Penny sat, reluctantly. “I suppose you’re right,” she said. “I just wish I could see.”
Nanette wrapped an arm around her shoulder, feeling the girl relax as the seconds ticked on. She understood Penny’s frustrations, although she didn’t share them. Lillian could try to tell the guests that Penny had prepared the spells, but it wouldn’t be the same. Her teammates would steal most of the credit and there was no way to stop it. And afterwards… her lips quirked. Penny might be better off not being credited with anything.
She felt another pang of guilt as she ran her hand down Penny’s back. She didn’t have to put the plan into action, did she? She could run and hide, but… there was no point. Cloak had her over a barrel. And even if he didn’t… she wanted — needed — revenge. She’d do whatever she had to do, betray whoever she must, if it gave her a clear shot at Emily. She wouldn’t just kill the girl. She’d burn down everything she’d created and dance on the ashes before cutting her throat.
Penny shifted. “I’m sorry you’re trapped with me.”
“I’m not.” Nanette turned her head towards Penny. “I like being with you.”
Their lips touched, lightly. Nanette felt a flush of pleasure as Penny’s arms went up and around, holding her close. It was tempting, so tempting, to just relax into the touch, to spend the next few hours making out instead of doing something — anything — else. But time was rapidly running out. The diversion was about to go into effect. And… if she was caught in the school, after the chaos faded, she was dead.
Penny sighed, pressing against her as Nanette triggered the spell. Her body seemed to soften, then sag to the bed. Her eyes were open, but glazed. Nanette breathed a sigh of relief as Penny succumbed to the compulsion. She’d steadily — and subtly — weakened Penny’s mental defences over the past few weeks, but it had been impossible to tell how well she’d done until she tried to take control. Now… Penny was hers. The entranced girl favoured her with a pleasant smile, her mind elsewhere. Nanette hoped she was happy, wherever she was. She wouldn’t enjoy her return to the real world.
Time to go, she thought, as she glanced at the clock. The school was silent. The entire population would be in the arena, watching the display. There’s no point in hanging around.
She opened her trunk, removed her knapsack, checked to make sure the second copy of Lamplighter’s Lines was where she’d left it and looked down at Penny. The girl’s lips were twitching, as if she were kissing an invisible face. Nanette smiled, trying to ignore the gnawing guilt. The first time she’d used the spell, she’d had a volunteer. Now…
“Stand up,” she ordered, quietly. In her entranced state, Penny shouldn’t be able to resist. “Come with me.”
Penny moved like a drunkard, her arms swinging around as if she were trying to dance or fight. Nanette took her hand and guided her to the door, then into the empty corridor. She listened for a moment, just to make sure she couldn’t hear anyone, before steering Penny down the corridor and up the flight of stairs. Penny seemed to glide through the air, unbalancing with every third or fourth step. Nanette started to tighten her grip before she caught herself and cast a levitation spell. If she squeezed too tightly, if she brought Penny out of the trance, she’d know something was wrong.
She felt nervous as they half-stumbled, half-glided towards the library. The wards didn’t bar their passing. Penny’s mere presence was enough to subvert wards that would have balked at Nanette alone. Nanette smiled, then unlocked the door and steered Penny into the library. The chamber appeared deserted, but… she ordered Penny to stay put as she checked the stalls and the librarian’s office. She didn’t have to subvert those wards to confirm the chamber was empty. The library felt eerie as she turned back to Penny. She thought she saw things lurking in the shadows, hiding at the corner of her eye. She blinked, and they were gone.
The wards must be having an effect on me, she thought. She’d seen stranger things, a long way from human civilisation. Or perhaps they’re trying to drive me out.
Her lips quirked. Wards weren’t very smart. It wasn’t easy to fool them, but it could be done. Even wards linked to wardmasters could be circumvented, if one put enough thought and magic into the process. The magicians couldn’t respond to alarms if the alarms never sounded. She silently thanked Aurelius for her lessons as she walked back to Penny. The girl’s hands were encircling the air, hugging an invisible friend. She was deeply entranced.
“Penny,” she said, quietly. “Open the restricted section.”
Penny stumbled forward. Nanette braced herself, knowing she might have to start running at any second. It was easy to give simple directions to the entranced girl, but more complex orders might defeat the enchantment. She wished, suddenly, it was as simple as getting a password out of her and using it to defeat the wards. That would have been easy. She could have entranced Penny, taken the password and then put her to sleep before raiding the library. As it was… she had no idea how the wards would react if she stunned Penny. There was a very good chance they’d raise the alarm.
She watched, feeling dirty, as Penny opened the section. The cage doors swung open, wards parting as they sensed an authorised user. Nanette gently pushed Penny forward, following her into the cage. The books seemed to look back at her in disapproval, their spines sparkling with wards that would do everything from colour her hands if she so much as looked at them funny to freeze her in place or turn her into a rat. Her eyes narrowed as they wandered the shelves, picking out Lamplighter’s Lines. The book was rare, but it wasn’t that rare. There were books on the shelves in front of her that were worth a great deal more. She was tempted to try to steal them instead, despite the risk. It seemed a lot of trouble for one book.
The notes must be very important, she thought, as she ordered Penny to remove the book and carry it out of the cage. The girl obeyed, a blissful — and creepy — smile on her face. What are they?
Penny started to lower her hand, threatening to drop the book. Nanette caught it, placed it on the nearest desk and ordered Penny to sit in the corner. The enchantment would keep her in her fantasy world. She sat down, opened the knapsack and removed the second copy. The spells seemed confused as she put the books together, spine to spine. She gritted her teeth, then began the transference spell. The wards shimmered around her, as if they weren’t quite sure what to make of it. She hoped they didn’t decide to raise the alarm.
There’s only one book keyed to the security spells, she told herself. And that’s all the wards need to keep them happy.
She concentrated, holding the security spell in her mind as she transferred it from one book to the other. It was a relatively simple enchantment, simple enough to make it difficult to fool. She could have overpowered it in an instant, or simply torn it away from the books, but that would definitely have set off alarms. Sweat prickled down her back as she guided the spell forward, holding it together as she moved it to the other book. She held her breath as the enchantment took root. If it failed…
The spell solidified, again. Nanette sat back in her chair, breathing a sigh of relief. As far as the wards were concerned, the second copy had become the first copy. No, it had always been the first copy. She took a moment to centre herself, then carefully separated the books and placed the school’s copy on top of her bag. It wouldn’t do to mix them up, not now. She smiled at the thought as she looked at Penny. She’d gone too far to be stopped. And she was damned if she was going to be defeated by her own stupidity.