“Very well, if you all agree.”
“I do,” Vinara replied.
“Yes, so do I,” Sarrin added. He put the ring down. “What shall we do with it?”
“Put it somewhere only we four know of,” Balkan said.
“Where?”
Lorlen felt a stab of alarm. If they locked it away, it had better be in a place they could get to quickly if they needed to call on Akkarin.
“The library?”
Balkan nodded slowly. “Yes. The cupboard of old books and plans. I’ll put it away on the way back to my rooms. For now,” he looked up at each of them in turn, “let’s consider this conversation Akkarin relayed to us. What have we learned?”
“That Sonea is alive,” Vinara replied. “That she and Akkarin have overheard a woman named Avala and a man named Parika discussing a third man.”
“Kariko?” Lorlen suggested.
“Possibly,” Balkan replied. “The pair did not mention his name.”
“Inconsiderate of them,” Sarrin muttered.
“This unseen pair discussed slaves, so that much about them is true,” Vinara said.
“They also discussed hunting for Kyralians.”
“Sonea and Akkarin?”
“Probably. Unless this is a ruse Akkarin has arranged,” Balkan said. “He could have employed two people to have that discussion, so he could relay it to us.”
“Why such an ambiguous message, then?” Sarrin asked. “Why not have them mention Kariko, or his intention to invade Kyralia?”
“I’m sure he has his reasons.” Balkan yawned, then apologized. Vinara gave him a penetrating look.
“Have you slept since you returned?”
The Warrior shrugged. “A little.” He glanced at Lorlen. “Our meeting with the King continued late into last night.”
“Is he still considering asking one of us to learn black magic?” Sarrin asked.
Balkan sighed. “Yes. He would rather that, than call Akkarin back. Akkarin has proven himself untrustworthy by breaking the Guild’s law and his vow.”
“But if one of us learned it, he or she would also be breaking that law and the Magicians’ Vow.”
“Not if we make an exception.”
Sarrin scowled. “There should be no exceptions where black magic is concerned.”
“Yet we may have no choice. It may be the only way we can defend ourselves against these Ichani. If one of us was voluntarily strengthened by a hundred magicians each day, that magician would be strong enough to fight ten Ichani in just two weeks.”
Sarrin shuddered. “No one should be trusted with that much power.”
“The King knows you feel this way,” Balkan said. “Which is why he believes you would be the best candidate.”
Sarrin stared at the Warrior in horror. “Me?”
“Yes.”
“I couldn’t. I... I’d have to refuse.”
“Refuse your King?” Lorlen asked. “And watch the Guild and all of Imardin fall before a handful of barbarian magicians?”
Sarrin stared at the ring, his face white.
“It would not be an easy burden to shoulder,” Lorlen said gently, “and not one to take on unless we were sure there was no other choice. The spies will leave in a few days. Hopefully they will discover, once and for all, whether Akkarin spoke the truth.”
Balkan nodded. “We should consider sending reinforcements to the Fort, too. If this overheard conversation is real, it suggests that this woman is meeting a group of Ichani in the north.”
“What about the South Pass?” Vinara asked. “Parika was returning there.”
Balkan frowned. “I will have to consider that. It is not as defendable as the Fort, but their conversation suggests a larger gathering in the north. We should have the road to the South Pass watched, at the least.”
The Warrior yawned again. Clearly he was struggling against weariness. Lorlen caught a meaningful look from Vinara.
“It is late,” he said. “Shall we meet here, early, to discuss it?” The others nodded. “Thank you for coming here so promptly. I will see you in the morning.”
As the trio rose and bid him good night, Lorlen could not shake a feeling of disappointment. He had hoped Akkarin would show them something that would prove his story was true. The conversation between the Sachakans hadn’t revealed much, but it had pointed out some flaws in Kyralia’s defense.
But now the ring was gone, and with it went his only link to Akkarin.
24
Secrets Revealed
The whisper of robes and the shuffle of booted feet was a constant background noise in the Guildhall, even during Lorlen’s short speech. We’re all restless, Dannyl mused. Too few questions were answered this Meet.
There was a collective sigh as Lorlen announced the Meet concluded.
“There will be a short break before the Hearing to judge the Elyne rebels begins,” the Administrator told them.
At the announcement, Dannyl’s stomach flipped over. He looked at Rothen.
“Time for me to face the rumor-mongers.”
Rothen smiled. “You’ll be fine, Dannyl. You’ve gained quite an air of competence since you left for Elyne.”
Dannyl looked at his mentor in surprise. Competence? “You mean I didn’t have one before I left?”
Rothen chuckled. “Of course you did, or you would not have been chosen for the position. It’s just stronger now. Or did you bring back some of that awful Elyne scent with you?”
Dannyl laughed. “If you thought scent might give me an air of competence, you should have suggested it earlier. Not that I would have taken your advice. There are some habits best left to the Elynes.”
The older magician nodded in agreement. “Well go on, then. Get yourself down there before they start without you.”
Dannyl rose and made his way to the end of the seats. As he moved to the front of the hall, he noted that Expatriate Administrator Kito was descending to the floor in preparation to lead the proceedings. The magician glanced to one side, where a row of men and women were entering with an escort of guards. Dannyl recognized Dem Marane’s group of friends and co-conspirators. Royend walked beside his wife. He looked up at Dannyl and narrowed his eyes.
Dannyl returned the man’s gaze steadily. The hatred in Royend’s eyes was new. The Dem had been angry on the night of the arrest, but during the journey to Kyralia and the wait for the Hearing that anger must have matured into something stronger.
I can understand his hatred, Dannyl thought. I tricked him. He doesn’t care that I was acting under Akkarin’s orders or that he was breaking the law. He just sees me as the man who ruined his dreams.
Farand stood on the other side of the room, beside two Alchemists. The young man looked nervous, but not frightened. A heavy clunk drew eyes to the rear of the hall, where one of the great doors was swinging open. Six Elynes strode down the aisle. Two were the magicians from the ships that had brought the rebels to Kyralia, Lords Barene and Hemend. The others were representatives of the Elyne King.
As Kito directed the newcomers to the seats at the front of the room, Dannyl considered where he should position himself. He decided to stand near Farand, knowing that this would be taken as a gesture of support for the young man. When all were settled, Lorlen rang a small gong, and the hall quickly fell silent. Kito glanced around and nodded.
“We have called this Hearing today to judge Farand of Darellas, Royend and Kaslie of Marane, and their co-conspirators...”
Catching a noise from an unexpected direction, Dannyl looked up to the topmost tier of the seats for the Higher Magicians. He blinked in surprise when he saw that one of the King’s Advisors was present.
But of course, he thought, our King would want to be sure that anyone from another land caught trying to start their own magicians’ guild was appropriately punished.
“... Farand of Darellas has been accused of learning magic outside of the Guild,” Kito continued. “These men and women have been accused of seeking to learn magic. The Dem Marane has also been accused of possessing knowledge of black magic.”