darkened streets and walkways, in and out of the colored, warm spheres of the furylights. The thief hauled a barrel to its side as he passed a cooper's shop, and Tavi had to jump it. He gained ground, and threw himself at the thief's back. He missed, but got the man on a leg, and wrenched, throwing him off-balance and to the ground.
There was a silent, mad struggle only a few seconds long, Tavi tried to pin one of the thief's arms behind him, but his opponent was too quick and writhed until he could throw an elbow at Tavi's head. Tavi ducked it, but the thief spun and struck him in the chin with the edge of one hand. Stars flashed in Tavi's eyes, and he lost his hold on the thief, who rose and vanished into the dark before Tavi could regain his feet.
He set off in pursuit, but it was vain. The thief had made good his escape.
Tavi snarled a curse and stormed back out of the darkened alley, heading for the Domus Malleus. At least, he thought, he'd get himself a decent meal for all of his trouble.
He turned back out onto the street, scowling, and slammed directly into a large pedestrian.
"Tavi?" Max said, surprise in his tone. "What are you doing here?"
Tavi blinked at his roommate. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm being attacked by scowling academs from Calderon," Max said, a smile on the edges of his words. He shrugged his dark cloak to settle more solidly around him and brushed off his tunic.
The evening's mists were gathering thick and cold. Tavi felt himself start to shiver as the cold found its way to his sweating skin. He shook his head. "Sorry. I suppose I'm not at my most alert. But seriously, what are you doing down here?"
Max grinned. "There's a young widow a couple of streets down. She gets lonely on misty nights."
"This time of year, every night is misty," Tavi said.
Max beamed. "I noticed that, too."
"There's a reason people hate you."
"Jealousy is common among lesser men," Max agreed magnanimously. "My turn. What are you doing down here? Wouldn't do for Gaius's golden boy to get caught sneaking out past curfew."
"Meeting someone," Tavi replied.
"Sure you are," Max agreed amiably. "Who?"
"You aren't the only one who sneaks out of the Academy after dark."
Max burst out into a rolling laugh.
Tavi scowled at him. "What's so funny?"
"Obviously you aren't seeing a girl."
"How do you know?" Tavi demanded.
"Because even a virgin like you would try to look better than you do. Clean clothes, combed hair, freshly bathed, all that sort of thing. You look like you've been rolling around in the street."
Tavi flushed in embarrassment. "Shut up, Max. Go see your widow."
Instead, Max leaned against the wall of the dining house and folded his arms. "I could have rapped you on the head instead of letting you bump into me. And you'd never have known it happened," Max said. "It's not like you. You okay?"
"I'm just too busy," Tavi said. "I did calculations homework all day, after the test this morning—"
Max winced. "I'm sorry about how that went, Tavi. Killian might be able to furycraft his way around being blind, but he bloody sure doesn't see your strengths."
Tavi shrugged. "I expected it to go that way. And I've got to attend Gaius tonight."
"Again?" Max said.
"Yeah."
"So why aren't you back at the dorm getting some shut-eye?"
Tavi began to wave his hand vaguely, but then narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Ah-hah. Why aren't you running off to your eager widow, Max?"
"It's early. She'll keep," Max said, frowning.
"She'll keep until you complete your test for Killian?" Tavi asked.
Max's shoulders stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
"Your own test," Tavi said. "Killian gave you one of your own. He sent you to find out what I was doing."
Max couldn't hide an expression of surprise. Then he rolled his eyes. "Killian probably told you to keep yours secret, whatever it is."
"Of course. And no, I'm not telling you about it."
"Crows, Calderon. When you get this
There was a silent, mad struggle only a few seconds long, Tavi tried to pin one of the thief's arms behind him, but his opponent was too quick and writhed until he could throw an elbow at Tavi's head. Tavi ducked it, but the thief spun and struck him in the chin with the edge of one hand. Stars flashed in Tavi's eyes, and he lost his hold on the thief, who rose and vanished into the dark before Tavi could regain his feet.
He set off in pursuit, but it was vain. The thief had made good his escape.
Tavi snarled a curse and stormed back out of the darkened alley, heading for the Domus Malleus. At least, he thought, he'd get himself a decent meal for all of his trouble.
He turned back out onto the street, scowling, and slammed directly into a large pedestrian.
"Tavi?" Max said, surprise in his tone. "What are you doing here?"
Tavi blinked at his roommate. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm being attacked by scowling academs from Calderon," Max said, a smile on the edges of his words. He shrugged his dark cloak to settle more solidly around him and brushed off his tunic.
The evening's mists were gathering thick and cold. Tavi felt himself start to shiver as the cold found its way to his sweating skin. He shook his head. "Sorry. I suppose I'm not at my most alert. But seriously, what are you doing down here?"
Max grinned. "There's a young widow a couple of streets down. She gets lonely on misty nights."
"This time of year, every night is misty," Tavi said.
Max beamed. "I noticed that, too."
"There's a reason people hate you."
"Jealousy is common among lesser men," Max agreed magnanimously. "My turn. What are you doing down here? Wouldn't do for Gaius's golden boy to get caught sneaking out past curfew."
"Meeting someone," Tavi replied.
"Sure you are," Max agreed amiably. "Who?"
"You aren't the only one who sneaks out of the Academy after dark."
Max burst out into a rolling laugh.
Tavi scowled at him. "What's so funny?"
"Obviously you aren't seeing a girl."
"How do you know?" Tavi demanded.
"Because even a virgin like you would try to look better than you do. Clean clothes, combed hair, freshly bathed, all that sort of thing. You look like you've been rolling around in the street."
Tavi flushed in embarrassment. "Shut up, Max. Go see your widow."
Instead, Max leaned against the wall of the dining house and folded his arms. "I could have rapped you on the head instead of letting you bump into me. And you'd never have known it happened," Max said. "It's not like you. You okay?"
"I'm just too busy," Tavi said. "I did calculations homework all day, after the test this morning—"
Max winced. "I'm sorry about how that went, Tavi. Killian might be able to furycraft his way around being blind, but he bloody sure doesn't see your strengths."
Tavi shrugged. "I expected it to go that way. And I've got to attend Gaius tonight."
"Again?" Max said.
"Yeah."
"So why aren't you back at the dorm getting some shut-eye?"
Tavi began to wave his hand vaguely, but then narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Ah-hah. Why aren't you running off to your eager widow, Max?"
"It's early. She'll keep," Max said, frowning.
"She'll keep until you complete your test for Killian?" Tavi asked.
Max's shoulders stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
"Your own test," Tavi said. "Killian gave you one of your own. He sent you to find out what I was doing."
Max couldn't hide an expression of surprise. Then he rolled his eyes. "Killian probably told you to keep yours secret, whatever it is."
"Of course. And no, I'm not telling you about it."
"Crows, Calderon. When you get this
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