Stepping back, she gestured for him to enter. As he stepped over the threshold, the sense of his presence filled the room. He looked around, and she suddenly realized that it was no longer empty.
She felt a flush of guilt as she saw that, on a table nearby, was a box. It was one that she had broken into. The lid hung open and the documents inside were clearly visible.
Then she saw that Cery was sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding three familiar books.
And in another corner stood Jonna and Ranel...
“Sonea.”
She turned to find that Rothen had placed his hands over his eyes.
“Put anything you don’t want me to see behind doors.”
Glancing around the room, she concentrated on pushing everything away. They slid backward through the walls and disappeared.
— Sonea?
Turning around, she realized that Rothen had disappeared.
— Did I push you out too?
— Yes. Let’s try that again.
Once more she opened the door and backed away to allow Rothen into the room. Catching a movement in the corner of her eye, she looked away, but whatever she had seen sank back into the walls. Turning back, she discovered that a new room had appeared beyond the door. A door stood open on the far side of this room and Rothen now stood in the doorway.
He stepped through the door and everything shifted. There were two rooms between them, then three.
— Enough!
She felt his hands release hers. Abruptly aware of the physical world, she opened her eyes. Rothen was leaning back in his chair, grimacing and rubbing his temples.
“Are you all right?” she asked, concerned. “What happened?”
“I’m well.” He let his hands drop and smiled wryly. “You pushed me right out of your mind. It’s a natural reaction, and one you can learn to control. Don’t worry, I’m used to it. I’ve taught many novices before.”
She nodded and rubbed her hands. “Do you want to try again?”
He shook his head. “Not now. We’ll rest and work on your reading. Perhaps we’ll try again this afternoon.”
20
The Guild’s Prisoner
Cery yawned. Since Sonea had been taken, sleep had become a coy thing. It evaded him when he needed it, and stalked him when he didn’t. Right now, he needed to be more awake than he had ever been before.
A freezing wind whipped the trees and hedges, filling the air with noise and the occasional twig or leaf. The cold crept into his muscles, making them cramp. Shifting his weight carefully, he stretched and rubbed first one leg, then the other.
Looking up at the window again, he decided that if he thought “look outside” any harder his head was going to explode. Obviously Sonea’s talent for sensing minds didn’t extend to detecting unexpected visitors outside her window.
He regarded the snowballs he had made, and doubt returned. If he threw one at her window it would have to hit it loud enough to wake her, but not loud enough to attract anyone else’s attention. He had no idea if she was still in the room, or if she was alone.
A light had been on when he had first arrived, but it was extinguished soon after. The windows on the left of hers were dark, but those on the right still glowed. He looked nervously at the University building towering to his left. The windows were dark. Since the first night when he had glimpsed Sonea, Cery had seen no sign of the mysterious watcher.
Somewhere in the corner of his eye, a light blinked out. He looked up at the magicians’ building. The light in the rooms beside Sonea’s had vanished. Cery smiled grimly and massaged his numb legs. Just a little longer ...
When a pale face appeared at the window he thought, for a moment, that he had fallen asleep and was dreaming. He watched, heart pounding, as Sonea peered down at the gardens, then looked up at the University.
Then she moved out of sight.
All weariness was gone. Cery’s fingers closed around a snowball. His legs protested as he wriggled out of the hedge. He took aim and, as the snowball left his fingers, ducked back into the hedge.
The faintest thud reached his ears as the snowball struck the window. His heart sang with triumph as Sonea’s face appeared again. She stared at the splash of frost on the glass, and she looked out at the garden again.
Checking the other windows, Cery saw no other watchers. He wriggled out of the hedge a little, and saw Sonea’s eyes widen as she spotted him. Surprise was followed by a wide grin.
He waved, then signalled a question to her. She returned with a “yes.” No harm had been done to her. He breathed a sigh of relief.
The Thieves’ code of signals was limited to simple meanings like “ready?,” “now,” “wait,” “get out of here,” and the usual “yes” and “no.” There was no sign for “I’m about to rescue you. Is the window locked?” He pointed to himself, then made climbing movements, mimed opening the window, pointed at her, then himself, and finished with the sign for “get out of here.”
She returned with “wait,” then pointed at herself, signed “get out of here,” and shook her head.
He frowned. Though she knew more than most dwells about the Thieves’ signals, she had never been as well versed as he was. She could be telling him that she wasn’t allowed to leave, or that she didn’t want to leave now, or that he should return later in the night. He scratched his head, then signalled “get out of here” then “now.”
She shook her head, then something to his left caught her attention and her eyes widened. Moving away from the window a little, she began signalling “get out of here” over and over. Cery crouched and retreated into the hedge, hoping the wind would hide the rustle of leaves.
No footsteps reached his ears, and he began to wonder what had spooked her, then warm air slid over his skin, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.
“Come out,” a cultured voice said, uncomfortably close. “I know you’re in there.”
Looking through the hedge, Cery could see the soft folds of robes only an arm’s reach away. A hand snaked through the leaves. Cery twisted away, pushing out of the hedge and pressing himself against the building, his heart racing. The magician straightened quickly. Knowing that he was in full sight, Cery bolted along the side of the building toward the forest.
Something slammed into his back and he pitched forward into the snow. A weight held him there, pressing so firmly he could hardly breathe and the chill of the snow burned his face. He heard footsteps approaching and felt panic rising.
Calm. Stay calm, he told himself. You’ve never heard of them killing intruders ... You’ve never heard of them finding intruders either...
The crushing pressure eased. As he pushed himself to his hands and knees, Cery felt a hand grip his arm. It pulled him to his feet and dragged him through the hedge to the path.
Looking up, he turned cold as he recognized the magician.
The magician’s eyes narrowed. “You look familiar ... Ah, now I remember. The filthy dwell that tried to strike me.” He glanced back at Sonea’s window and smirked. “So Sonea has an admirer. How sweet.”
He regarded Cery thoughtfully and a gleam crept into his eyes. “What am I going to do with you, then? I believe intruders are usually questioned and then escorted out of the Guild. We best get started then.”
Cery struggled as the magician began to pull him along the path toward the University. The magician’s thin hand was surprisingly strong.
“Let me go!” Cery demanded.
The magician sighed. “If you insist on jerking my arm like that, I will be forced to use less physical means to hold you. Please cooperate. I am as anxious to see this business finished as I am sure you are.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“Out of this noisy wind for a start.” They reached the end of the magicians’ building, and started toward the University.