Leaning back in his chair, Dorrien considered that. He shook his head. "Magicians have been blackmailed and bought by other means before. Why is this any different?"

"Perhaps only in the scale of the problem. That's why it needs more investigation. What percentage of magicians could be affected by roet? Are the ones not affected going to become addicts if they continue using the drug? Just how much does it alter thought patterns and behaviour?"

Dorrien nodded. "What is your guess? How big do you think the problem to be?"

Sonea hesitated as Black Magician Kallen came to mind. If Cery was right, and Anyi had seen the magician buying roet, the problem could be very very big indeed. But she did not want to reveal what she knew until she was certain Kallen big indeed. But she did not want to reveal what she knew until she was certain Kallen was was using roet and she had proof that roet was as big a problem as she suspected. He might have been buying it for someone else. If she claimed he was an addict incorrectly she'd look a fool, and if she revealed it before she had proven that roet was dangerous to magicians then it would look like she was making a petty fuss about nothing. using roet and she had proof that roet was as big a problem as she suspected. He might have been buying it for someone else. If she claimed he was an addict incorrectly she'd look a fool, and if she revealed it before she had proven that roet was dangerous to magicians then it would look like she was making a petty fuss about nothing.

Oh, but I wish I could tell someone. She had not told Rothen. He would want to do something immediately. He did not like it that Kallen treated her as if she couldn't be trusted. Rothen was always urging her to put Kallen under as much scrutiny as he put her under. So would Dorrien. She had not told Rothen. He would want to do something immediately. He did not like it that Kallen treated her as if she couldn't be trusted. Rothen was always urging her to put Kallen under as much scrutiny as he put her under. So would Dorrien.

"I don't know," she replied, sighing.

Ironically, the one person she thought she could probably tell and trust to remain silent was Regin, the magician who had helped her find Lorandra. Ironic that the novice I once hated for making my life a torture is now a magician I'd trust. Ironic that the novice I once hated for making my life a torture is now a magician I'd trust. He understood the importance of timing. Though she had met with Regin to discuss the search for Skellin, so far she hadn't been able to bring herself to mention Kallen. He understood the importance of timing. Though she had met with Regin to discuss the search for Skellin, so far she hadn't been able to bring herself to mention Kallen.

Perhaps I'm even more afraid that Regin won't believe me, and I'll make a complete fool of myself. She smiled wryly. She smiled wryly. No matter how much I tell myself we are not novices and deadly enemies any more, I can't shake the suspicion that he'll use any weakness against me. It's ridiculous. He's proven that he can keep a secret. He's been nothing but supportive. No matter how much I tell myself we are not novices and deadly enemies any more, I can't shake the suspicion that he'll use any weakness against me. It's ridiculous. He's proven that he can keep a secret. He's been nothing but supportive.

But he often did not make it to their meetings, or arrived late and was distracted. She suspected he had lost interest in the search for Skellin. Perhaps he felt that tracking down the rogue magician Thief was an impossible task. It had certainly begun to feel that way.

With Cery forced into hiding, and his people unable to find any sign of Skellin, she was not sure how they could find the rogue aside from pulling the city apart brick by brick, and the king would never agree to that.

The Foodhall was, as always, noisy with the clatter of cutlery on crockery and the voices of novices. Lilia let out an unheard sigh and stopped trying to hear what her companions were discussing. Instead she let her gaze move slowly across the room.

The interior was a strange mix of sophistication and simplicity, the decorative and the practical. The windows and walls were as finely crafted and decorated as most other large rooms in the University, but the furniture was solid, simple and robust. It was as if someone had removed the polished, carved chairs and table in the grand dining room of the house she had grown up in, and replaced them with the solid wooden table and bench seats from the kitchens.

The occupants of the Foodhall were as varied a mix. Novices from the most powerful Houses to those born of beggars on the dirtiest streets of the city ate here. When Lilia had first started magic lessons, she had wondered why the snooties had continued to eat their meals in the Foodhall when they were rich enough to have their own cooks. The answer was that they didn't have time to leave the grounds each day to dine with their families and they weren't supposed to leave without permission anyway.

She suspected there was a feeling of territorial pride at work as well. The snooties had been eating in the Foodhall for centuries. The lowies were the newcomers. The Foodhall had been the scene of many a prank between the lowies and snooties. Lilia had never been a part of either. Though she had never said it aloud, she was from the upper end of the lowie group. Her family were servants for a family belonging to a House of reasonable political power and influence neither at the top of the political hierarchy nor in decline. She could trace her line back for several generations, naming which of her ancestors had worked for which families within the House.

Whereas some of the lowies were from very shabby origins. Sons of whores. Daughters of beggars. Plenty were related to criminals, she suspected. A strange sort of competition had begun between these lowies to lay claim to the most impressively low origin. If sewer ravi could be claimed as parents, some of them would boast of it as if it was a title of honour. Lowies from a servant family didn't boast or make anything of it, or they invited a lot of trouble.

The hatred some lowies had for snooties did not seem fair to her. Her parents' employers had treated their servants fairly. Lilia had played with their children when she was growing up. They had ensured that all of their servants' children were given a basic education. Since the Ichani Invasion, they had brought a magician in every few years to test all children for magical ability. Though none of their own had enough latent power to be accepted into the Guild, they had been overjoyed when Lilia, and servant children before her, had been chosen.

The two girls and boys she spent her social time with were lowies, and they were nice enough. She, Froje and Madie had been friends since starting at the University. Last year Froje had paired up with Damend and Madie with Ellon, making Lilia the odd one out. The girls' attention was mostly taken up by the boys now, and they rarely sought Lilia's opinion, advice or suggestions for things to do. Lilia told herself it had been inevitable and that she didn't mind too much, since she had always been more comfortable listening in than joining their conversations anyway.

Her gaze fell upon a novice she had been watching for a long time now. Naki was a year ahead of Lilia in University studies. She had long black hair and eyes so dark it was hard to find the edge of her pupils. Every movement she made was graceful. Boys were both attracted and intimidated by her. As far as Lilia could tell, Naki had shown no interest in any of them not even some of the boys Lilia's friends thought were irresistible. Perhaps she thought herself too good for them. Perhaps she was simply choosy about her friends.

Today Naki was sitting with another girl. She wasn't talking, although the other girl's mouth was moving constantly. As Lilia watched, the talker laughed and rolled her eyes. Naki's mouth widened and thinned in a polite smile.

Then, without any little movement to warn that she was about to, Naki looked directly at Lilia.

Uh, oh, Lilia thought, feeling the heat of embarrassment and guilt beginning to rise. Caught out. Caught out. Just as she was about to look away, Naki smiled. Just as she was about to look away, Naki smiled.

Surprise froze Lilia. She wondered briefly what to do, then smiled in return. It would have been rude otherwise. She forced herself to look away. She didn't seem to mind me watching her but ... how embarrassing to be caught staring. She didn't seem to mind me watching her but ... how embarrassing to be caught staring.

A movement in Naki's direction tugged at Lilia's attention. She resisted the temptation to glance back, trying instead to decipher what she was seeing in the corner of her eye. A dark-haired person was standing near where Naki was sitting. That person was walking now. That person was coming in this direction.

Surely not ...

She could not stop her head from turning and her eyes from looking up. Naki, she saw, was walking toward her. She was looking right at her, and smiling.

Naki put her plate down next to Lilia's and then slid onto the empty space on the bench beside her.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello," Lilia replied uncertainly. What does she want? Does she want to know why I was looking at her? Does she want to chat? What on earth will I talk about if she does? What does she want? Does she want to know why I was looking at her? Does she want to chat? What on earth will I talk about if she does?

"I was bored. I thought I'd come over and see what you were doing," Naki explained.

Lilia could not help looking over at Naki's former companion. The talker was staring at them, looking confused and a little peeved. Lilia glanced at her companions. The girls were surprised, and the boys had that fearful and wistful expression they usually wore when Naki was close.

She said "... what you you were doing". It didn't sound like it included all of us. were doing". It didn't sound like it included all of us.

She turned back to Naki. "Not much," Lilia said honestly, wincing at the lameness of her reply. "Just eating."

"What were you talking about?" Naki prompted, glancing at the others.

"Whether we chose the right discipline," one of the others said. Lilia shrugged and nodded.

"Ah," Naki said. "I was tempted to choose Warrior, but for all that it's fun I can't see myself spending my life doing it. I'll keep up my skills, of course, in case we're ever invaded again, but I decided Alchemy would be more useful."

"That's what I thought about Healing," Lilia told her. "More useful."

"True, but I've never been much good at Healing." Naki smiled wryly.

As Naki continued chatting, Lilia's surprise slowly began to melt away. Somehow, by smiling at someone across the room, or perhaps because the talker on the other table had been boring, a beautiful and admired novice was chatting to her like they were new friends.

For whatever reason it had occurred, she resolved to enjoy the moment. Because she certainly didn't think it would happen again.

CHAPTER 3.

ACCUSATIONS AND PROPOSALS.

The three days since Lorkin and Evar had been ordered to remain in the men's room and stay there until the Speakers were all available to meet and deal with them had been surprisingly enjoyable.

"For doing what?" Evar had delighted in asking anyone who suggested that accusations or punishments would be directed at them. Nobody could say exactly what he or Lorkin were going to be accused of. Which gave Lorkin some confidence. Everyone knows there isn't a rule or law or even an order that Evar or I have broken. If there was, I'm sure they'd have locked me away in a room on my own. Everyone knows there isn't a rule or law or even an order that Evar or I have broken. If there was, I'm sure they'd have locked me away in a room on my own.

The occupants of the men's room thought it was all very funny. Since the governance of Sanctuary was out of their reach, they delighted in any errors their leaders made so long as those mistakes didn't affect everyone badly, of course. They were so pleased that Lorkin and Evar had showed the Speakers up for fools that they had brought them gifts and spent time making sure their new heroes never grew bored.

Three of them were teaching Lorkin a game involving gemstones that had failed to take on any magical properties and a painted board. The game was called "Stones", and they'd chosen it because gemstones were what he had got into trouble over.

A growing audience was hovering nearby. A few men were talking to Evar, and several more were scattered about the room, doing their usual chores or relaxing. So when the room began to quieten all of a sudden, everyone paused and looked up to see what the cause was. The men standing between Lorkin and the room's entrance shuffled aside. Lorkin looked beyond them, saw who was standing there, and felt his heart stop beating and stomach start to flutter.

"Tyvara," he said.

A smile fleetingly touched her lips, then she was serious again. She walked gracefully toward him, ignoring the men staring at her. Being the focus of those beautiful, exotic eyes sent a shiver of pleasure down Lorkin's spine. Oh, I definitely haven't got over her Oh, I definitely haven't got over her, he thought. If anything, the time she's been away has made seeing her again even more exciting. If anything, the time she's been away has made seeing her again even more exciting.

"I want to talk to you in private," she said, stopping a few steps away and crossing her arms.

"Love to," he said. "But I'm not supposed to leave the room. On Kalia's orders."

She frowned, then shrugged and looked around the room. "Then the rest of you leave."

She watched as the men, muttering good naturedly, made their way out, and noted that Evar hadn't moved. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Under the same orders but don't worry," he said, standing up and moving away. "I'll stay over there and try not to listen."

Tyvara watched, one eyebrow raised in amusement as he moved away to the food preparation area, before looking down at Lorkin.

He smiled. It was too easy to smile at her. He was at risk of grinning like an idiot. Her long dark hair was clean and the dark hollows under her eyes were gone. He'd found her alluring before; now she was even more beautiful than imagination had painted his memory of her.

I wasn't like this when we were travelling, he thought. Maybe I was too tired ... Maybe I was too tired ...

"I guess this will have to do," she said quietly, uncrossing her arms.

"What do you want to talk about?" he managed to ask.

She sighed, then sat down and fixed him with a direct stare that set his heart racing. "What are you up to Lorkin?"

He felt a vague disappointment. What did I expect? That she'd invite me to her rooms for a night of ... What did I expect? That she'd invite me to her rooms for a night of ... He quickly pushed the thought aside. He quickly pushed the thought aside.

"If I was up to something, why would I tell you?" he countered.

Her eyes flashed with anger. She glared at him, then stood up and started toward the door. His heart leapt in alarm. He couldn't let her leave so soon!

"Is that all you're going to ask me?" he called after her.

"Yes," she replied, without turning.

"Can I ask you you a few questions?" a few questions?"

She slowed, then stopped and looked back at him. He beckoned. Sighing, she walked back to the seat and dropped into it, her arms crossed again.

"What then?" she asked.

He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "How are you? I haven't seen you in months. What has Riva's family got you doing?"

She regarded him thoughtfully, then uncrossed her arms. "I'm fine. I'd rather be out there doing some good, of course, but ..." She shrugged. "Riva's family have me working the sewer tunnels.

He grimaced. "That can't be pleasant, or interesting."

"They think it's as nasty a task as they could come up with, but I don't mind it. This city needs its waste removed as much as it needs defending, and being a slave can involve much more unpleasant duties than that. But it is boring. I may end up hating it for that, alone."

"You should come by and visit. I'll try to entertain you, though I can't promise it won't be anything more than the silly mistakes a foreigner makes in an unfamiliar place."

She smiled. "Has it been difficult?"

He spread his hands. "At times, but everyone has been friendly, and while I never wanted to be a Healer, at least I'm being useful."

Her smile disappeared and she shook her head. "I never thought they'd put you in Kalia's hands, knowing that she wanted you dead."

"They know she'll keep an eye on me better than anyone else."

"And now you've made a fool of her," she pointed out.

"Poor Kalia," he said, without a trace of sympathy.

"She'll make your life hard for this."

"She does anyway." Lorkin raised his eyes to hers. "You didn't expect me to try to befriend her, did you?"

"I thought you smart enough to avoid giving her excuses to stir people up against you."

He shook his head. "Lying low and keeping out of trouble will not get me that."

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing. "One foolish Kyralian boy cannot change the Traitors, Lorkin."

"Probably not, if they don't want to," he agreed. "But it seems to me the Traitors do want to. It seems to me some major changes are definitely part of their future plans. I am no foolish boy, Tyvara."

Her eyebrows rose, then she stood up. "I have to go." She slowly turned and walked away. He watched her hungrily, hoping the sight of her would imprint in his memory clearly.

"Come visit some time," he called after her. She looked back and smiled, but said nothing. Then she was gone.

Moments later, the men began returning to the room. Lorkin sighed, then looked around to find Evar making his way across to the table. The young magician sat down, his eyes bright.

"Oh, what wouldn't I do to get under the rug with that one," he said quietly.

Lorkin resisted the urge to glare at his friend. "You're not the only one," he replied, hoping the young man would take the hint.

"No. Most men here would do anything for a night with her," Evar agreed, not picking up Lorkin's meaning or pretending not to. "But she's picky. Doesn't want to get attached. She's not ready."

"Not ready for what?"

"Pairing. She doesn't want to stop doing the dangerous work. Spying. Assassination."

"Does having a man prevent that? I can't imagine men could prevent the women doing anything here."

Evar shrugged. "No, but when the women are away for long stretches, and might be killed, they know it's hard on a man. It's certainly hard for their children." His eyebrows rose. "Actually, Tyvara's caution is probably because of her mother, who died on a mission when she was young. Her father was devastated, and Tyvara had to look after him. She was ... oh. I think it's time."

Lorkin followed the young magician's gaze to the room entrance. A young female magician was standing there, beckoning to him. He exchanged a sympathetic look with Evar.

"I think you're right," he said. "Good luck."

"You, too."