“Do you think Heyla is out there, telling people she saw us?”
Anyi’s expression darkened. “Probably. She’s done it before. She’ll get herself into more trouble than she realises if she does.”
“Does Cery know about her?”
“Kind of.” Anyi looked pained. “I started working for Cery after Heyla and me weren’t friends any more. I told him a friend had tried to sell me out, but I didn’t tell him who she was.”
“If you weren’t working for Cery, how did she know about him?”
Anyi paused, then shook her head. “Oh, I knew of him. Distantly. Anyway … I’d rather not talk about her.”
Lilia nodded. “Your secrets are safe with me.”
Anyi looked up at Lilia but didn’t smile. Instead she regarded her with a thoughtful expression that contained a hint of speculation.
“What?” Lilia asked.
“Nothing.” Anyi looked away, then back. “How close are you and Naki?”
Lilia looked down at her plate. “Very close. Well, not so close after she thought I’d killed her father.”
Anyi grimaced in sympathy. “Yes, that would test a friendship. Not just for her, thinking that you had done it. It must equally have hurt you that she could even suspect you of having done it.”
Lilia glanced at Anyi reproachfully. The pain of knowing that a friend could believe you’d killed someone was surely nothing like the pain of thinking a friend had killed a loved one. But she does have a point, Lilia found herself thinking. How could Naki have thought I’d done it? Especially after Black Magician Sonea read my mind and said I hadn’t.
The usual pattern of chimes and knocks warned them that someone was approaching the hideout. Anyi leapt up, knocked and tapped in reply, and worked the mechanisms to let Cery and Gol back into the room.
“That was a messenger,” Cery told them. “From the Thief, Enka, who is one of the few not completely owned by Skellin yet. He wants me to help him deal with a problem he has with his neighbour, who he says has a magician working for him. He thinks I can arrange for the Guild to find her.”
“Her?” Lilia asked, her heart skipping. “Is it Naki?”
“He says it’s a woman,” Gol replied. “His description of her sounds nothing like Lorandra.”
“Lorandra hasn’t got any magic,” Anyi pointed out.
“She probably has now,” Lilia told her. “Skellin could have removed the block. But Naki’s powers are blocked.”
Cery frowned. “Perhaps she has removed the block herself as you did.”
“I was only able to do that because I’d learned black magic. Naki hasn’t.”
“Then she must be relying on her reputation to intimidate people, and perhaps using tricks to convince people that she has her powers back. Enka did say he hadn’t seen her use magic yet. We should make sure it’s her before we show ourselves, of course, and be prepared in case it’s a trap set by Skellin. At least we know that he and Lorandra won’t turn up because he’ll expect Guild magicians to arrive. We have Lilia to protect us from non-magical attacks,” he added, bowing to her.
“Why don’t you tell the Guild?” Gol asked, frowning. “Save us the trouble and risk.”
Cery smiled and looked at Lilia. “Because if Lilia rescues Naki, the Guild will look more kindly on her escaping from the Lookout.”
Lilia smiled in reply. I can’t believe I’m thinking this about a Thief, but I’m really starting to like Cery.
The Thief rubbed his hands together and moved back to the chairs. “Come on you lot. Let’s finish eating. We have cunning plans to hatch.”
“So,” a familiar voice said. “I hear you finished your first stone.”
Lorkin turned to see Evar walking along the corridor behind him. He grinned and slowed down to join his friend.
“News travels fast in the stone-makers’ caves,” he observed.
Evar nodded. “We were curious to see how you fared. Stone-making isn’t suited to everyone.”
“I can see why. It takes so much concentration.” Lorkin looked at Evar critically. The young man appeared to be healthy and relaxed. “I haven’t seen you in a while. I thought we’d run into each other in the caves.”
Evar smiled. “You won’t find me in the students’ caves. I’m working on much more sophisticated stones.”
“Too busy to drop by on a friend?”
“Perhaps.”
Lorkin checked his stride. “Wait a moment. You’re a man, so you don’t know bl– … higher magic. How can you be making stones?”
The smile fled from Evar’s face. He bit his lower lip, then looked apologetic. “Uh … I might have exaggerated my role here.”
Lorkin stared at his friend, then burst out laughing. “What do you …? No, actually, I’ll save you having to answer that by not asking.”
“I’m an assistant,” Evar said, lifting his chin in mocking haughtiness. “Sometimes I provide extra magic.”
“And at other times?”
“The caves don’t heat themselves, and stone-makers have an annoying habit of forgetting to eat.”
Lorkin slapped him gently on the shoulder. “All essential to the process.”
“Yes.” Evar straightened. “It is.”
They walked along in companionable silence, turning from the smaller passage into a wider, busier thoroughfare. Lorkin had taken only a few steps when he heard his name called. He looked around and saw the magician he’d seen guarding the queen’s room weeks ago beckoning to him.
“Got to go,” he told Evar. “Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Evar shrugged. “I doubt it. Early start. We’re quite busy right now.”
Lorkin nodded, then hurried to meet the magician.
“You’re to see the queen,” she informed him. She turned and set a pace that had them weaving through the people walking along the corridor. At one point she led him through a door that opened onto an empty narrow passage.
“I didn’t know that existed,” he murmured as they emerged into more familiar parts of the city.
“Short cut,” she said, smiling briefly.
A few turns later they arrived at the door of the queen’s rooms. The magician knocked, then stepped back as the door opened. To Lorkin’s surprise and pleasure, Tyvara stood there. His mood instantly lifted, despite the fact that he’d already been in a good one.
“Tyvara,” he said, smiling.
Only the corners of her mouth twitched upwards, as they did when she was trying to maintain a serious demeanour.
“Lorkin. Come inside.”
As before, the queen was sitting on one of a circle of plain chairs. He placed a hand on his heart and, unlike in the previous visit, she nodded in the formal response.
“Please sit down, Lorkin,” she said, gesturing to the chair beside her.
He obeyed. Tyvara sat at the other side of the old woman. A movement in the doorway to the inner room caught his eye. He looked up to see the queen’s assistant, Pelaya, peering in. She smiled at him, then moved out of sight again.
“I hear you completed a stone,” the queen said.
News does travel fast. “I did.”
“Show me.”
He reached into the pocket of his tunic and drew out the tiny crystal. The queen extended a withered hand, so he dropped it into her palm.
She stared at the stone for a moment, and it began to glow. A satisfied smile spread over her face and she looked up at him, eyes bright.
“Well done. Not many students accomplish a flawless stone on their first attempt. Some here would say you have stone in your blood.” She shrugged. “Obviously not literally.” She handed the stone back. It was already fading. “I am pleased, and not only that you were able to receive what we offered in compensation for the knowledge that was taken from you. I have a task for you.”