Moments later, the specter led a very nervous Holly Walsh into Gavin’s office.
“Hi, Holly,” Gavin said. “Would you like something to drink or eat?”
Holly shook her head as she approached Gavin.
“Okay. If you change your mind, will you tell me please?”
“Yes, thank you,” Holly replied.
Gavin nodded and helped the young girl into a seat. “How can I help you?”
“I think one of the teachers at the college is in trouble,” Holly answered at last. “Her name is Miss Veldin, and no one has seen her for several days.”
“I see.”
“I went to another teacher,” Holly continued, “but they said it wasn’t a matter for me to worry about. I suppose I shouldn’t have bothered you with it, but Miss Veldin was very nice to me. I don’t want her to be in trouble.”
Gavin smiled. “Would you like me to look into it?”
Holly nodded.
“All right,” Gavin said. “I’ll look into it.” His gaze drifted back to his parchment-strewn desk, and he smiled again. “Matter of fact, I think I’ll look into it right now.”
“Thank you, sir,” Holly replied.
Gavin stood and offered Holly his hand as he walked with her out of the office. “How are your studies going? Are you learning a lot?”
“Oh, yes, sir! I always learn something from Mister Wynn. I don’t always do so well when he gives us—independent study, I think he called it—but Xythe helps me then. Xythe’s really nice, too.”
“I’m glad you’re doing well,” Gavin responded. “I want you to feel welcome to visit me whenever you need. Whether you’re having trouble with your studies or you’re feeling lonely or whatever, I want you to feel welcome with me.”
“Thank you, sir, but I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You’ll have to grow some more before you’re even close to being a bother, Holly,” Gavin countered, smiling. “Besides, I can’t help you if I don’t know you need help.”
After dropping Holly off at his old suite and finding Xythe almost frantic because the dracon couldn’t find her, Gavin headed to Valera’s office. If there was something going on with whoever Miss Veldin was, he figured she would know about it.
Sera didn’t quite flinch at seeing Gavin enter Valera’s reception space, but it looked a near thing. Gavin, though, smiled in greeting. He was fairly sure Sera was older than he was, but perhaps she was one of those people who experienced severe social anxiety. Either way, she certainly seemed unsettled anytime Gavin saw her.
“I’ll inform the Magister you’re here, Milord,” Sera squeaked, and she almost jumped up from her seat and not quite dashed into Valera’s private office. A moment later, she stepped back outside and gestured to the door. “The Magister said for you to come right in.”
Gavin smiled and nodded once. “Thank you, Sera.”
Valera stood to receive her guest as he closed the door behind him. “Hello, Gavin. How are you faring in your new role?”
Gavin shrugged. “I’m doing well enough, I suppose, but I have no idea what kind of Archmagister I am. I hope I’m not shaming Bellos too much.”
Valera laughed. “Oh, I highly doubt you would ever shame anyone. Please, be seated and make yourself comfortable. So, what can I do for you?”
“Holly, one of my apprentices, told me that a Miss Veldin—who she thinks is a nice teacher—might be in some kind of trouble. She seems to like whoever it is quite a bit, so I said I’d look into it.”
Valera winced. “Yes, ‘some kind of trouble’ might be a bit of an understatement.”
Gavin blinked. “Oh? How so?”
“Well, from everything we’ve been able to piece together, Alanna Veldin almost outright attacked a student in one of her classes. She’s always been a bit prickly, ever since her tenure as a student here, but she’s never been violent. Her apparent conduct shocked quite a few of her fellow instructors.”
“And let me guess,” Gavin said, almost sighing, “Tauron is handling the investigation.”
“Actually, no,” Valera countered. “He isn’t. Matter of fact, he recused himself from the whole process entirely. Reyna is the investigator of record and reports to Tauron’s deputy insofar as this specific case is concerned.”
“Wow. I am actually surprised…surprised and impressed. I would never have expected that level of professionalism from him.”
Valera grimaced. “He’s not a bad person, Gavin. He really isn’t.”
Gavin regarded Valera in silence, going back over all his interactions with Tauron in his mind. At last, he shrugged and shook his head. “I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one, Valera, but I suppose it’s possible you know him better than I do. So, I need to see Reyna about the case file?”
“Yes, but are you certain—honestly certain—you want to get involved in this? Given all I’m aware of, the case seems…well, a foregone conclusion. I wouldn’t think that it would be something the Archmagister would have time to investigate himself.”
Gavin sighed. “On the whole, you’re probably correct. All other things being equal, I probably shouldn’t get involved. I’m not an investigator. I have no specific expertise in this field. As a matter of fact, I will probably make far more noise and cause more hurt feelings as I flail around in my search for a true understanding of the situation. But…this Alanna Veldin was apparently nice to my apprentice when she didn’t otherwise need to be, so that makes me want to know what’s happening.”
Valera nodded. “I can understand that.”
Gavin stood. “Thank you for your time, Valera. Where should I look for Reyna?”
“When you step outside the outer office, turn right. The offices for the Inquisitors assigned to the College are three doors down, also on the right side of the hall.”
Gavin nodded his thanks again and left Valera to get back to her day.
Chapter 27
Gavin found himself in a small reception area that led to two offices. The reception area was vacant, and both office doors were open. The Inquisitor in each office looked up when the door opened, and they both gaped at seeing the Archmagister enter. They shot to their feet and hustled to the reception area almost like hounds from Lornithar’s Abyss nipped at their heels.
“Milord, it is an honor for you to visit us,” the Inquisitor Gavin didn’t know said as he dropped to one knee. Reyna hadn’t looked like she was going to kneel, but her compatriot gave her little choice in the matter.
“I don’t like people kneeling to me,” Gavin said, his expression somewhat cool as he regarded the top of the Inquisitor’s head. “Please, stand.”
Reyna wasted no time in doing so, her associate complying with less haste. Once they were both standing, Reyna said, “How may we serve you, Milord?”
“I want to discuss a matter with you, Reyna,” Gavin answered. “Do you have a moment?”
Reyna nodded. “Of course, Milord. I have no appointments this afternoon, so I am at your complete disposal. Shall we step into my office?”
“Thank you,” Gavin replied and followed Mariana’s friend. He supposed he should’ve felt bad about leaving the other Inquisitor in the reception area with no further interaction, but the man engendered a feeling very similar to the toadies and sycophants who circled Terris’s court. Gavin did not like that feeling at all, especially in someone responsible for enforcing the law.
Reyna closed the door behind Gavin and quickly moved to her side of the desk, gesturing for Gavin to sit. Once Gavin did so, she followed suit.
“I am here regarding the matter of Alanna Veldin,” Gavin said. “What can you tell me about it?”
Reyna winced. “That…is an unpleasant case. I’ve known Alanna Veldin for years. She’s only three or so years older than me and Mariana.
“From what the witnesses said, one of the students went to her as class was being dismissed, and she flew into a rage and attacked him. The poor boy is still in a coma, and
the healers have asked someone from the temple to attempt a healing. Most of the witnesses think they exchanged words prior to Veldin attacking him, but no one was close enough to hear what—if anything—was said or by whom.
“Alanna Veldin is currently being held in her quarters under restraint and guard, pending the outcome of the boy’s situation. If he lives, it’s merely aggravated assault, but if he dies, she’ll be charged with killing him.
“May I ask what led to your interest in the matter?”
Gavin sighed. “Apparently, Veldin was kind to my youngest apprentice, Holly Walsh, at some point. She told me no one had seen or heard from Veldin in some time, and I told her I’d look into it. I almost regret saying that, now. I’m not usually one to interfere with investigations.”
“Uhm…well, sir, you can’t really interfere.”
“I’m sorry for not understanding,” Gavin replied, frowning. “May I ask what you mean?”
“The Archmagister holds the full power of Low, Middle, and High Justice in Tel, sir. The only reason Inquisitors can enforce the Arcanists’ Code is that the Archmagister at the time of our founding granted us the authority to do so. It is completely within your purview to review or investigate any case you choose—everything from common street crime to something like Iosen Sivas’s treason.”
Gavin leaned back against his seat, hoping his expression didn’t betray any of the surprise he felt. “Well, then…since you’re waiting for the boy’s condition to improve or worsen, I think I’ll avail myself of that option. You said Veldin is being held in her quarters under guard?”
“Yes, Milord. She’s in Room 355. Just look for the Inquisitors.”
“Thank you, Reyna,” Gavin said as he stood. “I’ll keep you updated on whatever I find.”
Gavin rounded the corner on the third floor of the Tower and saw a door flanked by Inquisitors. From what he could tell, Alanna Veldin’s quarters were almost on the exact opposite side of the floor from his old suite. He traversed the distance with a steady gait and soon stood before the door guards.
“Hello,” Gavin said. “Are you guarding Alanna Veldin’s quarters?”
“Yes, sir,” the Inquisitor on Gavin’s right answered.
Gavin smiled. “Excellent. Open the door, please. I’ve come to speak with her.”
“We cannot do that, sir,” the Inquisitor on Gavin’s left said. “We have strict instructions that no one is to speak with the prisoner.”
“Oh, I see,” Gavin remarked. “Well, just who gave those orders? Bellos, perhaps?”
“Of course not, sir. I doubt Bellos is even aware of this situation.”
Gavin laughed. “You would be surprised what the gods are aware of, Inquisitor, but since Bellos didn’t give those orders, whoever did cannot possibly outrank me. Now, are you going to open the door, or are we going to have a problem?”
For the first time, the Inquisitors seemed to realize who was speaking to them. They both paled, and the man on Gavin’s right even swayed on his feet a bit. The Inquisitor on Gavin’s left stammered for a moment, but ultimately, he retrieved a keyring from his belt and unlocked the door.
Gavin took one step into Veldin’s quarters and froze. Alanna Veldin sat on some kind of device designed to allow the use of a chamber pot. A thick collar encircled her neck and a very thick, short chain connected the collar to a set of manacles. Unlike other sets of manacles Gavin had seen, where a chain connected the two bracelets, hers had a solid bar. Thick, heavy leg irons secured her ankles, and everything—the collar, the manacles, the leg irons, and every chain—glowed, radiating Tutation. At first, the strong aura of Tutation puzzled Gavin, but understanding suddenly clicked. They were anti-magic restraints, the weight of which also served to hobble the prisoner.
As Gavin stepped closer, Veldin lifted her head to look at her guest. For a brief moment, Gavin saw a sheer, almost animalistic panic flash through the woman’s eyes before her expression settled into something of a sneer.
“So, even the Archmagister has heard of the upstart mage who deigned to strike a wizard’s child?”
Gavin reached for the door, intent on closing it to afford Veldin some measure of privacy, but the moment Gavin’s fingers brushed the door’s handle, panic erupted in the woman’s eyes once more. It was then that Gavin realized where he’d seen that reaction before: Kiri, when he’d first met her.
“I’d like to speak with you,” Gavin said, “but I’d rather you not be afraid of me. I’ll be right back.”
Gavin turned and left, closing the door behind him.
He returned with Reyna, who he hoped Veldin would see as less of a threat and help her feel safe with him. When Gavin re-entered Veldin’s quarters, he saw her tense, that same panic flitting through her eyes. Then, she saw Reyna, and it was almost like she breathed a deep sigh of relief. Her shoulders relaxed, as much as they could, and her tension seemed to vanish.
“Hello, Alanna,” Reyna said, pulling a chair over to sit about seven feet away from Veldin. Gavin found his own seat, making sure Reyna was more in the foreground than he was. “Do you feel like talking with us?”
Veldin gave a jerky nod, and her eyes flitted to Gavin for a moment before she said, “I-I guess. What do you want to talk about?”
“Well, the Archmagister has taken an interest in your case, and I’m honestly hoping you’ll open up a little more with him than you did with me. There are still parts of it I don’t know.”
“What does it matter?” Veldin replied. “They’re going to execute me, no matter what. It’s not like talking more will change that.”
Gavin lifted an eyebrow as he looked at Veldin questioningly, saying, “You seem awfully certain of that outcome. Care to explain why you feel that way?”
“Why shouldn’t I feel that way? I attacked the son and heir of a prominent wizard family. The Council will have to execute me just to keep the peace. Nothing else matters.”
“Funny thing about the Council,” Gavin replied, “and the Inquisitors, too, come to think of it…they work for me. Now that I’m aware of your case and have seen you sitting there like that, the only chain of events that will lead to your execution is if I decide that fate is appropriate. So, why don’t you tell me your side of the story?”
Veldin turned to look at Reyna, her expression almost screaming the question of whether she could trust Gavin.
“Remember Rolf Sivas?” Reyna asked. “You wouldn’t believe how many reports from students we had about his conduct, but it wasn’t until Gavin caught him in the act that anything was ever resolved. I trust I don’t need to recount that particular resolution.”
Veldin shook her head, her eyes downcast toward the floor. “No. I watched it happen. I think half the College did.”
“Then, please, tell me what happened,” Gavin urged.
Veldin stared at the floor for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually, she spoke. “I had just dismissed the class. I was standing at the desk at the front of the classroom, gathering my papers and notes, when that little shi—I mean, when he approached me. We’d spent most of the class that day going over a test, which he almost failed, and he told me he felt his grade was inaccurate. I was tired. I-I shouldn’t have reacted like I did, but I told him, ‘Unlike most of your answers on the test, my grading of it was not wrong.’” Gavin turned his urge to laugh into a barely contained snort. “He sneered at me and shot back something about how his father had told him not to expect competence from me, and then, he asked me if I even knew who his father was. I didn’t care at all who his father was, and I told him so. But when he told me…I-I don’t know what came over me. It was like I wasn’t in the classroom anymore. It wasn’t a student standing in front of me, and I just lost control. I didn’t realize what I was doing until Reyna pulled my hands away from his throat. I’ve never attacked anyone before. I’m not a violent person.”
“Have they at least treated you well since your confinement?” Gavin asked.
That same raw
panic flashed through Veldin’s eyes, and her answer was far, far too quick. “It’s fine.”
Gavin heaved a sigh. “So, they haven’t. Is it the Inquisitors?”
Veldin was clearly fighting to keep from cringing at the thought of the Inquisitors. She didn’t succeed.
“The Inquisitors currently outside your door?”
Veldin emphatically shook her head no, but the look in her eyes screamed yes.
“Right, then,” Gavin said. “Alanna, I want your word that you will not leave your quarters unless I or Reyna direct you to do so. Will you give me your word on that?”
Veldin answered with a silent nod.
“All right. Reyna, get that scrap metal off her so she can feed and clean herself. Once she’s free, get that contraption out of here, too. Until further notice, no Inquisitors will guard her door, and you will be the only Inquisitor permitted to visit her. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Reyna answered.
“How will you stop them?” Veldin asked.
Gavin grinned. “Easy. I’ll ward the door. Only you, Reyna, and I will be able to cross the threshold, and if you cross without one of us, you’ll be marked with a beacon.”
Both Reyna and Veldin gaped. Finally, Reyna said, “That’s-that’s not possible, is it?”
Gavin shrugged, still grinning. “You’d be surprised what an Archmagister trained by the Kirloth who dueled Milthas can achieve when he puts his mind to it. Now, I’ll deal with the Inquisitors outside while you help her clean up.”
With that, Gavin stood and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
Gavin stepped to the center of the hallway and turned to face the Inquisitors. He gave them a huge smile as he clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
“Good news, gentlemen,” Gavin said. “You no longer have to worry about standing guard on a door all day. As of right now, you’re dismissed to return to your regular duties.”
The Inquisitors shot each other a look before turning back to Gavin.
“Uhm…we were told—” the Inquisitor on Gavin’s left began.
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