Akkarin did not often allow himself the luxury of sleeping in. However, after countless hours of discussion over many late nights on topics that did not particularly hold his interest, he decided he could afford himself the rare luxury, especially since the euphoria of his and Sonea's confessions had made the previous night even later. Or rather, the morning early, he thought wryly. He had instructed Takan to push back breakfast by an hour and had, despite his normal early-rising tendencies, spent that hour in sleep. He had just awoken and completed his morning ablutions when he heard Takan's mental call. Master, Administrator Lorlen is here. He says he has some questions about the changes from last night.

Have him wait in the Guest Room; I will be down shortly.

I apologize, Master, I already took him to the sitting room since that is where you normally receive him. Should I redirect him to the Guest Room?

No, I will be down shortly. Akkarin quickly tied the ribbon around his hair and strode out of the room. He stopped at the guest quarters to warn Sonea to stay upstairs until he had talked with Lorlen, but her room was empty. Cursing under his breath, Akkarin quickly made his way down the stairs, but he was only halfway down when he heard Lorlen's exclamation of surprise.

"Sonea?"

"Administrator!" Akkarin hastily descended the last few steps and entered the sitting room in enough time to see Sonea make a hasty bow. Her eyes darted over to him, and he could read the nervousness in her face. Lorlen seemed confused as he looked from Sonea to Akkarin, but Akkarin imagined he would not stay that way for long.

"Good morning, Lorlen. I did not expect you so early."

"I can see that." Gradually, the surprise on Lorlen's face cleared, and he looked to Akkarin with raised eyebrows. After a moment's hesitation, Akkarin nodded minutely. Lorlen's expression turned to one of shock again, and his gaze turned back to Sonea whose hands were dancing in front of her nervously as she stared at Akkarin. Deciding that he might as well put all his cards on the table, Akkarin crossed to her side, placing a hand against her hip to pull her to him for a short, chaste kiss. When he pulled away, he grabbed one of her hands in his, stopping its motion. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles comfortingly.

"Why don't you join us for breakfast, Lorlen? I feel that we have much to talk about."

Do you want me to go to the Foodhall? Sonea sent.

No, stay. Please. You are right—Lorlen is my oldest friend and would not betray us. It is high time we told him. He felt her satisfaction at his words and squeezed her hand one more time before looking expectantly at his friend. Lorlen stared at him a moment more before finally managing to school his features and nod.

"I would like that very much." Akkarin gestured for Lorlen to proceed him into the dining room. Takan had already added an extra place setting to the table, directly between Akkarin and Sonea who still occupied either end of the table. He saw Lorlen glance at the place settings before shooting him a curious glance, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly as he stepped to the table. So far, Sonea had not seemed to understand the significance of the placement—or if she had, she had not said anything, and he did not want to draw attention to it.

For the first few minutes of breakfast, they focused on their food. Lorlen was the one who finally broke the silence. "Takan's cooking is excellent as always."

"It is. Perhaps you can take an evening meal with us sometimes."

"I would enjoy that." Lorlen turned to Sonea next, giving her a small smile. "How are your classes going, Sonea?"

She seemed a bit startled that he addressed her, and her eyes darted over to Akkarin who nodded in encouragement. "Good," she said. "Warrior Arts has given me some trouble, but I am finally starting to overcome that."

"Not all of us are natural-born Warriors," Lorlen remarked, glancing at Akkarin who raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of pachi juice.

"Are you still bitter over all the times I defeated you in the Arena?"

"I did manage to defeat you once."

"Really?" Sonea asked, astonished.

"The circumstances were rather extraordinary," Akkarin remarked, forcing his face to remain neutral. Lorlen gave him a small smirk.

"As I recall, you were up half the night with-"

"Lorlen!" Akkarin rebuked sharply. He glanced over at Sonea who seemed to be struggling to control her amusement.

"And here I thought you never spent time in the rooms of beautiful novices."

"He told you that? Oh, the stories I could tell!"

"Now is hardly an appropriate time."

Lorlen leaned over toward Sonea. "Later," he promised in a stage whisper.

She grinned at him. "I look forward to it." Akkarin resisted the urge to roll his eyes at their antics. Part of him, however, was pleased to see the two of them—the two most important people in the world to him—getting along so well, even if it was at his expense.

At Sonea's prompting, Lorlen and Akkarin did tell a few stories from their novice days, and Akkarin found he enjoyed the meal more than he had any other meal in quite awhile. Ever since his return from Sachaka, he had distanced himself from his best friend, wary of the secret he needed to keep. Since Sonea knew his secret, however, he had opened up with her, and he found it easier than he had expected to adopt a similar attitude with his best friend and fall back into some of his old habits. They teased each other, often encouraged by Sonea, and Akkarin laughed more than he had since his novice days. As Takan cleared the plates, Akkarin suggested he and Lorlen retire to his office to discuss whatever business had brought Lorlen to his Residence so early. Lorlen agreed easily, and he and Sonea followed Akkarin out of the dining room. As Akkarin turned toward his study, he heard Lorlen stop Sonea before she could leave to prepare for class. Though they spoke in a whisper, Akkarin's keen hearing picked out their words easily. "Thank you, Sonea," Lorlen remarked.

"For what?"

"Giving me my best friend back."

"What do you mean? He's always been your friend."

"Something changed Akkarin when he was traveling, and I never bothered to take the time and figure out what it was or how to help. But today at breakfast—that is the Akkarin I remember from before his travels. And I know it's because of you."

"I doubt I had much to do with it. He's the same man he's always been."

Lorlen was quiet for a moment, and Akkarin sensed his friend's gaze on the back of his head. "I suppose he is, but you were the one who showed him he did not have to hide that."

Lorlen and Akkarin quickly worked through the questions Lorlen had, and they spent a few minutes chatting about nothing in particular, just as they had so often as novices. Eventually, they both had to leave for their respective duties, but as he started to leave, Lorlen turned back to his old friend. "Your secret is safe with me, you know. I understand that it would be difficult for both of you if others were to find out."

"They would not understand," Akkarin said quietly.

"No, they would not." Lorlen studied him for a moment. "It is serious, isn't it?"

"Yes. I would not have pursued anything if there were not strong feelings on both sides."

"I know. Those days are long behind both of us now." Lorlen considered his next words carefully. "Secrets like this eventually come out. Have you considered what to do then?"

Akkarin let out a long breath. "I will not deny her if that is what you are asking. She deserves far better than that."

"That was not what I was asking."

"Ideally, we would be able to keep everything discreet until she has graduated or is at least nearing graduation. You know as well as I what harm could come to her reputation if gossip spreads before that time. If that is not possible, I would likely take more decisive action to give her as much protection as I can."

Lorlen's eyes widened slightly as he realized what Akkarin was implying. "Very serious, then." Akkarin nodded. "You know it would be easier for both of you if you were to just wait until she graduated? If you are that sure, would a few years make a difference?"

A small smile played at Akkarin's lips. "Sonea's arguments to the contrary were most convincing."

All the Higher Magicians finally approved the curriculum changes that afternoon, so Akkarin was actually early to dinner that night. He hoped that Sonea would join him as well, but he had no way to contact her discreetly. Briefly, he considered creating a blood ring for her, but he dismissed that idea as soon as it entered his head. That would be an invasion of her privacy.

Instead, he waited at the tunnel exit to the empty classroom at the usual time when they met, listening carefully for her approach. After a few minutes, he heard the door open and her footsteps as she stepped inside. As soon as the door shut behind her, he left the tunnels, giving her a half smile. She did not return the smile, and his own slipped from his face. "Dorrien insisted that we go to the Foodhall together," she explained. "I could not think of a way out of it—I was afraid if I mentioned eating with someone else, he would simply insist that person join us. Especially because he does know I'm seeing someone."

An eyebrow rose. "You told him?"

"He guessed. I didn't tell him who it was though."

"Good. I would prefer he did not even know what he does, but I suppose there is no preventing that now. And he will be back in his village soon enough and out of the normal gossip circles."

"Why does it matter if he knows everything?"

Akkarin sighed. "This is really not the time or place for this conversation, Sonea."

"I'm finding it harder and harder to believe that you're not ashamed of me."

Crossing to her side, Akkarin gave her a firm kiss. "I am not," he told her. She still looked skeptical, and he sighed again. "Have dinner with Dorrien and then come to the Residence. We will talk then."

An hour and a half later, Akkarin heard the door to the basement room open, and he met Sonea at the top of the steps. He gave her a half smile as he took her hand. "Come. Takan has prepared a snack. We can take it with some wine in the study while we talk."

"I just ate dinner."

"How much did you actually eat?" he questioned, an eyebrow raised. She glanced at the floor, embarrassed.

"How did you know?"

"You were nervous. No one can eat much while nervous. For what it is worth, I have no intention of ending our relationship tonight. I simply think it is time for me to set a few things right."

They walked together to his study, and he directed her to one of the two armchairs facing each other. After pouring wine, he took the other chair, taking a long sip of his wine as he gathered his thoughts. When he looked over, she was playing with the stem of her wine glass nervously. He let out a long breath. "As I said before, Sonea, I am in no way ashamed of you and fully intend to clarify our relationship for everyone in no uncertain terms once you have graduated." She looked up at him, slightly shocked, and he let a small smile play across his lips. "This is serious for me, Sonea, and I believe it is going to last. However, while the Guild does not strictly forbid relationships between magicians and novices, there are a number of. . . unwritten rules and customs to which it adheres. Most of them, including this one, even have good reasons."

"What possible reason could the Guild have for controlling the relationship of two adults?"

"Magicians are in a position of power over novices, and that power can be all too easily abused. Sometimes, it's in smaller ways—perhaps a slight editing of a grade here or a comment to the right person at the right time in order to gain the novice favor he or she would not have otherwise received on his or her own merits. The power has been abused in more egregious ways as well—most recently, one of our magicians entered into a relationship with a novice and failed to take the proper precautions, resulting in a pregnancy that he would not acknowledge. That novice ended up having her powers blocked and leaving the Guild."

Sonea's eyes widened. "But you would never do that!"

"No, but the fact remains that the possibility exists, and many will constantly wonder if something like that is going to happen. You do not want everyone not-so-discreetly trying to examine you to see if you're hiding a pregnancy. Besides, if we are under too much scrutiny, it is possible that they would discover other secrets that we have hidden."

"Oh. I didn't think of that."

Akkarin reached out, gently running the back of his hand down her cheek. "I love you, Sonea. If someone were to find out, we would determine together how to handle the situation, but ending the relationship would not be an option I would consider unless you wanted that. However, if we can keep things discreet until you have graduated, I do think it is for the best."

She nodded. "I can see that." He gave her a half-smile before leaning forward to press a long kiss to her mouth, using a bit of magic to take her wine glass from her hand and place it on the table before pulling her into his lap.

Cery stood in the shadows, watching the door carefully. Sonea had contacted him two days before and asked if they could meet. He had been looking forward to seeing the Guild at first, assuming they would not let her leave, but she had requested they meet somewhere in the Slums instead. It did not take him long to decide on the building where he had sheltered her when she was still on the run from the magicians. He was not sure exactly how she would feel about the choice of location, but it made the most sense tactically. It was not near her family or any of his usual contacts, he knew she would be able to find it easily, and since their confrontation with the magicians, others generally avoided the area.

The door opened right on time, and a short, slim figure stepped through. Cery's first thought was that Sonea would no longer be able to pass as a boy as she had done so many times in their childhood. The curves that had only begun to develop when he last saw her were fully formed now, and even the loose cloak she wore could not completely hide her femininity. Cery's heart beat slightly faster, but he quickly pushed down that attraction. Sonea was a magician now. He was happy for her, truly, but her new status meant that there was no hope for the two of them.

"Cery, thanks for meeting me," Sonea said, pushing back her hood. Cery noted that she had let her hair grow out as well, and her curls now hung down to her shoulders. It suited her.

"No rub," he told her, stepping out of the shadows. She threw her arms around him, embracing him unexpectedly. Telling his libido to calm down, he cautiously returned the hug.

"Here, I brought this for you," she told him, reaching inside her cloak and pulling out a small cloth bag. Cery took it from her hands and opened it, peeking inside briefly. Silver glinted in the moonlight, and he whistled.

"Hai, Sonea, you're a friend. You don't pay friends."

"It's not from me." Sonea turned, nodding at the doorway where a second figure stood, this one definitely a male. He was tall and thin, but there was a power in his stance that told Cery he was not a man one wanted to cross. Cery studied him for a moment. Though he wore the rough clothing typical of the slums, something told Cery that it was not his usual attire. Cery had never seen him before, and he was proud to say that he knew most men of importance in the Slums. That meant that the man in front of him was likely not a Dwell. Given that he came with Sonea, Cery had a good idea of what he was.

"Why are you bringing a magician here, Sonea?" he questioned, studying the other man suspiciously.

"I asked her to," the man said, stepping closer and removing his hood. Two dark eyes stared straight at Cery, eyes Cery was sure had cowed many a man. Despite his normal bravado, Cery was no exception. He shrank back slightly before forcing himself to stiffen his spine and meet the other man's gaze. Something flashed in the other man's eyes—approval, perhaps? Or maybe Cery was just seeing what he wanted to see. "I have a business proposition for you," the other man continued.

"For me? What could I possibly help you with?"

"More than you might think."

"But why me? I have a few connections, but there are people with far more."

"Sonea trusts you." Cery looked back to his friend who nodded.

"Hear him out, Cery. Please."

"Alright. You've certainly bought yourself that much." Cery beckoned them forward, and they followed him into the run-down dining area. He sat at one of the tables, gesturing to the bench across from him for his visitors. Cery noted that though they did not touch, there was a closeness between them that he had not expected. Was Sonea seeing this magician? He supposed she had grown into a beautiful woman, but he was surprised any of the nobles would be willing to overlook her origins. Maybe he was just seeing things.

"There have been a number of rogue magicians coming into the Slums in the past few years," the mysterious man began. "I have been dealing with them as they come, but my other duties often prevent me from finding them as quickly as I would like."

Cery's eyes went wide. "Whoa, I've seen what your lot can do. I'm not taking on any magician, no matter how much coin you have."

A fleeting smile crossed the man's lips. "I am not asking you to do so. I merely need someone to find these magicians for me so that I can handle them."

That sounded intriguing and like something that Cery might be able to accomplish. "How would you go about finding them?"

"They have been leaving a series of unexplained deaths behind them."

Cery nodded, having heard of some of those. "I had heard there might be magic involved with those, but I didn't think it was possible. I thought your Guild kept a tight control on that stuff?"

"These magicians don't belong to the Guild."

"Don't belong to the Guild? But that's impossible!" The man simply raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so I find these magicians and then what? I assume you don't want me to just waltz into the Guild to tell you about them."

"I will set up a regular meeting with you, but if you need to speak with me outside of that time, my servant comes to the market every morning at dawn. If you agree to help, I will introduce him to you, and you can use him to contact me."

"And once you deal with these magicians, I assume you need our help cleaning up?" Cery questioned, having been in the business long enough to know how things typically worked.

"Yes. You will be compensated accordingly, of course." The man paused for a moment. "In addition, if there is any clean up you can do for the magician's victims before the Guard finds them, that would earn additional money. Obviously, news of these deaths has spread quite far, and it is best for me if no one looks too closely at them."

Cery rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "None of those are easy tasks."

"I assure you that I have figured that into your compensation."

Cery considered. The offer was quite tempting. Not only did it have the potential to earn him more money than he had ever dreamed of earning, taking the job could also help him build prestige and possibly even break into the coveted ranks of the Thieves. Of course, it was also incredibly dangerous. However, danger had never really bothered Cery before. "We will have to work out the final details, but you have yourself a deal." The man smiled, the first genuine smile Cery had seen on his lips, and he reached a hand across to shake.

"See, I told you he could help," Sonea remarked, entering the conversation for the first time in awhile. The man gave her an amused look.

"I suppose you did." He turned back to Cery then. "I will meet you with my servant in three days' time at this hour if that will work for you." Cery nodded; for the amount of money the man had offered him, he would clear his schedule for weeks. "I assume we do not want to be seen going in and out of this place too frequently."

Cery considered. "That would be best. There aren't many people around since your lot took Sonea, but there are still some."

"There's a place in the underground passageways soon before the University tunnels, near the East Gate."

"I know it."

"Good. I will see you there in three days' time." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I do not expect another rogue for a month or two, but it is best to keep an ear out anyway."

"Of course."

"I look forward to working with you." The man stood, reaching down a hand to Sonea. Somewhat surprisingly, she took it. Cery noted with interest that his grip on her hand lingered long after she had risen to her feet. Perhaps he was correct about their relationship. After a few seconds, the man dropped Sonea's hand, turning toward the door. Cery watched them go before making a decision. He told himself that he simply wanted to know more about his new employer, but deep down, he knew it was more than that. He had never cared much about knowing who employed him before except that they paid well and did not ask him to do anything too heinous.

Cery assumed they would be taking the Thieves' Road home, but he also doubted they knew it as well as he did. There was an entrance a few blocks away that few knew about but which would allow him to make his way more quickly to the spot near the East Gate that the man had mentioned. Cery knew it well, for he had crossed through it a few times when discretely entering the Magician's Guild. The tunnels widened there, and there were a number of side passageways branching off that would provide good cover.

Cery made his way quickly to the spot in question, but he had just settled into an alcove in one of the side passageways when he heard someone approaching. Peering out, he saw two figures—one nearly a head taller than the other. Cery identified them immediately as Sonea and her companion even without seeing their faces. He watched as they approached, noting with raised eyebrows that their hands were now clasped tightly together. He felt a clenching in his gut, but he pushed that aside as he tried to hear their words.

". . .come with you," Sonea was saying.

"We've been through this, Sonea. It is much too dangerous for you to accompany me."

"If it's so dangerous, wouldn't it be better if you had some sort of back-up?"

"I have been successful on my own so far."

"Yeah except for that time you ended up nearly dead."

"That was before I had the second most powerful magician in the Guild supplying me with power."

"Akkarin, I. . ."

He stopped, tugging on her hand to pull her close. Cery slipped further back into the shadows of the passageway as the action caused Sonea to turn and face his direction, but he need not have bothered. Sonea had eyes only for the man in front of her. "I know," he said, reaching his free hand up to tenderly push a curl back from her forehead. "It is only natural for you to worry, but I am a very hard man to kill, Sonea. And with your friend the Thief helping, it will make it that much easier for me to stay alive."

Sonea frowned. "Cery's not a Thief."

Cery could hear the smile in the next words though he could not see the man's face. "Not yet."

"You know something," Sonea accused.

"Just that a person of Cery's intellect and with his background who suddenly finds himself in possession of a large fortune and a well-connected client will tend to rise in the ranks rather rapidly. You chose well, Sonea."

They were quiet for a moment before Sonea asked, "Could I at least come along to your meetings with Cery? It will be nice to see him again and those should be safe."

The man chuckled. "You are quite persistent. Alright, as long as there is no chance of fighting and you do not have other commitments, you can join me for my meetings." He leaned forward then, pressing his lips tightly to Sonea's. The jealousy which rose in Cery's chest was not unexpected, but the intensity was greater than he had thought it would be. He had thought his feelings for Sonea would have cooled with her entrance into the Guild, but it seemed that it only took seeing her again for them to resurface. However, she had made her choice, and it was not him. He looked back at the couple who were still locked in an embrace, wondering who the man was. Sonea had called him by his name. It took Cery a minute to remember it. Akkarin—she had called him Akkarin. The name seemed familiar, but it was not as if Cery knew a lot of magicians. Perhaps the man had the same name as someone else Cery knew.

Cery's eyes suddenly widened as he realized just where he had heard that name before. Surely he must be mistaken. He looked back at the man, trying to prove himself wrong, but he saw nothing to counter his realization. In fact, the more he considered their conversation, the more he realized that the man he had met was a man who was accustomed to being in charge. He did not precisely give Cery orders, for he was obviously skilled enough to recognize Cery would chafe at such an action, but he spoke with an authority that few would question. Those facts led to one conclusion though Cery was still having trouble believing it.

Cery's newest client—and apparently Sonea's current romantic attachment—was High Lord Akkarin.

Sonea sent her globelight ahead into a nearby alcove, whistling softly to herself. She heard Akkarin's soft footfalls a few meters away, a comforting sound in the otherwise barren and empty tunnels. For the current night, they had chosen to explore a section of the tunnels beneath the magician's gardens. For reasons unbeknownst to Sonea, this particular section was quite windy with many small nooks and crannies where something could be hidden, so it had taken longer than usual to explore. However, the optimistic side of Sonea pointed out that the features which made it difficult to search would also make it an ideal hiding place.

As she stepped closer to the alcove, her whistle died down until she was no longer making any sound. The alcove was deeper than she had expected, so her globelight did not reach the back corners, but she saw the shadow of something in one of them. "Akkarin," she called softly, but he was already right behind her, likely alerted by her lack of whistling. His globelight pushed into the alcove as well, dropping nearer to the ground to illuminate a chest pushed up against the back wall and half-hidden by some sort of heavy fabric that had disintegrated over time. "Do you think that's it? The secret weapon?" she whispered.

"We won't know without opening it." Akkarin placed his hands on her hips, carefully moving her to the side so he could squeeze into the alcove. It was not much wider than he was, so Sonea hung back while he crouched down next to the chest. "It's falling apart," Akkarin said softly. "But it does appear to be filled with books." Hope filled Sonea's chest. After all their nights of exploration, could they have finally found what they were searching for? "Step back for a minute," Akkarin told her, and she sensed his magic encircling the chest before it rose a few inches in the air. Slowly, Akkarin backed out of the alcove, the chest coming with him. Once they were in the main passageway, he set it gently on the ground and carefully opened the top to reveal a number of musty smelling books. Akkarin pulled one out, turning it over in his hands. Sonea squinted at the cover, but the title was written in a fancy, curving script and the years had weathered many of the letters, so she could not tell what it said. Akkarin carefully opened the book, his eyes scanning the first page. When he looked back at Sonea, his lips had curled into a smile. "This is it," he told her, his voice vibrating with excitement though he still spoke softly. "This book mentions Higher Magic which is the old name for black magic. You found the secret weapon."

"We found it together," Sonea countered. "I just happened to be the one who searched this particular alcove." He gave her an appraising look, but before Sonea could ask what he was thinking, he placed the book back into the chest and rose, striding to her side. Immediately, he grabbed both her hips, pulling her flush against his body as his lips crashed down on hers. Startled by the intensity of the kiss, she stumbled a bit until her back hit the wall of the tunnel. Still, he did not stop kissing her; instead, he reached down to grab her thigh, lifting her leg and placing it around his body so he could press her more firmly against the wall. Blood pounded in her ears, and desire raged through her body. She felt one of his hands insert itself into her novice robes, pushing them aside as it sought bare skin.

After a few minutes, he pulled back, breathing harshly. "Not here," he said fiercely, and Sonea wondered if he was speaking to her or himself.

"Where?" she questioned, tired of waiting. While she now understood he was holding back out of respect for her, she wanted to show him quite clearly that there was no need for that. With that thought in mind, she took down some of the mental barriers he had shown her how to erect so that he could clearly read her surface thoughts. His eyes darkened even further such that they were almost black, and he quickly grabbed her hand, turning to pull her down the passages. "The chest?"

"It's been there long enough; another day will make little difference." He spoke shortly, and Sonea had the impression he was barely keeping himself in check. She was practically running to keep up with the pace he set, and it did not take long before they were nearing the barriers he placed around the tunnels that led into his Residence. He took them down without stopping, only slowing long enough to fully dismantle them. Once they had passed through, she felt his magic pulse around them as he erected them again, but based on the speed with which he did so, she imagined they were not as strong as usual. It seemed he had other things on his mind at the moment.

They rushed through the basement room and up both flights of stairs, and he turned them immediately in a direction which she had never taken. The door to his room opened at a thought from him, and he pulled her inside, closing it before pressing her against it with his body, his lips descending on hers again. This time, he did not stop himself from pushing her robes from her body, fumbling slightly with the clasps before reverting to magic to open them. Under other circumstances, Sonea might have teased him for his impatience, but she was feeling a similar impatience herself. Her own hands began tugging at his robes, and she could not stop a curse from escaping her lips when she found that they had far more fasteners than the novice robes. He pulled his lips away from hers with a dark chuckle, helping her to divest himself of the constraining garments. Once he had tossed them to the side, he pulled her back to the bed, hovering over her as his hands ran down her body, separated from skin only by the light clothing she wore under her robes. "Did the Healers ever show you how to prevent pregnancy?" he whispered. She shook her head, eyes wide. He frowned a moment, but his expression soon cleared. "It does not matter now; I can handle it for tonight." He concentrated a moment, and Sonea felt his magic in her abdomen. Then, he leaned down and kissed her soundly, and it was not long before they lost themselves in each other.

Some time later, Sonea lay in bed with him, her head resting on his bare shoulder as her heart rate gradually slowed. He had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and his other hand clasped hers on his stomach. As she idly played with his fingers, she asked, "Not that I'm complaining, but what exactly happened?"

He looked down at her, an eyebrow raised as his lips turned up in a smile. "Do you need me to show you again?" he questioned, his voice low and teasing.

Sonea felt herself blush. "I mean, why now?"

His smile deepened, and he turned so that he was hovering over her, pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. When he pulled back, he explained, "When you talked about how we found the chest together, you reminded me that I am not alone in this any longer. The fact that you have believed me so readily and have insisted on helping made me realize just how much I love you and gave me something I have not had in quite awhile—hope. It just became a bit. . . overwhelming. Add to that our recent conversations clarifying our relationship, and, well. . ." He looked almost embarrassed. Reaching up, Sonea cupped his cheek and kissed him long and lovingly. He returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm.

"You said something about showing me again?" she breathed. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and his next kiss was far more sensual.

When Sonea woke the next morning, she froze for a moment at feeling the warm weight around her waist, relaxing when she remembered what had happened the previous night. She turned slowly to find Akkarin already awake, smiling at her. "How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Wonderfully," she said honestly, and his smile widened. Leaning forward, he kissed her.

"And how are you feeling after last night?" he asked when he pulled away.

"Happy. Content. Loved," Sonea said immediately. And then, because she did not want to lie to him in such a moment, "A bit sore, but it's not a bad soreness."

He grew thoughtful for a moment before pushing himself into a sitting position. "Why don't I draw you a bath? You should have time to wash and have breakfast before your first class."

Sonea sat up as well, not having expected the tender gesture. "You don't have to," she assured him. "I'll be fine. It's a normal thing. You were very gentle. I actually expected it to hurt much more from the way other women described it." Sonea blushed a bit at the thought.

"Still, I want to help in whatever way I can." His eyes were pleading, and Sonea gave in quickly.

"A bath does sound nice." He pushed himself out of the bed, padding naked to the private bathroom which adjoined his bedchamber. When he reached the door, Sonea gathered her courage and called out, "Does your bath happen to have room for two?"

He looked back at her, surprised but also obviously intrigued by the prospect. "Are you sure? I don't want to push you into too much too soon."

"I'm sure."

His smile was lecherous. "I think you will find the size of my bathtub most satisfactory."

After a rather long bath, Sonea slipped into his dressing gown to make her way to the guest room and retrieve clean robes. As she slid the soft fabric from her shoulders in her room and hung the robe over a chair, she could not help but blush slightly. Despite what they had done the previous night and again that morning, she could not help but find wearing his clothes just as intimate. She met him in the hallway as she emerged from her room after dressing, and she handed him the dressing gown with mumbled thanks. He leaned forward as he took it from her hands, giving her a long kiss. "I'll have Takan clear some space in my wardrobe tonight," he told her. She pulled away, looking at him in surprise, and he smiled. "That is, if you don't mind sharing space." She shook her head. She could certainly grow used to sharing space with him.

Breakfast was already waiting when they made their way downstairs, and Takan muttered something under his breath that caused Akkarin to look at him sharply. The servant simply bowed and stepped out of the room. Sonea decided not to question the behavior, assuming the reason would embarrass her. Instead, she took the seat Akkarin offered her, and the two ate quickly before Sonea set out for her classes.

She arrived at her first class a bit later than usual, and the teacher raised his eyebrows but said nothing as she took her usual seat. A few moments later, the door opened again, and she turned, wondering who might be entering since the rest of the class was already there. "Ah, yes, Director Jerrick mentioned you would be joining us starting today, Regin," her teacher remarked. "There is a seat right there that you can take." He gestured to the empty seat next to Sonea, and the breakfast she had recently eaten curdled in her stomach as her archenemy slid into a chair less than a meter away from her.

Why was Regin in the class? She had thought that she would have a reprieve from his scheming once she caught up with the winter intake. However, she had only been in the class for two months, and it seemed her time of peace was already coming to an end. As the teacher turned his back to the class to write something on the board, Regin leaned over and whispered, "You didn't think you were the only one smart enough to skip a class, did you, Slum Girl?" Sonea kept her mouth shut, knowing nothing good would come of responding to his taunting. Instead, she turned her attention to the board, clearly indicating that she had no interest in talking to him. She heard his low chuckle, and the teacher turned to him.

"Something funny?" he questioned. Sonea had always liked Lord Ardon; though strict, he was also fair and did not tolerate any nonsense in his classes. She imagined Regin would chafe quite a bit under his authority.

"I was just wondering if you had done any work on illusions yet," he remarked, seeming unaffected by the censure in Lord Ardon's tone.

"Illusions are not covered until late in the Second Year. I ask that you please stay on topic and do not waste my class time showing off."

"Oh, I do not ask for me, Lord Ardon. I just feel that it is a skill Sonea should learn to master sooner rather than later if she would like to hide evidence of her distasteful nighttime activities." Sonea turned to him in confusion, and he smirked widely as he mouthed the words, "Your neck." Blushing, Sonea brought her hand up to feel her neck though she knew without looking what she would find. Apparently, Akkarin had not been as careful as he usually was in his passion, and since she was running late that morning, she had not checked her appearance as closely as she normally did.

"As long as Sonea keeps up with her work and remains respectful in class, I do not have any input into her nighttime activities. You would do well to remember that, too." Despite Lord Ardon's reprimand, the rest of the class snickered, and Sonea had a feeling that the day was going to stretch on interminably.

A/N: I probably should have mentioned earlier, but in case it is not clear by now-while this story will have some action, its main focus is on the Akkarin/Sonea relationship (unlike the book where the relationship is secondary to the action). The action will eventually pick up (I've already written one of the climactic scenes), but it's going to be a few more chapters to get a lot of the groundwork laid. Hopefully they're not too boring!