The Rogue (23 page)

“She confessed to spending the previous evening with Lilia studying a book on black magic. They had both experimented with the directions, thinking themselves safe from the dangers of success because they had been told it could not be learned from a book. She hadn’t succeeded and Lilia claimed failure as well, but now that her father had been killed with black magic she could not think of anyone else who could be to blame.” He glanced at Kallen. “Black Magician Kallen arrived and we proceeded to the guest room. Lilia was asleep, but woke on our arrival. She appeared surprised, and shocked at the news and Naki’s accusations.”

“But there appeared to be dried blood on her hands,” the Healer added. He looked at Sonea. “Was it blood?”

Sonea nodded. “It was. Was there much blood on and around Lord Leiden?”

“A little. The cut had been wiped clean.” “That is odd,” Lady Vinara said. “Why clean the corpse but not her hands?”

“Perhaps in the excitement and darkness she did not notice they were soiled,” Garrel suggested.

“Lilia does not recall how it got on her hands,” Sonea told them. All attention turned to her. She looked at Lord Parrie, who nodded to say he was finished. “Lilia was still in bed when I arrived,” she explained. “Kallen left to find the book while I examined the blood and read Lilia’s mind.

“She had a nasty headache resulting from a night of roet and wine, and I suspect much of her memory loss is due to those influences. She remembers Naki taking the initiative with the book. They went to the library, where Naki removed the book from its keeping place – as she had done before. Naki opened the page and urged Lilia to read. They then took it in turns to try the steps described. Lilia was first, then Naki.”

Sonea paused and resisted the urge to grimace. “Lilia clearly recalls achieving the state of mind required, and even taking a little power from Naki.” A collective soft intake of breath sounded around the room. “She also recalls Naki taking strength from her. Then they went back to the guest bedroom to drink some wine and talk, and during the conversation Naki expressed a wish for Lilia to get rid of her father, who had been restricting her access to wine, roet and money. Lilia remembers nothing after that until she was woken in the morning.

“However, Naki remembers the same events, but with a very different perspective. She recalls Lilia persuading her to get the book and encouraging her to try the lesson it contained, and Naki complied because she wanted to impress her – and didn’t think she would succeed. She did not make sense of the instructions, however, and when I sought a memory of the sensations or knowledge of using black magic I found nothing. Naki did, however, express a wish for Lilia to get rid of her father, which she now regrets.”

“How can they have such different recollections?” Peakin asked.

“They were making great assumptions about each other,” Sonea told him. “They misunderstood each other’s motives and desires. Each thought the other was pushing them to try black magic, and that if they refused they would be seen as weak and boring.” Once again, Sonea hesitated to reveal the infatu ation Lilia had for Naki. She had learned, as a youngster in the former slums, that bonds could naturally form between women as well as men. She did not see any more harm in it than a love match between a man and a woman. But she knew many didn’t agree, and it was true that not all infatuations, regardless of gender, were good for those involved. Though Lilia’s had been a one-sided thing, Naki had evidently encouraged it. It had clearly been a part of their reckless pleasure-seeking adventures.

Lady Vinara sighed. “Ah, the young can be such fools.”

How true that is
, Sonea thought.
But this is a private matter and it isn’t yet relevant to the crimes committed. It would be cruel to expose it.

“We told them that they couldn’t learn black magic from books,” Director Jerrik reminded them. “Though we also forbade them to read about it. That always makes something more attractive, to a certain kind of person. And having told them that they couldn’t learn black magic by reading of it, we suggested it was a safe way of defying rules.”

“We were wrong,” Garrel said, and even looked regretful about it, Sonea noted.

“Yes, we are partly to blame for this,” Osen said. “Which is going to make deciding what to do with Naki and Lilia even harder.”

Sonea saw many nods of agreement.

“I don’t think anyone would think us neglectful if we chose a more lenient punishment than the old standard,” Vinara said.

This time all nodded.
To execute two novices for fooling around with something we told them was safe would cause an outrage now
, Sonea mused
. How attitudes toward black magic have changed.

“Naki has not learned black magic,” Peakin said. “She cannot be guilty of her father’s death. She should be given a more lenient punishment.”

More nods of agreement followed. Sonea felt a twinge of discomfort. The two girls were equal in their guilt, as far as she was concerned. There was no proof that Lilia had killed Lord Leiden. The only provable crime was that they had tried to learn black magic. That Lilia had succeeded was an unfortunate result, but not a deliberate one on her part.

Was there some prejudice here? Naki was of the higher class; Lilia from a servant family. Naki was pretty and popular; Lilia was quiet and had few friends.

“The punishment must be strong enough to deter other novices attempting to learn black magic,” Vinara added.

“I suggest we delay Naki’s graduation,” Director Jerrik said. “She has lost a father. That is painful enough. She must also cope with the sudden responsibility that comes with being the sole inheritor of her family fortune. She will likely fall behind in her studies anyway.”

“She should make a public apology,” Garrel added. “And her return to the University be dependent on her not committing any other crime.”

“How long would we delay her graduation?” Osen asked.

“A year?” Jerrik suggested.

“Three,” Vinara said decisively. “The punishment is supposed to be a deterrent, not a holiday.”

“Any objections or suggestions?” Osen asked. None spoke. He nodded. “What of Lilia’s punishment?”

“That depends on whether she killed Lord Leiden,” Peakin pointed out. “What proof do we have?”

“None,” Kallen said. “There were no witnesses. The servants heard and saw nothing. There is only Naki’s conclusion that Lilia had learned black magic, and being the only person in the house with the knowledge, must be the culprit.”

“Put that way, it seems obvious that it was Lilia,” Vinara said. She looked at Sonea and the corner of her mouth curled upward. “If it weren’t for the fact she can’t remember anything of it. Does she seem the murdering sort?”

Sonea shook her head. “No. She is quite appalled, and afraid that she might have done it in her sleep, or under the influence of roet.”

“Could she have acted in some drug-induced state, and not remembered it?” Peakin asked. “Naki had suggested it to her, after all.”

Sonea shuddered. “I have learned not to be surprised when it comes to the many detrimental effects of roet, but I have not heard of this happening before. If something so extraordinary has happened, it still means Lilia did not consciously and deliberately murder Lord Leiden. It could only be considered an accident.”

The room fell into a brief, thoughtful silence. High Lord Balkan moved forward.

“One thing is known: Lilia has learned black magic. The king and the people will expect us to ensure she is no danger to anyone if she is to remain alive.”

“We have to block her powers,” Vinara said.

“Can her powers be blocked?” Peakin asked, looking from Kallen to Sonea.

“Nobody has tried blocking a black magician’s powers before,” she told him. “We won’t know if it’s possible until we try.”

“If we can, then what do we do with her?” Garrel asked. “She is no longer a magician and therefore not a member of the Guild, but we can’t cast her out onto the street.”

“She’ll have to be watched constantly,” Peakin said. “Who is going to do that?”

Glances were exchanged. Expressions became grim. Sonea felt a chill run down her spine.

“Surely we’ve got a better option than putting her in the Lookout,” she found herself saying aloud.

“I don’t see that we have any choice,” Vinara said. The others nodded.

“Until the cause of Lord Leiden’s death is discovered we don’t know whether she can be trusted or not,” Garrel added. “If she killed someone in her sleep … well, we don’t want that happening again.”

“The Guild hasn’t held a prisoner in years,” Lord Telano muttered. “Suddenly it has two.”

Sonea suppressed a shiver. The last prisoners had been her and Akkarin, though they hadn’t been held for long.

“Let’s ensure she is as comfortable and well looked after as possible,” Osen said. “It does seem right that her punishment be less strenuous than Lorandra’s, who we know has broken laws and killed others. Are we in agreement?”

Murmurs of assent followed. Osen looked at Sonea. “You look troubled, Black Magician Sonea.”

She nodded. “I agree that a harsher punishment is needed, but … she isn’t a bad person and she is so young. It is a shame to lock her up for the rest of her life. Perhaps we could reconsider her case in a few years if she, too, has displayed good behaviour.”

He pursed his lips as he considered. “How many years?”

“Ten?” someone suggested. Sonea winced as the others murmured agreement, but nodded as Osen looked to her. She doubted she’d be able to talk them into a shorter length of time.

“So, who will block her powers?” he asked, looking from her to Kallen.

“I will,” she replied. “Unless you have any objections, I want to have another look at her memories.”

He smiled and nodded. “No objections. If you can find out anything that further explains what happened last night, it will be most welcome.” He looked at the other magicians. “And now we have the matter of Lord Leiden’s murder to consider. We know where Sonea and Kallen were at the time. If Lilia didn’t kill him, who did?”

A scraping sound drew Lilia out of her thoughts and she turned to see the door of the Dome recede. As it moved aside it was replaced by a circle of cold light against which a silhouette of a magician stood. The magician beckoned, so Lilia stood up and obediently walked up to and out of the entrance.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that it was late afternoon.
I was inside for less than a day
, she thought.
It felt like longer. Though it could be a day and a half. But then I’d be hungry.
Her stomach growled.
Well, hungrier than this.

“It’s time, Lilia.”

Lilia realised the magician was Black Magician Sonea and sketched a hasty bow. Sonea regarded Lilia with a sympathetic expression. Two other magicians waited a few steps away. Lilia avoided their eyes, falling into step as Sonea started toward the University.

“I wish we could avoid this Hearing,” Sonea said. “It’s unavoidable, I’m afraid. You and Naki must be judged before the Guild.”

Lilia nodded. “I understand.”

“You’re not to talk to each other,” Sonea added quietly. “Only speak when you are requested to, or to answer a question.”

Lilia nodded. She could see in the corner of her eye that Sonea was watching her closely, and realised something more definite was expected to indicate she had really heard and understood her, and wasn’t just responding automatically.

“Yes,” Lilia managed, her voice husky from crying and lack of use. “No talking to … unless asked to.” She could not say Naki’s name, but Sonea looked away, apparently satisfied.

They walked down the length of the University to the front entrance. The numbness that had come over Lilia since arriving at the Guild and being locked away in the Dome began to slip away as they climbed the stairs, and was replaced by a growing dread. She was going to have to stand in front of all the magicians of the Guild and endure their stares and judgement. All would be wondering if she was a murderer. All would know she had learned black magic. Whether they thought she had done so due to foolishness or evil intent, they would despise her.

She thought of her family’s disappointment, and quickly pushed the thought away. Best to dwell on only one confrontation full of shame and humiliation at a time.

They quickly passed through the spectacular entry hall of the University and down the corridor to the Great Hall. The space around the ancient building within the huge hall was empty, to her relief. She’d expected that some novices would find their way there, to watch what they could.

The doors to the Guildhall opened and her blood went cold.

The space between the tiered seating on either side of the room was filled with seats, and the seats were filled with brown-robed novices, twisting around so they could see her enter the building.

She fixed her eyes on the floor. Her heart thundered in her ears as she forced her shaky legs to carry her down the aisle. If any of the novices whispered anything – if any called out – she did not hear it. Blood was rushing in her ears, drowning out all noises. She concentrated on breathing, and on putting one trembling leg in front of the other.

They reached the Front of the hall and moved to the right-hand side, where Sonea stopped and placed a hand gently on Lilia’s shoulder.

“Stay here,” she murmured, then she strode forward and climbed the steep stairs to her seat among the Higher Magicians. Watching her, Lilia saw that some of the Higher Magicians were frowning. One said something, but Sonea waved a hand in a reassuring, dismissing gesture.

Then Lilia met the eyes of a Higher Magician who was staring at her, and quickly looked back down at the floor.

“You have heard the accounts of the few witnesses to these events,” a male voice boomed. Lilia glanced up and saw that the blue-robed Administrator was standing in the centre of the Front. She had been staring at the floor so hard that she hadn’t noticed him there. “You have heard what Black Magician Sonea discovered in the minds of the two young women standing before us. Now let us hear what they have to say. Lady Naki.”