As he left, Lorlen sighed. At least someone is going to get some sleep.
16
The Hearing
Sonea's first thought as she began to wake was that Viola hadn't come to wake her, and she was going to be late for classes. She blinked away the fuzziness of sleep. Then she felt sand between her fingers and saw the faintly illuminated stone wall of the Dome around her, and she remembered.
That she had slept at all amazed her. The last she could recall of the previous night was lying in darkness, thoughts of the day to come running in circles through her mind. It had taken all her will to resist calling out to Akkarin mentally, to ask him if she should tell the Guild anything yet, or simply to know where he was, if he was being treated well... or if he was still alive.
In her worst moments of doubt, she could not shake the thought that the Guild might have passed judgment on him already, without telling her. The Guild of the past had been frighteningly thorough in its efforts to rid the Allied Lands of black magic. Those long-dead magicians would have executed Akkarin without delay.
And me, she thought, with a shiver.
She wished again that she could talk to him. He had said he would tell the Guild about the Ichani. Did he intend to admit to learning black magic, too? Did he mean for them to know she had as well?
Or was he going to deny using black magic? Or admit to it himself, but claim she had done nothing wrong?
But she had. An unwanted image of the dead Ichani woman flitted through her mind. With it came intense, but contradictory feelings.
You're a killer, a voice in her mind accused.
I had to, she thought in reply. There was no choice. She would have killed me.
But you would have done it anyway, her conscience replied, even if there had been a choice.
Yes. To protect the Guild. To protect Kyralia. Then she frowned. Since when have I been so concerned about killing, anyway? I would have killed without hesitation, if I'd been attacked in the slums. In fact, I may have killed already. I don't know if that thug who dragged me off the street survived after I stabbed him.
That's different. You didn't have magic then, her conscience pointed out.
She sighed. She could not help thinking that, with all the advantages that having magic abilities gave her, she ought to be able to avoid killing anyone. But the Ichani had wielded magic, too.
She had to be stopped. I happened to be in a position to stop her. I don't regret killing her, only that I had to in the first place.
Her conscience fell silent.
Keep bothering me, she told it. I'd rather that, than kill and not feel bad about it.
Still nothing.
Great. She shook her head. Maybe that old superstition about the Eye is true. Not only am I having conversations with myself, but now I'm refusing to talk to me. This has got to be the first sign of madness.
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 w
hat 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.
"These crimes are of the most serious kind. The evidence to support them will be presented for us to judge. I call forth the first speaker, Lord Balkan, Head of Warrior Skills."
Balkan rose from his seat and descended to the floor. He turned to face the King, and dropped to one knee.
"I swear that all I speak in this Hearing will be the truth."
The King remained expressionless and made no gesture to acknowledge Balkan's words.
The Warrior straightened and faced the assembled magicians.
"Two nights ago, I heard a faint call from Lord Jolen. It was clear that he was in some trouble. When I could not contact him again, I visited his family home.
"I found Lord Jolen, and his entire household, dead. Every man, woman and child, be they family or servant had perished. On closer investigation, I found evidence that the murderer had entered through the window in Lord Jolen's room, indicating, perhaps, that Lord Jolen had been the first victim.
"I did not search the bodies for the cause of death, leaving that task to Lady Vinara. When she arrived, I continued on to the Guard House. When I arrived I found that Captain Barran, the guard investigating the recent spate of murders in the city, had just interviewed a witness to the crime."
Balkan paused and looked up at Lorlen. "But before I summon Captain Barran, I recommend we hear what Lady Vinara found in her investigations."
Lorlen nodded. "I call forth Lady Vinara, Head of Healers."
Lady Vinara rose and descended gracefully to the floor. She turned, knelt to the King and swore the oath of truth. Then she rose and regarded the audience gravely.
"When I arrived at Lord Jolen's family home I examined the bodies of twenty-nine victims. All bore a few scratches and bruises around their necks, and no other injury. They had not been strangled, suffocated or poisoned. Lord Jolen's body was still intact, which was the first sign that alerted me to the cause of death. On examination, I found that his body had been completely drained of energy, leaving me to conclude that Lord Jolen had either expelled all his strength as he died, or it had been taken from him. Examination of the other bodies confirmed the latter cause. All members of the household were drained of energy, and since none but Lord Jolen could have exhausted themselves deliberately, I was left with one remaining explanation." She paused, her expression grim. "Lord Jolen, his family and the servants were killed with black magic."
The hall filled with low voices at this revelation. Rothen shuddered. It was too easy to picture Akkarin slipping into the house, stalking his victims and killing them. He looked down at the High Lord. Akkarin watched Vinara soberly.
"A closer examination of Lord Jolen's body revealed faint finger marks in blood on the neck," the Healer continued. She glanced at Akkarin. "It also revealed this, still clutched in one hand."
Vinara looked to one side and beckoned. A magician approached, carrying a box. She opened it and lifted up a piece of black cloth.
Gold embroidery glittered in the light. Enough of the incal remained for it to be recognizable as the High Lord's. The creaking of wood and rustling of robes filled the hall as magicians shifted in their seats, and the buzz of voices grew louder.
Vinara draped the cloth over the top of the box, then gave both back to her assistant. He moved away to stand at the side of the hall. Vinara looked at Akkarin, who was now frowning, then glanced over her shoulder to nod to Lorlen.
"I call forth Captain Barran, investigator of the Guard," Lorlen said.
The room quietened again as, from one side, a man in guard uniform entered, knelt to the King and spoke the vow. Rothen estimated the man was in his mid-twenties. The rank of captain was high for a man of his youth, but such positions were occasionally given to younger men of the Houses, if they proved to be talented or hardworking.
The Captain cleared his throat. "Half an hour before Lord Balkan came to see me, a young woman entered the Guard House claiming to have seen the murderer that has been preying on this city these last weeks.
"She told me she was returning home from delivering fruit and vegetables to one of the houses in the Inner Circle. She was still carrying the empty basket and a token of admission to the area. While passing the family home of Lord Jolen, she heard screams from inside. The screams stopped and she hurried on, but as she reached the next house she heard a door open behind her. She hid in a doorway, from which she saw a man emerge from the servants' entrance of Lord Jolen's family home. This man wore black magicians' robes, with an incal on the sleeve. His hands were bloodied, and he carried a curved blade, with gemstones set into the handle."
Exclamations echoed through the hall as the Guild expressed its horror. Rothen nodded to himself as he remembered the knife Sonea had described Akkarin using when she had spied on him so long ago. Lorlen raised a hand and the noise gradually subsided.
"What did you do then?"
"I took her name and noted the workplace on her token. At your request, I sought her out the next day. Her employer told me that she had not returned to work that morning, and gave me her family's address. Her family were concerned, as she had not returned to her home that night either.
"I feared that she had been murdered," Barran continued. "Later that day we found her body. Like Lord Jolen, his household, and
many of the other murders I have investigated these last few weeks, she bore no wounds except for a shallow cut."
He paused, and his eyes strayed to Akkarin, who remained calm and outwardly unmoved.
"Though I was able to identify her as the witness, we called the family to the Guard House to verify. They told us this woman was not their daughter, but confirmed that she was wearing their daughter's clothing. They were distraught to find that another dead girl we had discovered, naked and apparently strangled, was their daughter. Another puzzling discovery was that the witness was found carrying a knife just like the one she had described the murderer carrying. Needless to say, all this casts some doubts on the integrity of the witness."
The hall echoed with subdued voices. The Captain looked back at Lorlen. "That is all I can tell you for now."
The Administrator rose. "We will take a break to discuss and examine the evidence. Lady Vinara, Lord Balkan and Lord Sarrin will convey your views to me."
At once the hall began to echo with raised voices as magicians gathered into groups to discuss and speculate. Yaldin turned to face Dannyl and Rothen.
"The knife could have been planted on the witness when she was killed."
Dannyl shook his head. "Perhaps, but why would she lie about who she was? Why was she wearing the other woman's clothes? Was she paid or bribed to take the other woman's place, without realizing she would be killed? But that would mean it was all prearranged."
"That doesn't make sense. Why would Akkarin arrange for a witness to identify him?" Yaldin asked.
Dannyl drew in a quick breath. "In case there were other witnesses. If this one's story was disproved, any others would be cast into doubt."
Yaldin chuckled. "Either that or there's a black magician out there trying to have Akkarin blamed for his crimes. Akkarin could be innocent."
Rothen shook his head.
"You don't agree?" Dannyl asked.
"Akkarin uses black magic," Rothen told him.
"You don't know that. They found books on black magic in his rooms," Dannyl pointed out. "That doesn't prove that he actually uses it."
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