Akkarin saw the horror on Sonea's face as the Ichani woman fell to the ground at her feet, dead at Sonea's hand. She turned around, clearly unwilling to face anything right now. He knew the feeling all too well, remembering what it had felt like when he had first killed with black magic. Of course, it was not supposed to be easy. Stepping forward, he placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "Look at me, Sonea," he said softly. The words were commanding, but he kept his tone gentle. She was shaking beneath his hands as he turned her to face him.

His heart stuttered in his chest as he stared at her. He had noted before that she was not unattractive, but tonight as the moonlight spilled over her, he realized he had never met a more beautiful woman in his life. It was not just a surface beauty, either–her features were lovely enough but her true beauty lay deeper within her. It lay in the courage she had needed to act as she just had, the determination she had to always do the right thing, no matter the consequences to herself, the fierce loyalty she had to the people and causes she believed in. She was a better person than he could ever hope to be.

He also realized as he stared at her just how young she looked. She had a presence that, combined with her magical power and stubborn will, had always made her seem older in his eyes. But in that moment, shaking from fear and exhaustion and regret and whatever other storm of emotions might be swirling through her, she looked even younger than her twenty years. Akkarin cursed himself inwardly. What had he been thinking when he brought her into the mess that was his life? He was her Guardian–he should have been protecting her, not making her his accomplice. And now she had lost her innocence, had changed her life irrevocably, and it was all her fault.

He could not say those things, however. The time for self-recrimination was later. For now, he needed to help her, to assure her that she had done the right thing. Reaching out, he pulled a piece of sacking from her hair and let it hit the ground. It was a surprisingly intimate gesture, and it made his heart stutter again, but now was not the time or place to explore that particular action. "It's not an easy choice, the one you've made," he told her. "But you will learn to trust yourself." He looked up through the broken roof at the moon outside, remembering an old proverb about the Eye. Before he could say anything else, however, a familiar presence became more tangible in his mind. He knew immediately it was Lorlen that he was sensing through the blood gem, but Lorlen should have been asleep at the current hour. Something had awakened him, and Akkarin doubted it was good.

Administrator, Lord Jolen and his family have been murdered, Akkarin heard through Lorlen's mind. Lord Balkan has sent for the Higher Magicians. You're to meet in the Day Room. Would you like me to go back, while you get dressed, and tell them you're on your way? Akkarin sensed his friend's emotions immediately–shock, dismay, and more than a hint of fear. Akkarin desperately wanted to tell his friend that he was not the murderer, but he knew that denial would not help at the moment. At the current moment, Lorlen seemed disinclined to tell anyone he knew of Akkarin's practice of black magic, knowing that confession would lead to a good deal of uncomfortable questions from the Higher Magicians. Perhaps there was still time to cast the suspicion on someone else or even to use the situation to his advantage. He just needed to think of how to do so.

Half-focused on what was happening with Lorlen, Akkarin turned the rest of his attention back to Sonea who still stood in front of him, staring at the moon. He wished he could give her more time to process what had just happened, but he knew that time was of the essence now. They both needed to be back on Guild grounds as quickly as possible to allay suspicions ."We must get away from here quickly," he told her. "The Thieves will take care of the body." She seemed a bit unsure still, but she did nod and follow him out of the room. He focused back on his connection with Lorlen as they followed their guide into the tunnels. He knew he owed Sonea an explanation, but he could not tell her anything while others were around, so he instead monitored the progress of the investigation into the murders as they wound their way under the streets of Imardin.

Through Lorlen's ears, he heard as Vinara presented the evidence she had found. He was not overly worried about the witness–he had seen firsthand how desperate conditions were for many in the Slums, and he was sure that many would eagerly take some coin and perform whatever task the giver had in mind, no questions asked. The scrap of fabric, however, was more concerning. He guessed that the Ichani woman had taken it during their first fight, but proving that would be difficult. He thought about trying to intervene, but there was truly very little he could say, and Lorlen eventually cast doubt on the evidence all on his own.

He listened as Balkan outlined his plan to separate him and Sonea, a plan which obviously did not work since neither were at the Residence. Akkarin felt a gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach, and as they continued to follow their guide through the tunnels, he identified it for what it was—fear. It had been a long time since he had felt such fear, not since he was still in Sachaka. However, he no longer had only himself to worry about. He chanced a glance over at the slight woman walking next to him, noticing her head was still bowed, a frown on her face. He knew she was still processing all that had happened that night, and unfortunately, things were going to get much worse before they got better—if they got better.

Once their guide left them, he increased his pace even as he answered the questions Sonea asked, knowing she was using them to process what had just occurred. As he descended the stairs to the Guild grounds, still listening to both Sonea and the conversation through his blood ring, he suddenly saw the Higher Magicians working to break through the barrier that protected the underground room. He cursed loudly. Everything was collapsing like a house of dominoes now, and his mind worked frantically to come up with a solution. He noticed Sonea staring at him, waiting for an explanation for his behavior, and he outlined the situation as quickly as he could. As he did so, his mind presented the only viable solution. He would have to tell them all about the Ichani and his time in Sachaka. It was the only chance they had. Perhaps if he could make them understand the threat, they would accept that black magic was necessary.

He explained the plan to Sonea, ending with, "I am sorry I brought you into this, Sonea. I will protect you from the worst of it, if I can."

He saw a brief flash of fear before she hardened her features. "Don't apologize. It was my decision. I knew the risks. Tell me what I must do, and I will do it."

There went his heart again. Such loyalty–and undeserved. He opened his mouth to explain what he wanted her to do, but before he could, he saw them take Takan away. He had no more time for length explanations. He would just have to trust that Sonea would obey him. They hurried back to the exit to his Residence, and he instructed Sonea to stay until he called her before turning his attention to the door. For a moment, he wavered, wondering if it was worth it. After all, they did not know where he was. Akkarin was a man who liked to be prepared, and he had prepared a number of contingency plans for his eventual discovery—he had always known it would come at some point. One of those did involve an escape through the tunnels and disappearing, but he knew in his heart that he could not do that. He had sworn to protect the Guild, and now was his chance to do that. With a thought, he focused on the door, causing it to slide sideways, before striding out to face the astonished Higher Magicians.

The following day, Akkarin stood in the middle of the Guildhall, feeling the familiar pulsing of Sonea's magic beside him. He frowned inwardly as he realized that she was stronger than she had been before and had not grown as adept as he was at hiding that strength. He hoped that the other magicians would be too focused on the trial to notice what he felt or simply attribute it to the fact that she was relatively young, so her power was likely still growing. Despite the circumstances in which they found themselves, it was strangely comforting to feel her presence next to him. For the first time, Akkarin allowed himself to acknowledge that he felt something more for Sonea than a Guardian should feel for his novice. He doubted it would matter now anyway. If all went according to plan, they would be separated soon and she would be free of his dark influence.

No, not free. Never free, the voice in his head reminded him. Indeed, if what he feared came to pass, she would be more trapped than ever, for once the Guild realized the truth, she would have to come forward and admit to her knowledge in order to help fight the Ichani. And while he hoped that the Guild would come to its senses and keep her around at that point for its own protection, he was sure that their prejudices against black magic would cause them to enforce many restrictions on her. Restrictions she did not deserve but would submit to anyway knowing her sense of duty. It seemed he was bad luck for every woman he loved.

Akkarin internally reeled at that thought. Did he truly love Sonea? Had his feelings developed that much? Yes, the voice in his head answered immediately, and he knew it spoke the truth. And you will never be able to do anything about it.

Akkarin brought his attention back to the trial in time to hear Rothen stand up to give testimony. He chastised Lorlen mentally, but he knew even as Rothen spoke that it would not have mattered if he did not testify. The evidence in the murder was damning enough, and when the time came, Akkarin would freely admit to using black magic because telling the truth about that would be the only way to have a hope that the Guild would believe his reasons for using it. As Rothen continued to testify, Akkarin considered his words and realized that perhaps they would work in his favor. Rothen certainly painted a damning picture of Akkarin, but he made Sonea seem like a victim, an effect Akkarin was hoping to achieve, too. Maybe she would escape from the trial relatively unscathed after all.

Finally, the time came for his questioning. Akkarin kept his face impassive, reverted to the mask that he had learned over the years in Court and perfected during his time in Sachaka. He knew no one would be able to read anything from his face. He knelt when Lorlen instructed him to swear to tell the truth before beginning to answer questions. As he had hoped, it did not take long for them to get to the point where he could tell his story. He certainly did not enjoy doing so, but he realized that telling it once before helped him this time, for he could lock away all the emotions about his time in Sachaka, revealing only those that he wished, such as his disapproval of the recklessness of his youth. As he spoke, he let his eyes wander over the magicians in the Hall, noting that they were all watching him closely. Finally, as the story ended, his eyes settled on the King. Immediately, his heart sank in his chest. Merin's normally warm green eyes were hard as they watched, an expression Akkarin had never seen on his face before, and they had known each other since they were boys. Akkarin suspected Merin felt betrayed, but he had a feeling that it was more than that. He remembered Merin's comments the last time they had spoken privately, and a feeling of dread settled in the pit of Akkarin's stomach. Edgar's indiscretions were the talk of Court, so much so that Beren had spoken about disowning him to keep him from tarnishing the family name. Akkarin could not help but wonder just how much Edgar's actions had contributed to the King's current attitude.

They questioned him, and he answered truthfully, keeping Sonea's knowledge of black magic a secret. He could sense sympathies turning her way and even caught a few surface thoughts that indicated they believed he had manipulated her. Once more, it seemed that the fear he inspired in others had worked to his advantage. Good. Once the Guild decided on his punishment, which he hoped would be exile, he could work to find proof of the Ichani's existence and send that back through Lorlen's blood ring. Once they satisfied themselves that the Ichani threat was real, Akkarin would reveal Sonea's knowledge so she could teach someone else and fill any gaps in their knowledge about Ichani. Akkarin knew the plan was not as comprehensive as he would have liked, but the murder of Lord Jolen had forced his hand, and he did not see another option. If he tried to fight his way out, the other magicians could use up strength that they would need in the coming days.

As the Higher Magicians began to question Sonea, he could hear the slight tremor in her voice at first, but she quickly forced it down. He suppressed a small smile, knowing it was inappropriate given the circumstances. He had known from the time that he forcibly read her mind that Sonea was strong, and that was one of the reasons he had finally told her his secret. That strength should help her withstand the worst of the firestorm he was sure would come. And then he heard the words he had not expected, words which completely destroyed his plan.

"He was teaching me black magic."

A/N: The next couple of chapters will be much closer to the book than previous ones have been since there is not much political intrigue to include while Akkarin is in Sachaka. As I mentioned in the summary, I do plan to deviate from canon after the battle (yes, Akkarin will live) and then delve into my long-term plot which will be told from multiple perspectives, unlike this story. Two questions for the upcoming chapters: would readers prefer me to end this story and then begin the multi-perspective continuation after the battle in a sequel or is it better to have one longer story? Also, should I keep it a T or move into M territory (i.e. how detailed should I get in the waterfall scene)?