A/N: Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews! You are awesome readers! I promise you this story will be completed in no time; you really give me tons of energy.
Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

SONEA

Sonea was in the midst of a complicated experiment in her alchemy class, when suddenly the door was opened and a novice stuck his head into the room.
"The High Lord requests the presence of his novice", the young boy stuttered. "Immediately."
A curious murmur went through the class. Sonea could feel all eyes on her. She slowly rose, hesitant to leave her experiment, which would go to waste unattended. Then it dawned on her that Akkarin had to have a very good reason to call her out of class. A reason involving danger, most likely. She forgot all about her experiment and hastily packed her books.
"Well, you may go, Sonea", her teacher said. "I will talk to the High Lord about an extra lesson in which you can redo your experiment." Sonea nodded absentmindedly and bowed, not even hearing the words. As soon as the door fell shut behind her, she was running.

When Sonea reached the Residence, the sun was about to set. The High Lord was waiting for her in the underground room, already in his city clothes.
"Get changed quickly", he said. "We have no time to lose. One of my informants has located the Sachakan woman in the tunnels."
Sonea quickly exchanged her robes for a chemise and a short cloak, then followed him into the tunnels. While they hastened into the northern part of Imardin, Akkarin explained to her how delicate the political situation was between Kyralia and Sachaka. They would need to be very careful when trying to talk to the female magician.
"I had to leave in the midst of an audience with the King and his advisers." Akkarin grimaced. "This will require quite something to apologise."
Sonea was silently amused. She was not particularly fond of King Merin.

While they hurried through a set of tunnels with very low ceiling, they saw rows of dusty boxes standing against both walls. Someone was using this area as a storage place. Sonea was still wondering what might be in the boxes when she suddenly felt an aura. It was the aura of a magician. Sonea's eyes went wide. A very powerful aura. It was hardly recognizable, it now felt much stronger and somehow darker than a few weeks ago, before they had fallen into the cistern.
"Do the magicians from Sachaka use black magic?", Sonea asked, slightly out of breath.
"I have reason to fear so, yes", her guardian replied. She could only hear him indistinctly, as he was two steps ahead of her. Akkarin was about to turn around a corner. Then, without warning, Sonea was stopped dead in he tracks as she ran into a strong shield. His shield. Akkarin rudely grabbed her arm and pulled her back. They crashed to the floor as an explosion shook the tunnel. Sonea felt magic in the air. Forcestrikes came flying towards them. Her heart was racing. If Akkarin hadn't raised that shield so quickly… She blinked, confused. Why would the Sachakan magician attack them? Should they not try to talk to her? Something had gone wrong.
Then she saw Akkarin's face.
"An Ichani!", he hissed. He pressed her down into a heap of what felt like old sailcloth.
"Stay hidden and don't move until I tell you to", he commanded. Then he was up and walked towards their enemy. His silhouette was illuminated by the firestrikes thrown against him. They all burst into flames against his shield. Sonea raised a shield herself and stuck her head out of the balls of fabric. She could not possibly stay hidden here while he risked his life. I need at least to see what is going on!
Now she saw the Ichani. It was a beautiful woman in a tight, foreign dress that was flowing from her shoulders down to her ankles. Sonea shivered. This situation reminded her terribly of a night only about two months ago.

The fight was intense. Neither the woman nor Akkarin hesitated to attack with their full power. They slowly circled each other while throwing strikes in endless series against the other. Sonea realised that Akkarin made sure to never move away too far from her hiding spot. He clearly did not want the Ichani to get between them. At one point, he spoke a few words in a foreign, melodic language. The woman answered in the same language, but whatever she said obviously was not worth an answer.
I might distract her with an attack, but I've used up about a third of my power in class today, Sonea thought. I would be out of power in no time.
She wanted to help Akkarin, but she knew she had to follow his orders. And if she was not mistaken, the Ichani already seemed to get weaker. After some minutes, her attacks were slowing down. Sonea felt a wild hope rise in her chest. Akkarin had to possess more power right now than ever before. He would defeat her.
The moment Sonea thought it, she met the eyes of the Ichani. The woman must have noticed her despite the flashes of the strikes and the bits of debris flying around. A cruel smile formed on her lips and she took a decisive step towards Sonea.
The girl strengthened her shield and rose. There was no point in hiding anymore. She looked at Akkarin. He was close, his lips forming a thin, furious line while he attacked the woman. He did not say a word, but his gaze flickered to Sonea and back to his enemy. The Ichani in the meantime had stopped her attacks against him and was fully focused on Sonea. The girl could feel her own power diminish at an alarming rate. She started to move to the side, following the wall in the hope of reaching Akkarin, but the Ichani was in the way. The woman smiled and brought out a jewelled knife. At the same moment, Sonea's shield was attacked from below, from under her feet, where it was weakest. With a crash she was thrown against the nearest wall and lost consciousness.
When she opened her eyes again, Sone realised that only seconds had passed. But it had been enough for the Ichani to reach her. My shield is gone. The woman bent down and pressed the blade against Sonea's throat.
"Stop", she called over her shoulder, now speaking the tongue of Kyralia. She had a similar accent as Takan. "Stop or she dies."
"You would die the same moment", Akkarin said darkly. He was only two steps away from her now; Sonea could see him over the Ichani's shoulder. The shield kept him back but he did not cease to attack. How much power has she left?, Sonea wondered anxiously. How long until he can break her shield?
"Stop or she loses a hand, then." The Ichani's voice was playful in a sickening way. She did not seem to be afraid at all.
"You cannot defeat me", Akkarin declared. "And I will hunt you down if you try to escape with the girl. If you hurt her, I will kill you for sure. But if you hand her over, I will let you go. Alive." He spoke through clenched teeth. His attacks ceased. Sonea could only imagine how hard it was for him to make this offer. And a tiny part of her wondered why he even bargained.
The Ichani laughed a clear, ringing sound.
"You are mistaken. My powers are vast." She smiled. "But why waste it when I have the girl?" She crouched down next to Sonea, still pressing the blade against her throat but using magic as well to keep her down.
"Go over to the wall", the woman commanded, looking at Akkarin. "Stay against the wall and do not move."
"Why would I? You have nothing to lose anymore, safe for your life. You would not waste that. You cannot kill the girl." He crossed his arms over his chest, staring down hard at the woman. His gaze searched for Sonea's for a second. Though his face was an unreadable mask, she saw that he was sweating and his face was pale. It scared her more than the blade against her throat.
"Watch me, then", the woman replied with amusement. Terrified and nearly drained of her powers, Sonea was helpless against the brutal force of her magic. The Ichani held her pressed flat against the floor and Sonea felt as if crushed by the weight of an entire building. The blade vanished, two hands grabbed her face, and the Ichani entered her mind.

"No…" Sonea tried to struggle, horrified by the realization of all the things her enemy could find inside her head, things she could use against the Guild. But her body refused to move. She could not even see Akkarin anymore, though he had to be close, somewhere behind the Ichani. She heard his sharp voice but could not understand the words. Her head felt like it was being held underwater.
"Oh, what do we have here? How interesting. You are a slum girl. A dirty little stray. Yes, you look like the rats out in the streets." Dark mirth gleamed in the eyes of the Ichani as she contemplated Sonea with cruel amusement. Even worse than her words was the fact that the woman was shockingly beautiful. Her skin was the colour of dark gold. I bet she is some desert princess from Sachaka, Sonea thought unwillingly. The Ichani laughed, obviously reading her surface thoughts.
Must be annoying to rule a wasteland, Sonea sent her. The laughter died abruptly.
"Your ancestors did that to our country", she hissed. "Now we will have revenge!" And with even more determination and less care, she forced her way through Sonea's memories. Guild rules, classes, teachers, numbers and maps of the Guild's grounds whirled through her thoughts. Then the Ichani focused on Sonea's knowledge about Akkarin. What did she know about the High Lord, what were his weaknesses? None, Sonea thought defiantly. He hasn't any. Who else was protecting the Guild? Sonea sent her flashes of many faces in an attempt to intimidate and distract her. She felt the woman's anger and then a sharp pain somewhere in her upper body, but she could not focus on that.
She dimly realised that the air was humming with magic again. Akkarin had resumed his attacks. Sonea tried to send more images to distract her enemy.
"Too late", the Ichani hissed. "Stop it, girl. I saw enough. The magicians are weak. There is no one except for your High Lord who protects this ignorant guild. And what about him? He can be held back easily. I only have to hold his slave girl hostage."
I am not a slave, Sonea thought furiously.

The woman lifted her head. "Are you finished?", she asked over her shoulder. "Your attacks have grown weak."
Akkarin cursed her. His choice of words would have impressed most people of the slums. But Sonea heard the note of desperation in his voice and she realised that he was close to his limit. While the Ichani's shield was still as strong as before.
How can she be so strong? Cold and unable to move, Sonea watched helplessly as their enemy sent Akkarin a new series of strikes that forced him to retreat out of her sight.
"I have thirteen slaves", the woman answered her thought. "I am one of the strongest, but Kariko is stronger than me." She smiled her cruel, beautiful smile.
"Ah, I almost forgot!", she called over her shoulder. "Kariko sends you his regards, Akkarin! He promised me one of his best slaves if I bring him your head."
Sonea felt raw fear threatening to rip her apart. No… he can't die. Not here, not like that. Not after all he has been through!
The Ichani seemed to notice her anguish; her hands were still on Sonea's face. "How scared you are, little girl. What can…? Oh…" She sneered. "I see … You love him. You utterly adore him! You would give your life for him, you would die for him. You follow him around like a little pet, just like a slave… Ah, and you desire him. You want him yet you cannot have him. What a fool you are." Her voice rang loud and clear, echoing from the walls. Deathly silence followed.
Sonea forgot that she was about to get killed, forgot even her fear for a moment as she numbly stared into the face of the woman. There was no way she could humiliate her more than this, here in front of Akkarin. Even death would be a favour, Sonea was convinced for a few seconds. The terrible truth was out, was violently ripped away from her and was exposed to the world. Sonea had never felt so naked before. She very clearly sensed Akkarin's eyes on her, burning a trail over her body.
I can never face him again, even if I were to survive this…
"Oh my, the stupid little fantasies you have in your head!" The Ichani threw her head back in mocking laughter that rang harshly in Sonea's ears. "Think, girl. A man like him would never want a child such as you." She chuckled. "Even if I did not have to kill him now, your ridiculous hopes would stay unanswered for the rest of your miserable life." Her voice dripped with mock pity as she let go of her victim. Sonea stared at her, unblinking, her heartbeat slowing down to a calm, deadly rhythm. Now she knew what it meant to truly hate somebody.

Abruptly, the Ichani rose and strolled over to the wall at the other end of the room.
"Get away", she heard Akkarin's voice, dark with anger.
"My, such a beautiful man. What a waste", the woman murmured. Sonea's stomach turned to ice. Somehow she managed to turn around under the barrier that still pressed her down. She stopped breathing as she saw them. Akkarin's shield was down but he was still standing, his back pressed against the stone wall by the Ichani's magic. His eyes blazed in cold fury. The woman's lips formed a cruel yet sensual smile as she bent forward and rested her hands on his shoulders.
"I would really like to keep you for myself", she said. Then she pressed her lips on his mouth. Her arms went around his body like snakes and she clung to him in a way that would have reddened any novice's cheeks.
They looked like lovers.
I was wrong, Sonea realized. There is a way she can humiliate me even more. The coldness in her body boiled over and she was filled with a rage she never felt before.
Yes, of course she knew her desires were stupid, shameful and would never be fulfilled, but what this woman did was so far worse, was so forbidden it made her choke. Don't you dare touching him!

Instinctively, she arched her body and reached for her magic. In her haste to read Sonea's mind, the Ichani had forgotten to drain the last bit of her power. With a scream of raw fury she took everything that remained, more than she had ever used, and threw it at the woman's back. It was like throwing stones at magicians. The hatred helped to focus, to attack with all she had. It was a single force strike, but apparently the Ichani had allowed her shield to weaken. It did not hold. As Sonea's attack hit her square in the back, the woman gasped and got knocked to the side. Her head hit the wall with an audible crack. At the same time, Sonea realised that she was free to move again. She jumped up and steadied herself when the world began to rapidly spin around her. She had never felt so weak. While she still struggled to remain conscious, she saw a quick shadow moving in the corner of her eye. Akkarin, a knife in hand, rapidly knelt down to the unconscious woman. Sonea turned away. It was over. They had survived. She told herself so, again and again, but she felt no relief, only fury and humiliation and a horrible dread.
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
"Sonea." His voice sounded strange, somehow restrained.
"Is she dead?" She did not turn around.
"Yes", he answered.
"Good", Sonea said grimly. Her fists were shaking at her sides, she noticed, so she quickly wrapped her arms around her body. She could not face him. She could not even try to claim that the Ichani had lied, that it was not true, every single thing she had said. I will not deny what I feel. At least this pride remains mine… the pride to love him.

"Sonea", he said again.
"It seems we survived once again. That was very close."
"Too close", he agreed. "She still had a frightening amount of power. It is a miracle we are alive." She heard the soft rustling of his robes as he closed the distance, but she still could not turn. Too close. I am not ready for this.
"Are you hurt?", he asked.
"Only in my pride. Which, thankfully, wasn't that great to begin with." It should have been a joke to save the mood but the cracks in her voice ruined the attempt. Akkarin was very silent for a moment. He was so close now that she could hear him breathe.
"I have heard or seen nothing that could in any way insult or change my opinion of you. Quite the opposite", he added in a whisper.
Sonea felt a warm, tingling feeling spreading from her stomach through her body. For a second she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be comforted. She would have liked to thank him for his kindness, but the words were stuck in her throat.

"I know how it feels to be helpless against mind-reading and the exposure of one's feelings", he went on, his voice soft now. "I have experienced it myself. However, your sacrifice saved both our lives tonight, for which I am very grateful. I trust your pride will recover, because I need you, Sonea." His hands came to rest on her shoulders. "I could never hope to win this battle without you. Are you able to walk?"
Sonea straightened herself and took a step away from him. Then she turned and sank into a bow, as graceful as she could manage, thereby avoiding to look into his eyes.
"Yes, High Lord."
"Good." She could hear his half-smile. Then she felt his hands around her own as he sent her a flow of healing magic. "Come."
She followed him through the tunnels, never taking her eyes off his back.

AKKARIN

The colour of red wine was too close to the colour of blood for his liking tonight. Akkarin was lost in thought as he slowly twirled the glass between his long, pale fingers. His mind wandered back and forth between memories from his years in Sachaka, triggered by the events tonight, and the very fresh memory of Sonea, standing straight in spite of her humiliation, her fists clenched furiously. He could still hear the echo of her scream, that wonderful, pure sound of rage. He smiled. She had not lost her rebelliousness. What a passionate novice and ally he had found. Her strength and magical power never ceased to amaze him. She is becoming a more effective fighter than me if this goes on, he thought wryly. That was the second time he had not been able to protect her, something he did not take lightly. The Ichani's power had surpassed even his gravest concerns. It seems I have grown soft and neglectful these last years. Have I forgotten how terrible they are? Or do they have more slaves now than they used to? He would have to inform the Guild soon, and he dreaded it.

Something entirely different was worrying him as well. It was his own reaction to the things he had heard tonight. He took a deep breath. He had known, of course. He had known for some time now, just as he supposed that Sonea knew, too. They had grown so close that it simply was not possible anymore to always wear a mask and pretend not to feel anything. At some point they had given up the struggle, maybe also to save strength for all the other battles they fought. It had been a relief to accept these feelings; it had become a kind of shared, yet unspoken secret between her and him, only visible in the occasional glance and touch they allowed themselves.
But no word had ever been spoken. They both knew it was not possible due to an endless list of reasons he had grown to hate. Nothing had changed about these. So why did the memory make him tremble? It is true, he thought. I never was completely sure, it could have been my imagination, my projection. But now I know it is true. Her reaction left no doubts. And he was shocked by the intensity with which he responded to the revelation. It made a huge difference, he now realised. It was suddenly incredibly much harder to rein in his own desires. And he was filled with wonder and a gratitude he had never known. Sonea, his wonderful Sonea… so fiercely loyal she did not even attempt to deny it. He admired her all the more for it. It had been excruciatingly difficult to restrain himself from taking her in his arms right then and there, to kiss her and to reveal his own feelings openly, to make it even between them. It was not fair that her secret was revealed while he still guarded his.
Well, one very good reason not to kiss her was that I still smelled the stench of this woman, he thought darkly. He had a very clear idea of how an Ichani like her treated her male bedslaves. Thankfully, at least this he had been spared.
What a vain creature she was. He smiled darkly as he remembered how Sonea's strike had ripped her away from him and smashed her against the wall. My fierce, jealous novice.
If only there was a way to comfort her. He hoped she believed what he had said, little as it was. There is so much more I would tell her. If Sonea knew even about fragments of what he felt for her, her humiliation would be forgotten. And it would be so simple, she was so very close, directly above him up in her room… only one door separating them. He had never longed for it as much as tonight. Akkarin emptied his glass without tasting the wine. It might as well have been water.
He rose with the very determined intention to pass by her door without even one look into that direction.