A sound outside drew her attention back to the room. Sitting up, she saw the Warrior guards step aside as Lord Osen stopped in the doorway. A globe light flared above his head, filling the spherical room with light.
“The Hearing is about to begin, Sonea. I’m here to escort you to the Guildhall.”
Suddenly her heart was racing. She stood up, brushed the sand off her robes, and walked to the door. Osen stepped back and allowed her to pass.
A short set of stairs led to another open door. She paused as she saw the circle of magicians waiting beyond. Her escort was a collection of Healers and Alchemists. The Warriors and the stronger magicians of the Guild would be guarding Akkarin, she guessed.
They watched her intently as she stepped out into the middle of the circle. Seeing the suspicion and disapproval in their expressions, she felt her face grow warm. She turned around to see that her two Warrior guards had completed the circle. Osen stepped through a momentary break in the barrier they held around her.
“Sonea,” he said. “Your guardian is accused of murder and of practicing black magic. As his novice, you will be questioned about your knowledge of these matters. Do you understand?”
She swallowed to wet her throat. “Yes, my lord.”
He paused. “Due to the discovery of books on black magic in your room, you will also be accused of learning about black magic.”
So she, too, was to be judged.
“I understand,” she replied.
Osen nodded. He turned to face the gardens beside the University. “To the Guildhall, then.”
The escort kept pace as Osen led her to the path alongside the University. The grounds were empty and eerily quiet. Only their footsteps and the occasional chirrup of a bird broke the silence. She thought of the families of magicians, and the servants that populated the grounds. Had they been sent away, in case Akkarin sought to overtake the Guild?
When the escort had nearly reached the front of the University, Osen suddenly stopped. The magicians surrounding them exchanged worried looks. Realizing they were listening to a mental communication, she focused her senses.
— ... says he will not enter until Sonea is here, Lorlen sent.
— What shall we do? Osen asked.
— Wait. We will decide.
Sonea felt her heart lighten a little. Akkarin was refusing to enter the Guildhall without her. He wanted her there.
Osen and the escort were tense with anxiety, however, obviously fearing what Akkarin might do if Lorlen refused. They had no idea how strong Akkarin was.
She sobered. Neither do I.
As they waited, she tried to estimate his strength. He had taken energy from her and Takan for two weeks before the fight with the Ichani. Sonea had no idea how strong he had been before then, but the fight would have diminished his store of magic considerably. He might still be several times the strength of a Guild magician, but she doubted he was powerful enough to fight the entire Guild.
And me?
She was aware of a great increase in her strength since she had taken the Ichani woman’s energy, but she could not guess how much more powerful it made her. Not as powerful as Akkarin, she guessed. He had been winning the fight with the Ichani before Sonea had stepped in so the Ichani would have been weaker. The power Sonea had taken from her couldn’t have been as much as he had.
Unless the Ichani had been pretending to be weaker for some reason...
— Bring her.
Lorlen did not sound happy. Osen made a small noise of disgust, then began walking again. The escort followed. As they neared the front of the University, Sonea’s heart began to race again, but this time in anticipation.
A crowd of magicians milled around the front of the building. They turned to watch as Sonea’s escort appeared, then parted as it started up the stairs.
Akkarin stood in the center of the Entrance Hall. She felt a thrill as she saw him. The corner of his mouth curled up in a familiar half-smile as he saw her. She almost smiled in reply, but schooled her expression as she saw the tense faces of the magicians surrounding him.
The Entrance Hall was crowded. Akkarin’s escort was made up of over fifty magicians, most of them Warriors. Nearly all of the Higher Magicians were present, looking nervous and angry. Lord Balkan’s expression was dark.
Lorlen stepped forward to regard Akkarin.
“You may enter together,” he said, his voice full of warning, “but you must remain out of each other’s reach.”
Akkarin nodded, then turned and beckoned to her. She blinked in surprise as her escort stepped back to allow her through.
Murmuring filled the Entrance Hall as she moved into the circle of magicians surrounding Akkarin. She stopped beside him, but far enough away that they could not have reached out to grasp hands. Akkarin looked at Lorlen and smiled.
“Now, Administrator, let’s see if we can sort out this misunderstanding.”
He turned and started down the passage to the Guildhall.
Rothen had never felt so ill. The last day had been one of the longest in his life. He had been dreading the Hearing, yet was also impatient for it to begin. He needed to hear Akkarin’s excuses, and to know what had drawn Sonea into breaking a law. He wanted to see Akkarin punished for what he had done to Sonea. Yet he also dreaded the moment Sonea’s punishment would be announced.
Two long lines of magicians stood along the length of the Guildhall. Behind them were two lines of novices, ready to give their strength if it was needed. A low buzz of voices had filled the room as all waited for the Hearing to begin.
“Here they come,” Dannyl murmured.
Two figures entered the hall. One wore black robes, the other the brown of a novice. Akkarin walked as confidently as he always had. Sonea... Rothen felt a pang of sympathy as he saw how she was keeping her gaze on the floor, her expression fearful and self-conscious.
The Higher Magicians followed, their expressions wary and grim. When Akkarin and Sonea reached the end of the hall, they stopped. Rothen was pleased to see that Sonea was keeping her distance from the High Lord. The Higher Magicians stepped around the pair and formed a row before the tiered seats at the front of the hall. The remaining magicians escorting the pair formed a large circle around the two accused.
Rothen and Dannyl followed as all the other magicians and novices moved to the seats on either side. When everyone was settled, Lorlen struck a small gong.
“All kneel to King Merin, ruler of Kyralia,” he intoned.
Sonea looked up in surprise. She stared at the top row of tiered seats as the King appeared with two magicians. A dark, vibrant orange cloak of shimmering cloth surrounded his shoulders, with the royal mullook sewn in gold all over it. An enormous gold halfmoon hung across his chest: the royal pendant.
As the entire Guild dropped to one knee, Rothen watched Sonea carefully. She glanced at Akkarin and, as she saw he was going to kneel too, followed suit. Then she looked up at the King again.
He could guess what she was thinking. Here was the man who ordered the Purge each year, the man who, two and a half years before, had ordered her family and neighbors to be evicted from their homes.
The King surveyed the room, then stared down at Akkarin, his expression unreadable. His eyes slid to Sonea, and she looked down at the floor. Satisfied, he stepped back and sat down in his chair.
After a pause, the magicians began to rise again. The Higher Magicians climbed to their places among the tiered seats at the front. Akkarin continued to kneel until all grew quiet again, then stood.
Lorlen looked around the hall, then nodded. “We have called this Hearing today to judge Akkarin of family Delvon, of House Velan, High Lord of the Magicians’ Guild, and Sonea, his novice. Akkarin has been accused of murdering Lord Jolen of House Saril, and his family and servants, and of seeking knowledge of, learning, and practicing black magic. Sonea has been accused of seeking knowledge of black magic.