Zan nods. “I agree.”
“Our tax collector in Chitsui?” someone asks dubiously.
“His work means that he deals with all kinds of people and can recommend workers to bring into Crystal Hollow who can be trusted,” Zan explains.
Then Nomi adds, “He’s a good man, and since he’s a former priest, you know he doesn’t have fond feelings for the Order. You don’t leave and allow them to seal your magic without a pretty profound disagreement, so I think we should feel him out first to see if he’ll want to help.”
“Theywhat?” I blurt, aghast.
“It’s what they do to people with magical talent who don’t want to be part of their organization,” Teren says to me quietly. “It’s part of how they ensure no one opposes them.”
“Or how they ensure we’re all safe,” Romasa interjects sharply. “Learn your history, Teren. Magic in the hands of the masses caused more destruction than the Order ever did.”
“Your history lessons are incomplete, then,” I shoot back. “Because before the Order monopolized learning, people all over Kameya handled spells just fine. Untrained people can cause destruction in any number of fields besides magic. You certainly wouldn’t want me to build a house for you if you cared about it not falling on your head. Or to cook something that you didn’t want to poison you.”
“Too real,” Zan murmurs next to me, causing people to snicker as I mock-glare at him.
We make such a good team it makes meache.
And want to fight, because I am who I am.
I look at Nomi. “Tell this Jiran that I can unseal him.”
“You?” Gisa asks pointedly.
“I told you I know a thing or two about magic,” I say calmly. “It’s how I knew the Quiet had fallen, and that Teren is a sage. The priests would very much prefer to keep knowledgeto themselves, and this is why I sought sanctuary here. If this former priest wants his magic back, he can have it.”
“Good idea,” Waten notes, which immediately makes me suspicious. “Then he’ll have to help us.”
Aaand there it is.
“No, I’ll unseal him because it’s the right thing to do,” I reply, not bothering to keep the irritation out of my voice. “I am not extorting people to help us.”
“You’re extortingme,” he snaps. “Youare the ones forcing me to make decisions that you approve of.”
Haben has apparently had enough too, because he says, “If you have to be forced to care about people other than yourself, you are the problem, Waten. We’re deciding who we want to be. The price of community is participation. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else. If you don’t want to look out for your neighbors, then I don’t see why your neighbors should wantyou.”
“I’m not a bad person,” Waten snaps. “It should just be mychoice—”
Enough. “Then you are not, in fact, a good person,” I tell him coldly, my wrath guiding me. “If you were, this would be a nonissue.”
My words ring with an echo of power that chills the room.
Sorry not sorry.
“We have our next steps, I think,” Gisa says. “Does anyone else have objections? No? All in favor of Nomi reaching out to Jiran? Excellent, that’s a majority. Then I think we all have a lot to think about. Let’s reconvene tomorrow once we’ve had some time to process today’s revelations.” A pause. “And let’s clear these chairs. I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a standing-room-only situation.”
Oh, the old womaniswise—giving people an action to perform smoothly transitions everyone from arguing to working together.
As everyone stands, though, I turn to Teren and ask, “Why?”
He meets my gaze. “Someone wise once told me that you can’t be wise about the world without living in it.”
I glare at him. Trying to hoist me with my own petard, is he?
Teren smiles faintly. “It’s time for me to live instead of hide. I’m not sorry that you made me realize that, Yora.”
Wow,triplymy fault he had to reveal himself?
