‘Then we’re screwed,’ Variam said. He looked grim. ‘What are the odds like?’
‘We need two out of three to vote in our favour,’ I said. ‘Three very powerful, very important mages who probably have a lot of things they’d rather be doing than helping us. And if any of them votes against us, then it’s over. And I’m pretty sure Levistus has got a lot more ways of buying votes than we do.’
Silence fell. I didn’t look around or raise my head. I knew what I had to do, but I didn’t want to say it.
‘Okay,’ Sonder said. ‘Well, I guess we should consider the obvious.’
‘Which is?’ Luna asked.
‘Talking to Levistus,’ Sonder said.
We all turned to stare at him.
‘Look, he obviously wants something. Couldn’t we find out what it is?’
‘Uh,’ Luna said. ‘I think Levistus just made it pretty clear what he wants.’
‘No, all he did was pass a proposal,’ Sonder said. ‘Look, Council mages do this all the time. It’s a negotiating tactic. It’s just meant to force you to go to the table and work out a compromise.’
‘Sonder,’ I said, ‘do you know why Levistus is doing this?’
‘Well … I assume it’s something to do with what happened three years ago, right? With the fateweaver and Belthas…’
‘No,’ I said. ‘It’s about what happened this year. With White Rose.’
‘But Levistus wasn’t involved with White Rose,’ Sonder said.
We all looked at Sonder.
Sonder looked around. ‘Was he?’
‘I had a meeting with Levistus during the White Rose affair,’ I said. ‘Just before the indictment against Vihaela was issued. You were in Washington at the time. Levistus gave me a choice. Either I backed off White Rose, stopped going after them, or he’d destroy me. That was how he put it. And not just me, but all of my allies and friends as well. That’s what this is about. And the fateweaver and Belthas too, but mostly it’s White Rose. Levistus tried to make me follow his orders. I said no. People like him, they don’t forget something like that. He’s been storing it up, waiting. Now the bill’s come due.’
‘Translation: he wants us all dead.’ Luna said.
‘Okay, maybe we can do some kind of legal challenge,’ Sonder said. ‘I could go to the Conclave and—’
‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding,’ Variam said. ‘You think they’re going to overturn a Council resolution? In a week?’
‘It’s not impossible…’
‘Conclave is in recess until the new year,’ Variam said. ‘And even if it wasn’t, they don’t have the authority.’
‘There’ve been cases where they’ve vetoed a Council decision,’ Sonder said.
‘Like how many times? Twice in the past fifty years?’
‘There’s another way,’ Anne said quietly.
Luna, Variam and Sonder all turned to Anne in surprise. Anne’s so silent in these discussions that it’s easy to forget that she’s even there. ‘How?’ Luna asked.
Anne nodded at me. ‘That was what you were getting at with that question about dependents. Wasn’t it?’
The others looked at me questioningly. ‘The resolution applies to my dependents.’ I didn’t want to speak, but I forced myself to. ‘If you weren’t my dependents, it wouldn’t apply.’
‘You mean before the end of the week?’ Variam said.
‘It’s tight, but it’s possible.’
‘Wait a second,’ Luna broke in. ‘That’d help us. It wouldn’t help you.’
Variam frowned. ‘Yeah. I mean, that wouldn’t stop…’
I looked back at Variam silently.
I saw Variam’s expression change as he got it. ‘Oh, no. No way. You are not trying to do this self-sacrificing shit.’
‘I’m with Vari,’ Luna said. ‘We are not just giving up on you.’
‘It might be a good idea,’ Sonder said. ‘I mean, if—’
Variam pointed at Sonder. ‘Shut the fuck up!’
‘I just think we should look at the alternatives.’
Luna opened her mouth, and I could tell she was about to lose it. ‘Stop it,’ I said, putting steel into my voice. ‘We don’t have time for this. Not now.’
Luna’s eyes flashed, but she obeyed. ‘I’m not sacrificing anything,’ I said. ‘I’m going to work with Talisid to try to get this resolution blocked. But no matter what I do, there is a good chance it’s not going to work. If that happens, I want to have a backup plan. I’m not exposing any more of you to this than I have to.’
‘I don’t like it,’ Variam said with a frown.
‘I don’t care.’ I looked around the circle. ‘So, new issue. How can we get the three of you out of being my dependents by the deadline?’
There was a moment’s silence. ‘Well…’ Sonder said. ‘They could apprentice to another mage.’
‘I’m already apprenticed to another mage, you dumbarse,’ Variam said.
‘You know how long Council approval takes,’ I said. ‘Especially at this time of year. I don’t think we could get an apprenticeship approved in time, and even if we did, it wouldn’t change things. If they’re including Vari on the list, then it’s as good as saying that being someone else’s apprentice doesn’t stop me from being his sponsor.’
‘Wait!’ Sonder said. ‘That’s it!’
‘What?’ Luna said. From her expression she still wasn’t in a good mood.
‘We can’t get an apprenticeship though in time, but we can change a sponsor.’ Sonder looked excited. ‘Someone I know did it last year. I remember because it was just before I left for Washington. All you need is for one mage to testify that they’re taking responsibility for the sponsorship, and for two other mages to stand as witnesses.’
‘But how long would it take to go through?’ I said. ‘If it’s another…’
Sonder was shaking his head. ‘It doesn’t need Council approval. All you have to do is get it notarised by a representative from the apprentice programme.’
‘Vari?’ I said. ‘Does that sound right?’
‘Beats me,’ Variam said. ‘I know you can change it, but I dunno how.’
‘It’s legal,’ Sonder said. ‘I promise.’
I looked around. ‘Okay. So if we do this, who should we be asking?’
‘Landis,’ Luna said instantly.
I looked at Variam. ‘Would he be willing?’
Variam thought for a second, then nodded. ‘Yeah. Getting him to take on Luna and Anne’s going to take some convincing, but he’ll do it. He’s not going to leave them out in the cold.’
Landis is Variam’s master, and a Council Keeper. I remembered back when Variam wouldn’t have trusted a Keeper as far as he could throw him. For Variam to say something like that about Landis meant a lot. ‘Landis would be sponsoring me for the programme?’ Anne asked. ‘But I’m not even a member any more.’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ Sonder said. ‘You don’t have to be attending classes. You just have to not be sponsored by Alex.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Sounds good. That just leaves one problem.’ My eyes rested on Luna.
‘It’ll work,’ Sonder said. ‘I’ve seen…’ He saw where I was looking and trailed off. ‘…Oh.’
‘Oh?’ Variam said. ‘Oh, what?’
‘What Sonder’s describing will work for you and Anne,’ I said. ‘Not for Luna.’
‘But Landis could…’ Variam stopped.
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Even if Landis takes over her sponsorship, she’ll still be my apprentice. Which means she’ll still be on the hit list.’
‘Well…’ Sonder said. ‘You could get the apprenticeship dissolved.’