The Traitor Queen (The Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)(19)

“I was much the same,” she explained. “If only Lord Yikmo hadn’t been killed in the Ichani Invasion. He was good at teaching reluctant novices.”

“Lady Rol Ley had studied Yikmo’s methods,” Balkan said, his expression thoughtful. “She teaches many of the standard classes all novices attend, so she will know Lilia’s strengths and weaknesses.”

“She sounds like she could help,” Sonea said. “I’d offer to if I wasn’t about to leave.”

“Maybe you can when you get back,” Osen said. “Is there anything else we need to discuss.”

“Nothing that can’t be relayed through blood rings,” Glarrin said. “We should not delay Sonea’s leaving more than necessary.”

Osen looked at her. “Is there anything you must do before you go?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Then you had better let your assistant know he’ll be leaving tomorrow night.”

She stood up. “If we’re done here, I’ll do that next.”

Final-year Warrior classes had never been a part of Lilia’s plans for the future. According to the University standards, she had achieved the minimum level of understanding and skill required for a novice to graduate. She ought to be off in the Healer’s Quarters learning advanced techniques, but instead she was being roundly trounced by novices destined to be the next generation of red-robed magicians.

They were finding her presence in the class fascinating. It wasn’t every day that a novice or magician got to practise fighting with and against a black magician. They didn’t even seem to mind that she wasn’t good at it, because the lessons were mostly demonstrations with little actual magic used. She wasn’t allowed to take and store power – not even if that power was given willingly. But she had to admit that, when the lessons didn’t involve her making decisions or taking the initiative, she found them as interesting as the other novices did.

Black magic certainly changed the dynamics of fighting. She’d have thought being able to steal magic from a person would be the most useful black magic ability in battle, but it wasn’t. It still required her to get close enough to that person to cut their skin and break their natural barrier against magical outside interference. By the time she had worn an enemy down enough to do this, there was little magic left to take.

Being able to store magic was a much bigger advantage. It was disturbing how it made non-black magicians redundant, once they’d given their power to a black magician. It was also frightening to realise how important it made her, over the others. And more of a target.

When it came to actually engaging in a fight, she nearly always made the wrong decisions, acted too soon or hesitated too long. As her latest attack on the “enemy” scattered ineffectually off his shield, Black Magician Kallen called a halt.

“Better,” he told her. He looked around the Arena. The tall spires supporting the invisible barrier of magic that protected everything outside from the practice bouts within were now casting shorter shadows on the ground. “That’s enough,” he said, looking at the trainee Warriors. “You may go.”

They all looked surprised, but did not argue. Kallen waited as they left through the short tunnel entrance, then walked beside Lilia as she followed them.

“Wait, Lilia,” he said as they emerged.

He said nothing as the other novices strode away, but then sighed. Looking up at him, Lilia saw that he was scowling, but his expression smoothed as he noticed her looking at him. She looked down and waited for his assessment.

“You’re improving,” he said. “It may not feel like it, but you are learning how to respond to different challenges.”

“I am?” She blinked at him in surprise. “You looked so … disappointed.”

His mouth thinned into a grim line and he looked over at the University. “I am merely annoyed at my own deficiencies.”

Looking closer, she saw a tension in his face. Something about his eyes brought a sudden jolt of pain as a memory of Naki rose. Naki with that same distressed look about her, which usually led straight to the lighting of her roet brazier.

A shiver of realisation ran down Lilia’s spine. She had smelled roet smoke on Kallen, wafting from his robes, once or twice before. Never before a Warrior lesson, thankfully. She did not like the idea of fighting against or relying on the shield of someone taking a drug that reduced their ability to care about their actions.

If he hadn’t smoked any roet before this lesson, was he now craving it as a result? Was that why he’d ended the class early?

Taking a step away, he opened his mouth to speak. “Well that’s all—”

“I have a message from Cery,” she said.

He stopped, his gaze sharpening. “Yes?”

“He was attacked. Someone betrayed him. He has had to go into hiding and let people think he’s dead. You won’t be able to meet him for a while. It’s too risky.”

Kallen’s brows lowered. “Was he injured?”

She shook her head and felt a small pang of gratitude at his concern. Not what I would have expected. Maybe he isn’t as cold and rigid as I thought. “One of his bodyguards was, but he’s fine now. He asks that you not tell anybody that he is alive, and that you send messages through me and Anyi.”