Clearly, whatever the Thief threatened her with if she didn’t work for him, it wasn’t to kill Lilia. What was the threat, then? Kallen never mentioned it.
After Naki and Lilia had left the meeting of Higher Magicians in Osen’s office, Kallen had told them that Naki blamed the Guild for the situation she had been in, their forcing her to live outside the Guild leaving her vulnerable to blackmail and too easily accessible to criminals.
Sonea suspected that many would sympathise with that view. Though, like Lilia, Naki had learned black magic through foolish experimentation, she had been forced to work for a Thief. Lilia’s position was a little more pre carious. She had deliberately run away – and released Lorandra in the process. She could have argued that Lorandra had persuaded her to go – it was partly true – but that would cancel out the positive aspect of her devotion to finding her friend. Still, the fact that Lilia’s only motive had been to find Naki, and that she was successful, would gain her considerable support.
Both young women knew black magic. If the Guild chose to punish them for that, the least they could expect was imprisonment. The trouble was, the block on their magic had failed. Sonea knew that some magicians were claiming she had done a bad job of it. They wish it was so, therefore they believe it was so, she thought. No doubt Kallen would do the deed next time. She did not think he would succeed.
What would happen when Kallen’s block failed? If it proved that a black magician’s powers could not be blocked, what would happen to the girls? They could still be imprisoned, but their guards would have to be magicians and …
The side door on the other side of the hall opened. A novice peered nervously around the hall, but as his gaze fell on Sonea he straightened. He pointed to her, then Lilia, then beckoned.
Her heart skipped. Has Kallen had some trouble with Naki?
Sonea looked at Lilia, who had obviously seen the novice and was looking worried.
“Come with me,” Sonea said.
The buzz of voices dropped as they walked across the hall. The novice was a tall, lanky young man, who bowed then bent forward to whisper in Sonea’s ear.
“The Administrator wants you to bring Lilia to his office, Black Magician Sonea.”
Sonea nodded. She moved to the door, Lilia following, and slipped out into the Great Hall.
The quiet of the hall was dramatic after the noisy Guildhall. Sonea gestured for Lilia to stay beside her, then strode toward the front of the University. As they reached the entry hall, she turned through the archway to the right and stopped at Osen’s door. It swung inward at her knock.
To her relief, Kallen and Naki stood there calmly. Kallen met her gaze, but he looked as curious and worried as she was. Naki looked bored.
“Black Magician Sonea,” Osen said. “I’ve just learned something very interesting, and it has raised a question I want answered before the Hearing begins.” He turned to Kallen. “Please remove Naki’s ring.”
At once Naki’s eyes went round. She drew her hands to her chest, one covering the other, and looked from Osen to Kallen and back again.
“No! It’s my father’s ring. The only memento I have of him.”
Osen’s eyebrows rose. “Other than an entire mansion and all his possessions – apart from a certain book containing instructions on black magic, that is.”
Kallen took hold of Naki’s arm. She resisted as he pulled the concealed hand away from the other. Something caught and refracted the light. Sonea heard Lilia draw in a sharp breath. She turned to the girl.
“What is it?”
“That’s the ring that was in the cabinet with the book.” She glanced at Sonea. “She said her grandmother owned it, and that it was magical.”
Kallen pulled the ring off Naki’s finger and handed it to Osen. The Administrator examined it closely. He slipped it on his own finger and a look of concentration crossed his face; then he shrugged and removed it.
“I cannot sense anything magical about it.”
“Of course not,” Naki said, giving him a forced smile. “She was a mad old woman who liked to spin tales for children.”
Osen looked at her, his gaze hard and assessing, and the smile slipped from her face. His gaze rose to meet Kallen’s.
“Read her mind.”
Both Kallen and Naki stilled. Kallen looked surprised; Naki slowly turned white. She recovered first.
“No,” she said angrily, tugging against the hand still holding her arm. “How many times do I have to have my head invaded?”
The two men exchanged looks. Osen’s expression hardened and he nodded to indicate that Kallen should continue. Kallen drew Naki closer.
“Wait!” she exclaimed, panic in her voice. “Isn’t it enough that I’ve been abducted by a Thief and forced to work for him? Isn’t it enough that … that my father was murdered.” She pointed at Lilia with her free hand. “By her. You should be looking into her mind again. You should …”
“If there’s nothing new to see in your mind, then let Kallen read it,” Osen told her.
“No!” Naki shouted. She cringed away from Kallen. “I’m grieving! I don’t want you to see that. Leave me alone!” She covered her face with her free hand and started sobbing.
Kallen frowned. To Sonea’s surprise, he looked up at her, his expression questioning. She met his eyes and saw the reluctance there. Turning to Osen, she was a little chilled to see no sign of sympathy. He reached out, grabbed Naki’s free hand and pulled it away from her face.
There were no tears. Naki stared at them each in turn, eyes wide with fear.
“Do it, Kallen,” Sonea said quietly.
Naki fought him with magic, but the struggle didn’t last long. As he took hold of her head Sonea looked at Lilia, concerned that the girl might be frightened, but Lilia watched with a calm intensity.
After a long silence, Kallen let Naki go, releasing her with a sound of disgust. He looked at Osen.
“You were right to suspect. The ring hides the wearer’s true thoughts and memories.”
Osen looked down at the ring, his mouth tightening in grim triumph. “What was she hiding?”
Kallen drew in a deep breath and let it out again. “She did learn black magic before she met Lilia – deliberately. She resented the constraints put on her by her father and the Guild, and wanted to be free to do whatever she wanted.” His face darkened. “She befriended Lilia and lured her into learning black magic so that she could kill Leiden and someone else would be suspected of it – drugging Lilia and wiping blood on her hands to make her look guilty.” He looked at Lilia sympathetically, then back at Osen. “She was inspired by Skellin, who she admired for avoiding capture for so long. The mind-block wasn’t something she’d planned for, but it was easy to get past – I suspect no ordinary block would have been effective on a black magician. Naki then found a Thief willing to teach her how to survive in the underworld in exchange for magical favours.” Kallen turned to regard Naki with contempt. “He brought her people that nobody would miss, so she could strengthen herself, and ensured the bodies were never found.”
Sonea stared at the girl, outrage at her callous manipulations and murder of her father turning into horror. How could she have done it? To kill people who meant her no harm … Naki was now standing with her back stiff and her arms crossed, her lip curled in sullen defiance. All so she could do as she pleased.