—Sonea?
Administrator Osen’s voice in her mind made her jump. She let out the breath in a startled gasp. It was always surprising to be contacted through one of her blood rings, since she never knew when the other person was about to put it on.
—Osen!
—I have good news, Osen sent. King Amakira has released Lorkin.
Relief rushed through her, followed by a new anxiety.
—Is he all right?
—Yes. We don’t think he was tortured or harmed, though Dannyl suspects the experience was harrowing.
—Will he be leaving for home soon? Should I meet and escort him?
—Amakira has forbidden him from leaving the Guild House.
—Oh.
Anger flared inside her, then a quieter puzzlement. Why release Lorkin then force him to stay in the country?
—At least he is one step closer to coming home. We will continue to insist Lorkin be allowed to return, through Dannyl.
—And myself?
—Yes. There is no need to change plans and you still have the other matter to attend to.
—Of course.
—Good luck. I will contact you if I learn more.
—Thank you.
A feeling of silence where his voice had been told her he had taken off the ring. She blinked as her eyes registered her surroundings again. Regin was watching her closely.
“Was it Lorkin or Osen?”
She stared at him. “How did you know Lorkin had one of my blood rings?”
His smile was lopsided. “As if you’d let him out of your sight without one.”
She nodded. “Yes, it wouldn’t be hard to guess that one correctly. It was Osen. Lorkin has been released, but the Sachakan king has forbidden him to leave the Guild House.”
Regin straightened. “That’s good news. Are we still travelling to Arvice, then?”
“Yes.”
His eyes narrowed. “Not simply because you want to make sure he gets home?”
Sonea crossed her arms. “You think I’d disobey the Guild?”
“Yes.” He held her gaze, but was smiling. “But only for Lorkin’s sake.”
“I didn’t run off to save him when he first disappeared,” she reminded him. “Anyway, Osen’s orders were to continue with our plans.”
Regin nodded. “All of them?”
“Yes. What plans did you think we might abandon, at this point?”
He shrugged and looked away. “I don’t know. You said ‘plans’ not ‘plan’. We have only one official reason to be going to Sachaka.”
“With multiple possible outcomes to deal with.” Sonea rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Are you going to spend the entire journey looking for hidden objectives and secret motives in everything I say?”
“Probably.” Regin grinned. “I can’t help it. It’s a habit. It could be considered a talent. An annoying one, perhaps, but I do try to use it for good.”
Sonea sighed. “Well, don’t annoy me without good reason. That would not be good.”
“No.” He shook his head in emphatic, exaggerated agreement, his eyes bright with humour. She felt a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, until she recalled that he was right: there was another reason for their journey. She felt a brief but powerful urge to tell him about the meeting with the Traitors.
Not yet.
She sighed and finished her glass of wine. “Then I hope you don’t snore, because I’m used to working night shifts and wake up easily. If I don’t get a full night’s sleep I’m going to be cranky.”
He rose and started toward the bed on the other side of the screen. “Ah, Sonea. You ask for the one thing I can’t promise.”
Later that night she did find herself awake and listening to the sound of his breathing. It was not loud, but it was strange to be hearing someone else sleeping nearby.
And unexpectedly soothing, she realised.
* * *
Ever since the first time she had climbed down the hidden chimney between the panelling of Sonea’s main room and the outer wall of the Magicians’ Quarters, Lilia had wondered what its original purpose had been. All of the rooms had them, though she suspected none of the occupants knew of their existence. Bricks protruded at regular intervals up the narrow space, too convenient not to be intended as a kind of ladder.
Cery’s guesses included garbage chutes and latrine outlets. Fortunately, there was no sign that the gap had been used for either purpose for a long time, if ever. Lilia thought of them as chimneys, despite there being no sign of soot on the bricks or mortar.
Reaching the top, she peered through the spy hole Cery had drilled long ago. Sonea’s main room was unoccupied.
Where is Jonna?
Perhaps the servant had gone into one of the other rooms. Perhaps she had been called away. Lilia reached out to the latch, then hesitated. It was still possible that Jonna was in one of the bedrooms with a visitor, though Lilia could not think of any good reason a stranger would be in there with her... except a few scandalous ones that Lilia could not imagine Jonna indulging in.
She tapped on the panelling lightly, in a random pattern that anyone who didn’t know there was gap behind the wood might think was a bug scuttling across the surface. A moment later, Jonna hurried into the room, her eyes focusing on the hatch. Though she couldn’t see Lilia, she nodded and beckoned with one hand.
The latch slid open without a sound, then the door swung inward silently. Jonna stepped forward to help Lilia out. The hatch was slightly higher in the wall than was comfortable to step down from, not helped by the fact that she had to fold double to get through it.
“How are they all?” Jonna asked.
“Fine,” Lilia told her. “Grateful for your help. Is Black Magician Kallen back yet?”
“Yes, about ten minutes ago.”
Lilia headed for her bedroom to change back into her robes. “I’d better hurry up, then, or I’ll catch him in his bedclothes.”
Jonna made a small noise of amusement. “That would be an odd sight.”
Lilia grinned. “It sure would be.”
The simple trousers and shirt Jonna had found for her to wear when visiting Cery and Anyi were much easier to climb in, and she felt a wave of gratitude as she saw the scuffs and stains she’d gained that night. Better she spoil these than her robes.
Changing quickly, she returned to the main room.
“Thanks for waiting for me,” she said to Jonna. “You don’t have to hang around now. I’ll come straight back after talking to Kallen.”
Jonna shrugged. “I don’t mind staying.” She straightened and placed her hands on her hips. “I promised Sonea I’d keep an eye on you, and I won’t sleep right unless I know you’re back here in your bed at a decent hour.”
Lilia rolled her eyes and sighed. “Nobody ever worried about that when I was staying in the Novices’ Quarters.” But she didn’t mind. It was nice that someone cared enough to look out for her. I don’t want to take any longer with Kallen than I need to, anyway.
Slipping out of the main door into the corridor, she walked to Kallen’s rooms and knocked. A short pause later the door swung inward. At once she smelled the faint scent of roet smoke, but it was stale and faded as if emanating from the furnishings. Kallen was sitting in a large chair, a book in his hand and a look of mild surprise on his face.
“Lady Lilia,” he said. “Come in.”
She stepped inside, pushed the door closed and bowed. “Black Magician Kallen.”
“How can I help you?” he asked.
He had the patient expression of a teacher interrupted at a bad time by a novice. She resisted a smile. She was acting as messenger, not a novice, and the content was far more important than mere lessons.
“You know I occasionally meet Anyi, my friend and bodyguard of the Thief Cery,” she began, sitting down on another chair. “Without leaving Guild grounds,” she added quickly.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“I’ve alread
y told you that Cery is in hiding, and can’t maintain his...” She waved a hand, searching for the right term. “Business arrangements and... contacts.”
“Everyone in the city thinks he is dead.”
“It’s likely Skellin won’t believe Cery is dead unless he sees a body.”
Kallen nodded. “Or sufficient time passes.”
“This makes Cery the ideal bait to lure Skellin with. Which is his own idea,” she reassured him. “He said to tell you he is prepared to do it and proposes you meet with him to work out a place and time.”
“Hmm.” Kallen frowned and looked away. “That is a very generous and brave offer. One that I admire and appreciate and I’m sure the rest of the Guild would too, if they knew of it. One that we might take up.” He shook his head. “But not right now. We’re exploring another avenue. I can’t tell you the details yet, but if it succeeds we will not need to risk Cery’s life at all.”
Lilia felt a brief disappointment, then relief, followed by anxiety. “How long until you know? Cery’s hiding place is... well, it’s his last safe place. If Skellin discovers it, Cery won’t have anywhere else to go.”
“What we’re doing can’t be hurried. It may take weeks, or months. How long does Cery believe he can remain hidden?” Kallen asked.
Weeks! Months! Anger flared inside her, but when she looked at Kallen she saw genuine concern in his eyes. The anger ebbed away.
“I don’t know. He doesn’t know. Skellin could find him tonight, he could find him in a few weeks. Getting food without being seen is difficult. Each time they go out it’s a risk.”
Kallen reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder briefly.
“I understand. We are doing everything we can, Lilia. Tell Cery we appreciate his offer, and may take it up if our other plans fail. In the meantime, he should do all he can to stay hidden.”
Lilia nodded, and sighed. “I’ll tell him. He won’t like it, though.”
“I don’t expect he will.” He gave her a sympathetic look, but it suddenly changed to a frown. “He won’t do anything foolish out of impatience, will he?”
She swallowed a bitter laugh. “I don’t think so, but he’s a Thief. He’s used to being in charge of his life.” Seeing Kallen’s eyebrows lower further, she shook her head. “Anyi and I will do all we can to talk him out of it, if he tries. And Gol is used to talking sense to Cery, I suspect.”
Kallen nodded. “Good.”
Getting to her feet, Lilia smoothed her robes. “I had better be going. Goodnight, Black Magician Kallen. I hope your plans are successful.”
He nodded. “Thank you. Goodnight Lady Lilia.”
As she turned toward the door it swung open. Stepping out into the corridor, she breathed the cleaner air outside with relief. Then her mood darkened again.
Cery isn’t going to like this. But I think he trusts... no, it’s more that he respects Kallen than trusts him... enough to wait and see if these other plans work. That wasn’t the main problem, though. How am I going to keep them fed and undiscovered for weeks – perhaps even months? Someone’s bound to notice something eventually.
She could only hope that, with Jonna’s help, they could prevent that, or for Kallen’s “other avenue” to succeed.
Chapter 12
Spies
“Do you think we should wait until Lilia is with us?” Anyi said as she eyed the roof of the tunnel. Cery lifted his lamp. “It doesn’t look like it’s about to cave in this very moment.” The tunnel was long and Anyi had set a brisk pace. Too brisk. He’d taken advantage of the sagging roof to pause and catch his breath, hoping the others would think he was being cautious. “But then, how do you tell?”
“I don’t know,” Anyi admitted. “I figure it won’t collapse so long as we don’t touch anything. But we shouldn’t hang about.”
Gol made a low noise that suggested they were both crazy. He was regarding the tree roots hanging from the ceiling and matted over the sides of the tunnel with a frown. As he took a step toward it, Cery realised it wasn’t a frown of disapproval but of interest.
Then he saw what Gol had noticed. Light didn’t penetrate beyond some of the roots as it should have. Behind lurked a stubborn darkness. He moved closer then hooked his fingers in the cascade of white roots and pulled gently. They swung forward with no resistance.
They’re not attached to anything. There’s a hole behind here.
“Remember what I said about not touching any...” Anyi began as he pulled the roots aside. “Oh.”
The entrance to another tunnel opened before them. The same deteriorated brickwork held back the earth and supported the roof. He glanced at her and smiled as she came closer and peered inside, eyes bright.
“Now that’s a bit of luck,” she remarked. “If we have to make a run for it, we can slip through here. So long as whoever was chasing us didn’t see us do it they’d never know where we’d gone.”
“Want to explore?” Cery asked.
“Of course.”
Cery looked back at Gol. “Stay here. You hear anything like a cave-in, go get Lilia.”
Gol looked like he was about to argue, but then heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. Cery held back the roots so that Anyi could slip through. She moved slowly, lifting her lamp to examine the walls, roof and floor. The passage was in no worse condition than the one they had been following. Parts had deteriorated, but most still looked solid.
As they made their way along it, Cery wondered how Lilia’s conversation with Kallen had gone. They wouldn’t hear from her until the morning. Cery had decided that they should spend the night exploring the passages and considering where they might set their trap for Skellin. Anyi believed they should lure Skellin to the underground rooms near the University, so they could escape to the building. The rooms were the ones Cery had found Anyi and Lilia in. He felt his face warm as he remembered. In the whorehouse he’d grown up in, he’d known women who sought other women’s affections, some forming bonds that lasted many years. It had been one more of many ways that he’d seen people seek pleasure, companionship and love. Yet he also came to realise that he was living in a particularly tolerant world. Outside it were people who did not approve of anything different from their own experience and tastes. And not just people from the higher classes. The underworld was no better or worse.
I wonder if her mother knows. Vesta always enjoyed feeling that she was better than others. She was always looking for something to disapprove of in other people. Sometimes I think the only reason she wanted me was because I was a Thief. It made her feel more important than most other people. Well, it did for a while.
The last thing he wanted Anyi to feel was disapproved of. He certainly didn’t mind her being with Lilia but... He felt a small pang of envy. I once loved a Guild magician, but the only kind of love I got in return was friendship. He shook his head. That sounds peevish. Sonea’s friendship is no small thing, and I did find love elsewhere.
He wondered if Anyi had had many previous lovers, then remembered her story of the one who had betrayed her. Aha. That must be why I never found him. It wasn’t a “him”, it was a “her”.
Anyi gave a little gasp. “Look!” she whispered.
The tunnel ended at a brick wall, but it was no ordinary wall. A familiar mechanism had been attached to the brickwork – the workings of a hidden door. Cery located a brass spy hole cover. It was stiff and green with age, but he was able to force it open. Looking through, he saw only darkness.
“Can’t see anything,” he said.
“Do you want to try opening it?” Anyi asked.
Cery considered. If he let his imagination go where it pleased, it conjured up dangerous prisoners or incarcerated monsters waiting for the chance to be free – killing anything that stood in their path.
More likely it’s another old storeroom. Besides, there’s no lock preventing anyone opening the door from the other side, as far as I can see.
He nodded.
Anyi took the lever a
nd hauled on it, but the door did not budge. Looking closely at the mechanism, Cery saw that it wasn’t rusted. There were black lumps around the joins. He poked at them. They were soft. Probably old oil or grease grown thick with time and dust. Cery took a turn pulling the lever, then they both put their strength into it, but with no effect.
“Go fetch Gol,” Cery said.
He peered through the spy hole again – even tried holding up the lamp and looking through at the same time, but saw nothing but darkness beyond the door. It occurred to him then that maybe the hole was blocked. Digging a pick out of his coat, he poked it through and confirmed there was a void on the other side.
Maybe it’s a trap, set up by Akkarin or someone else long ago. Perhaps for the same reason we want to set traps: to fool and stop pursuers. Who knows what reasons the Guild had, in the past, to dig these tunnels.
The sound of two sets of footsteps approached behind him and he turned. Gol rolled his eyes as he saw the door.
“Can’t leave a mystery unsolved, can you?” he rumbled.
Cery shrugged. With a roll of his eyes, Gol moved to the door and grasped the handle. He pulled once, paused to examine the mechanism, then took the handle again.
“Be careful: you don’t want to pull that wound open,” Anyi said.
Gol stepped back from the lever, then cast about. He moved back down the passage for a short distance and picked something up. As he returned, Cery saw that it was a brick.
“That’ll make a lot of—”
The clang that filled the passage as Gol struck the mechanism was painfully loud.
“—noise,” Anyi finished.
But the shock appeared to have done what Gol intended: break the seal of the old oil. The lever now flexed under his hand. Cery felt his heart beat a little faster as the door swung open. It was heavy: the other side was covered with thin bricks and mortar. The door formed the back of an alcove.
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