The Exiled Queen (23 page)

Who was he to judge Han’s looks and speech? And why should Han care? “I an’t a fancy, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Han said. “No offense.”

Crow laughed. “I hope not,” he said, as if it were a very funny joke.

“Did you steal your amulet from them?” Crow said, looking back at the amulet. “If so, I must say, I am impressed. What do you mean to do with it? Do they know you have it? Do you have a plan?”

Han said nothing to this torrent of questions.

Crow shook his head. “No plan? That’s not good. The Bayars no doubt have a plan. Better think ahead, or you’re not going to keep that amulet for long.”

“I won’t answer any questions until I know who you really are,” Han said.

“I understand.” Crow chewed on his lower lip, thinking. “Very well. I can tell you this much. I’m on faculty here at the academy. I’ve been looking for a student to mentor, someone capable of mastering higher level magic. I also need someone who is not afraid to bend the rules a bit. The fact that you are here, and your possession of that amulet, tells me that you might be the person I have been looking for.”

He raised his hand when Han opened his mouth to speak. “I’m not going to tell you any more than that until I know I can trust you. It’s still possible that you are in league with my enemies.”

“How do you know the Bayars?” Han asked, fingering his amulet, still unsure whether to stay or go.

“Let’s just say we are political rivals,” Crow said. “I need gifted allies. In return, I’ll help you protect yourself against them.”

“Help me how?” Han asked.

Crow took another step toward Han, looking intently into his eyes. “I can teach you how to use that amulet. I can teach you marvelous things.” Crow’s eyes glittered, his voice low and coaxing, almost pleading.

“Keep your flash gammon to yourself,” Han said. “If you want to talk to me, come see me in real life. I’m going back,” he added, summoning up the returning words.

“We have to meet in Aediion,” Crow said. “It’s not safe for us to be seen together.”

Han stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“You have no idea how vulnerable we are.” Crow drew a quick breath as though he meant to say something else, then looked aside, distracted. “We’re out of time,” he said. “Do not tell a soul about our meeting. No one, do you understand? If the Bayars hear about this, they will kill you and seize your amulet to prevent our meeting again.” He paused to let the words sink in, then added, “I will meet you a week from tonight, midnight, in Aediion. Mystwerk bell tower is a private place. Do you know where that is?”

Han blinked at him, a thousand questions elbowing their way forward. “I know where that is,” he said. “But what makes you think I—”

“We cannot be seen together,” Crow repeated. “Aediion is the only safe place. Rebuild your amulet in the meantime. If you can’t come a week from tonight, come the next week. Or the next. I’ll wait for you each week until you come. Open the portal at midnight. And come alone.”

He shimmered and blinked out.

Han was suddenly conscious of a terrible pain in his head. He groaned and opened his eyes, looking into Gryphon’s grim face.

He thought for a moment he might be sick, but that passed. He looked down at his amulet and saw Gryphon’s hand wrapped around it, just below his. The master was gripping it so hard his knuckles were white, and his face shone with sweat.

“Let go,” Han said feebly, tugging at Gryphon’s fingers with his other hand.

“You first,” he said. “I don’t want you slipping away again.”

Reluctantly, Han loosed his hold and wiped his sweaty hand on his breeches. He lay on the stone floor in the lecture hall, his head pillowed on somebody’s coat. Beyond Gryphon he saw a circle of faces—the other students in the class.

Micah Bayar scowled as if sorry that Han had rejoined the living.

He didn’t see Fiona.

Gryphon touched Han’s forehead with hot fingers, then finally let go of the amulet. “You’re out of danger,” he said. “The Maker protects the impaired, it seems.”

The master sat on the floor, his canes next to him, his robes hiked up to his knees. Gryphon’s lower legs were scarred and shriveled, the flesh leathery and dark, as though they had been burnt. Iron braces extended from his ankles past his knees.

Gryphon followed Han’s gaze. Scowling, he yanked the fabric down to cover himself.

“What happened?” Han said, sorry to be caught staring. “In Aediion, I mean,” he rushed to add.

“We’ve established, beyond any doubt, that you are a fool, Alister,” Gryphon said. “You’ve managed to drain both your amulet and yourself completely. That’s why you needed my help to get back. I hope the journey was worth it.”

The doors to the classroom slammed open, and a tall, angular woman marched in, followed by Fiona. The stranger’s hair was straight and chin length, a steel gray streaked with wizard red. Her robes were edged with heavy embroidery, and the multiple velvet bands on her sleeves said she was a high up.

“What’s going on, Master Gryphon?” she demanded. “Newling Bayar tells me there’s a student in trouble.”

“Dean Abelard!” Gryphon gripped his canes and struggled to rise to his feet, seeming embarrassed to be caught on the floor.

“Can I help?” Dancer asked, squatting next to him. When Gryphon nodded, Dancer slid his hands under the master’s arms and lifted him up. Gryphon shook him off as soon as he was upright. Dancer handed him his double canes.

“There’s no trouble,” Gryphon said. “Newling Alister delayed too long returning from Aediion.”

“From Aediion?” Dean Abelard stared down at Han, biting her lower lip. “Really?”

Gryphon nodded. “He is recovering now.”

Scrunching her robes in her hands, Dean Abelard knelt next to Han. She pressed the back of her hand against his cheek. Her hand felt blazing hot against his cold skin.

“Get the boy some water,” Abelard commanded, and somebody rushed away to fetch it. Moments later, a cup appeared, and Han drank it dry.

Someone knelt next to them, knees pressing into Han’s hip. He turned his head. It was Fiona, lips parted, her pale eyes fixed on his face.

“What’s the matter with him?” she said, leaning forward, her hair brushing Han’s cheek. “Will he survive?”

“If he’s lived this long, then, yes, I expect he will,” Abelard said. “It was good you came to fetch me.”

She reached for Han’s amulet, then jerked her hand back as if startled when she saw the design.

“An interesting choice, Alister,” she murmured, straightening her wizard stoles. “We need to talk about that. Among other things.” And then, without taking her eyes off his face, she said louder, “Master Gryphon, dismiss your class.”

Gryphon turned to face the gawking students. “Newling Alister has demonstrated for us all the price of carelessness and arrogance combined with ignorance. Do take note.” He paused, to let that sink in. “For tomorrow, I want two pages from each of you about your experience in Aediion to share with the rest of the class. Class dismissed.”

The other students collected their things. Han felt the vibration of feet and the touch of eyes as they shuffled out. Fiona didn’t move, as if hoping to be overlooked.

“You too, Fiona,” Gryphon said. “And you, Hayden. Out.”

Fiona’s knees were removed from Han’s side as she stood. He heard her walk away, a door opening and closing.

“I’ll wait and see Alister back to his room,” Dancer said. “Or Healer’s Hall. Wherever he needs to go.”

Abelard looked up at Dancer, taking in his stubborn expression. She sighed. “All right. But step outside a moment, please. We need to speak to Alister in private.”

Dancer shook his head, his blue eyes fixed on the dean. “I’m not—”

“It’s all right,” Han said, waving him off. “I’ll be fine.” He was beginning to feel a little better. A trickle of heat in his middle said his magic was building up again.

Abelard waited until the door closed behind Dancer before she spoke.

“So, Alister,” she said softly, closing her fingers around his wrist. “Tell me all about it.” Power flowed into him. It was hard to resist, depleted as he was.

“Tell you about what?” Han asked. When she continued to stare down into his face, he said, “All I remember is, I felt dizzy, and then I must’ve passed out. I don’t think anything really happened. Magical, I mean.”

“Alister partnered with the copperhead that was just here,” Gryphon said. “His friend returned after a few minutes, but Alister stayed until I dragged him back by force. He was using power like mad. He’d drained his amulet almost completely.”

Abelard frowned. “How long was he gone?”

The master hesitated. “About fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes!” Abelard straightened and stared at Gryphon. “He’s a newling, Master Gryphon. A child, magically speaking. Why didn’t you put a stop to it sooner?”

Gryphon looked like he wished he could get out from under Abelard’s flinty gaze. “I had partnered with another student, since there was an odd number in the class.”

“You should know better than that,” Abelard exploded. “How can you supervise the students if you are attempting travel in Aediion yourself?”

Gryphon held the dean’s gaze. “It was irresponsible. A mistake on my part.” He paused. “It will not happen again, I assure you.”

Abelard turned to Han. “Did Master Gryphon warn you about the consequences of staying too long?” Abelard asked.

The way she said it, Han wasn’t sure who was on trial—him or Gryphon.

Han shifted on the hard floor. “He told us to come right back.”

“Did he tell you why it was so important to return quickly?” Abelard continued.

Han looked at Gryphon, whose gaze was fixed on the ceiling. “We talked about it. If you drain your amulet it’s hard to come back.”

“If you drain your amulet, you cannot come back,” Abelard said. “You remain in the dreamworld forever, while your body lies abandoned. You are dead.”

Well, that was news. Han felt a little queasy. “So you believe in what Kinley says about the dreamworld? I mean, it sounds like most people don’t even think it exists.”

Abelard nodded. “I believe travel in Aediion is rare, but possible. It could be a very useful tool, if we could master it.” The dean fingered a strand of her silver hair. “We do this exercise every fall with the first years. When the students report tomorrow, most will have tried and failed. Some will make up stories, suggesting success. Others—nonbelievers—won’t have even tried.

“But every so often we encounter students like you and — Hayden, who succeed. Most are smart enough to follow directions. Your friend closed the portal on his own and returned. You stayed in Aediion too long. That’s a dangerous business, Alister.”

“What makes you think I succeeded?” Han asked, feeling pinned under the gaze of the dean and the master.

“You were using prodigious amounts of power,” Abelard said. Her sharp, pointed face wore a hungry look that Han mistrusted. “Your amulet is depleted.”

“Maybe it was because I didn’t know what I was doing,” Han said. When in doubt, experience had taught him to deny, and keep denying. “I didn’t do the reading. When my charm didn’t work, I just kept having at it. I guess I lost track of time.”

“You claim you didn’t go anywhere?” Abelard said.

“Not that I remember,” Han said.

Abelard scowled at him, rolling her eyes.

Han was usually a rum liar, but he couldn’t seem to amuse these two.

“Whatever happened,” Gryphon said fiercely, “you need to follow my directions, or you’re out of here.”

“Master Gryphon is right,” Abelard said. “If you persist in taking chances, endangering yourself and others, I will have you expelled and your amulet confiscated. Do you understand me?”

Han closed his hand around his amulet. You can try, he thought, gazing at her straight on.

To his surprise, Abelard smiled. “I don’t know that name. Alister,” she said, giving him another good look-over. “And your speech is — unusual. Where do you live? What is your house? Perhaps I know your family.”

“I’m from Ragmarket,” Han said. Once he got started, the words just tumbled out. “Used to live on Cobble Street, over the stable, before it burnt down. I’m sort of between houses now, since my family’s dead. My mam was Sali Alister, my sister’s name was Mari. Mam was mostly in laundry, but her sideline was ragpicking. Heard of them?”

Wordlessly, Abelard shook her head.

“You will,” Han said, looking the dean in the eyes.

Abelard cleared her throat. “It’s possible that your amulet was responsible for your success,” she said. She reached out and fingered the serpent flash cautiously, as if it might bite. It must have been totally drained of power, since it didn’t react to her touch at all. Han shivered, resisting the temptation to snatch it out of her hand. It was as though she’d reached into his chest and took hold of his heart.

“Where did you get this?” Abelard leaned in close.

“I bought it in the clan markets. Secondhand,” Han said.

“I thought it might be a custom piece,” the dean said. “One with — extra capabilities, since you’re so friendly with the copperheads. That would explain a lot.”

“You think I could afford a custom piece?” Han said. “Friends is friends until it comes to a trade. That’s how it works in the markets.”

“Not many charmcasters would choose a piece of this design,” Abelard said. She paused. “Do you know who else carried an amulet like this?”

“I got no idea,” Han lied. He felt weary and besieged, stripped of his usual charm.

“It’s a reproduction of the amulet carried by the Demon King,” she said.

Han produced a look of surprise. “Huh. Maybe that’s why it went so cheap.”

“Do you have a special interest in dark magic, Alister? Is that it?” Her voice was velvety soft.

“I want to learn about all kinds of magic,” Han said. “That’s why I’m here.”

“There are those who will make assumptions about you based on that amulet, Alister,” she said. “People who believe that all pathways should be open to those who seek knowledge. Those that believe that the end justifies the means.”

Abelard stood abruptly so that now she was towering over him, a black silhouette against the light from the windows. She bent and reached her hands down to help him up and settle him down into a chair. She was surprisingly strong.