Scholar Tarschon nodded. “The siphon drains a magen of their power and lends it to the bearer.” He held out his hands, palms upturned. “The principles of alchemy hold: to give, one must take. The mageks stay within the siphon; the bearer merely channels them.”
Ana felt sick. She thought of what Linn had told her of the man with two Affinities they had witnessed in Cyrilia, the way her friend had spoken with such fear.
Scholar Tarschon’s gaze drifted to the book in her hands, the page on which it was open. “Long ago,” he said softly, his voice echoing beneath the holy paintings, “the gods parted from our world. Yet they left traces of magek in their wake. Gossenwal, wassengost…and in us, in the magen. Cyrilia received the gift of blackstone. And Bregon…we received searock.
“Nearly two decades ago, a man by the name of A. E. Kerlan discovered searock and began to mine it.” Scholar Tarschon nodded to the tome Ana held. “You know the rest of the story. Kerlan discovered its magical properties of absorption, and he developed that into a potent weapon capable of absorbing magek.
“When Admiral Farrald found out what he was doing, he reported it to the Bregonian government. The former King Rennaron declared this an act of cruelty against the magen in those experiments. He had Kerlan exiled forever, and all of his research and siphons destroyed. All…but one.”
Ana felt like she’d stepped into a dream—a nightmare. Tarschon’s words came to her as though from very far away.
“Unbeknownst to the King, Admiral Farrald preserved a single siphon, and began to experiment with it privately. It took him a long time to catch up to where Alaric Kerlan had been. Once he understood their power, he established a research unit in the Blue Fort…to develop the perfect siphon, and to create the next generation of magen.”
The information swirled in Ana’s head. “Why are you telling me this?” she whispered. “Why haven’t you tried to stop it?”
Sadness crossed his features. “My father was the first scholar who worked with Admiral Farrald on these experiments. He was killed in an accident with a siphon, and so Admiral Farrald appointed me as his successor.”
It made sense, then, that Tarschon had been appointed Head Scholar at such a young age.
“He threatened to reveal everything to the government should I not comply,” Tarschon continued, bowing his head. “I never had a choice.”
His words reminded her of Kaïs, when she’d confronted him in the town square back at Novo Mynsk. She thought of him, of Yuri working at the Palace as an apprentice to feed his mother and sister down south, of the countless others who’d suffered under a greater power.
Ana realized then that choices were a luxury. “You made a choice just now, Head Scholar Tarschon,” she said softly. “And that choice will come to define you.”
He looked at her for a long moment from behind the panes of his spectacles. The great library had gone quiet, the murals of the gods above watching.
And in that silence came another sound: the unsteadyclick-click-clickof heels tapping against stone.
The double doors at the end of the hall swung open and Ana and Tarschon spun around.
“Thereyou are.” Sorsha’s smile was sharp as she stalked toward them. There was something different about her, almost as though she were filled with a new energy.
Ana bristled, turning to face the girl. As she did so, she caught the unmistakable presence of blood staining Sorsha’s navy-blue uniform. “What do you want?” she snapped.
“Oh, I was looking for you.” Sorsha feigned innocence, pouting. “Isn’t it time that I escorted you to your meeting in Godhallem? All of the Three Courts are gathered for this party!”
Ana was about to respond when a second figure appeared at the doors. “Kaïs,” she called, relief sinking into her as she hurried forward.
“But first, let me deal with our Head Scholar,” Sorsha said, and something in her tone gave Ana pause. “Dear Tarschon, ever the noble fool. I was beginning to wonder when you’d start spilling our state secrets.”
Ana whipped around just as Sorsha plunged her blade into the scholar’s chest.
He gave a soft cry and stumbled back, crashing into the shelves on the wall. Blood bloomed across Ana’s senses, blossoming red over Tarschon’s robes. “No,” she gasped, watching as the man who held the answers to saving this world began to bleed out before her.
Ana lashed out at Sorsha with her Affinity—
—and then it was gone. A familiar presence had entered the back of her mind, clamping down on her power like cold metal. Ana gritted her teeth, the sudden disappearance of her power disorienting her.
She turned to see Kaïs watching her calmly.
The realization clicked.“You.”A snarl tore from Ana’s lips. “I should have known.”
Sorsha cackled in delight. “There’s nothing I love more than a little shift in alliances!” she shrieked, and slunk up to Kaïs, cupping his cheek. He held perfectly still, his expression unreadable. Her voice was a low, mocking croon as she caressed his face. “Tragic, how our love and loyalty make servants of us.”
A flash of emotion across Kaïs’s face, so brief that Ana thought she’d imagined it. “What are you talking about?” she growled. “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” Sorsha whispered, and then screamed,“What do I want?”
