Rothen had never felt so ill. The last day had been one of the longest in his life. He had been dreading the Hearing, yet was also impatient for it to begin. He needed to hear Akkarin’s excuses, and to know what had drawn Sonea into breaking a law. He wanted to see Akkarin punished for what he had done to Sonea. Yet he also dreaded the moment Sonea’s punishment would be announced.
Two long lines of magicians stood along the length of the Guildhall. Behind them were two lines of novices, ready to give their strength if it was needed. A low buzz of voices had filled the room as all waited for the Hearing to begin.
“Here they come,” Dannyl murmured.
Two figures entered the hall. One wore black robes, the other the brown of a novice. Akkarin walked as confidently as he always had. Sonea…Rothen felt a pang of sympathy as he saw how she was keeping her gaze on the floor, her expression fearful and self-conscious.
The Higher Magicians followed, their expressions wary and grim. When Akkarin and Sonea reached the end of the hall, they stopped. Rothen was pleased to see that Sonea was keeping her distance from the High Lord. The Higher Magicians stepped around the pair and formed a row before the tiered seats at the front of the hall. The remaining magicians escorting the pair formed a large circle around the two accused.
Rothen and Dannyl followed as all the other magicians and novices moved to the seats on either side. When everyone was settled, Lorlen struck a small gong.
“All kneel to King Merin, ruler of Kyralia,” he intoned.
Sonea looked up in surprise. She stared at the top row of tiered seats as the King appeared with two magicians. A dark, vibrant orange cloak of shimmering cloth surrounded his shoulders, with the royal mullook sewn in gold all over it. An enormous gold halfmoon hung across his chest: the royal pendant.
As the entire Guild dropped to one knee, Rothen watched Sonea carefully. She glanced at Akkarin and, as she saw he was going to kneel too, followed suit. Then she looked up at the King again.
He could guess what she was thinking. Here was the man who ordered the Purge each year, the man who, two and a half years before, had ordered her family and neighbors to be evicted from their homes.
The King surveyed the room, then stared down at Akkarin, his expression unreadable. His eyes slid to Sonea, and she looked down at the floor. Satisfied, he stepped back and sat down in his chair.
After a pause, the magicians began to rise again. The Higher Magicians climbed to their places among the tiered seats at the front. Akkarin continued to kneel until all grew quiet again, then stood.
Lorlen looked around the hall, then nodded. “We have called this Hearing today to judge Akkarin of family Delvon, of House Velan, High Lord of the Magicians’ Guild, and Sonea, his novice. Akkarin has been accused of murdering Lord Jolen of House Saril, and his family and servants, and of seeking knowledge of, learning, and practicing black magic. Sonea has been accused of seeking knowledge of black magic.
“These crimes are of the most serious kind. The evidence to support them will be presented for us to judge. I call forth the first speaker, Lord Balkan, Head of Warrior Skills.”
Balkan rose from his seat and descended to the floor. He turned to face the King, and dropped to one knee.
“I swear that all I speak in this Hearing will be the truth.”
The King remained expressionless and made no gesture to acknowledge Balkan’s words.
The Warrior straightened and faced the assembled magicians.
“Two nights ago, I heard a faint call from Lord Jolen. It was clear that he was in some trouble. When I could not contact him again, I visited his family home.
“I found Lord Jolen, and his entire household, dead. Every man, woman and child, be they family or servant had perished. On closer investigation, I found evidence that the murderer had entered through the window in Lord Jolen’s room, indicating, perhaps, that Lord Jolen had been the first victim.
“I did not search the bodies for the cause of death, leaving that task to Lady Vinara. When she arrived, I continued on to the Guard House. When I arrived I found that Captain Barran, the guard investigating the recent spate of murders in the city, had just interviewed a witness to the crime.”
Balkan paused and looked up at Lorlen. “But before I summon Captain Barran, I recommend we hear what Lady Vinara found in her investigations.”
Lorlen nodded. “I call forth Lady Vinara, Head of Healers.”
Lady Vinara rose and descended gracefully to the floor. She turned, knelt to the King and swore the oath of truth. Then she rose and regarded the audience gravely.
“When I arrived at Lord Jolen’s family home I examined the bodies of twenty-nine victims. All bore a few scratches and bruises around their necks, and no other injury. They had not been strangled, suffocated or poisoned. Lord Jolen’s body was still intact, which was the first sign that alerted me to the cause of death. On examination, I found that his body had been completely drained of energy, leaving me to conclude that Lord Jolen had either expelled all his strength as he died, or it had been taken from him. Examination of the other bodies confirmed the latter cause. All members of the household were drained of energy, and since none but Lord Jolen could have exhausted themselves deliberately, I was left with one remaining explanation.” She paused, her expression grim. “Lord Jolen, his family and the servants were killed with black magic.”
The hall filled with low voices at this revelation. Rothen shuddered. It was too easy to picture Akkarin slipping into the house, stalking his victims and killing them. He looked down at the High Lord. Akkarin watched Vinara soberly.
“A closer examination of Lord Jolen’s body revealed faint finger marks in blood on the neck,” the Healer continued. She glanced at Akkarin. “It also revealed this, still clutched in one hand.”
Vinara looked to one side and beckoned. A magician approached, carrying a box. She opened it and lifted up a piece of black cloth.
Gold embroidery glittered in the light. Enough of the incal remained for it to be recognizable as the High Lord’s. The creaking of wood and rustling of robes filled the hall as magicians shifted in their seats, and the buzz of voices grew louder.
Vinara draped the cloth over the top of the box, then gave both back to her assistant. He moved away to stand at the side of the hall. Vinara looked at Akkarin, who was now frowning, then glanced over her shoulder to nod to Lorlen.
“I call forth Captain Barran, investigator of the Guard,” Lorlen said.
The room quietened again as, from one side, a man in guard uniform entered, knelt to the King and spoke the vow. Rothen estimated the man was in his mid-twenties. The rank of captain was high for a man of his youth, but such positions were occasionally given to younger men of the Houses, if they proved to be talented or hardworking.
The Captain cleared his throat. “Half an hour before Lord Balkan came to see me, a young woman entered the Guard House claiming to have seen the murderer that has been preying on this city these last weeks.
“She told me she was returning home from delivering fruit and vegetables to one of the houses in the Inner Circle. She was still carrying the empty basket and a token of admission to the area. While passing the family home of Lord Jolen, she heard screams from inside. The screams stopped and she hurried on, but as she reached the next house she heard a door open behind her. She hid in a doorway, from which she saw a man emerge from the servants’ entrance of Lord Jolen’s family home. This man wore black magicians’ robes, with an incal on the sleeve. His hands were bloodied, and he carried a curved blade, with gemstones set into the handle.”
Exclamations echoed through the hall as the Guild expressed its horror. Rothen nodded to himself as he remembered the knife Sonea had described Akkarin using when she had spied on him so long ago. Lorlen raised a hand and the noise gradually subsided.
“What did you do then?”
“I took her name and noted the workplace on her token. At your request, I sought her out the next day. Her employer to
ld me that she had not returned to work that morning, and gave me her family’s address. Her family were concerned, as she had not returned to her home that night either.
“I feared that she had been murdered,” Barran continued. “Later that day we found her body. Like Lord Jolen, his household, and many of the other murders I have investigated these last few weeks, she bore no wounds except for a shallow cut.”
He paused, and his eyes strayed to Akkarin, who remained calm and outwardly unmoved.
“Though I was able to identify her as the witness, we called the family to the Guard House to verify. They told us this woman was not their daughter, but confirmed that she was wearing their daughter’s clothing. They were distraught to find that another dead girl we had discovered, naked and apparently strangled, was their daughter. Another puzzling discovery was that the witness was found carrying a knife just like the one she had described the murderer carrying. Needless to say, all this casts some doubts on the integrity of the witness.”
The hall echoed with subdued voices. The Captain looked back at Lorlen. “That is all I can tell you for now.”
The Administrator rose. “We will take a break to discuss and examine the evidence. Lady Vinara, Lord Balkan and Lord Sarrin will convey your views to me.”
At once the hall began to echo with raised voices as magicians gathered into groups to discuss and speculate. Yaldin turned to face Dannyl and Rothen.
“The knife could have been planted on the witness when she was killed.”
Dannyl shook his head. “Perhaps, but why would she lie about who she was? Why was she wearing the other woman’s clothes? Was she paid or bribed to take the other woman’s place, without realizing she would be killed? But that would mean it was all prearranged.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would Akkarin arrange for a witness to identify him?” Yaldin asked.
Dannyl drew in a quick breath. “In case there were other witnesses. If this one’s story was disproved, any others would be cast into doubt.”
Yaldin chuckled. “Either that or there’s a black magician out there trying to have Akkarin blamed for his crimes. Akkarin could be innocent.”
Rothen shook his head.
“You don’t agree?” Dannyl asked.
“Akkarin uses black magic,” Rothen told him.
“You don’t know that. They found books on black magic in his rooms,” Dannyl pointed out. “That doesn’t prove that he actually uses it.”
Rothen frowned. But I know he does. I have proof, I…I just can’t tell anyone. Lorlen asked me to keep our involvement secret, and Sonea wants me to help Lorlen.
At first Rothen had assumed the Administrator was trying to protect them both. He had realized later that Lorlen’s position in the Guild would be weakened if he revealed that he had known about Akkarin’s crime for years. If the Guild suspected Lorlen of conspiring with Akkarin, it would lose confidence in someone it needed to trust.
Unless…was Lorlen still hoping to avoid a confrontation with Akkarin by allowing him to be proven innocent? Rothen frowned and shook his head. One crime had been proven without a doubt: Akkarin and Sonea had both been in possession of forbidden books. That alone would have them expelled from the Guild. Lorlen could not prevent that.
Rothen’s stomach sank. Every time he thought about Sonea being expelled, it hurt. After all she had gone through—believing the Guild wanted to kill her, nearly losing control of her powers, capture, being blackmailed by Fergun, enduring the harassment of the other novices, bearing the scorn of magicians, becoming Akkarin’s hostage, giving up Dorrien’s affection—she would lose everything she had worked so hard for.
He drew in a deep breath and brought his mind back to the question of Lorlen’s intentions. Perhaps Lorlen hoped that Akkarin would accept expulsion and go. If Akkarin was faced with execution, however, he might not be so cooperative. And if the threat of execution pushed Akkarin into fighting the Guild, Sonea would probably help him. She might die in the battle. Perhaps it would be better if the Guild expelled them.
But if the Guild expelled Akkarin, it was required to block his powers first. Rothen doubted Akkarin would accept that either. Was there any way they could resolve this without it coming to a fight?
Rothen was vaguely aware that Dannyl had left to speak to Lord Sarrin. Yaldin seemed to have realized that Rothen was deep in thought, and had left him alone. After several minutes, Lorlen’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Please return to your seats.”
Dannyl reappeared, looking smug. “Have I told you how much I love being an Ambassador?”
Rothen nodded. “Many times.”
“People listen to me now.”
As magicians took their seats, quiet returned to the hall. Lorlen looked down at the Head of Warriors.
“I call on Lord Balkan to continue.”
The Warrior straightened. “Two nights ago, after learning of the murders, Vinara’s conclusions, and examining the evidence and the witness’ story, it was decided that the High Lord must be questioned. I soon learned that the residence was empty, but for the High Lord’s servant, so I ordered it searched.”
He looked at Sonea. “The first disturbing discovery we made was of three books on black magic in Sonea’s room. One had small pieces of paper inserted between the pages, with notes written in her own hand.”
He paused, and a disapproving murmur followed. Rothen forced himself to look at Sonea. She was staring at the floor, her jaw set with determination. He thought of her excuse: “To understand my enemy.”
“Continuing our search, we found all doors unlocked but one. It was bound by powerful magic and appeared to lead to an underground room. The High Lord’s servant claimed it was a storeroom and that he had no access to it. Lord Garrel ordered that the servant turn the handle, having guessed that the man was lying. When the servant refused, Lord Garrel took hold of the man’s hand and placed it on the handle.
“The door opened and we entered a large room. In it we found a chest containing more books on black magic, many of them quite old. Some of these books had been copied by the High Lord. One contained his own records of his experiments and use of black magic. On the table…” Balkan stopped as the cries of outrage in the hall drowned his words.
Dannyl turned to Rothen, his eyes wide.
“Use of black magic,” he repeated. “You know what that means.”
Rothen nodded. He could barely breathe. The Guild, by law, must execute Akkarin. Lorlen was not going to be able to prevent a confrontation now.
And I have nothing to lose by trying to prevent Sonea from being expelled.
From where he stood, Lorlen could see heads shaking and arms moving in rapid, expressive gestures. Some magicians were still and silent, obviously stunned by this revelation.
Akkarin stood calmly, watching it all.
Lorlen considered how the Hearing had gone so far. As he’d expected, Captain Barran’s news had caused the magicians to question the evidence, and the possibility that Akkarin was the murderer. Some had asked why the High Lord would walk boldly out into the street after committing a crime. Others had proposed that Akkarin had deliberately arranged for a witness to come forward and then be discredited so that any other witnesses might be dismissed, too. This could not be proven, however. More than one magician had noted the cleanly cut edges of the scrap of cloth. Surely Akkarin would have noticed if Jolen had cut away part of his robes. He would not leave such a damning piece of evidence behind.
Lorlen was sure Akkarin would not have been found guilty of murder if the books on black magic had not been discovered. But now that the Guild knew of Akkarin’s secret, it would believe him capable of anything. The murder charge was irrelevant. If the Guild followed its law, it would vote for his execution.
Lorlen drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. There were tantalizing references to a group of magicians who used black magic in Akkarin’s notebooks. Lord Sarrin was worried about the possibility th
at such a group still existed. Akkarin had said there were good reasons for what he did.
Now, at last, Lorlen could finally ask what it was.
Standing up, he raised his hands for silence. The clamor died away surprisingly quickly. The magicians were eager to hear Akkarin questioned, Lorlen guessed.
“Does anyone have further evidence to offer this Hearing?”
A moment of silence followed, then somewhere to the right came a voice.
“I have, Administrator.”
Rothen’s voice was calm and clear. All faces in the hall turned toward the Alchemist. Lorlen stared at him in dismay.
“Lord Rothen,” he forced himself to say. “Please come down to the floor.”
Rothen descended to stand next to Balkan. He glanced at Akkarin, and the anger was clear in his face. Following his gaze, Lorlen saw that Akkarin was looking up at him. He slipped his hand in his pocket and felt the smoothness of the ring.
—I asked him to stay silent, Lorlen said.
—Perhaps you didn’t ask nicely enough.
Rothen dropped to one knee and swore the oath of truth. Standing up again, he looked at the Higher Magicians.
“Sonea told me that the High Lord practiced black magic over two years ago.”
The hall filled with whispers and murmuring.
“She had witnessed him taking power from his servant. Though she did not understand what she had seen, I did. I…” He looked down. “I had heard much about the High Lord’s strength and feared what he might do if challenged by the Guild. I hesitated to speak out. Before I could decide what to do, the High Lord learned that we had discovered his secret. He claimed Sonea’s guardianship, and since then she has been his hostage, ensuring that I would not reveal his crime.”
As exclamations of anger and outrage filled the hall, Lorlen sighed with relief. Rothen had concealed Lorlen’s part in it, and had risked nothing by mentioning his own. Then he saw why Rothen had spoken out. By revealing that Sonea had been Akkarin’s victim, he might have given her a hope of reprieve.
Looking around the hall, Lorlen read shock and concern in the magicians’ faces. He noted that Dannyl was staring at Rothen in open-mouthed amazement. He also noted that the novices now gazed at her in sympathy and even admiration. For a long time they had thought her unjustly favored by the High Lord. Instead she had been his prisoner.