Shadowed by Death

by Jane Beckstead

  “Nothing bad, I assure you,” Valerie said, standing. “Did you forget our plans, Garrick?”

  Master Wendyn stopped short. “Did we have—ah, the museum. Right.” He shook his head and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Some unexpected things have come up in the last few days.”

  She waved a hand. “Don’t worry yourself. We can go to the museum another time.” She stepped closer to him and put a hand on his arm, smiling up at him.

  I looked away and stepped closer to Papa, feeling oddly out of place.

  “Your father is charming, Avery,” Valerie said. “He was just telling me some stories from your childhood.”

  That’s what I was afraid of. “Yes, he can be quite… amusing.” I turned my head away slightly so that she couldn’t see my expression as I fixed Papa with a warning look.

  “We don’t need to scrap our evening completely, Val. Would you mind having supper here? We’re going to be having a celebration for Ivan’s natalis.”

  Ivan looked up, having heard his name, and grinned.

  Valerie’s smile gleamed in Papa’s direction. “By all means. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to hear more of Jasper's stories.”

  ***

  Formal meals were a rare thing at Ryker Hall, and this one coming with little warning had necessitated that Master Wendyn make a trip to the kitchens to ensure Cat had enough food on hand for the occasion. He returned shortly to inform us that there was indeed food aplenty on hand, and our impromptu dinner party could continue as planned.

  It was my opinion that it would have been easier to lock Papa in a room somewhere for the evening, but Master Wendyn informed me it was out of the question. “Absolutely not. Valerie would wonder where he went,” he hissed at me, just before we went into the banquet hall.

  I tried not to frown at her. It felt like her presence had further complicated my life, which had already been complicated by Papa. But that probably wasn’t a very fair assessment, and besides, it was Ivan’s natalis celebration, and I wouldn’t ruin it with a sour mood.

  We took our seats, Ivan, Papa, and Valerie on one side of We took our seats, Ivan, Papa, and Valerie on one side ofBeckstead / Shadowed by Death / 131

  the table, and Master Wendyn and me on the other. A trio of footmen waited on us, under the iron-fisted direction of Mrs. Pitts. Conversation flowed smoothly along as we discussed everything from trials to the weather to the rising price of imported fabrics.

  “Tell me, Mr. Mullins, what did you find to do all day?” the master asked as the natalis pudding arrived at the table.

  “Oh, I had a marvelous time exploring your mansion,” Papa replied airily.

  Mrs. Pitts, who stood near the door directing the footmen in their duties, made a small “Hmph,” noise.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  To Valerie Papa said, “Did you know there's five staircases in this place? Five. This is real opulence.”

  Valerie laughed. “I see you’re unused to the homes of master wizards, Jasper. Ryker Hall is not at all unusual when it comes to wizard dwellings.”

  I supposed Valerie had grown up in a mansion containing at least as many staircases. Well, no point in hiding the truth. I cleared my throat. “You should have seen the cottage I grew up in. Not a staircase in sight.”

  Valerie waved a hand airily. “Jasper and I have spoken all about it. I know there was a garden and two cows and the front porch he built just so your mother would have a place to sit and watch the sun set while she was ill.” She smiled at Papa. watch the sun set while she was ill.” She smiled at Papa.Beckstead / Shadowed by Death / 132

  “Thoughtful man.” I hadn’t known that Papa built that porch for Mama. My glance flitted to him. He smiled modestly back at Valerie.

  “Did he tell you what he did to earn a living in Waltney?” I asked, because clearly her opinion of Papa had been formed based on faulty information.

  Master Wendyn interrupted hastily, “Val, you haven't told me the latest news of your father. How is Master Uphammer?”

  She turned toward him, warming to this new subject. “Rumor has it there’ll be an opening on the Council soon, and Father is thrilled. He’s thinking of starting a campaign.”

  “You don’t say.” He leaned forward across the table, hanging on her every word as she continued to speak animatedly about Council runs and wizard politics.

  My stomach stirred with something I couldn’t put a name to.

  When the last course was taken away, the master rose, goblet in hand. After a moment of standing in silence, looking uncomfortable, he cleared his throat. “You may have noticed in your time here that I’m hardly the demonstrative type, Ivan. But it’s your natalis, so I’ll set my own qualms aside in favor of a toast.” He shifted side to side. “I’ll admit I wasn’t all that excited to have you come and stay with us last year. But you’ve made a nice addition to Ryker Hall, and I, for one, am glad that you’re here.” He raised his glass and we all followed suit.

  I couldn’t hold in the grin that blossomed on my face to I couldn’t hold in the grin that blossomed on my face toBeckstead / Shadowed by Death / 133

  hear the master speak so frankly about personal matters, something he did rarely. The master set his goblet down. “But…” he trailed off, and I looked up from Ivan’s glowing face to the master’s troubled expression. “…I can’t help but think,” he finally went on, “with all the progress you’ve made in the last year, and this reminder that you’re getting older, the time may have come for you to move on.”

  What?

  “It’s been troubling me for a while, actually, and I’ve finally decided on the best course of action. I wanted to surprise you, and today seems like as good a day as any. I think I’ve found you an apprenticeship.”

  Ivan’s expression, previously hesitant, now turned upward. Who?

  My goblet suddenly felt too heavy, and I set it down with a thump on the table.

  “His name is Phineas Beaumont. He’s several years my senior, but I remember him from our underwizard days. His last apprentice became a master wizard a few months ago, so he's looking for a new candidate. I told him about your—situation, shall we say—and he's interested. He has a mind for languages, which could help him learn your gestures. He speaks six fluently, last time I asked.”

  “That’s the man you were speaking with at the Conclave, “That’s the man you were speaking with at the Conclave,Beckstead / Shadowed by Death / 134

  isn’t it?” I asked. “The one with the beard?” He nodded. “Yes, that’s him. Very patient man. I think he’d make a fine master.”

  Ivan’s face had definitely become interested. Where he live?

  “I think I understood,” the master said, after watching Ivan’s gestures. “You want to know where he lives?”

  Ivan nodded.

  “In Averda. It's in the west,” he added, at Ivan’s blank look. “Near the sea.”

  Averda. Far away on the other side of Faronna. A sick feeling formed in the pit of my stomach, and I wished I hadn’t eaten so much pudding.

  Ivan glanced at me. That sounds far.

  “It is,” I said, and then realizing that I sounded almost accusatory, I forced brightness into my tone. “But there are wizard doors. We wouldn’t really be all that far apart.”

  Don’t want to leave.

  Master Wendyn looked at me blankly, and I told him what Ivan had said.

  “Don’t worry, Ivan,” Valerie said, sitting forward. “It’s pretty common for underwizards to miss home at first, but they grow out of it. I should know. My father’s had six apprentices, including Garrick.”

  “Was Master Wendyn homesick?” I asked curiously.

  Beckstead / Shadowed by Death / 135 “He was mostly moody,” Valerie offered. “I thought he was the most bad-tempered boy I’d ever known.”

  “Leave me out of this,” the master said, holding up a hand. “I thought we were talking about Ivan and whether he wants to be a master wizard. Do you, Ivan?”
/>
  A quiet settled around the table as we all looked at Ivan. He, meanwhile, looked at me. Suddenly he seemed very like that boy from the Bramford town square whom I had rescued almost a year before. In need of help, but not even aware that he needed it.

  I turned to Master Wendyn. “Are you certain this Beaumont is trustworthy?”

  “Trustworthy?” the master repeated, his gaze shifting to my face. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

  I folded my hands in my lap. “I don’t know. It’s just…how well do you know him?”

  “Well enough.”

  “It’s hard to tell behind that beard, though. He could be hiding anything.”

  Master Wendyn laughed. “What do you imagine he has under there?”

  “I don’t know.” I frowned. Something about this whole situation didn’t sit right with me, although I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.

  “What are you saying, Ivan? I don’t know that gesture. Help “What are you saying, Ivan? I don’t know that gesture. HelpBeckstead / Shadowed by Death / 136

  me out, Mullins,” the master said after a moment, and I looked up.

  Wait for better master, Ivan gestured.

  “I see. Are you certain?”

  Ivan nodded firmly, and I relayed his message to the master.

  Master Wendyn frowned. “You two act as though master wizards looking for apprentices grow on trees. I don’t know where you expect me to find another.”

  “If you can’t find anyone, I suppose Ivan can keep learning here,” I said.

  The master sighed and took his seat again. “I suppose so.”

  Ivan nodded, seeming—not pleased, exactly, but maybe satisfied.

  A few more minutes passed as Valerie regaled us with stories of Master Wendyn as a boy. They were entertaining enough, but something about the whole evening had left me feeling melancholy.

  Soon enough Master Wendyn would find Ivan another apprenticeship. Then the master and Valerie would be married—for that was certainly the road they were on. I didn't have much experience with relationships, but even I could see that much. It would be the three of us then. Master Wendyn, Valerie, and me.

  I’d been wrong earlier today to think it would be pleasant I’d been wrong earlier today to think it would be pleasantBeckstead / Shadowed by Death / 137

  to stay here with Master Wendyn. What I needed to do was figure out how to bypass that gender spell so I could continue passing trials. I needed to follow in Rumford’s foosteps and become a master wizard quickly. Then I wouldn't have to stick around to lose Ivan and watch as the master and Valerie grew even closer to one another.

  The sooner I left here, the better.

  #

  CHAPTER TEN

  #

  “Physical examination?” I repeated to the master in dismay. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

  “I imagine it does.” The master sat back in the chair behind his desk and read over his letter. He’d received one nearly identical to my own, except for his invitation, which proclaimed his own name—Master Garrick Wendyn—and a start time five minutes before mine. We were to be examined at nearly the same time. I supposed that was meant to be helpful.

  “I thought you said Oscar was going to fix this!” I knew I sounded accusing, and it wasn’t the master’s fault exactly, but Oscar wasn’t here to yell at, was he?

  He stared at his invitation. “No, I think what he said was that he’d get Robenhurst to drop the gender spell.” He waved the invitation in the air. “Which, from the looks of things, he has.”

  I paced across the study, fists clenched at my sides, and had the most absurd urge to rip all the magical knick-knacks off

  the bookcase and throw them on the floor. Fingernails dug into the palms of my hands, and I held the impulse in check. My temper wouldn’t get the best of me today. I took a breath, then asked in a more reasonable voice, “But why are they doing this? Why now?”

  “You have to admit, it only makes sense. The real question is why haven’t they done it before now?”

  “Maybe because we have magic? We don’t need to do uncivilized things like stripping down in front of strangers.” Master Wendyn nodded. “I think that was the prevailing opinion about this sort of thing, or at least it used to be. Robenhurst must be getting desperate.”

  I turned. “What’s he have to be desperate about?” He held his hands out as if to ward off my questions. “I don’t know any more than you, Mullins.”

  “I know.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry.” After a moment of silence he picked up a smooth black dip pen from the surface of his desk. He stared at it for a moment, then fiddled with it absently, flipping it around in his fingers. “The examination will take place in a spell-free environment, much like the testing arena. But the testing arena is set up not only to be free from outside magic. It’s also set up so that the proctor can monitor any spells an underwizard casts within the boundary.”

  I deflated, crumpling into a chair. “So any spell cast beforehand will fall once I pass the boundary, and they’ll be aware of any spell cast inside the boundary.”

  “That’s right. In other words,” he said gently, meeting my eyes, “I’m not sure there’s a way around this.” At the bleak expression on my face he continued, “We have a week to keep looking. Let’s search out our options, hope that I’m wrong, and… prepare for the worst.”

  Unfortunately, I didn’t like the odds on any of those options.

  #

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  A week passed with days full of research, planning—and more Papa than I would have liked. I thought he was impossible to live with drunk, but sober he was even worse. He spent the first few days lounging around in a bathrobe and flirting with Mrs. Pitts. Then because he claimed he was bored, three days in a row he tried to sneak to Bramford on his own and made it halfway there before I noticed and tracked him down.

  Then he must have gotten really desperate, because Ivan informed me that Papa had asked him to find a water-to-wine sort of spell. When Ivan refused, Papa made up his own spell and potion which, of course, didn’t work. It would have been laughable if he hadn’t broken into the master’s potions lab off the kitchens and near destroyed it with his puttering about.

  By that time I was at my wits' end, and decided a day at the Conclave would benefit me—not only to have some peace, but also to see if Orly had any insight to shed on the mandatory physical examination.

  “I think some research is in order, considering everything,” I told the master. “Maybe I could even listen in on what the gossip is about the examination around the Conclave.”

  Master Wendyn looked up from the parchment before him on his desk. “And what are you doing with your father while you're gone?”

  “He’ll be fine,” I said brightly. “He’s perfectly capable of behaving himself.”

  “I wish that were true.” He arched one eyebrow. “You know you can't just leave your father here all by himself.”

  “He won't be alone. You'll be here.”

  “No.” He put his pen down. “I have work to do today.”

  I sank into the chair across from him. “I just need some time alone. That's all.”

  “He’s your father.” He bent to the parchment again, at least until I put a restraining hand on his wrist. “Come on, Master Wendyn. I'm begging you. Just one day. I just want one day away from him. That's all I'm asking.”

  He scowled at me. “It's unfair of you to ask that.”

  “Maybe,” I said, “but I'm asking anyway. Please? I'll do whatever you ask in return.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Anything?”

  Perhaps that had been a stupid thing to say. “Fine. Yes, anything,” I said recklessly. “I don't even care what it is. I just want to get away from him for a day.”

  He stood up, and I took a step back. “You said it yourself. Anything.”

  I held up my hands. “I did. You can make me scrub the I held up my hands. “I did. You can make
me scrub theBeckstead / Shadowed by Death / 144

  floors or spend the day with Mrs. Pitts or whatever horrible thing you want.” “Noted.” He rubbed his hands together. “I'm going to have fun planning this one.”

  “Fine. Sure. Have lots of fun,” I said. “In the meantime, I'm leaving.” I spun from the room and hurried upstairs to finish getting ready.

  ***

  I found an unusual amount of activity at the library. Orly barely had time to speak to me, so busy was she helping other library patrons. Finally, after I’d been there at least an hour, absorbed in a tome detailing the best way to choose one’s Postulate, she slipped me a note as she passed my table.

  “Meant to send this in the message box,” she whispered. “But this’ll do just as well.” And she hurried away again.

  I stared after her and sighed. Looked like I wouldn’t get my chance to talk to her after all. I surreptitiously opened the note and read its contents.

  I’ve heard all about Robenhurst’s new physical examination decree. Trying to find answers. Swiped a book from the vault that outlines boundary spells. It says if a spell is cast right as you cross the boundary, its magic can be mistaken as a part of the boundary.

  I’ll let you know if I find anything else, but this is what I suggest. Find a spell that obscures your gender and cast it as I suggest. Find a spell that obscures your gender and cast it asBeckstead / Shadowed by Death / 145

  you cross the boundary. Hope swelled within me. This was a solution, and more of one than Master Wendyn or I had come up with thus far.

  A spell to obscure my gender. The only possibility for that that I could think of would be the transformation spell, trial seventeen. But those spells took much longer to build than the fraction of a second I would have while crossing the boundary. And according to Orly, the Council had already taken all the books concerning gender spells and moved them to the vault. However, Master Wendyn felt that the gilded tongue spell might work, if I could figure out some way to sustain it through the boundary. This might be the answer we’d been looking for.