The Traitor Queen (The Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)(38)

Entering the University, she turned into one of the narrow corridors between the classrooms, and headed for the small room at its end that led to the inner passages. Somewhere behind her Lilia heard the sound of echoing footsteps following her. Probably a novice heading for a private class. The inner passages were usually quieter than the main part of the University, but she’d have to be careful nobody saw her slip through the secret door.

The odd little room that divided the main and inner parts of the University contained a wall of locked cabinets. Apparently these rooms had been bare until the former University Director had died, and his replacement had decided that no storage space should be wasted. Lilia pushed through the door opposite and entered the inner passages.

She had taken ten or so steps when she heard the door to the other side of the little room open and close, muffled by the door behind her. Whoever followed was gaining on her. She lengthened her stride in the hope that she would turn a corner before this other person would emerge and see her, but the distance was too great. She heard the door open behind her, then a laugh.

“Hey, Lilia,” a voice called. “Where you going?”

Her heart sank. Bokkin. From the menace in his tone she knew he had been tailing her. She stopped and turned to regard him. How stupid can this boy get? He doesn’t know how strong or weak I am. He doesn’t even have any friends with him to gang up on me. If he’s hoping I’m up to something that he could turn me in for, he shouldn’t have called out to me before he found out what it was.

Even so, he had messed up her plans. Perhaps that was all he was aiming for.

“Come to offer me your powers, Bokkin?” she asked.

He sauntered toward her. “You’ve got big ideas about yourself now, haven’t you? Think you’re better than anyone because you know black magic. It’s the other way around, you know. You’re the lowest scum of the Guild and everyone hates you. That’s why you’ve got no friends. Everyone knows Naki’s death was your fault.”

She felt something shrivel inside her, but instead of it making her cringe away from him it left a void that quickly filled with anger.

Be careful, she warned herself. Show anger and he’ll know he’s got to you, and accidentally injuring another novice will only add to the reasons people don’t like you.

She smiled. “Glad you got that off your chest, Bokkin?”

He moved closer, trying again to intimidate her with his bulk and height. “Yes. But I’m not done with you. I want you to apologise – no, I want you to beg me …”

The door behind them opened and he quickly stepped back.

“Lady Lilia.”

Confusion and relief rose as Lilia recognised Jonna’s voice. She peered past Bokkin to see the servant approaching. The woman bowed briskly at them both.

“A message came for you,” Jonna said. She pushed past Bokkin. “Excuse me, my Lord.”

Jonna placed a hand on Lilia’s arm and guided her along the passage, away from Bokkin. The novice remained silent, and Lilia didn’t dignify him with a backwards glance. She and Jonna turned a corner. When they had continued far enough Jonna glanced back.

“He’s not following us. Was he bothering you?”

Lilia shrugged. “He’s a troublemaker, but a pretty thickheaded one.”

“Don’t dismiss him too quickly. He may come back with others. Sonea had enemies among the novices when she was learning here, and they made her life here a torment.”

“Really? Who was the leader?” How humiliating to live your life known as the novice stupid enough to have picked on the famous Black Magician Sonea.

Jonna looked amused. “Lord Regin.”

Lilia stared at her in astonishment. “Really? He’s not dumb.”

“No.”

“I guess novice bullies were smarter in those days.”

Jonna patted her arm firmly. “What I want to know is, where are you going with a bottle of lamp oil in your bag?”

Lilia looked down at her bag then back up at Jonna. “What bottle? I left it in the room.”

“You most certainly did not, and it’s obvious from the way that bag is bulging and swinging that you have it in there.” Jonna frowned in a motherly, disapproving way. “I told Sonea I’d keep an eye on you. I helped raise Sonea’s son, Lorkin, so I know how to spot when a novice is up to something.”

Lilia gazed at the servant in dismay. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell Jonna about Cery, Gol and Anyi living under the Guild, but she had agreed not to. But if I don’t, Jonna won’t get me the things they need.

Jonna had lived in the slums before she became Sonea’s servant. She would surely empathise with Cery’s situation. Even if she didn’t, perhaps she would help out of sympathy for Anyi.

But am I being too trusting?

“Tell me, Lilia,” Jonna said. “I may not like it, but I promise I won’t report it to the Guild.” She frowned. “Well, unless you’re teaching someone black magic. Though I suppose I wouldn’t have turned Sonea and Akkarin in, if I’d known what was really going on.”

“I’m not teaching anyone black magic,” Lilia told her, and winced at the sound of protest in her voice. She drew in a deep breath, lowered her tone to a whisper. “Anyi is living under the Guild.”