That night, Cery took him to a new murder scene, and Akkarin immediately felt the magic pulsing in the air. The murder was fresh—very fresh. Akkarin only briefly examined the body before straightening and glancing around. "What is it?" Cery questioned.
"I doubt the murderer is far from here."
Cery looked uneasy. "Not far?" Akkarin nodded in response, standing and striding onto the street, away from the body. It was early enough in the evening that there were still a fair few people around, but no one paid him any attention. Leaning against the building, Akkarin let his eyes slide shut and cast out his senses. It did not take him long to find the unfamiliar source of magic—the spy was not far away, likely only a block or two. Opening his eyes, Akkarin strode in that direction, checking one more time once he was near the area where he thought the spy likely was. He immediately sensed him lurking in an alleyway just ahead, likely waiting for another victim. Akkarin turned to Cery who had been following him a few steps behind, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Can you clear this block?"
"He's here?"
"Just down that alley," Akkarin said, nodding to the alleyway in question. "The quicker you can clear the area, the better. I do not know that we will have another chance like this to catch him."
Cery nodded. "Give me ten minutes." He slipped away, and Akkarin shrank back into the shadows, keeping his eyes and senses on the alleyway to ensure the spy did not leave. When ten minutes had passed, he stepped forward, casting his senses out to determine the exact location of the spy. It did not take him long to discover the man half-hidden behind the crumbled remains of a wall near the back of the alleyway. As soon as Akkarin saw him, he quickly formed a Forcestrike and sent it toward the spy. Unfortunately, the other man looked over at the last moment and managed to erect a shield which absorbed the strike. The two quickly engaged in battle, but like the previous spies, the man was unskilled in battle. Akkarin managed to lull him into a false sense of security with strong Forcestrikes to the front of his shield, followed by a couple that scattered, before sending up a wave of heat under his feet and behind him. He cried out as the Heatstrike burned through a weak point in the shield, and Akkarin followed with a Stunstrike that caused him to crumple. As his shield winked out, Akkarin leapt forward, drawing his knife. He made a shallow cut on the man's wrist and drew out enough power to render him harmless before magically binding him. Once assured that the man would not pose a threat, Akkarin knelt in front of him, placing a hand on either side of his head and slipping into his mind.
The spy put up some resistance, but Akkarin pushed through it with practiced ease. He prompted him with a picture of the Sachakan king, and a memory immediately surfaced. Akkarin grabbed it before the man could hide it, and he watched as the spy in front of him knelt before the king to receive instructions for his journey. I need you to bring back the number of magicians in the Guild, the king instructed. I must make sure that our force is greater than theirs. It is the only way we will succeed.
Succeed in what? Akkarin demanded. He sensed the spy trying to push away his thoughts, but Akkarin stopped him.
It will not be long now before Kyralia is ours, the Sachakan king remarked.
How many supporters does King Terava have?
Many, the spy answered immediately, but Akkarin focused on the images flicking through his thoughts, images of various Sachakans kneeling before their king and pledging allegiance. He tried to count them, but after three dozen, they began to come too fast for him to count. However, it was clear that even if King Terava did not have as many allies as there were Guild magicians, the combined power of his allies was vastly greater than that of the Guild. If Sachaka did attack, they could take Imardin easily.
Akkarin retreated slightly from the man's mind so he could think further about what he had learned. It was clear they still had some time, for Terava was wary of the Guild. He did not know they did not practice black magic—fortunately, when he and his guards had interrogated Akkarin, they had called it Higher Magic which had led Akkarin to think of the Higher Magicians. They had, of course, known that he did not practice it, but they had seemed to assume that was because Akkarin was newly graduated, and he had bolstered that assumption by ensuring that they realized he did practice it now.
Nevertheless, no matter what time they might have, Akkarin knew that it would eventually run out, and when it did, he was not sure how they could possibly face the multitude of magicians that Akkarin had seen pledge allegiance to the king in the spy's mind. Maybe he needed to find another way to convince the Higher Magicians of the necessity of black magicians. As he began to consider the option, he suddenly felt something pressing at his mind. Cursing his inattention, he started to bring himself fully back into his own mind but before he could return completely, he felt something open. He rushed back into his mind, noting immediately that the door behind which he had locked the thing that had taken over his mind was open. He felt it pulling at his memories, and he quickly threw up blocks, wincing in pain as it hammered against them.
He swiftly moved toward his power, knowing he needed to lock the thing back up before it could take over more of his mind. Already, he could feel it pushing at his blocks, probing them for weaknesses. When he reached his power, his heart sank as he realized that the Sachakans had indeed learned from what he had previously done. The thing was blocking his power, and without at least a bit of magic, he could not lock it up again. Even when he had done it the first time, he had needed to wait a few hours after they took his power until he had regenerated enough magic to fight it. The thing lunged forward, and he grappled with it a moment, managing to push it back enough for him to pull himself back into consciousness.
As his eyes opened, he felt the thing hammering against his blocks, causing a pounding in his temples that he wished he could Heal away. He began to sort through possible options. Because he was not able to access his power, he had put up relatively simple mental blocks, similar to the exercises one did before learning Control, but he knew they would not last against a sustained attack. He needed to do something quickly. He looked at the Sachakan spy he had captured who grinned at him. "You don't think we didn't realize what you did when you escaped, do you?" he asked in Sachakan. "Once we knew you had blocked the mind-control creature, it did not take us long to figure out how, and they made sure that I knew how to release it. Now the question is what do I have you do first? Do I have you turn on that Guild you love so much or maybe just tear apart your mind to figure out what I want to know?"
Akkarin resolutely pushed aside his horror at the thought of what the man could force him to do. "You are mighty confident for someone who has not yet won."
"It is only a matter or time," the man said, smirking. Akkarin felt he was probably correct, but he refused to let himself accept defeat. Instead, he closed his eyes, re-entering his mind room as he began to battle with thing in his head. He was not sure how long he battled for, but he felt himself weakening, and he once more retreated. He swallowed hard against the pain in his head and the nausea as he came back to himself. His mental blocks were weakening, and he felt fear bubble up inside him as he struggled to find a way to strengthen them. It had been so long since he had to work without access to his power that it was difficult for him to think of a plan, but he eventually managed to remember a couple mental relaxation exercises he had not performed yet. As he felt his blocks strengthen slightly, he focused back on the spy who was laughing cruelly at him. "Give up yet?" he questioned.
"Perhaps I should just kill you now and then I would not have to worry about what you might do."
The man's smile broadened. "Did no one ever tell you what happens when the person who controls the mind-control creature dies?" Akkarin kept his expression neutral, but the man obviously realized that he did not know, for he laughed again. "It will still take over, and you will not like the results. It is fond of death and destruction, and it is undiscriminating in how it achieves it." Akkarin opened his mouth to respond, but a shooting pain forced him to close it again as he once more fought off his nausea. His mind raced, trying to think of a new plan.
Akkarin had dismissed a number of plans when he heard a voice that made his heart sink. Opening his eyes which he had closed against the pain, he turned to see Sonea standing a few feet away from him. He tried to convince her to leave, but as usual, she was insistent. Over the pounding in his head, he heard the spy remark, "Ah, so there is someone. My superiors will be most interested to hear about her."
"You leave her alone or I will kill you," Akkarin growled in Sachakan, lunging forward, but the spy shook his head.
"If you kill me, she'll be dead at your hand." Akkarin sank back, knowing the spy spoke the truth. He tried to move away from Sonea, again working to dissuade her with his words, but she continued to move forward undaunted. When he felt the wall at his back, he knew he could avoid her no longer and instead let his eyes slide shut, retreating into his mind for a last, desperate attempt to fight the thing before it took over completely. It did not take long for Sonea to join him, and once more, she refused to listen to his entreaties to leave. Before he could argue with her too long, the thing knocked him out with a stunning blow.
When he next became aware of what was happening in his mind, he saw Sonea hovering above him, her lips pressed to his. Power pulsed around her, power that he suspected she had used to defeat the thing whose presence he no longer felt. But that simply could not be right. No magician could directly use another's power; it was why magicians had to share their power—either willingly or unwillingly with black magic—before it could be used by the receiver. Unless. . .
Before Akkarin could finish that thought, he felt her tugging him back to consciousness, and he opened his eyes to see her standing just in front of him, thankfully unharmed. The full impact of what had just occurred, what he had almost lost, washed over him, and he reached out, pulling her close in a kiss full of love, passion, and more than a hint of desperation.
Eventually, they pulled apart, Akkarin taking a deep breath to bring the swirl of emotions inside him under control. The logical conclusion based on what had just occurred still sat at the back of his mind, begging him to pay attention to it, but he forced it aside for the moment. He had more urgent concerns. Once he dealt with those, he would do the necessary research and then decide what to do with that information. Feeling slightly more in control, Akkarin turned to the bound spy who was looking far less smug, obviously realizing his ploy had not worked as expected. "Sonea, please go see if you can find Cery. Let him know I'm ready for him," Akkarin instructed, drawing his knife as he approached the spy. The man began to plead for mercy in Sachakan, but Akkarin ignored him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sonea nod and slip away. Once he was sure she could no longer see, he pressed a hand to the man's cut and quickly drained him of his remaining magic.
Akkarin and Sonea were silent as they walked back to the Guild, taking the tunnels so that Akkarin would not be recognized. Akkarin was deep in thought, puzzling through what he had learned that night, and Sonea seemed to sense he needed the time to think. When they reached the underground room of the Residence, he cleaned up quickly before joining her in bed. It took a long time for him to fall asleep that night, and though Sonea lay still with her eyes closed, he sensed she had the same problem.
For the next few days, Akkarin spent all of his free time pouring through a few ancient books he had in his library. Three of them confirmed his initial thoughts, but the additional information from them scared him more than he had expected. He knew he needed to tell Sonea what he had learned, but he simply could not bring himself to do so, afraid of what it might mean for their relationship. Instead, he threw himself into his other work, focusing as much energy as he could on his duties as High Lord as well as trying to figure out what to do about the problems with Sachaka. Despite his efforts, however, his mind continued to return to the other things he had learned that night.
One Fourthday nearly two weeks after the incident, Akkarin sat in his study alone. His confusion and fright over the new information had caused him to withdraw from Sonea, something she had noticed immediately. Though she still ate dinner with him most days and slept in his bed, she spent much of the rest of her time in the library. Akkarin knew it was up to him to change things and restore their relationship, for he had created the distance in the first place, but he could not bring himself to do so. Instead, they continued to dance around one another.
Akkarin felt fear wash over him suddenly, and he knew immediately that it came from Sonea. He tossed aside his work, focusing on the vision which accompanied the fear. This time, the fear he felt was his own as he saw at least fifteen novices surrounding Sonea, all of them casting a variety of strikes at her body. She had shielded and was at least fighting back, but they had combined their shields, so even Sonea's power and skill could not punch through it.
Akkarin leapt to his feet and jogged out of the study and to the downstairs room. Once he was in the tunnels, he paused a moment to send Sonea power, noting that her own shield was fading fast. Unfortunately, it took a good deal of concentration to send the power any faster than a trickle, and a trickle would not help Sonea given the number of opponents she had. Akkarin needed to reach Sonea as soon as possible so he could help her directly.
He raced through the tunnels, making his way rapidly toward the University. Once there, he entered the Inner Passages, pausing to cast his senses outward. It did not take long for him to find the location of the powerful spells the novices were casting, and his heart sank when he did not sense Sonea's familiar presence there. He was no longer seeing images through her eyes; he hoped that she was merely unconscious and not. . .
Resolutely, he pushed those thoughts aside. He refused to believe she was dead. Racing through the hallways, he rounded the final corner and knew he had reached the correct location when he saw the crowd of novices just ahead. He did not see Sonea. As he stepped toward the group, his formidable control snapped, and he channeled the rage and fear into a powerful Stunstrike that shot out, immediately piercing through the shared shield before dispersing into numerous less powerful strikes that hit the novices. They dropped as soon as the strikes hit them, but he paid them no attention. Instead, he rushed toward the crumpled figure they had surrounded, falling to his knees beside her. He placed his hands on her cheeks, sending his consciousness into her body immediately. Relief washed over him when he found her heart still beating strongly, and he quickly began to Heal some of her worst injuries.
At long last, he felt her stirring and pulled his consciousness out of her body, watching as she opened her eyes. "Akkarin?" she questioned, her voice weak. He nodded, letting his thumbs caress her cheeks.
"I'm here," he promised. With a bit of struggling, she managed to push herself into a seated position, throwing herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, gently running his hands down her back as he continued to whisper words of comfort.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After the Administrator caught Regin and the other novices fighting with Sonea, Regin knew he had to be more careful about his next attack. He also knew he needed to gather more support—Sonea had been able to fight off eight novices for long enough to attract attention. He would simply have to make sure that he had enough allies to overwhelm her quickly. Therefore, he spent most of his time outside of class and his punishment of working in the Foodhall recruiting others to his cause. Fortunately, it was easy enough. There were still plenty of people in the Guild who felt that Sonea should not be there given her origins.
When Regin had first begun his attacks against Sonea, he had done so mostly to drive her back to the Slums where she belonged. His parents had been horrified to hear that he would be in a class with her, and he had assured them he would ensure he was not subjected to her presence for long. However, as she fought off the increasingly more vicious attacks, his desire to rid himself of her morphed into a desire to protect his pride. He would not let her win. It was simply unthinkable. He was from an important family in one of the most powerful Houses in Kyralia. He was better than a Slum Girl, and he knew it. It was why he had skipped ahead a class even though it placed him back in contact with her and why he continued his attacks long past the point when it was clear they were not going to force her back where she came from. Even the humiliating punishment of scrubbing dishes in the Foodhall would not deter him from his goal.
Once he had gathered sixteen other novices who agreed with his views, he began to meticulously plan his attack. He knew that the University halls would be rather empty on Fourthday while most magicians—including the Administrator—were in the Night Room. He also noted that Sonea had been spending an increasing amount of time in the library, even after her punishment was over. Though he hoped the time she spent in the library indicated she was no longer involved with whoever had given her the hickey a few weeks before, he wanted her to suffer more than just the loss of a love interest. He wanted her to feel the humiliation he felt every time he went home and had to hear from his parents about just how awful it was that the Slum Girl was still at the University, how they could not believe that he had not done something about her presence.
It was easy enough to catch her coming out of the library late, long after everyone else had left the University halls. He smiled when he saw the fright flicker across her face as she noted just how many novices surrounded her. "And where are you going so late at night this time?" Regin questioned, stepping forward. "I know it's not to that lowlife you were seeing, for I thought he had used you for all you were good for and finished with you."
She grimaced before managing to school her expression, and Regin knew he had hit a nerve. "Just leave me alone, Regin. I've done nothing to you."
"Oh, but you have. Your mere presence here is an insult to me." Her eyes flicked to the side, obviously searching for an escape, but Regin had placed his allies in strategic positions such that they blocked the exits quite handily, even those to the Inner Passages of which she was so fond. He had laid the perfect trap, and now he just needed to spring it. Reaching out, he joined hands with the two novices on either side of him and sensed movement as they joined hands with the others until all seventeen formed a long chain. His uncle had shown him how to create a shared shield a few weeks before, and he had taught the younger novices who had not yet learned it in class. With a single mental command from Regin, they all shielded, linking them up as he had instructed before beginning their attack.
It did not take long for Sonea to weaken, but before Regin could claim his victory, she seemed to gain power from somewhere. He supposed she had kept some back in reserve which was a good idea in principle but would do her no good against such overwhelming odds. Regin and his allies renewed their attack, and he watched with glee as her shield weakened considerably before winking out of existence. Once it did, he held up a hand to stop the attack before sending a single, relatively weak Stunstrike toward her body. She did not even attempt a shield, telling Regin she was completely exhausted. He approached her, smiling cruelly. "How does it feel to be at my mercy?" he questioned, sending another Stunstrike at her unprotected body, this one strong enough to hurt. She winced but did not answer him. "Answer me!" he demanded with another strike.
"You're a coward who hides behind his friends," Sonea told him. Her voice was weak, but she still spoke the words with conviction. Regin narrowed his eyes at her, hitting her with a barrage of strikes that caused her to spasm. Despite his frustration, however, he kept the strikes weak enough that they would not kill her. He knew that if he did that, no matter who she was, he would be exiled from the Guild and possibly Kyralia as well. As long as he kept her alive, however, he could claim that it was simply a fight between novices which got out of hand. It was common enough for novices to fight among themselves.
Sonea had finally lost consciousness and Regin was considering retreating when he suddenly felt an immensely powerful spell slam into the shared shield, destroying it instantly. He frowned, wondering if Sonea had somehow mustered enough power to attack again, but that did not seem right, especially since she still lay unconscious in front of him. The many drills he had done with Garrel kicked in, and he immediately created another shield around himself, but it, too, was destroyed before he could fully form it. The strike hit his body, knocking him to the ground. He was fighting unconsciousness, but he managed to roll to his side in enough time to see black robes swirl by him. Blinking to clear his vision, he moved his head slightly, watching as the High Lord knelt down beside Sonea, pressing his hands to her face. Regin's vision started to cloud again, but he forced himself to remain conscious, sensing something important was happening. Ultimately, however, it was a losing battle. Just before the darkness overtook him completely, he thought he saw Sonea throw herself into the High Lord's arms, but that could not be right. The impact of the strike must have addled his mind.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sonea lay in Akkarin's bed, listening as Akkarin raged at Lorlen in his study below her. It had been a long night. After he had Healed her, he had summoned all of the Higher Magicians as well as Director Jerrick. He had suggested she go to the hospital, but she had insisted on staying, for he had Healed all of her injuries. She was still exhausted, but she wanted to be present for the discussion of punishment for the other novices. It turned out to be a good decision when Director Jerrick and Lord Sarrin insisted on a Truth Read to prove that the novices had attacked Sonea. Though Akkarin's face had likely looked the same to most others present, Sonea could tell he was upset about the insistence by a slight tightening around his jaw. At least he was able to do the Truth Read, ensuring no one else could learn their secrets.
When the time came to determine punishments, the magicians could not agree. Akkarin suggested expulsion from the Guild which Sonea noted caused a couple raised eyebrows, and Lorlen gave him a warning look. Sarrin argued that they were just novices having fun who got a bit carried away, a comment which caused Akkarin's expression to darken noticeably. He opened his mouth, but something fortunately stopped him from speaking—Lorlen if the look his friend gave was any indication. Balkan ended up suggesting the punishment that eventually gathered the most support. Regin and his allies would spend a month doing menial labor of some sort without magic with a warning that if any of them were caught fighting in the corridors again, expulsion would be seriously considered. Sonea knew it was not the outcome Akkarin wanted, and even she felt they had been let off too easily, but ultimately, they could not argue.
Vinara had stayed behind to double check Sonea's health, eventually declaring that she was simply magically exhausted and needed to sleep at least a day if not more. Lorlen assured the older woman that he would escort Sonea back to her room to do just that, but once Vinara was out of sight, he, Akkarin, and Sonea slipped into the Inner Passages. By the time they reached the tunnels, Sonea was leaning so heavily on Akkarin that he was practically dragging her, and he eventually ended up scooping her into his arms over her protests and carrying her back to the Residence. After depositing her in his bed, he fussed over her until she pointed out that she could not sleep while he did so, and he kissed her long and hard before retreating from the room, promising to send Takan up with a tray of food in a few hours.
Sonea listened as Akkarin cursed Regin quite creatively, using words that even she did not know despite her upbringing. She heard Lorlen's voice respond, but she could not make out the words, for he spoke more softly than Akkarin. His tone was placating, and she smiled slightly as she turned over in the bed. Lorlen truly was a good friend. Confident that the Administrator could keep his friend from doing anything stupid, she let her exhaustion suffuse her body and carry her off into a dreamless sleep.
When Sonea next became aware of her surroundings, she heard a clatter and a familiar voice give a low curse. Slotting open her eyes, she glanced around the room to see Akkarin glaring at the chest at the end of the bed as he walked toward Sonea, a tray floating in front of him. "I thought Takan was bringing the food," she muttered.
"I wanted to check on you," Akkarin said, setting the tray down on the bedside table before stepping closer to the bed so he could place a hand on her forehead. She felt a bit of Healing energy take away some of the exhaustion, and she opened her eyes fully.
"I'm fine. Just tired and quite hungry. I'm looking forward to the meal."
"Good. There's plenty more if you finish what's on the tray. I expect you to eat at least what I brought since I promised Vinara I would ensure you ate well. Take your time though."
"You promised Vinara?" Sonea questioned, letting him help her into a sitting position and reaching for the tray.
"She stopped by earlier. Apparently, she had stopped by your room to check on you and was upset when you did not answer. I suggested that perhaps you were too deeply asleep, and she agreed that was likely but mentioned that you needed to eat as well to regain your strength. I promised to send someone to check on you in an hour and make sure you did as she needed to return to the hospital. So here I am." He gave her a half smile.
"Why did she come here? Why not go to Ahrind? Or better yet, Rothen?"
Akkarin sighed, the smile slipping from his face. "I fear that perhaps I showed my cards a bit too much, at least for someone as perceptive as Vinara. She could tell I was quite upset by the events of last night. I told her it was simply anger that any magician, even a novice, could treat another in such a way, and I think she believed me to some extent, especially since she feels the same way, but I suspect she will be keeping a closer eye on us in the future. However, she realized, correctly, that I would be someone else who would be genuinely concerned for your well-being. The same could not be said for Ahrind. As for Rothen, I am guessing she was attempting to avoid his wrath. He has apparently already voiced loud objections to your treatment to both Director Jerrick and Sarrin. He wanted to take you to his quarters to recover, but Vinara managed to head him off by pointing out that interrupting your sleep could set back your recovery."
"I should still go see him soon, though, and assure him I'm alright. He's probably worried sick."
"You have some time to eat and sleep a bit more before you have to do anything. I personally think he's enjoying dressing down the Higher Magicians. Let him have his fun."
Sonea arched her eyebrows. "And what about you? Has he dressed you down yet?"
Akkarin scoffed. "He's scared of me."
"You like to think that," Sonea teased. Akkarin gave her a mock glare which was ruined as his lips twitched slightly. "Perhaps I will take a meal with him tonight," Sonea suggested. "I know it's not Secondday, but it would be good to reassure him." After realizing how little she had seen of her Guardian after entering into a relationship with Akkarin, Sonea had begun taking the Secondday meal with him, for Akkarin had late afternoon court functions that often ran into the evening on that day. Both greatly enjoyed the increased time together, and Sonea often stayed late in his apartment talking.
"That seems like a sound plan as long as you are moving around by then. But now, you need to eat and sleep."
"Yes, Mother." Akkarin leveled another mock glare at her as she smiled cheekily and shoved another bite of food into her mouth.
The week after the attack passed quite slowly for Sonea who was constantly wary, waiting for the novices to begin threatening her again. However, the threats never came, and she eventually began to relax slightly. Perhaps the threat of expulsion would finally stop the abuse. Rothen seemed to think so when she suggested the idea to him, but Akkarin was more cautious in his optimism.
Eight days after the attack, the second year novices finally began to learn how to share their power—a skill that at least Regin and Sonea already knew though Sonea would never admit her knowledge for fear that the teacher might ask too many questions. Instead, she made a show of paying attention even as her mind began to wander. As it often did, it settled on Akkarin. Though he had begun avoiding her less since the attack, there still seemed to be something odd about his behavior, and Sonea could not place her finger on what it was.
The teacher's explanation was growing quite complicated, and Sonea began comparing it to how Akkarin had taught her to share power. He had taught it mostly mind to mind which was perhaps easier, but even his verbal explanation was simpler than what Sonea was hearing now. Sure, it was still a complicated process, but she felt the teacher was adding unnecessarily complexity to it. Come to think of it, why did she need such complexity at all? Sonea remembered how easy it had been to grab and use Akkarin's power once she was in his mind. Communicating mind to mind was something taught to first year novices—why could they not leverage that to share power?
With that thought in mind, Sonea called, "Lord Luxton?"
"Yes, Sonea?"
"Why do something so complicated? Could you not just link up minds and use the other person's power directly? Why go to such trouble to integrate it with yours?" Sonea heard snickering behind her and knew she had said something silly, but she could not think of what it might be.
"It's not possible to use someone else's power directly," the teacher told her simply.
"Even in his or her mind?"
She heard a snort behind her, and a girl muttered, "Apparently she still believes in fairy tales."
"Even then. Now, once you sense the magic. . ." Sonea tuned out the rest of what the teacher said, for her head was still buzzing with the new information. She wondered what the girl meant by a fairy tale—clearly whatever allowed her to access Akkarin's power was no fairy tale. However, she knew that she would get no further by questioning her class. She would just have to find someone else that she could question. Perhaps she would be able to ask Rothen when she next saw him for dinner—assuming the curiosity did not eat her alive before then. She supposed she could ask Akkarin, but he had been so reluctant to talk about what had happened the night he fought the spy that she was hesitant to mention anything about it.
After her last class, she spent a pleasant hour studying the gardens, fortunately still unmolested, before heading back to the University and making her way into the tunnels. As she walked the familiar path to the Residence, she considered her other options. Perhaps Akkarin would have a book on the subject somewhere that she could use to research sharing power on her own. Of course, locating the book would be difficult, for she could not ask Akkarin for help, but he had given her free access to his library.
Takan met her at the top of the steps from the underground room, bowing. "Master Akkarin mentioned he was held up in a meeting with the King but should arrive within the hour if you do not mind waiting on dinner."
"No, that's fine."
"Administrator Lorlen is here as well; I have already shown him to the sitting room to wait."
Sonea's eyes lit up. She had forgotten that Akkarin told her Lorlen would be dining with them that night; with Akkarin absent, it would be the perfect opportunity to ask him about accessing others' power. "Thank you, Takan. I will join him."
"Would you like some raka?"
"Yes, please." Sonea made her way quickly to the sitting room where Lorlen greeted her warmly, waving her off when she went to bow to him. They fell into easy conversation, and it was not long before Lorlen asked about her classes, giving her the perfect opportunity to bring up her question. "We were learning about sharing power today," she remarked, keeping her tone casual. "It seems rather complicated."
"Yes, it does at first, but I assure you that it can become second-nature with practice."
"Would it not be easier to just slip into another's mind and access the power directly?"
Lorlen shook his head. "You cannot access another's power directly."
"Never?"
Lorlen continued shaking his head for a moment before pausing. "Well. . . never mind."
"No, what is it?"
"Some say it is possible if two people are soul bound, but there has never been a documented case of such a thing, at least not one I have seen. I suspect those people are just romantics who have heard one too many stories."
"What does it mean to be soul bound?"
Lorlen shrugged. "I do not really know since as I said, I have never seen any information on it."
"But those same romantics who talk about using one another's power, do they not give any other signs?"
"Not that I know of though I admit I never paid much attention. Why the sudden interest?" Sonea, however, did not answer his question, too focused on the information she had just received. She chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"I wonder if Akkarin has any books that might mention it. Do you know of any?"
"There are three that I have found so far, but they are woefully short on information," a low voice remarked, and both Lorlen and Sonea turned to the doorway to see Akkarin standing there, his normally impassive face looking decidedly weary.
"You knew?" Sonea questioned.
Akkarin sighed and nodded tiredly. "I had heard the same stories as Lorlen, so I had some suspicions. But it is a rare-enough phenomenon that there is little information about it."
"I'm missing something here," Lorlen remarked, looking between the pair. They ignored him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Akkarin sighed again, crossing to a sideboard and pouring himself a glass of wine. He took a large sip before swirling the glass, staring at the red liquid instead of Sonea as he answered. "I was struggling to accept it myself. Like most other magicians, I had always believed such claims were stories made up to appeal to people's sentimentality. I also did not want you to feel bound to me."
Understanding dawned in Lorlen's eyes, and he sat back in his chair. "I must say, I was not expecting that. So Sonea accessed your power?"
Akkarin nodded slowly, taking a seat next to Sonea and reaching out to entwine their fingers together. He took another sip from his wine. "I admit, I could have handled the situation better."
"If by 'better,' you mean that you could have not hid out and avoided me for weeks, then yes, you could have," Sonea told him matter-of-factly. Akkarin glared at Lorlen who was biting back a smile before turning his full attention to Sonea.
"I am sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I was not sure what you would think of it. You seem to be taking it better than me, however."
Sonea shrugged. "I thought you were trying to figure out a way to let me down gently. Truthfully, this does not really change anything for me. I-" She broke off, looking to Lorlen who stood.
"I will just go serve myself a drink," he remarked, busying himself at the sideboard.
"I love you," Sonea finished, "whether we are soul bound or not."
A half-smile formed on Akkarin's face, and his eyes gentled as he looked at her. "I love you, too," he told her. With a quick glance at his friend, who was making himself quite busy, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.