well, they don’t go calling themselves that any more. They call themselves ‘princes’. Skellin they call ‘king’.”
“Of course,” Cery rolled his eyes. “King of the Underworld. What do people on the street think?”
“That they’ve all got big-headed. But nobody says it aloud. They’re scared. They know Skellin is a rogue magician and his mother is the Thief Hunter. Both have done nasty things to people who wouldn’t do what they wanted.” Gol grimaced. “Good thing is, everyone hates him now.”
“What do they think of me?”
Gol shrugged. “They think you’re dead.”
“And if they knew I was hiding?”
“I suggested it, and a few said they hoped so. They said they hoped you were working out a way to get rid of Skellin.”
“No one thought I’d abandoned my workers?”
“No one said as much to me. Interesting thing is, in one bolhouse the people I got chatting to had an argument about whether you were hiding in the Guild or not. The one who doubted it said you couldn’t be, because the Guild is working with Skellin.”
Cery frowned. “That could just be a rumour.”
“One that would help keep people scared of Skellin.”
“If they knew it wasn’t true, they wouldn’t be as scared.”
Gol shook his head. “They’d still be too scared to do anything.”
Hooking his fingers around the edge of his seat, Cery drummed his fingers on the underside. “What about the supplier?”
“Saski’s still there. Still got the minefire. He’s been trying to sell a new tool that uses it. Some sort of blowpipe that people warned me was as likely to blow up as work. His most popular product is little packets that people throw into the fire to make a bang and a flash of light. People liked the bangers, but they couldn’t see much other use for minefire when magicians can do the same things it can do.”
“They don’t see that it could let ordinary people do things magicians can do?”
“Not the sort of things they want to do, like Heal or levitate or move things at a distance. Who needs to explode things here in the city? And Saski puts customers off with all his warnings about how dangerous and unpredictable it is. Magic sounds a lot safer.”
Cery nodded. “It does. It’s not just that minefire might explode when we don’t want it to, but that it might not when we need it to. Are you sure this trap will work?”
“Mostly. Before, when I got friendly with Saski, he often described how minefire was used in the mines of the far north. We’ll be using the same method.”
“How are we going to buy it? Could we get a street kid to buy some of these bangers for us?”
Gol nodded. “That’d be wise. Saski doesn’t seem the type to run off and sell us to Skellin, but who knows? It’d be tempting. He can’t be making much money.”
“But we do need Skellin to find out where we are.”
“Not through Saski. Then Skellin would know that we’d bought minefire, and wonder what we were up to down here. Wouldn’t take much thinking to work out we were setting a trap.”
“True.” Cery looked around the room. “Well, you’re going to have to set things up here without Anyi suspecting something odd is going on.”
“Once I get the tubes into the walls, they won’t be all that noticeable, especially if we put them in the holes and hollows in the mortar.”
“But you’ll have to do it while she’s not here.”
“You don’t want to wait until they’re sure the plants are roet? Once we have the trap set up, there’s always going to be a danger it’ll go off before we’re ready.”
Cery shook his head. “Not after what Lilia said about the Higher Magicians being prepared to let us live in the Guild in the meantime. Anyi was too keen to do it. Too ready to argue with me about it.” He shook his head. “Something tells me her patience is running out. Or that she knows something that we don’t.”
“Like that the plants aren’t roet?”
“Maybe.”
Gol shrugged. “She’s right though. There’s no need for us to be uncomfortable or risk getting Lilia into trouble for hiding us here.”
“But if the rumours you heard were right and someone in the Guild is working with Skellin we could put ourselves right in their hands. They’ll make sure the Guild doesn’t work with us to catch Skellin, or make sure something goes wrong and we’re all killed. Otherwise we may expose their dirty little secret.”
Gol looked up at the roof. “Well, if Anyi is right and we’re under the gardens between the University and Magicians’ Quarters, our trap will definitely expose Skellin to the Guild.”
Cery smiled. “Yes. But let’s make sure it doesn’t kill us all in the process.”