“That’s what I say.”Bertie chortled.“But young love and all.What can you do?”
“What I can do is call Ferdinand Elal to my office,” the provost said, sending an interoffice message to Priyan.“We’ll find out what he knows.Would you like to remain and speak with him, also, Lady Phel?”
Nic didn’t particularly wish to see her little brother, but it was her responsibility to the house.Both houses.House Elal may have rejected her, but she still owed loyalty and responsibility to all the people encompassed by the house of her birth.She also realized the implicit part of Tandiya’s offer: that the provost would eavesdrop mentally on Nander and sift out the information he didn’t speak aloud.
She nodded.“I appreciate that.And then I’d like to speak with Professor Morghana Seraphiel.”
The provost gave her an arrested look.“Might I inquire why?”
“No doubt having to do with the other two prongs you have yet to detail,” Gabriel prompted with a quirk of his lips.
“Yes.Number two is that we need to discover who on the council can be swayed to vote to implement the Anciela Method and change the laws regarding citizenship for familiars and mundanes.”
“Ifthe method works,” the provost cautioned.
“It works,” Nic said firmly, wondering in her heart of hearts if her certainty came more from wishful thinking than logic.No, she was as sure of this as anything.“No one invests centuries of effort in suppressing a technique that doesn’t work.”
“And that amount of effort means that swaying those houses will be that much more difficult,” Tandiya murmured, but didn’t argue.“I can guess at the third prong, given your request to speak with Morghana.You want to discover where House Seraphiel stands regarding the use of the dark arts against Hanneil, should it come to that?”
No surprise that the provost knew that already.Some of it could be mind-reading, but Nic supposed that it was most likely the same logical path she’d followed.“I have reason to think they will.Is it true that the dark arts are really the one truly effective defense against psychic magic?”
Tandiya cocked her head.“Is House Elal asking House Uriel that question?”
Gabriel twitched beside her and it was Nic’s turn to put a staying hand on him.She understood the question, and the reason for it.“I have no intention of pitting House Elal against anyone.While I maintain responsibility to the house of my birth, my loyalty is to House Phel.If we’re counting up votes and sides in the certainly coming conflict, I—and I believe I speak for Lord Phel, as well—and House Phel will stand with House Uriel and the side of right.”
“Even against Elal?”Tandiya pressed.
“Even so.”
“Even if Alise is Lady Elal?”
Nic hesitated only fractionally.“I know Alise.If she is Lady Elal, then she’ll be on our side as well.”
The provost eyed her a moment longer, her magic lightly probing the truth and conviction of Nic’s words.Nic found she liked and respected the Uriel wizard even more for making certain of this.They would have to be careful going forward, assessing the strength of the alliances.A single high house switching sides could spell disaster.
“And if Seraphiel agrees?”Tandiya pressed.
Nic smiled, feeling the grim stretch of it.“We prepare to fight.”
Gabriel and Bertiewent to find Órlaith Harahel, who’d apparently been allowed to borrow an office to interview any House Harahel archivists for their role in concealing the Phel archives.Han and Iliana went to arrange for a message to be sent to Asa.Nic and the provost awaited Nander’s arrival.Tandiya asked Priyan to bring them refreshments, solicitous of Nic’s wellbeing, and even offered her privacy to express the breast milk.
“I had six babies,” the provost noted with an expression part sentimental nostalgia and part weariness.“I remember—vividly—what it’s like to be away from a newborn.”
“Speaking of children,” Nic said later, as Nander had still not been found—because he was apparently not in class as he should have been and the proctors had to be mobilized to root him out of wherever he was slacking off—“at least tangentially, I’d like to settle the matter of Alise and her formal graduation.”
Tandiya raised her brows.“I was surprised Lord Phel hadn’t brought that up already.”
That gave Nic pause.“Would you prefer to negotiate with Lord Phel?”she asked carefully.She’d become too accustomed to feeling like a full partner in the running of House Phel, forgetting that as a familiar, to most of the Convocation, she was little more than a walking, talking piece of furniture.
But Provost Uriel gave her such a stern look that Nic had to steel her spine not to wilt.“Don’t be ridiculous, Lady Phel.There might be hidebound traditionalists in the Convocation, but I am not one.”She produced documents.“Certification from Alise’s professors that she’s met all requirements, with flying colors.”She smiled at Nic’s shock.“House Uriel is happy to assist who we all fervently hope will be the new head of House Elal.”
Between that happy surprise, being able to express her milk, and have a bit of rest, by the time Nander was located, Nic was feeling much better.Good enough to face her wastrel little brother.She hoped.
Nander slouched resentfully into the proctor’s spacious office, escorted by one of the Hanneil proctors Nic remembered from her student days.The proctor withdrew faster than Nic could search her memory for a name.Her brother had his hands deep in pockets and magic like sour wine.In fact, he also smelled like sour wine, which likely explained where he’d been instead of in class.“Provost Uriel,” Nander said with a sullen sneer and bloodshot wizard-black eyes—a disconcerting effect.“Why have I been dragged out of bed to—Nic?”
His shock and astonishment might be gratifying if Nic wasn’t so immediately concerned about Nander’s state.He looked like he’d been drinking in a tavern all night and slept in the gutter.Alise had said that Nander had become even more insufferable since believing himself the heir to House Elal, but she hadn’t mentioned any increased dissipation.Had this happened just since Alise had returned to apprentice with their father?Entirely possible.For the first time, Nic felt something beyond aggravation and contempt for the spoiled, selfish, and bratty Nander.She actually felt sorry for him.
“Shouldn’t you be chained up and going through retraining somewhere, Familiar Nicky?”Nander drawled.
