“Yes.” Rachel looked up. “What?”
“This is important.”
“No, it’s not,” Rachel said. “We’re supposed to be learning how to do this, not what’s happened to other people.”
“Isn’t some of this stuff worrying you?” Shireen said. “‘Psychological consequences’?”
“That’s only if you do it wrong.”
“Look, this is starting to sound really freaky. Pulling someone else’s magic out and taking it for yourself? What does that do to them?”
Rachel shrugged. “I guess they can’t use magic anymore.”
“Then how is it none of these books say anything about what happens to them afterwards?”
“How should I know?” Rachel said in annoyance. “Are you going to help me with this or not?”
Shireen looked at Rachel, frowning. “Why is Richard getting us to learn this stuff?”
“Look,” Rachel said. “What’s the one thing we’ve learnt that mages care about? Power, right? Well, this is a way of getting it. Besides, if we don’t use it, everyone else is going to.”
Shireen frowned again but didn’t argue. Rachel went back to her reading and the two girls sat for a little while in silence. “Rach?” Shireen asked.
“Mm.”
“Have you ever thought about leaving?”
Rachel looked up in surprise. “You mean here?”
“Yeah.”
“Why would we want to?”
“Look, think about it,” Shireen said. “Do we actually like anyone in this mansion?”
Rachel shrugged. “Not really.”
“Then why are we living here?”
“We get training from Richard and we’ve got servants to do whatever we want,” Rachel said. “Anyway, it’s not like you expect to like the people you live with.” Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. “Is this about Alex?”
“No,” Shireen said.
Rachel looked at her.
“Okay, maybe.”
Rachel shook her head. “I told you not to talk to him.”
“It’s not just Alex, okay?” Shireen said. “I just . . . Look, I don’t feel like this mansion is such a safe place anymore. And Tobruk is seriously starting to freak me out.”
“You’re the one who was screwing him.”
“Was,” Shireen said, glaring at Rachel. “Have you seen what he’s doing to that girl?”
“I told you about him, didn’t I?” Rachel said. “You didn’t listen.”
“Yeah, well, I’m listening now. How about we do something about it?”
“I’m not getting near Tobruk,” Rachel said with a shiver.
“So what?” Shireen said with an edge to her voice. “We sit around while he goes down to visit every night? This is fucked up.”
“Better her than me,” Rachel snapped. “She’s going to die anyway, what difference does it make?”
Shireen drew back, startled. “She’s not . . .”
“Oh, come on,” Rachel said impatiently. “You think Richard’s just going to let her go?”
Shireen looked away, and there was an awkward silence. “Rach, I’m serious,” Shireen said. “I feel like something bad is going to happen.”
“It is, just not to us.” Rachel put the book aside and turned to Shireen. “Look, we need to stick together. Tobruk’s just waiting for us to slip up. If we break Richard’s rules like Alex did, he can get us. But as long as we do what Richard says, Tobruk can’t do anything. Promise me you won’t do anything. I don’t want anything to happen to you too.”
Shireen didn’t meet Rachel’s eyes. “Promise,” Rachel insisted.
“All right,” Shireen said.
“Okay?”
“Okay,” Shireen said. But she still wasn’t looking at Rachel.
Rachel didn’t seem to notice. “Come on,” she said. “It’ll be just like that time with Mrs. Ellis. You remember that?”
Shireen gave a half-smile. “I was the one who came up with that.”
“I did all the work though. Anyway, it’s not for much longer.”
“What isn’t?”
“This,” Rachel said. “Being Richard’s apprentices.”
Shireen frowned. “How do you know?”
Rachel glanced at the door, then leant closer to Shireen, lowering her voice. “I don’t think Richard’s going to be around much longer.”
“Why not?”
“Last week, when I went into his study,” Rachel said, “he left some papers out on the desk, and there was a letter. I couldn’t see who he was sending it to but it was Richard’s writing and he was saying something about not being back in England for years. Maybe more.”
“But where’s he going?”
“Who cares?” Rachel said impatiently. “Don’t you see, this is why he picked us. Remember how everyone keeps saying how he’s never taken any apprentices before? This is why he did it now. He wants someone to leave in charge while he’s gone.”
“And that’d be us?”
“Why not? We’ve earned it. Once we’re Richard’s Chosen, this place is going to be ours. The other mages are going to have to respect us. We’ll be the ones in charge, not Richard.”
“And once he gets back?” Shireen said.
“It won’t matter.”
“I don’t know, Rach. I’m not sure we’re doing the right thing anymore.”
“We can’t back out now,” Rachel said. “Come on, just a little longer. Then it’s all going to be ours.”
Shireen looked back at Rachel and gave a halfhearted smile. The scene blurred and shifted, and—
I was in Richard’s study, thick carpet covering the floor and shelves lining the walls. The room was shadowed, the only light a low fire burning in the fireplace. Three people were inside, one behind the desk and two in front of it.
The first was Rachel, and she looked different from how I remembered her. For all the nine months I’d been imprisoned Rachel had avoided me, and I’d barely seen her. Now that I got a good look at her I was surprised at how drawn and harried she looked, as if she’d been on edge for far too long.
Next to Rachel was Tobruk, and unlike her he looked exactly as I remembered him, steady and confident. Becoming a Dark apprentice hadn’t changed Tobruk; it had just brought out what was already there. He stood with his arms folded, ignoring Rachel, all his attention on the man behind the desk.
That man was Richard, and even in the dream, seeing him again made me flinch. There was nothing intimidating about his appearance; he was average height with an average build, and looked completely ordinary in every way. He could blend right into a crowd without ever being noticed, at least until you heard him speak. But just seeing him terrified me and I was suddenly sure that dream or no dream, he knew I was there. If he’d turned to look at me I think I would have run.
But he didn’t; instead, he was speaking to Tobruk and Rachel. Even in the memory Richard’s voice was captivating, deep and commanding and utterly assured. No matter what he said, he always sounded natural and reasonable, and anyone who disagreed with him foolish and out of their depth. Arguing with Richard felt like swimming against the tide: no matter what you did you would be carried away, not because the water bore you any malice but because it was so much vaster and stronger. “. . . that we discussed,” he was saying. “Have they been resolved?”
“I found Bennet,” Tobruk said. He sounded confident. “He’s not going to give us any trouble.”
“I set up the wreaths,” Rachel said at the same time. Neither she nor Tobruk were looking at each other; both were acting as though the other wasn’t even in the room. “They’ll be ready.”
“Excellent,” Richard said. “I believe you are ready for your final tasks.”