Alise walked backto Cillian’s apartment alone.She was wiped out, but he seemed to actually thrive on the work of decrypting Anciela’s files, looking as bright-eyed as ever.Alise knew full well that there was no stopping Cillian once he was on the scent of solving a puzzle, so she hadn’t bothered to try.They needed him to do it and he wanted to do it so she wouldn’t get in the way.
Also, his grandmother had sent a courier saying she’d completed her interviews of the Harahel archivists and wanted to speak with him privately about her findings before taking them to everyone else.Alise had no desire to confront Órlaith again, really ever, after the manipulative wizard had engineered separating her from Cillian so effectively.Cillian had gently reminded her that she’d have to deal with his grandmother at some point, since their lives would be intertwined, which she knew, but she had elected for it to be after she’d gotten some sleep.
So she was going on her own to bed.A few of the others had protested that she shouldn’t walk alone, but she once she pointed out that one of the group’s plans was to have her defeat Lord Elal in a duel and that if they thought she could do that, then she could probably walk through Convocation Academy by herself.That, along with the fact that everyone else was tired and busy, too, had put paid to that argument.Winning that point had been gratifying, a boost to the confidence in herself that had flagged so markedly under her father’s debilitating hold.
It was nice having a home of sorts to return to, a familiar place that wasn’t her old dorm room.Although not technically graduated, she also no longer felt like a student with the certifications Nic had obtained from Provost Uriel.Nic had been so happy and proud to deliver them, happily discussing a real graduation celebration when they’d “finished all of this.”Alise had hugged her back, aware they both simply wanted to savor the moment of accomplishment and normal-life joy, rather than contemplate what it would take for them to get through this.
Especially since a large part of the plan rested on her defeating her father—only the most powerful wizard in the Convocation—and taking over House Elal.Sleeping in her narrow student’s bed in the room she’d occupied since manifesting as a wizard would just feel like a step backwards.And Cillian’s apartment had much more room especially for the both of them.Provost Uriel had previously threatened to reassign Cillian’s previous set of rooms at the academy and have his things put into storage, but she hadn’t done so—something that had made him happy, but not as happy as Alise had expected.
“My life is with you now,” he explained with a shrug, most of his mind consumed with the ongoing decryption.“Wherever you want that to be, I can always have my books and things shipped there.”
As a simple statement, especially as absent-minded as it had been, his words felt like a more profound declaration of love than anything else he’d said to her.With him beside her, she could maybe accomplish what everyone hoped she would.
Funny to think back on when she’d first returned to Convocation Academy, when she’d been so consumed with obtaining the documents she now carried in a long pocket of her cargo pants.She’d been running on fumes, barely sleeping, traversing these same dark and abandoned corridors in the wee hours of the night.The academy itself hadn’t changed in those few months.As an ancient complex of buildings steeped in magic, both deliberately and via the ambient magic often flung exuberantly and flagrantly about by undisciplined young wizards, the place had the same sense of aliveness as any of the equally old high houses.
Alise had never been to House El-Adrel, but she’d listened to Jadren and Seliah’s tales and concluded that living in a fully sentient house wasn’t for her.House Elal was crazy enough as it was, with all its added-on wings and hidden staircases—including the invisible tower containing the Elal arcanium—without the structure having the ability to make changes on its own at whim.Those in charge of Convocation Academy had their own methods for handling the excess magic there, which included regular cleansing by House Zomen to bleed off the residual magic and defuse anything that seemed to be becomingtooanimated.
Thus, when the shadows in the high ceiling and from around the deeply set windows seemed to coalesce unnaturally and coil towards her, Alise immediately paused.This wasn’t the academy’s magic but something else entirely.She’d seen this before and she hadn’t been ready then.But a lot had changed in the interim.The one thing that could be said for those crushing weeks with her father: she’d learned a great deal and had leveled up her skills.
So she didn’t bother with summoning a spirit warrior as she’d done the first time this happened.Instead she coalesced a force field of spirits, a very handy trick that used the same methodology as for the barrier around Elal.When the shadows parted and Courtney Ariel stepped out, accompanied by her gloriously terrifying tiger, Alise simply encircled them with the shield.Wizard Courtney, chestnut hair cut so it fringed around her face and just brushed her shoulders, also wore a snake that seemed to be an emerald green necklace until it lifted its head and flicked its forked tongue.A falcon perched on the wizard’s shoulder, on the opposite side from the snake.Wearing her usual smug smile, Courtney advanced on Alise, ran into the wall, and goggled.
It was truly satisfying to watch the wizard’s smirk vanish into a sequence of shock, consternation, and outright irritation, if not anger.
“Hello again, Wizard Courtney,” Alise said, making sure her weariness sounded like boredom.“Do you have a new message for me this time or will this be a tedious repetition of our previous conversation?”
Courtney frowned, her dislike of Alise very clear.“Teen wizard has learned a few new tricks, I see.”
Alise nearly said that apparently Courtney hadn’t learned anything since their last encounter, but swallowed the words.She wanted out of this conversation quickly, not to waste time bickering.“How about you spit out whatever you’ve come to say?And don’t—” She held up a hand to stop Courtney’s undoubtedly snide reply.“—waste your breath carping about my manners.What do you want?”
Courtney huffed.“I don’t know why I bother, as you clearly ignored my previous warning.”
“I imagine you bother because whoever sent you requires it,” Alise replied drily.“We both know you’re merely a minion.Which warning are you wanting to reiterate?”
“I warned you to beware House Hanneil,” Courtney pointed out imperiously.“And yet, you—”
“Have been wary.As I told you then, House Hanneil’s conniving isn’t a secret.”
Courtney looked disgusted.“And yet you’re blind to what’s going on right in front of you.”
That put Alise on alert.The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she began to regret having been impatient with Courtney.“And what is that?”she asked as politely as she could.
The Ariel wizard smiled.“Aha.I thought that might get your attention Miss High and Snotty.I will tell you in exchange for an answer tomyquestion.”
Alise suspected she knew what it would be.“That would depend on the question.”
“We know it’s you who severed the bonds between those familiars and their rightful wizards,” Courtney declared with more venom than her snake possessed.
Alise mastered her astonishment, successfully concealing it.Really, she shouldn’t be surprised at all, as Courtney had asked very pointed questions about the severing of Maman’s and Laryn’s bonds during her previous visitation.Too many people knew it had been Alise’s doing for that to stay a secret.Even if those people would all loyally protect that information—and her—the coincidences were too great.Anyone who looked closely at what Alise had been doing, then and now, could do the math and come up with the correct conclusion.Courtney had said on her previous visit that House Ariel suspected Alise of being hip-deep in those events.Clearly they’d settled on their verdict.The question of the moment then was whether to admit it.
Now that Alisse thought about it, all of her previous reasons to keep her ability secret no longer mattered.She’d been worried that the power could potentially disrupt Convocation society and cause the high houses to attack her, but what they were doing with Anciela Phel’s data would do that to a far greater degree.And, on a practical standpoint, Alise could defend herself.In fact, her ability was a weapon that other wizards should and would fear.Not that she’d use it that way, but they didn’t need to know that.Most important, she was finally at peace with herself on the subject.She accepted that she possessed this ability—and that she would use wisdom in employing it.If she was ever uncertain, Cillian would be there to advise her and that calmed something in her, deep inside.She could always count on him.And she could own up to having this ability and how she’d used it in the past.
“Was there a question in that statement?”Alise inquired coolly.
Courtney colored.“So you admit it!”
“Yes.”She left it at that simple answer, rather enjoying the spectacle of Courtney sputtering.
“You monster,” Courtney finally hissed.“How dare you violate the sacred bond between wizard and familiar.”
