Graduation Day (Schooled in Magic Book 14)

by Christopher Nuttall

  “The blunt truth is that Frieda, Daughter of Huckeba, is a young woman with a long history of bad behavior, aided and abetted by Emily, Daughter of Void. Her conduct long since passed the point when it could reasonably be considered excusable. Indeed, it is a matter of record that Frieda was expelled from one school and on the verge of being expelled from another. Her assaults on younger pupils show a marked disregard for the rules of the school and the social norms of the Allied Lands. The Defender may have chosen to forgive and forget the assault on her youngest daughter. I do not have the luxury of forgiving and forgetting the assault on a member of my family.

  “It is my right - and my duty - to punish Frieda. I ask you to consider if the excuses are really sufficient to forgive her behavior. I do not believe that anything we have heard is good enough. Frieda is guilty, willfully guilty, of a number of serious crimes. It is time for her to face justice.”

  Fulvia sat. Emily eyed her, feeling cold. Would it be convincing? Would it matter? Or were they just acting out a kabuki play, where everyone involved already knew the final outcome. If a single juror switched sides ...

  Sienna rose, clasping her hands behind her back as she stood at parade rest. Emily admired her calm, even though she knew Sienna was all too aware of their sudden exposure. The prospect for outright victory had been destroyed ... in hindsight, she cursed herself for not insisting that Jade, Cat and Markus stay in Whitehall. But she knew none of them would have taken her advice. They were far more inclined to dare their enemies to do their worst than stay behind the wards.

  “There is no dispute over the basic facts of the matter,” Sienna said. “Frieda did attack a number of students, including my daughter. On the face of it, my honorable opponent is quite right. Frieda is guilty of a number of serious crimes. And yes, the victims - or their representatives - have the right to claim restitution.

  “But we believe - and we have presented evidence in support - that Frieda was not wholly responsible for her actions. A person who is forced, by magic or threats, to do something against their will cannot be held accountable for their actions. It’s amazing what someone will do at swordpoint—” a number of chuckles ran around the table “—and it isn’t really fair to blame them when the only other option was certain death. And this is even more true in the case of soul magic, where the victim has no way to tell that her mind is being warped.

  “My honorable opponent’s anger is entirely justified, but it is misdirected. Frieda is no more responsible for her actions than a sword is responsible for being stabbed into someone’s gut. She was the tool of someone else, someone who turned her into a living weapon and pointed her at potential targets. The blame rests with Daze and his mystery employer, not with Frieda.”

  Emily studied the jury, trying to decide if anyone would change their vote. But it didn’t seem likely. They were all impassive, even Jade and Cat. Emily kicked herself, again. She should have tried to reach out to Grimhold, perhaps even to the hostile jurors. Surely, she could have come up with something. She glanced at Fulvia and winced, inwardly. The faint smile on Fulvia’s face suggested she thought she’d won.

  And she might have done, even if we have to hold a second inquest, Emily thought. I could hardly be so lucky with the next set of jurors.

  “Frieda needs help, not punishment,” Sienna concluded. “She was not responsible for her actions, therefore she should not be held accountable for them. I ask that you find her innocent and let us put this matter in the past, where it belongs.”

  She sat down. Emily looked back at the jurors. It was hard to tell if any of them were convinced. But ... she shuddered, feeling down. Guilt or innocence didn’t matter. All that mattered was providing a figleaf of justification for decisions made behind the scenes. And if Fulvia won ...

  I won’t let her take Frieda, Emily thought. The idea of fighting her way out of Whitehall was terrifying, even with the wards on her side. But there might be no other option. I’ll snatch Frieda myself before I let her die.

  “The closing statements have been made,” Gordian said, heavily. He sounded tired, even though it was early morning. Emily guessed he was just as annoyed at the prospect of having to hold another inquest as she was. Too much had happened in too short a space of time for him to rebalance himself. “Do the jurors wish to ask any final questions?”

  There was a long pause. No one spoke.

  “Then we will proceed to the vote,” Gordian said. “All those in favor of conviction, raise your hands.”

  Emily leaned forward, feeling her heart leap into her mouth, as four hands rose into the air.

  Gordian nodded, slowly. “All those in favor of acquittal, raise your hands.”

  Four hands, Emily thought. A draw.

  Fulvia let out a spluttering sound. Emily glanced at her, realizing that Fulvia had expected someone - probably Master Highland - to vote in her favor or simply abstain from the final vote. She’d tried to assassinate Markus just to ensure the vote still went in her favor, if Master Highland had done as she’d expected. A draw might work better for her than Emily, but it wasn’t the decisive victory she needed. It was quite possible, based on what Melissa had said, that anything less than a judgement in her favor would cripple Fulvia’s position amongst her family.

  “Grandmaster,” Fulvia said. Her voice was under very tight control. “You can cast the decisive vote, in Markus’s place.”

  “Markus has not signed his right to vote over to me,” Gordian said. “And even if he had, I would have to abstain. The vote is a tie.”

  Emily nudged Sienna. “We could argue that Markus would have voted for us.”

  “Not unless he was physically present in the chamber,” Sienna muttered back. “Him being injured keeps his chair empty, rather than allowing us to find a replacement. And even if we managed to convince Gordian to allow it, Fulvia would challenge.”

  Gordian raised his voice. “Under the circumstances, I will allow both sides to withdraw long enough to take stock of their options. If one side wishes to withdraw from the inquest, the other side will be deemed to have won by default. Failing that” - a shadow crossed his face for a long moment - “we will have to make arrangements for a second inquest. Frieda will remain in Whitehall’s custody until matters are settled.”

  He looked from face to face. “I thank you all for your time. And I invite you all to join me at my table for lunch.”

  Hah, Emily thought.

  “This inquest is now closed,” Gordian concluded. “The record will show that the juror vote was a tie.”

  The door unlocked, loudly. Fulvia rose, heading straight for the door. Her face was so tightly composed that Emily knew she was angry. In some ways, Emily suspected, Fulvia might accidentally have outsmarted herself. If Markus had cast the decisive vote, Fulvia would have all the excuse she needed to pull back and abandon the case. Instead, she was condemned to either withdrawing on her own or pushing for a second inquest. Unless, of course, she could get something out of Emily in exchange for Frieda’s freedom ...

  Sienna caught her arm. “By law, both sides have two weeks to assess their position and determine if they want to proceed,” she said, as she steered Emily towards the door. “I expect Fulvia will use that time to make a covert offer to you, one that allows her to claim she got something out of the affair. Think carefully before you accept and consult with someone else first, me if possible. There might be a nasty sting in the tail.”

  Emily nodded. “What about the jurors?”

  “They don’t matter any longer,” Sienna told her.

  Zed pushed past them as they walked through the door, hurrying away before Emily could thank him for his services. He’d never stayed long enough for her to talk to him.

  “They’ve cast their votes,” Sienna said. “Fulvia’s will be demanding payment, of course.”

  “Of course,” Emily echoed. “Can we offer Fulvia something?”

  “You’d have to be very careful,” Sienna said. “And there isn�
�t much you could offer.”

  Lady Barb met them outside, her arms crossed over her breastplate. “A draw, then?”

  “Yeah,” Emily said.

  She felt ... tired, tired and frustrated. If she’d won, Frieda would be safe; if she’d lost, at least she could do something. As it was, all she could do was go through another inquest until the next set of jurors rendered a verdict. She wasn’t even sure who she could pick for her jurors, next time. Maybe she should just bribe Gordian. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have something he wanted.

  “I took the liberty of organizing a private lunch room,” Sienna said. She shot Lady Barb a sharp look, tinged with amusement. “You may join us, of course.”

  “Emily is technically suspended,” Lady Barb agreed.

  Emily looked from one older woman to the other, convinced they were laughing at her. Perhaps they were. She’d heard countless students making fun of other students for being punished, even if the punishment seemed grossly disproportionate to the crime. Or perhaps they thought she should be beyond schoolyard grudges by now. Or ...

  She forced herself to think as they made their way down the corridor and into the private room. Lady Barb checked it for surveillance spells, then cast a number of privacy wards around the walls. Emily felt Whitehall’s wards shifting in response, tiny fragments of spellware keeping a close eye on her. Gordian hadn’t managed to block her connection to the wards, but he’d certainly managed to make it harder for her to draw on them. And she was uneasily aware that if she pushed too hard, the entire edifice might come crashing down.

  That won’t happen at Heart’s Eye, she told herself firmly. Countless Grandmasters had piled spellware into the wards until it was hard to tell what would happen if isolated pieces were erased from the network. There, I’ll be guiding the wards myself from start to finish.

  “First off, it could have been worse,” Sienna said, as she sat down. “We could have lost outright.”

  Emily glanced at Lady Barb, who was leaning against the wall and pretending she wasn’t listening. She couldn’t help thinking of some of King Randor’s guards, who made a career out of pretending to be nothing more than dumb muscle. Alassa had told her that most of the guards were actually very smart indeed, but played it down so their enemies would underestimate them. Emily could see some advantages, yet it wasn’t something she wanted to do herself. It was better to deter attacks than fight them off.

  Oh, her own thoughts mocked. Do you follow this advice yourself?

  She took a breath. “We didn’t win.”

  “No, but we didn’t lose,” Sienna said tartly. “We also have grounds for lodging complaints because Markus wasn’t able to attend, although they won’t really do anything more than waste some time. Unfortunately, it will probably not be possible to prove that Fulvia planned the attack.”

  “The surviving attacker was told that Markus was responsible for Vesperian’s Folly,” Lady Barb put in. “As we have been unable to find whoever hired him and his cronies, we have been unable to prove this.”

  Emily shook her head. There were people who blamed Markus for the banking crash in Beneficence, but most of them were in Beneficence. It was highly unlikely that anyone in Dragon’s Den had been affected by the financial crisis, let alone anyone in a position to seek revenge. No, it was just an attempt to establish a plausible motive for the attack. And yet ... who had really benefited?

  “Fulvia must have thought that Master Highland would vote in her favor,” she mused. “Or perhaps he threatened to abstain.”

  She scowled. It made sense. If Master Highland had abstained, that would give Emily three jurors to Fulvia’s four. But he hadn’t abstained. Fulvia might have been cheated of an outright victory, but she’d also made it impossible for anyone to point the finger and accuse her of attempted murder. Who benefitted? Fulvia certainly hadn’t benefitted.

  There was a knock at the door. A maid wheeled in a tray of food, then withdrew hastily at Lady Barb’s command. Emily felt her stomach rumble as Sienna carried the tray over to the table, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything save for a couple of foul-tasting nutrient potions. Madame Kyla had insisted that she spend the night in the infirmary for observation, just in case. Emily hadn’t had the energy to argue after she’d recovered from her faint.

  She ran her hand through her hair. “Is there anything we can reasonably offer her?”

  “Nothing that will secure her place in Ashworth,” Sienna said. “Unless you want to cut off your head and give it to her?”

  “No,” Emily said.

  She tried to consider the possible options. Fulvia wouldn’t want to be involved with the university, would she? And even if she did, Emily didn’t want her. But what else was there? She had some old and forbidden books in her collection, but Fulvia probably had copies of her own. Magical knowledge? The thought of Fulvia learning how to summon demons was terrifying ... and that was the least of Emily’s secrets.

  “Perhaps I should just challenge her,” she said.

  “You can’t, not until this matter is resolved,” Sienna reminded her. “Perhaps you should just offer her a great deal of gold.”

  “I don’t know if I have enough,” Emily said. Would Fulvia want lands in Cockatrice? She doubted it. And even if she did, her baronial lands were entailed. She’d need King Randor’s permission to use them as bargaining chips. She didn’t think he’d agree. “Is there nothing else?”

  “I don’t know,” Sienna said. “What do you have?”

  Emily frowned. Nexus point secrets, perhaps? Fulvia might want those. She had a nexus point, after all.

  And then she felt the wards shifting, as if they were being pushed aside ...

  ... And a tidal wave of power crashed down on her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  EMILY VERY NEARLY DIED IN THE first few seconds.

  The wards were twisting, fighting against themselves even as they poured raw magic into her defenses. Emily gritted her teeth, closing her eyes as she tried to push it back ... the wards were trying to kill her and yet, at the same time, they were trying to save her. Lightning flashed and flared around her as she struggled, convincing her that there was no point in trying to move. The wards could find her anywhere.

  She heard Lady Barb shouting her name, but ... she couldn’t stop. She thrust her mind into the wards, her awareness expanding as it reached out of her body. Gordian’s modifications were fighting each other, as if two strong men were battling to determine who got to beat their victim. The role of attacker and defender kept changing with terrifying speed, making it harder for her to determine what was actually going on. The complex network of spellware that made up the wards had been infected - and the infection itself had been infected. She could barely grasp what was happening as more and more pieces of malware popped into existence. Someone had subverted some - perhaps all - of Gordian’s modifications to the wards.

  Damn it, Emily thought. The wave of raw power receded, pulling her mind further into the spellware. What did he do?

  Lightning flared through her mind. She was vaguely aware of alarms going off all over the school, of the wards going haywire ... she cursed Gordian, mentally, as she tried to find a piece of spellware she could enter and control. He’d been trying to lock her out of the system, even though she had superior access rights. And yet, someone else had subverted his modifications, turning them against her. Or perhaps they’d simply triggered them ahead of time.

  The entire structure will crash into my mind if I let it, she thought, finding a piece of uncontaminated spellware. She slipped her mind into it, then reached out for others. It wasn’t much, but it was her only hope. What was he thinking?

  Ice ran down her spine as she realized the truth. Gordian had hired wardcrafters to work on the school’s wards. One of them, perhaps more than one, had been working for Fulvia instead. It was the only explanation that made sense. And now ... was she trying to take the school? It was a rash move, unless she had far more
control over the wards than Emily thought. Crushing her wouldn’t be enough to suppress the tutors and take complete control. At best, it would be a stalemate.

  She reached through the network, expecting to find another mind wearing the defenses down to a nub. But there was nothing, save for an ever-growing swarm of malware. There wasn’t another mind, Emily realized dully. Fulvia’s wardcrafter hadn’t meant to trigger a complete disaster, merely weaken the wards. But his modifications had interacted with Gordian’s other modifications and the results had been disastrous.

  Erase that section, she thought, as she pushed her mind to the limit. The malware was actually tightly concentrated in a handful of sections, but if it spread there would be no stopping it. A genuine computer programmer would have known better, Emily thought grimly. There didn’t seem to be any actual restraints on the malware. It will grow and grow until it consumes the entire network, then collapse into rubble.

  She sent a whole series of commands into the network, trying to isolate the malware completely. Some sections were obviously hostile and the learning system could deal with them, others were designed to appear harmless until it was too late. She felt sweat trickling down her back as she worked, trying to prevent the damage from spreading. And yet, she was damaging the system too. Great chunks of the network were rapidly broken down into raw magic and returned to the nexus point, simply because she didn’t have time to pick the malware out piece by piece.

  Isolate it, she ordered. She breathed a prayer of thanks for Samra and Melissa. It wasn’t the same as touching a mind, but it was close enough. And then wipe that entire section.

  She flinched as she felt another mind intruding into the wards. The system shuddered, clearly unsure which mind to obey. Emily gathered her energy, then stopped herself, an instant before she launched a pre-emptive strike, as the system identified the grandmaster. She felt a wave of pure anger as Gordian’s presence grew stronger. Hadn’t he known he had to be careful who he hired? Or had he missed a hidden link between Fulvia and one of his wardcrafters?