anything that would endanger herself?
It was impossible for the mind to lie. Conceal the truth, perhaps, but that was difficult—and impossible with Akkarin’s mind-reading method. If he had arranged for this man to believe certain lies were truth, however, she could still be deceived.
But if she kept that in mind and carefully considered all she learned…
Knowing how to read minds could be a useful skill. Even if she did make this vow, it would not stop her using it in the fight against him. Kyralia was already in great danger just by having a black magician at the heart of the Magicians’ Guild.
The captive stared back at her.
“You would have me vow never to read a mind unless Kyralia was in danger,” she said. “Yet you want me to read his. Surely he is not a threat to Kyralia.”
Akkarin smiled. He seemed pleased by her question. “He isn’t now. But he was. And his claims that his master will enslave you after he kills me should prove there is a possible future threat. How can you know whether his master is capable of it, if you do not read his mind?”
“With that reasoning, you could justify reading the mind of anyone who made a threat.”
His smile broadened. “Which is why I require you to make that vow. You will not use this skill unless there is no other choice.” His expression became serious. “There is no other way I can show you the truth—not without putting your life at risk. Will you make the vow?”
She hesitated, then nodded. He crossed his arms and waited. She took a deep breath.
“I vow never to read the mind of an unwilling person unless Kyralia is in great danger and there is no other way of avoiding that danger.”
He nodded. “Good. If I ever discover that you have broken that vow, I will ensure you regret it.” He turned to regard the captive. The man had been watching them closely.
“Will you let me go now?” the man said, his voice pleading. “You know I had to do what I did. They made me. Now the sthtone is gone, they can’t find me. I won’t—”
“Silence.”
The man cringed at the command, then whimpered as Akkarin crouched beside him.
“Put your hand on his forehead.”
Sonea pushed aside her reluctance and squatted beside the captive. She rested a hand on his forehead. Her heart skipped as Akkarin pressed his hand over hers. His touch was cool at first, but quickly warmed.
—
I will show you how to read him, but once you have the skill of it, I will let you explore as you wish.
She felt his presence at the edge of her thoughts. Closing her eyes, she visualized her mind as a room, as Rothen had taught her. She took a step toward the doors, intending to open them to greet him, then jumped back in surprise as Akkarin appeared within the room. He waved a hand at the walls.
—
Forget this. Forget everything you have been taught. Visualization slows and restricts your mind. Using it, you will only understand what you can translate into images.
The room disintegrated around her. So did the image of him. But the sense of his presence remained. Before, when he had read her mind, she had sensed little presence at all. Now she detected a hint of personality and a power that was stronger than anything she had encountered before.
—
Follow me
...
His presence moved away. Pursuing it, she sensed herself drawing close to a third mind. Fear emanated from this mind, and she encountered resistance.
—
He can stop you only if he can sense you. To prevent him sensing you, put aside all will and intent except for the single purpose of easing into his mind without disturbing it. Like this…
To her amazement, Akkarin’s presence
changed.
Instead of exerting his will on the man’s mind, he seemed to give up.
Only the faintest presence remained, a vague desire to drift into another’s thoughts. Then his presence strengthened again.
—
Now you
.
She had a lingering sense of what he had done. It had seemed easy, yet every time she tried to emulate him she
It was impossible for the mind to lie. Conceal the truth, perhaps, but that was difficult—and impossible with Akkarin’s mind-reading method. If he had arranged for this man to believe certain lies were truth, however, she could still be deceived.
But if she kept that in mind and carefully considered all she learned…
Knowing how to read minds could be a useful skill. Even if she did make this vow, it would not stop her using it in the fight against him. Kyralia was already in great danger just by having a black magician at the heart of the Magicians’ Guild.
The captive stared back at her.
“You would have me vow never to read a mind unless Kyralia was in danger,” she said. “Yet you want me to read his. Surely he is not a threat to Kyralia.”
Akkarin smiled. He seemed pleased by her question. “He isn’t now. But he was. And his claims that his master will enslave you after he kills me should prove there is a possible future threat. How can you know whether his master is capable of it, if you do not read his mind?”
“With that reasoning, you could justify reading the mind of anyone who made a threat.”
His smile broadened. “Which is why I require you to make that vow. You will not use this skill unless there is no other choice.” His expression became serious. “There is no other way I can show you the truth—not without putting your life at risk. Will you make the vow?”
She hesitated, then nodded. He crossed his arms and waited. She took a deep breath.
“I vow never to read the mind of an unwilling person unless Kyralia is in great danger and there is no other way of avoiding that danger.”
He nodded. “Good. If I ever discover that you have broken that vow, I will ensure you regret it.” He turned to regard the captive. The man had been watching them closely.
“Will you let me go now?” the man said, his voice pleading. “You know I had to do what I did. They made me. Now the sthtone is gone, they can’t find me. I won’t—”
“Silence.”
The man cringed at the command, then whimpered as Akkarin crouched beside him.
“Put your hand on his forehead.”
Sonea pushed aside her reluctance and squatted beside the captive. She rested a hand on his forehead. Her heart skipped as Akkarin pressed his hand over hers. His touch was cool at first, but quickly warmed.
—
I will show you how to read him, but once you have the skill of it, I will let you explore as you wish.
She felt his presence at the edge of her thoughts. Closing her eyes, she visualized her mind as a room, as Rothen had taught her. She took a step toward the doors, intending to open them to greet him, then jumped back in surprise as Akkarin appeared within the room. He waved a hand at the walls.
—
Forget this. Forget everything you have been taught. Visualization slows and restricts your mind. Using it, you will only understand what you can translate into images.
The room disintegrated around her. So did the image of him. But the sense of his presence remained. Before, when he had read her mind, she had sensed little presence at all. Now she detected a hint of personality and a power that was stronger than anything she had encountered before.
—
Follow me
...
His presence moved away. Pursuing it, she sensed herself drawing close to a third mind. Fear emanated from this mind, and she encountered resistance.
—
He can stop you only if he can sense you. To prevent him sensing you, put aside all will and intent except for the single purpose of easing into his mind without disturbing it. Like this…
To her amazement, Akkarin’s presence
changed.
Instead of exerting his will on the man’s mind, he seemed to give up.
Only the faintest presence remained, a vague desire to drift into another’s thoughts. Then his presence strengthened again.
—
Now you
.
She had a lingering sense of what he had done. It had seemed easy, yet every time she tried to emulate him she
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