The Traitor Queen (The Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)(113)

Lilia shook her head. “I’m not supposed to wear a blood ring made from anyone else’s blood – except Sonea’s and Kallen’s.”

Rothen nodded. “Of course. Whoever supplied the blood would be able to read your thoughts and might learn about black magic. So Gol must wear one made of your blood.”

Lilia turned to Gol. “And you must smash it if anyone tries to get hold of it.”

“Otherwise it could be used against Lilia.” Rothen shook his head. “If only there was another way to follow you. It’s not like we have to track magicians often …” He drew in a quick breath and his eyebrows shot upward. “Ah! Of course! Sonea! We located Sonea before she joined the Guild by sensing her using magic.” He looked at Lilia. “All you have to do is use magic without hiding it. Concealing the use of magic was one of your earliest lessons.”

She nodded. Every year, when new novices joined the Guild, she detected a few of them using magic before they were taught how to conceal it. “But won’t Skellin sense that, too?”

“Only if he’s trying to. If you do something small and constant, like holding a shield, that may lessen the chance he’d notice, too.”

“So you track me using magic,” Lilia said, “while Gol wears my blood ring because he’s more likely to recognise where I am.”

“Once you have tracked Lilia to Skellin, are you strong enough to fight him if something goes wrong?” Jonna asked Rothen.

“Skellin and Lorandra,” Gol added.

Rothen frowned and shook his head. “I doubt it. But between Lilia and me, we may be strong enough. We can’t risk recruiting another magician in case they are Skellin’s source. I wish Dannyl was here,” he added in a murmur.

“I can be as strong as I need to be,” Lilia pointed out, meeting Rothen’s gaze and holding it.

He grimaced. “It would be better if you avoided breaking the law against using black magic without permission. But … perhaps we can bend it a little. I will give you permission, as a Higher Magician, but that doesn’t comply with the law completely since it is supposed to be agreed upon by all Higher Magicians.”

Lilia looked down. If anything goes wrong, and the Guild doesn’t agree with him bending the law, he’ll lose his position. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Allowing you to go to this meeting, when there’s a chance you’ll be forced to teach a rogue black magic, is far worse than allowing you to strengthen yourself using willing volunteers. I can give you my strength tonight.”

“And mine,” Jonna said.

“Mine, too,” Gol added.

Rothen nodded. “I will recover my strength overnight.”

“Will we?” Jonna asked.

“Yes.”

“Then take strength from me tomorrow as well,” Jonna said. “It’s not as if I use it. Perhaps, if we give Lilia enough magic, she’ll be able drag Skellin back here with her.”

“Let’s concentrate on getting Anyi back,” Rothen said.

“Of course,” Jonna agreed. “But if there’s an opportunity to catch Skellin at the same time, let’s do it. It’s about time the King of the Underworld became the Inmate of the Lookout.”

The dusk sky was slowly darkening. No clouds hovered overhead for the sun to paint in colourful shades. Looking down from the rooftop, Lorkin wondered how this could be the same city he’d entered with Dannyl so long ago, excited at the prospect of being assistant to the Guild Ambassador to Sachaka. It feels like years ago, but not even one year has passed since we arrived.

Though the walls and buildings had not changed since Lorkin had left Arvice in the slave cart, the population had. Before, slaves had hurried up and down the streets, keeping their distance from carriages bearing their masters. Now the streets were crowded as ex-slaves fled the city centre, most on foot, some clinging to stolen carriages and carts.

A small group had been waiting when Savara and her team arrived at the mansion chosen as the gathering place before the battle. After taking the strength offered by the ex-slaves, Savara had sent them away, then split her team – now over sixty Traitors – into two groups: one to watch and guard, the other to arrange a meal and bedding. As the arrangements were made, Savara had headed for the roof.

“Why aren’t the Ashaki trying to stop them leaving?” Lorkin wondered aloud.

“Another man’s slave is another man’s problem,” Savara quoted. “They’re probably too busy trying to stop their own slaves escaping than worrying about everyone else’s.”

“In most estates, slaves came and went all the time,” Tyvara told him. “How else could they get food and other goods to the estate? All that kept them in place was the fact that there was nowhere to run to. An escaped slave would eventually be caught, and sent back to his master.”

“Unless an Ashaki manages to round up and imprison all of his slaves in one place, he can’t stop some of them getting away.” Savara’s eyes narrowed as she looked over the rooftops. “And plenty of Ashaki are away from home, fighting us.”

Lorkin followed her gaze. How many of these mansions house Ashaki preparing to face us in battle? How many are empty? So far Savara’s team had only fought small groups of Ashaki. He’d wondered at that, but reports via message stones had told of a larger, more organised army of Ashaki west of the city. After it had surprised and defeated one of her teams, Savara had ordered Traitors in that area to avoid it by circling around and joining teams to the north and south.