“Too right you were,” said Dean Whittaker. “I must say, I’m not familiar with the accepted methods of storage myself. If you wouldn’t mind educating me—”
“Another time,” said Idris, gesturing to Ceri.
“Why did you try there first?” asked Rinka.
“Leo said the library hated him but that it hadn’t always done so. I thought maybe it was the objects the library hated, not him. I mentioned that to him, and he seemed interested in the theory.”
“So you thought he was going there to test it out,” said Alison.
“I thought he was going to measure the objects in the storm primarily—it’s a rare event, absolutely the kind of thing he’d want to know about—but if he had the opportunity to take other measurements along the way, I guessed he’d take it. And when I got to the library, I could see I was right.”
“The fallen books,” said Alison. “The library was defending itself against the objects.”
“I think so,” said Ceri.
“By the way, we’ll come and help Ms. Redclaw clean up in the morning,” Idris told Dean Whittaker. “Just as soon as I get my magic back.”
“Yes, you’d better,” said Dean Whittaker. “Or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“So you followed the trail of fallen books through the library…” said Alison.
“Yes, I cleared a path. I reached the door and went outside.”
“Outside? Into the storm? Oh, Gods, King Derkomai will have my head! But how? You’re bone dry,” said Dean Whittaker.
By way of explanation, Ceri lifted a mug with her magic from a nearby table, picked up the contents in it, and dropped them back into the mug again.
“Right, right, of course,” said Dean Whittaker. “Forgive me, your highness. Please continue.”
“It was hard to see in the courtyard on account of the rain, and then the lights went out, and I couldn’t see anything. But when the lightning flashed, I saw him there in the middle of the courtyard. He had something in each hand—I couldn’t see what they were, but I’d guess his magimeter and one of the objects. And then—”
She choked on a sob.
Rinka reached across the circle and squeezed her hand.
“The lightning struck him.”
“Oh!” Professor Marin cried out. Alison took her hand—it was ice cold.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It was a terrible flash, blindingly bright, so close I could feel it. The thunder happened at the same time and sent a gust of wind through the courtyard,even more than the storm. I could smell it in the air. I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t see anything. I ran out into the courtyard.”
“You did what?” said Idris. “Are you insane?”
“Idris,” said Rinka.
“Don’t yell at me!” said Ceri. “Lightning can’t strike the same place twice. I was safe.”
Several people tried to speak at once.
“No, it definitely can.”
“It absolutely does all the time.”
“It hits our old building in Arcas Dyrne like five times a year.”
“It’s never, ever safe to go outside during a thunderstorm.”
“Okay, okay, I get it!” said Ceri. “I get it. I didn’t get struck, okay? I’m fine.”
