Kasira smothered her surprise by dropping into the respectful bow Eirlana would surely give. If Allaster’s brother was the High Mage of Miraval, it practically made him royalty—which explained why Allaster maintained communications with Ambric when he was meant to have cut ties with his family.
Though the Librarian’s authority was absolute only over magical matters, they were uniquely positioned to serve as a political liaison between the six countries. In addition to being a neutral party situated at their center, the Librarian and their Assistant possessed a vast depth of knowledge about the other nations, enabling them to mediate international disputes and facilitate conversation.
“A pleasure to meet you.” Ambric bowed gracefully, a kind smile on his aged face that was vastly at odds with his brother’s sour disposition. “I trust you’ve been adjusting well to your new position?”
She met Allaster’s warning stare over his brother’s shoulder and offered him a smile. “Oh, quite well. I’ve learned so much already.”
Allaster rolled his eyes, but his expression became the image of innocence when Ambric turned to him. “See, brother? You worried over nothing.”
“Yes. My new Assistant is not at all what I expected,” Allaster said in a monotone.
Ambric either didn’t hear the second meaning behind his brother’s words, or he ignored it. He gave Kasira a sly wink. “He can be so fussy at times. It’s a wonder you’ve put up with him as long as you have already.”
Kasira gave him the laugh he expected as the crossed swords of the Kalish door came aglow. Allaster drew a weary breath before opening it. Vera entered with two guards at her back, wearing the same military-esque uniform in royal blue and grim expression as the day Kasira met her. To Vera’s credit, she didn’t so much as glance at Kasira, who was mapping escape routes if this went wrong. May had briefly mentioned the doors on their tour, but how did they work?
“Ambassador Vera.” Ambric greeted her with a small bow. Allaster only glowered.
“High Mage St. Archer,” Vera returned. “Thank you for arranging this meeting. Lord Allaster is a difficult person to connect with.”
“A consequence of the profession of incessantly saving lives,” Allaster replied, earning a stern look from his brother that quieted him with an ease that shocked Kasira. If only she could shut the Librarian up so easily.
A tight smile split Vera’s face. “Yes, I’m sure the people you help are quite grateful.”
“I meant the beasts.”
Her smile turned acidic. “Of course.”
Allaster spun a ring about one finger with a look of disinterest. “Perhaps someone could tell me what it is we’re all doing here? I have places to be.”
Vera regarded Allaster impassively. “His Majesty would like a formal explanation for why you have denied our latest mage’s application to join the Library.”
“Because he was ill-mannered, poorly trained, and generally offensive. Is that formal enough?”
“What my brother meant to say,” Ambric cut in wearily, “is that the Library holds to very strict standards, and he strives to cultivate only the best within its walls. Please tell the King that Allaster would be happy to consider an alternative candidate—”
“I most certainly would not.”
“—whenever one is ready.”
“The Library hasn’t accepted a Kalish mage in years,” Vera countered.
Allaster scoffed. “You haven’t sent a Kalish mage in years. A brute trained to kill beasts and dressed in a robe does not a mage make.”
“Allaster,” Ambric warned.
“You are discriminating against Kalish interests,” Vera said evenly. “Nearly thirty-five percent of the mages currently at Amorlin are Miravi, and we have not a single Kalish mage besides the new Assistant. You are showing favoritism, Librarian.”
“Miravi candidates spend their entire lives studying at the Arcadamium for even the chance to become a mage, and most of them were chosen by Mora.” Allaster’s mask of indifference at last began to crack with lines of annoyance. “When Kalthos sends me someone of quality, I’ll consider them. Until then, stop using my brother to facilitate meetings to pressure me into compliance, or the next time you come through that door, it won’t be me waiting for you.”
Vera’s lips thinned. “Is that a threat?”
“It is a guarantee,” Allaster said at the same time his brother protested, “The Library of Amorlin would never stoop to threats.” They exchanged looks, Allaster’s jaw setting, but it was Ambric who pressed on. “While we may differ on many things, we all benefit from the Library’s great work, and my brother is nothing if not loyal to its cause. Every effort will be made to abide by Amorlin’s established procedures, and that includes considering applications of new mages.”
Only days ago, this conversation would have been lost on Kasira. But she understood now that Allaster was toeing a very thin line with his flagrant disregard of Kalish interests. Between the Library’smagic, its vast knowledge, and its access to the six countries, it was an immense source of power. To prevent it from abusing that power, Amorlin abided by a set of laws dictated by the early leaders of the realms. Rules such as the Librarian can’t discriminate against a single nation’s interests or use Library resources to interfere with internal country affairs.
For Allaster to bear such an obvious grudge against one nation to the point of barring the entrance of Kalish mages—well, it was exactly the sort of behavior Vera wanted Kasira to stoke to bring about the Conclave.
Kasira had no doubt Allaster’s assessment of those people was accurate, but neither did she put it past Kalthos to intentionally send poor candidates in an attempt to create the illusion the Library was refusing the Kalish at a disproportionate rate. This was a game that had been going on between them long before Kasira was brought in to play.
