The Traitor Queen (The Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)(143)

Lilia took a deep breath. “For some time now Anyi – my friend and the Thief Cery’s bodyguard – have been visiting me in the Guild via the underground passages …” Watching the faces of the Higher Magicians, Lilia saw eyes sharpen and jaws harden, but as she told of the arrival of Cery and his injured bodyguard some softened with understanding. Kallen frowned, but she could not tell if it was from disapproval at her keeping this secret from him, or guilt that his failure to find Skellin had led to the situation.

A few smiled at the trap Cery had planned, arranging for Skellin to walk right into their midst. But then all signs of amusement faded as she described how the trap had failed, of Cery’s death and Anyi’s abduction and, she saw with satisfaction, displeasure in all faces at Skellin’s claim that he had sources in the Guild.

Rothen then took over, telling of their plans to rescue Anyi without the help or approval of the Guild for fear of alerting Skellin’s source. He stopped at the point where Lilia boarded the ship, then looked to her to finish the story.

It was harder than she had expected to describe how she had defeated Skellin and Lorandra. I killed someone with black magic. And yet Skellin’s death wasn’t as nasty as Lorandra’s. Now and then she remembered the woman’s screams. What had been easy to forget on the day had turned into a memory that refused to fade.

When she had finished, the inevitable questions came.

“You left the grounds and used black magic without permission,” Lady Vinara said.

Lilia nodded and bowed her head.

“Actually, she didn’t,” Rothen told them. “I gave her permission to do both.”

“Permission ought to be obtained from all Higher Magicians, or at least the High Lord,” Osen said, but then he smiled and spread his hands. “However, there was reason to suspect corruption among us. Caution was the best approach, in this instance.”

“If Lilia is to fulfil her role as a black magician in future, she should not regard us with unquestioning trust,” Kallen agreed.

Balkan nodded. “I agree. It is more important that we discover who Skellin’s source is.”

“We have a new clue: the magician who delayed Jonna reaching Lilia,” Vinara pointed out. She turned to the servant. “Who was it?”

Jonna’s eyes widened as all attention turned to her. Then her gaze flickered across the room. “Lord Telano.”

All turned to regard the Head of Healing Studies. He looked around the room, then threw up his hands.

“A coincidence,” he protested. “So I tried to help her find Lady Lilia and got the room wrong. That proves nothing.”

“But it is interesting, in light of your recent behaviour,” Vinara said. “It would explain why—”

“Wait,” Osen interrupted. “Lady Lilia. Jonna. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?” As they shook their heads he nodded. “Please wait outside the room.”

“Lilia should stay,” Kallen said. “We may have need of her.”

Lilia stared at him in surprise. Surely, if he was one of Skellin’s spies, he wouldn’t want me here. Osen looked around the rooms and she was even more astonished to see most of the magicians nodding. Except Lord Telano. What had Vinara said? “… in light of your recent behaviour.” What had he done?

“Very well,” Osen said. “Stay, Lilia.”

Jonna took that as her cue to leave. Rothen moved to an empty chair and sat down, leaving Lilia as the only one standing. All attention had returned to Telano.

“Lord Telano,” Vinara said. “Were you Skellin’s source in the Guild?”

“No,” Telano replied firmly.

“Then why is it that the roet most of the magicians and novices acquired can be traced back to you?”

“Why have my assistants seen you visiting members of the underworld and bringing back packages?” Kallen asked.

“I like smoking roet,” Telano said, throwing his hands in the air again. “So do others. There is no law against it.”

“There will be soon,” Vinara said quietly.

“But there is a law against working with criminals,” Osen pointed out.

“I didn’t work with anyone. I just happened to have bought their products. Plenty of magicians do this, often unwittingly.” Telano gestured to Lilia. “She has knowingly worked for a Thief. Nobody is questioning that.”

“We’ll get to it,” Vinara assured him. “You’ve defended yourself with this reasoning for a while now, Lord Telano, but it doesn’t explain your attempt to destroy our roet crop. For someone who likes roet, that seems … odd.”

He shook his head. “I thought the Thieves had somehow set themselves up here.”

“Really? That wasn’t your excuse when we first caught you.”

“I didn’t know who to trust. You could have been colluding with them. After all, it turns out there is a spy in the Guild.”

“A simple mind-read would establish your innocence,” Lord Peakin said.

The room fell silent. Looking around, Lilia saw both reluctance and hope. They’ve wanted it done for a while, but are worried what the consequences will be if he’s innocent. He’ll resent them for distrusting him, at the least.

But what if he was guilty? That would be even worse.