How can it just be end of November again? I wanted to have this chapter online long ago, but it was just so hard to write. Don't ask me how many times I started over... well, it's finished now anyway.

@Enigma: As always thank you so much for your comments. They are always motivating, especially because you often highlight the things that are important to me. And I would also like to give them all a hug after I have kicked them all in the ass to finally talk openly with each other. It would help all of them.


Akkarin looked up from his book as Sonea entered the library, some of her notes in her hand.

"Oh, I didn't know you were here," she remarked, bowing hastily. "High Lord"

Akkarin lifted one corner of his mouth. "Good evening Sonea. Don't let me disturb you"

He returned to his reading, a comedy by an Elynian author his little sister had recommended to him. So far, however, it did not particularly suit his sense of humour. He was all the more easily distracted by it. Almost imperceptibly, his gaze wandered to the novice who had just returned from her foray through the library, some books on the basics of the healing arts on her arm, which she placed on the small table before delving into the first of them. Obviously she wanted to read something for her healing Exam the next day.

Akkarin turned his attention back to the comedy, but after a while he caught himself watching her out of the corner of his eye, frowning as she leafed back and forth through the book. Finally, she folded it up with a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

"High Lord, may I ask you something?"

Akkarin put his book aside and motioned for her to speak.

"Why don't you tell Administrator Lorlen what you told me?"

Akkarin raised an eyebrow in surprise. He should not have been surprised that Sonea had noticed the tension between them. He had ordered Lorlen to the arena to make peace with him and discuss some guild-related issues, but instead it only seemed to complicate the situation.

"He wouldn't understand, let alone believe"

"Then we'll have to prove it to him" Sonea bit her lower lip. "I just think he would be a valuable ally," she murmured.

"If I thought he would trust me, I would have told him long ago, Sonea."

She looked at her papers. "Of course. I just thought because he already knows so much and it would be much safer if he worked with us instead of against us. Besides, he told you that he knows about the black magic thing."

"There are more things we have to consider in the process. Telling Lorlen everything also means putting him in danger if it comes into lightning that I am a black magician".

Sonea remained quiet for quite a while as she thought hard.

"But he already knows about it, so it doesn't put him in any more or less danger," she mused, then sighed. "It would just be nice not to have to make such a secret of it".

Guilt assailed Akkarin. He should never have dragged her into this.

She chastised herself and opened her book again. "Well, it's not worth crying over spilt milk. I just hope you don't hide behind all your reasons for not telling. Shame and pride are not good counsellors, as my aunt used to say."

Speechless, Akkarin looked at her for a moment. Sonea never ceased to amaze him. She definitely had him thinking.


The newly built hospital was not a particularly elaborate or large building, but it was functional. A short corridor led from the waiting room to the two treatment rooms, which had a pharmacy attached. Or one could take the stairs to the upper floor to reach the aides' room and the two rooms for hospitalised patients.

Lorlen ignored the stairs and, lost in thought, crossed a nondescript door to go directly to the pharmacy. He had volunteered to serve in the hospital to make a mark in the Guild. So far, Lady Vinara had had trouble finding healers for the job. Everyone seemed to have another excuse. But Lorlen's thoughts were not on this problem, but on his conversation with Akkarin. For a fortnight they had only discussed the most necessary things with each other and had otherwise avoided each other. Then Akkarin had suddenly invited him to dinner and told him an unbelievable story. Or was it the truth? Lorlen simply didn't know what to believe.

On the one hand, he had seen Akkarin's scars, heard the fine tremor in his voice. On the other hand, it was all so absurd. Akkarin a slave? Lorlen could hardly imagine the High Lord kneeling before anyone. Killing his master after all these years again suited Akkarin.

But it was not only a question of whether he could believe Akkarin or not - much more important was what he should do with this knowledge.

His first impulse had been to inform the higher magicians and consult with them. But he had had to swear to Akkarin not to tell anyone a word about it.

Without looking back, Lorlen set the package down on the table in the middle of the room. It contained herbs to replenish the supplies.

"Good day Administrator Lorlen," someone snapped him out of his thoughts. Briefly, Lorlen winced.

"Good afternoon, Sonea," he greeted back after turning to her. For being on holiday, she didn't look particularly refreshed. Curious, she stepped closer.

"Shall I help you put things away?" she asked politely. Lorlen merely nodded. The sight of her brought him back to a very different thought: what role did Sonea play in all this? Akkarin had been decidedly vague on the subject and that had told Lorlen more than Akkarin was probably comfortable with. This was his opportunity to find out more.

"What time are you here today?" he asked rather casually.

Frowning, Sonea glanced out the window.

"Not too long now, the High Lord insists I return in broad daylight".

Lorlen raised his eyebrows.

"You're a mage, what could happen to you?" he put all his eggs in one basket.

Almost casually she reached for one of the bundles of herbs and turned her back on him before answering.

"He is not a man to explain his instructions. But I suspect it has to do with the murders" She stretched to hang the bundle on a hook, then turned back to him and pointed to a small bag. "Is that salika bark?"

Lorlen nodded, but didn't elaborate on her attempted distraction.

"I don't think anyone would dare attack a novice, not to mention that you would be perfectly capable of defending yourself against a non-mage."

Sonea shrugged. Lorlen almost missed the telltale twitch of the corners of her mouth as if to contradict him. "I remember Salika bark helping with headaches, but it had another use I just can't think of," she said instead.

This time Lorlen went for her distraction. She had given him enough to think about.


Since Akkarin had started to teach Sonea black magic, they had started to eat dinner together more often. Especially now that Sonea had holidays and therefore no lessons in the evenings, they ate together almost every evening.

For Akkarin, this was an extremely pleasant change. Sonea had a fine sense for his moods and never forced a conversation on him when he didn't feel like it. At the same time, she made a pleasant and witty conversationalist when he felt like it.

That evening he had returned late from the city, but she and Takan had been waiting for him with dinner. They had both looked extremely relieved when he had returned safely.

"Did you finally catch him?" asked Sonea curiously as Takan was putting the food on. Slowly, Akkarin shook his head. "When I arrived, he had already disappeared from his hiding place and escaped from my helpers. And he took all his belongings with him, so he will not return.

Sonea sighed.

"I wish there was an easier way to track the spies. Shouldn't you actually be able to sense their use of black magic, just as I sensed it with you back then? The enhanced magical potential allows for the magical senses to be heightened, at least that's what your books on black magic say, would one have to sense such things from a much greater distance?"

The corners of Akkarin's mouth lifted automatically.

"That's how I tracked down the spies before I sought out helpers. However, I still have to get close enough to the spies, which means roaming the slums night after night in the hope of accidentally getting close enough to the one"

Sonea looked disappointed. "Not particularly helpful, then," she concluded.

Akkarin nodded and silence spread between them as they both enjoyed Takan's cooking.

Akkarin's thoughts drifted back to the conversation with Lorlen. He didn't know what to make of his friend's reaction. Lorlen, as he had sworn, had not gone to the Higher Mages, as Akkarin had secretly feared, but he had not seemed convinced either. It was all the more important to catch the spy and let Lorlen read his mind. Sonea had given him the idea.

"May I ask you something, High Lord?", Sonea snapped him out of his thoughts. He nodded. She stared at her wine glass for a moment before looking at him again. "Are there more uses of black magic than taking and storing power?"

Akkarin thought about her question for a moment.

"Well, storing foreign power is the primary use. But there are some uses for which one must have understood how it works in order to use it. Making bloodstones is one example. I have read of more magical stones, but have never been able to verify this knowledge. Supposedly the Duna understand these things."

"But beyond that?" continued Sonea.

"I experimented around with it for a while," Akkarin admitted. "But I haven't been able to find any other useful application. I think healing magic could only be found through knowledge of black magic as well as the ability to build with magic, but beyond that..." he broke off. Black magic could also be used to get rid of an unwelcome lover, but that was not a topic he planned to talk about with his novice. Maybe sometime when she was done with her studies or would stumble upon the subject on her own.

"I wonder if plants could be made to grow faster or their healing abilities enhanced by storing more magic in them."

Akkarin raised an eyebrow. That was an extremely interesting thought that had never occurred to him. On the other hand, his knowledge of medicinal plants was extremely limited.

"And what benefit would there be in doing just that?" he asked.

"The improvement of non-metric healing of people" she sighed. "People in the slums are afraid of magical healing. At the same time, healers are unwilling to sacrifice their precious time for the slum people. Non-magical healers with the knowledge we gain in healing arts would be a solution to this. That would also benefit the cottages."

"And improved medicinal plants would mean improved ointments and tinctures," Akkarin concluded. "Well, it would be worth an experiment. In the spring Takan can plant a bed where we can try out your idea. Until then, you should think of the best way to test our success"

A glow lit up Sonea's face, giving Akkarin a sinking feeling in his stomach. Or had he simply drunk too much wine? It had to be the wine, because why would Sonea's smile trigger such things in him? She was his novice, his pupil. Nothing more, nothing less.

"And if our experiment is successful, how do we make sure it is used and no one figures out how we came up with this idea?" inquired Sonea cautiously.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Akkarin decided. One thing at a time.