without it sounding
suspicious.
It was easy enough to smuggle small items into the tunnels. The lacquered boxes that servants used to carry food could be
lowered down the gap in the wall of Sonea’s room using magic. Larger items like whole pieces of furniture weren’t going to
fit in the narrow space, however. Perhaps they could use other entrances to the tunnels. She had heard that there were some
in the University.
Even if she did find another way in, most of the furniture in the Guild was old and valuable so likely to be missed. The servants’
furniture might be less precious, but they lived and worked away from the areas magicians and novices frequented. If Lilia
wandered over to the servants’ quarters, or even slipped into the kitchens beside the Foodhall, she’d stand out like, as her
mother would say, “a prince at a beggar’s ball”.
I need to find cast-offs that nobody is using. They’ll probably be broken, but I suppose we can try to fix them. We might
have to pullthem apart and reassemble them anyway, to get them into the tunnels. I’d have to get hold of some wood and nails – and tools.
Hmm, if I’m going to do that, maybe we could smuggle wood in and make furniture from scratch
.
“Look, it’s the black novice.”
The words were spoken loudly and from close by. Lilia looked up and met the eyes of the speaker. He was Bokkin, a tall novice
– a lowie who liked to bully those weaker than him. None of the lowies protested too loudly because he was bold enough to
pick on the snooties as much as the lowies.
He’d stopped to lean on a nearby table, the usual group of followers hovering around him. She doubted they actually liked
him. More likely they allied themselves with him to avoid being his target.
“Got anybody killed lately?” he asked, his lips twisted in a sneer.
She tilted her head to the side and pretended to consider. “Well, no actually.”
“What are you going to do with yourself now that Black Magician Sonea is leaving?” He pushed away from the table. “You’ll
be all alone in her rooms. Got a new girlfriend? Or do you want to see what a man’s like for once?” He strutted up to her
table and thrust his groin close to her face. “How about I show you what you’ve been missing?”
So they know Sonea’s leaving
. Lilia leaned back and looked up at him. She’d considered that someone might try to take advantage of the situation, but
hadn’t expected anyone to test her so soon.
“You never showed any interest before.” She stood up slowly, staying close so that her face ended up near to his, and stared
straight into his eyes. “Must be the black magic that changedyour mind. You’re attracted to it, aren’t you? The thrill of danger. I’ve been told to watch for people like you.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she grabbed his face, fingers digging into the flesh of his jaw. At the same time she pushed
at him with a sharp jab of magic, forcing him to stagger backwards before he could summon up the magic to resist it. She followed
and pressed him back against the edge of the next table.
“You know what’s going on in that Meet? Black Magician Sonea is taking power from every magician in the Guild. Using black
magic. One day – maybe one day soon – I might do that to you. You’ll have no choice. King’s orders. Do you really want to
give me reason to make it as unpleasant as possible?”
He stared back at her, his face pale. She let go and wiped her hand on the front of his robe. The novices around her were
silent, and the silence was spreading. She did not take her eyes from Bokkin, but she could see in the edges of her vision
that faces were turning toward her.
“You had better hope she returns,” she told him. She turned her back, picked up her bag and the pieces of fruit and spiced
bread rolls she’d collected for her evening meal, and left the hall.
As she stepped into the corridor she felt a
suspicious.
It was easy enough to smuggle small items into the tunnels. The lacquered boxes that servants used to carry food could be
lowered down the gap in the wall of Sonea’s room using magic. Larger items like whole pieces of furniture weren’t going to
fit in the narrow space, however. Perhaps they could use other entrances to the tunnels. She had heard that there were some
in the University.
Even if she did find another way in, most of the furniture in the Guild was old and valuable so likely to be missed. The servants’
furniture might be less precious, but they lived and worked away from the areas magicians and novices frequented. If Lilia
wandered over to the servants’ quarters, or even slipped into the kitchens beside the Foodhall, she’d stand out like, as her
mother would say, “a prince at a beggar’s ball”.
I need to find cast-offs that nobody is using. They’ll probably be broken, but I suppose we can try to fix them. We might
have to pullthem apart and reassemble them anyway, to get them into the tunnels. I’d have to get hold of some wood and nails – and tools.
Hmm, if I’m going to do that, maybe we could smuggle wood in and make furniture from scratch
.
“Look, it’s the black novice.”
The words were spoken loudly and from close by. Lilia looked up and met the eyes of the speaker. He was Bokkin, a tall novice
– a lowie who liked to bully those weaker than him. None of the lowies protested too loudly because he was bold enough to
pick on the snooties as much as the lowies.
He’d stopped to lean on a nearby table, the usual group of followers hovering around him. She doubted they actually liked
him. More likely they allied themselves with him to avoid being his target.
“Got anybody killed lately?” he asked, his lips twisted in a sneer.
She tilted her head to the side and pretended to consider. “Well, no actually.”
“What are you going to do with yourself now that Black Magician Sonea is leaving?” He pushed away from the table. “You’ll
be all alone in her rooms. Got a new girlfriend? Or do you want to see what a man’s like for once?” He strutted up to her
table and thrust his groin close to her face. “How about I show you what you’ve been missing?”
So they know Sonea’s leaving
. Lilia leaned back and looked up at him. She’d considered that someone might try to take advantage of the situation, but
hadn’t expected anyone to test her so soon.
“You never showed any interest before.” She stood up slowly, staying close so that her face ended up near to his, and stared
straight into his eyes. “Must be the black magic that changedyour mind. You’re attracted to it, aren’t you? The thrill of danger. I’ve been told to watch for people like you.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she grabbed his face, fingers digging into the flesh of his jaw. At the same time she pushed
at him with a sharp jab of magic, forcing him to stagger backwards before he could summon up the magic to resist it. She followed
and pressed him back against the edge of the next table.
“You know what’s going on in that Meet? Black Magician Sonea is taking power from every magician in the Guild. Using black
magic. One day – maybe one day soon – I might do that to you. You’ll have no choice. King’s orders. Do you really want to
give me reason to make it as unpleasant as possible?”
He stared back at her, his face pale. She let go and wiped her hand on the front of his robe. The novices around her were
silent, and the silence was spreading. She did not take her eyes from Bokkin, but she could see in the edges of her vision
that faces were turning toward her.
“You had better hope she returns,” she told him. She turned her back, picked up her bag and the pieces of fruit and spiced
bread rolls she’d collected for her evening meal, and left the hall.
As she stepped into the corridor she felt a
Similar Books
