"Maybe not. Or maybe he's telling you about her to make you trust him."

"Surely he'd tell me about her to make sure I didn't get the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea about what?"

"About him doing favours for me. Being nice."

"Maybe. But you watch out. If he starts telling you how lonely he is, don't be surprised if he wants something in return for those favours."

Lilia pulled away from the door a little. Did this woman have something to gain from Lilia not trusting Welor?

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Just trying to help. You're young. You've never been a prisoner before. You want to feel safe, but you shouldn't let that desire blind you to the dangers of your situation."

Lilia considered that. Though it made her feel uneasy, what the woman had said made sense. I've already got too comfortable in this place, and it's only been two days! I've already got too comfortable in this place, and it's only been two days!

"My name is Lorandra," the voice said.

Leaning forward, Lilia rested her head on the door. "Mine is Lilia."

"I'm here because foreign magicians have to join the Guild or not use magic," Lorandra said. "I didn't see why I should have to join if I didn't want to."

Though Lilia already knew why the woman was locked away, suddenly it seemed a little unfair. Why should a foreign magician have to join the Guild? Why should a foreign magician have to join the Guild? Maybe if this woman hadn't been forced to choose between the Guild and hiding, she would not have got mixed up with Thieves. Maybe if this woman hadn't been forced to choose between the Guild and hiding, she would not have got mixed up with Thieves.

"Why are you you here?" Lorandra asked. "If you don't mind telling." here?" Lorandra asked. "If you don't mind telling."

"I'm here because I learned black magic but we were just being silly and I didn't expect what I was doing to work."

The woman didn't speak for a long moment.

"That is the magic the ones in black use?"

"Yes." Lilia found herself nodding, despite knowing Lorandra couldn't see her, and made herself stop. "Black Magicians Sonea and Kallen."

"They bound your powers, too?"

"Yes."

"And you say you didn't expect what you were doing to work. Do you mean trying to learn it?"

"Yes. They told us we couldn't learn unless a black magician taught us, so I thought what I was doing was safe."

"So they were wrong. That doesn't sound very fair."

"Trying to learn it is forbidden, too."

"Ah. So why did you try?"

Lilia regarded the door thoughtfully. She probably shouldn't be talking to this woman. But who else was there to talk to? And so long as she didn't describe how she learned black magic and she kept her desire for Naki to herself, too she wouldn't be telling Lorandra anything she shouldn't. And it wasn't as if Lorandra was going to be able to use or pass on any information Lilia told her.

Taking a deep breath, she began to explain.

Lorkin wasn't sure why he hadn't simply walked out of the Care Room and gone to bed, or at least ignored Kalia's order to start early. Kalia had kept him back so late he'd had less than four hours' sleep on average over the last two nights.

She was, no doubt, punishing him for managing to Heal with magic without generating disapproval among the Traitors, instead generating some for her. It was very likely she was also trying to stop him visiting and Healing the young man sick with chill fever.

But she couldn't keep him working all night, and eventually she'd had to let him go. He hadn't been surprised when he was waylaid again on the way to the men's room, and taken to see the sick young man. Already struggling, due to lack of sleep, to recover properly from the first Healing session, he was left almost staggering with exhaustion after a second. He had no magic left to Heal away the tiredness.

Tomorrow I will ignore Kalia's early start. In fact, I may not have much choice. Once I'm asleep I suspect it'll take an advancing army to wake me.

He turned a corner and forced his legs to carry him onwards. It wasn't far to the men's room now. Just another hundred paces or two ...

Something settled against his cheek. He reached up to brush it away and realised, simultaneously, that he couldn't see any more, that there was a dry vegetable smell in the air, and that something was wrapping itself firmly around his shoulders.

A sack? Yes. It's a sack. He tried to push it back off his head but something smashed against his back and knocked him to the ground. He instinctively reached for magic. He tried to push it back off his head but something smashed against his back and knocked him to the ground. He instinctively reached for magic. Ah, but I have none. Ah, but I have none. Strong hands took hold of his arms and forced them behind his back, and he knew there was nothing he could do. Strong hands took hold of his arms and forced them behind his back, and he knew there was nothing he could do.

How did they know? Or was this deliberate? Kalia wasn't just keeping me back late to punish me, was she?

To his surprise, the sacking covering his face lifted, though not far enough that he could see anything beyond the floor and two pairs of legs. He took in a deep breath of clean air.

But that was a mistake. Something was pressed over his mouth and nose, and a familiar smell filled his nostrils. Though he caught and held his breath, enough of the drug had entered his body to set his senses reeling. He gasped and began to pass out.

The last thing he heard was a low, hoarse voice, laced with disgust and satisfaction.

"Too easy," it said. "Pick him up. Follow me."

PART TWO.

CHAPTER 16.

FEARS AND CONCERNS.

As the carriage left the Guild, Sonea looked at Rothen and noted a thoughtful look on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Only a few months ago, you would have had to gain permission to visit Dorrien and his family," the old magician said. "Now nobody questions it. How quickly things can change."

Sonea smiled grimly. "Yes. But they could change back just as quickly. It would take only one unfortunate incident and I'd be keeping Lilia company."

Rothen looked pained. "She did deliberately try to learn black magic."

"True. I wonder if she would have, if she hadn't been addled with roet."

"How do you mean?"

"They say it makes a person stop caring. Which is appealing if you have worries you would like to forget for a while, or need a little false courage, but roet also removes any concern for the consequences of your actions and it seems to do so much more effectively than drink."

"Do you think others might make the same mistake as she?"

"Only if they happened to stumble on some books containing instructions on learning black magic while under the full effect of roet. That depends on there being any other books like that out there." Sonea sighed. "Lord Leiden was breaking a law by not surrendering his to the Guild."

"Should we start searching private libraries?"

"I doubt we'd find anything. Unless the owner doesn't know what he or she has stored in theirs, they'd remove and hide anything suspicious as soon as they heard a search was possible."

Rothen nodded in agreement. "It would take years to go through the bigger libraries thoroughly enough," he added. "Are we any closer to finding Leiden's killer?"

She shook her head. "Obviously someone else has learned black magic. Either that or it was Kallen, and the people who claim they saw him that night were lying. I'm surprised Osen hasn't asked us to read each other's minds, yet." The carriage came to a halt. She unlatched the door and climbed out, then turned and waited as Rothen followed.

"I heard that there were enough witnesses to confirm you were both elsewhere when the murder occurred that a mind read isn't needed."

She looked at him in surprise. "Nice of him to tell me that. Having my mind read, or reading Kallen's, isn't something I look forward to."

"I'm sure he would tell you, if you asked. Shall we go inside?"

She turned to face the door of the building. The Guild was renting it as a way to deal with the shortage of rooms in the grounds for magicians. When Dorrien came to the Guild on his own he stayed with his father, but there wasn't enough space in Rothen's room for an extra two adults and two older girls.

From the outside it looked like a single, though large, family home. Sonea walked up to the door and knocked. A man in a Guild servant uniform opened it. He greeted them, stepped aside and bowed as they passed through into the entry hall.

It was a lavishly decorated room, with staircases winding up to a second floor. Once, it would have been the home of a rich family from one of the Houses, but now it had been divided into four parts, which provided accommodation for four magicians and their families. At first, this idea of dividing up a large house had been rejected, because it was assumed that magicians would be too proud to share a building with others. But the concept proved popular among young magi ci ans with fam ilies from the lower classes, who saw immediately that it provided much more space for their children than an apartment of rooms in the Magicians' Quarters.

The servant led them upstairs to a large door that filled what would have once been an opening to a corridor. He knocked, and when Dorrien answered the door the man bowed and introduced them formally.

"Thank you, Ropan," Dorrien said as he ushered Sonea and Rothen inside a large guest room. Tylia and Yilara were sitting in two of the chairs, and Sonea noted they were wearing dresses more in the city style. "Welcome to our new home. It's four times the size of our house. Alina is worried we'll get so used to it, it'll feel like a tight fit when we move back. Here she is."

His wife had appeared in a side doorway, her hands clasped together and an anxious expression on her face. Her eyes snapped to Sonea, dropped to the black robes; then her expression hardened and she looked away. She smiled nervously as Dorrien urged her to join them. The two girls reluctantly stood and bowed, hovering a pace or two away as the adults exchanged pleasantries.

"How are you finding it here?" Sonea asked Alina.

Alina glanced at Dorrien. "It will take a little getting used to," the woman said quietly. "I prefer to cook meals myself, but Dorrien says to leave it to the servants."

"Where do they do the cooking?"

"In the basement," Alina replied. "They cook for all the families staying here. It looks like there are more servants there tonight. I hope that's not our fault."

Dorrien smiled. "Lord Beagir is entertaining guests, too," he said. He looked at Rothen and Sonea. "Come into the dining room."

"Dining room, eh?" Rothen chuckled and opened his mouth to say more, but Dorrien frowned, shook his head and glanced at Alina, who had turned away. Looks like Alina isn't comfortable with all the luxuries here Looks like Alina isn't comfortable with all the luxuries here, Sonea mused. Dorrien doesn't want Rothen teasing him about it, as it'll make her feel worse. Dorrien doesn't want Rothen teasing him about it, as it'll make her feel worse.

They moved into a room featuring a large table and eight chairs. A gong the size of a dinner plate sat in an alcove at the end of the room. When all were settled in the chairs, Dorrien glanced at it and the striker moved, filling the room with a pleasant ringing. Alina's lips thinned and she shook her head.

It probably seemed like a fancy extravagance, but the sound let the servants know that the family was ready for their meal. Sure enough, a pair of male servants appeared carrying trays laden with bowls and plates of food. As they finished arranging the food on the table they tucked their empty trays under their arms and asked which drinks were required. Dorrien requested wine and water, and the men hurried away.

Foregoing the old-fashioned custom of serving guests himself, Dorrien simply invited them to start. They helped themselves to the dishes and began eating. Alina looked up at Sonea, her expression serious.

"How is your hunt for the rogue going?" she asked.

"Right now it has turned into an exercise in patience," Sonea told her. "We're waiting for information. Good information, because we don't want to endanger our sources by acting too quickly."

"You mean this spy working for the other Thief. The daughter of your friend?"

Sonea paused and resisted looking at Dorrien. He'd given his wife more information than Sonea would have liked. The fewer people who knew she was still friends with Cery the better, but if the fact became known it would not risk anybody's life. However, the information that Anyi was Cery's daughter could definitely put her life at risk, if it were discovered.

"Yes," she replied. "It is a dangerous task, and I know my friend is very worried about her."

"If it's dangerous for her ..." Alina looked at Dorrien, then straightened a little and turned back to Sonea. "Is it dangerous for us?"

Sonea blinked in surprise. "No."

"But none of us are magicians." Alina gestured to her daughters and herself. "What if these people you're chasing find out that Dorrien is helping you, and that he has a family, and that we live here, not in the Guild grounds?" Alina's voice rose a little. "What's to stop them coming here when Dorrien is out, and threatening us or worse?"

Sonea schooled her expression to hide the amusement she felt. Alina was genuinely worried. Does she have reason to worry? Does she have reason to worry? The scenario Alina imagined was not impossible, just unlikely. It would take a particularly bold and cunning assassin or abductor to enter a magician's home, especially this one which housed several magicians. The scenario Alina imagined was not impossible, just unlikely. It would take a particularly bold and cunning assassin or abductor to enter a magician's home, especially this one which housed several magicians. Someone as bold and cunning as the assassin who killed Cery's family? Someone as bold and cunning as the assassin who killed Cery's family? Perhaps, but this was no hidden Thief's lair, where secrecy also ensured nobody would notice a break-in was occurring and come to help. Perhaps, but this was no hidden Thief's lair, where secrecy also ensured nobody would notice a break-in was occurring and come to help.

"The living arrangements you have here work to your advantage," Sonea told Alina. "Having other magicians living nearby means that, even when Dorrien isn't here, you have someone to call upon for help, or the servants can fetch help for you. One magician in a house is a big deterrent, but you have four. Which also makes it harder for an outsider to know if they're all at home or not.

"You should come up with rules to stick to," Sonea added as Alina opened her mouth to argue. "Who to let into your rooms and who not to. How to be safe when you're out in the city. What to do if you think someone is following you, or trying to get into the house." Sonea looked at Dorrien, who nodded resignedly. "I'm sure you can work it out between you."

As Sonea had hoped, Alina's attention now shifted to Dorrien. "We will." She glanced at Sonea briefly. "And we appreciate the advice."

"The sooner we find Skellin, the sooner you can stop worrying about this," Dorrien said.

Rothen hummed in agreement. "And nobody will be safe if we don't."

"What will happen if you don't find him?" Yilara asked.

Sonea looked at the girl and smiled in approval at her interest. "He wants to gain control of ..." A knocking from the guest room interrupted her.

"I'll see who it is," Dorrien said, rising and hurrying out of the room.

The rest of them continued eating, listening in silent curiosity to the sound of Dorrien opening the door and another male voice, then the door closing again.

Footsteps told them he was returning. He stepped into the dining room doorway and looked at Sonea.

"A message for you. Osen wants you to return to the Guild immediately. Lady Naki has disappeared."

A day's sailing had brought Achati, Dannyl and Tayend to a smaller port north of Arvice. Achati had arranged for them to spend the night on shore, at an estate owned by an Ashaki who grew crops of raka. Ashaki Chakori had sent a carriage to fetch them from the docks. The smell of the roasting beans was recognisable long before they reached the estate.

Unlike most Sachakan homes, the mansion and work buildings were not surrounded by walls. The main house stood to one side, and the work buildings were a few hundred paces away from them. From one of two circular structures came a plume of smoke, forming a dark stain against moonlit clouds.