Akkarin awoke the following morning just as the first rays of dawn slanted in through the windows. He glanced down at the naked woman curled up against his body, still sleeping soundly, and his heart clenched in his chest. After her realization the previous night, Lorlen had suggested postponing their dinner together, but both Akkarin and Sonea had insisted he stay, and Akkarin was truthfully grateful they had. Despite her conviction that nothing had changed, he knew she still needed time to fully consider the implications of her realizations, and a chance to relax and joke with his best friend did them both good. Once Lorlen left with a promise to return sooner rather than later, Akkarin had offered to show her the books he had found on soul binding. She had refused, suggesting he could do so later before kissing him in a way that clearly showed what her plans were for the rest of the night. It had been quite some time since they had been intimate due to the recent events, and they had stayed awake until the early hours of the morning making up for lost time. By the time they finally began to drift off to sleep, too tired to continue and yet somehow not fully sated, Akkarin was beginning to realize that Sonea was absolutely correct in her assertion that their revelations did not truly change anything about their relationship. He loved her with all of his heart, and he did not need a soul binding to tell him that.

Carefully, Akkarin slipped his arm from beneath her shoulders and left the bed, tucking the blanket more tightly around Sonea. He crossed to the window, heedless of his nudity as he stared out at the still-sleeping Guild grounds. With his worries over the implications of the soul binding at least temporarily settled, his thoughts turned to the other information he had learned from the latest spy—namely the fact that King Terava was gathering an army to attack Kyralia. Akkarin should not have been too surprised—he had always known on some level that the Sachakans would eventually become a threat, but it had never been so apparent before. And while he had started working on plans to do something about that threat, they were moving more slowly than he would have liked. At least Kito was due back any day now. Perhaps Akkarin could suggest that he look not only for signs of black magic but also any indication of unrest. After all, it would not be unreasonable for Kito to do so in order to fully assess the potential threat that Sachaka might pose.

He heard noises behind him and turned to see Sonea beginning to stir. Her eyes blinked open, and a slow smile spread over her face when she saw him by the window. "Now there's a picture," she remarked, her voice still rough with sleep.

His lips turned up slightly in response. "You can join me if you'd like."

"Hmm, it's warmer here." She patted the bed beside her invitingly, and he crossed over, leaning down to kiss her deeply. She reached out, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him closer to her body. He propped himself on his elbows to hover over her as they continued to kiss. When he finally pulled away, he cupped her cheek with one hand.

"I do need to go soon. I have an early meeting this morning, and I still need to bathe and eat beforehand."

"Can I join you?"

"I will certainly not say no to that."

Akkarin's meetings that day were long and accomplished little. Sonea was already waiting for him in his study when he returned that night, and he gave her a quick kiss in greeting. "Did you want to look at those books now?" he asked. "We still have an hour or so before dinner."

"Sure," she agreed. He nodded, retrieving the books from his desk.

"I marked the relevant pages. There may be more books in here with information, and you are welcome to look, but like I said before, there is not much information available."

"I suppose it is up to us to experiment then." She flashed him a smile, and he could not help but return it.

"Perhaps we will have to write our own book."

"Published anonymously, of course."

"Actually, I was thinking I would just attach Lorlen's name to it." They laughed together before Sonea turned to the top book on the stack.

"Does they talk at all about the shared visions? Do you think the soul binding could explain why we're having them?"

Akkarin shook his head. "They mostly talk about the power sharing and one mentions a few more. . . intimate details as well." Sonea's eyebrows arched, and a slow smile spread across his face. "I would be happy to explore them with you at a later time, but I did find the prospect quite exciting. Perhaps we could include further details in our book."

"After our research."

"But of course."

Kito finally arrived three days later. Though Akkarin was sure he had been curing his tiredness with magic, he still looked quite worn out when he rode into the Guild from the docks. Akkarin met him just inside the gates, ushering him to his Residence so they could discuss the upcoming assignment. "Can I offer you anything to eat or drink?" Akkarin questioned as they both settled in his study.

Kito shook his head. "Truthfully, I mostly just want to sleep in a bed that is not rocking for at least a couple days."

Akkarin gave a rueful smile. "Sea travel can be rather tiring," he agreed. Kito nodded. "As I am sure you have guessed, I did call you back for a reason which will unfortunately take you away from the Guild again before too long."

"The price of my position, I suppose," Kito remarked. "But I do not mind overly much. Life is certainly never dull."

"Mmm." Akkarin folded his hands on his desk in front of him. "I will not lie; the upcoming assignment is going to be anything but dull." He took a deep breath. After some consideration, he had decided to simply give Kito the information they had without trying to sugarcoat it. "We recently received some information that indicates Sachakan magicians may still practice black magic and, additionally, still harbor unfriendly feelings toward Kyralia. Naturally, you can imagine why this information has concerned some people."

Kito's eyes widened, but to his credit, he recovered quickly and returned to the matter at hand. "I can certainly imagine that. What are you hoping I can help with?"

"The claims are unsubstantiated so far. We are looking for someone to travel into Sachaka to determine if either—or both—are true. It will be quite dangerous; the Sachakans still distrust Guild magicians, so you will need to travel in disguise and will have to work hard to conceal your true nature. If they do find out you are a magician. . . well, extradition will be the kindest option. And, unfortunately, the least likely."

Kito grimaced but still nodded. "I assume that I will go as a trader?"

"Yes. We have already spoken with the King's spymaster, and he has identified two men who can accompany you. They have a good deal of experience spying, and one has even spent some time in Sachaka though admittedly not much." With that, Akkarin began to go over the details of the mission. Kito listened closely, asking questions at the appropriate times. When Akkarin finished his explanation, Kito sat back in his chair, obviously considering the request closely. Finally, he nodded.

"I would still like a few days' rest in Imardin, but after that, I believe this is a task that I can complete." He stood, bowing to Akkarin before leaving the room. Akkarin watched him go, thankful that he had overcome the first hurdle but still feeling deep in his gut that the efforts would be too late.

Takan greeted Lorlen when he arrived at the High Lord's Residence for dinner, bowing to the magician before beckoning him upstairs. "They are just in the study," Takan informed Lorlen. Lorlen thanked him, heading in that direction. Since Sonea's not-so-subtle suggestion that he come to dinner at the Residence more often, he had made an effort to eat there at least once a week and had found he greatly enjoyed the experience. Though Akkarin was as aloof as ever normally, Sonea's presence softened him noticeably. He smiled more and even laughed on occasion, something he had rarely done even as a novice.

Lorlen made his way to the study. He knocked on the door and waited for a moment, but when he did not hear anything, he stepped inside, knowing his friend had a tendency to lose himself in what he was reading and, from what he had seen, Sonea shared that habit. He entered and glanced around the room for a moment before his eyes widened as he noticed that only one chair was occupied. Suppressing a smile, he cleared his throat, and two heads turned to face him. Sonea colored slightly as she slipped off Akkarin's lap. Lorlen noted with raised eyebrows that his friend's hands slid out from under her robes as she did so. He met Akkarin's eye, and Akkarin responded with a raised eyebrow of his own. Shaking his head, Lorlen turned his attention back to Sonea who was fumbling through a bow, having never become comfortable with Lorlen's insistence that she need not bow to him—though she was obviously quite comfortable with his best friend.

"You're earlier than I expected," Akkarin remarked.

Lorlen smirked slightly. "I'm actually five minutes late." Sonea dropped her gaze, and Lorlen decided to change the subject to keep her from further embarrassment. "I happened to be talking with Lord Warren earlier today about some equipment he needed, and he was fairly singing your praises. Apparently, you're one of the best novices he has taught in awhile. Are you still planning to go into Healing?" he asked her.

Sonea nodded, her blush deepening. She glanced at Akkarin who, somewhat to Lorlen's surprise, gave her a small smile. "It is still my favorite subject though between Rothen and Akkarin, I have plenty of exposure to the other two as well. But I really want to open up a clinic in the Slums, and I figure being a Healer is the best way to do that."

"That is quite the ambition."

Sonea shrugged. "It's something to work for."

"It certainly is." Akkarin stepped toward her, a soft half smile on his face. He placed a hand on her lower back and turned to Lorlen. "Takan informs me dinner is ready." He gestured for Lorlen to lead the way, and they walked together into the dining room.

"Is Lord Yikmo still tutoring you in Warrior Skills?" Lorlen asked as he took his seat.

"He is," Sonea confirmed. "He's a good teacher and has helped me out a lot."

"Yes, I have heard he is quite patient and has a knack for explaining difficult topics in a way that is easy to understand, even for those who don't share his passion for Warrior skills.
Apparently, he is one of the best teachers in that discipline if not the best."

Sonea glanced at Akkarin. "He is one of the best I've had though I would not say the best."

Lorlen glanced between them, noting the private smile they shared. He could not resist teasing his friend a bit. "I did not know you had begun teaching again."

"Private lessons only," Akkarin said, his lips twitching.

"Well, Sonea, I am not sure that the twenty Warriors that Akkarin bested in the Arena the other day would agree with you about his teaching abilities."

"I did explain to them what to try next time to defend against my attack. And they were more successful the second time."

"You still magically exhausted five of them."

Akkarin shrugged. "The point of the exercise was for them to learn to fight against someone much more powerful than they were. If I did not actually use my power, the exercise would not be as effective." Lorlen looked sharply at Sonea as Akkarin spoke. So far, only the Higher Magicians knew the true purpose of the training exercises with Akkarin, for they all had felt it best not to incite panic before they had more information about the threat from Sachaka. The Warriors were simply told that they were piloting a new form of training, and they were all eager enough to fight the legendary High Lord that no one had questioned that information. Fortunately, Sonea seemed to have missed Akkarin's slip and asked no follow-up questions. Though Lorlen breathed a bit easier knowing that, he decided to change the subject so that they did not inadvertently reveal more information.

"So Akkarin has been your best teacher for Warrior Skills so far?" Lorlen questioned.

Sonea considered for a moment before shaking her head. "I hate to say it, but Regin has probably been my best teacher. Or at least my most motivating one." Lorlen's brow furrowed in confusion, but Akkarin seemed to understand, and he nodded grimly.

"Wise insight that most never gain," Akkarin praised.

"I'm sorry; I'm lost."

Sonea sighed. "I know in practice bouts that I won't be hurt, so while I obviously still try, I am never going to dig as deep as I would when fighting Regin since I know that fight could be for my life or at least to avoid serious injury. If I were to end up in an actual battle, the skills from fighting Regin would be much more useful than the skills from the Arena."

"Surely the likelihood you will end up in battle is very low."

Sonea shrugged. "Where I grew up, fighting for your life happens to most people at some point. Maybe I won't be in a battle, but learning to fight when you have everything to lose is still a useful skill as far as I am concerned." She glanced at Akkarin who nodded.

"Though we both agree that the fights with Regin have gotten out of hand despite their potential usefulness," Akkarin added.

"Has he attacked you since the one that Akkarin stopped?" Lorlen questioned, having not heard of any such attack.

"No, but I do not want to get complacent. I have a feeling that he is just biding his time until he feels assured of victory."

Lorlen tended to agree. "Have you considered what to do then?" he questioned. Sonea and Akkarin shared a look before a small smile began to form on Sonea's face.

"Yes, we certainly have."

Lorlen's eyebrows rose. "I would be interested to hear it if you're willing to share." Sonea leaned forward eagerly, and Lorlen saw a glint in his best friend's eye that had been missing for quite some time. He imagined that the plan would be quite intriguing.

Once Sonea felt confident in her plan to handle Regin, she began staying later in the library each night, ensuring she left long after the other magicians had left the University building—at least, it would seem that way to Regin. In actuality, Akkarin was waiting in the inner passage nearest the library and followed her progress carefully, ensuring that he was always able to step in if things got out of hand. In addition, he had a crucial part to play in their plan, a part which required proximity. Sonea had tried to object to the plan at first because of this, not wanting Akkarin to waste his nights waiting for Regin to attack, but he had waved off her concerns, telling her that it would be far more pleasant than waiting for a spy to attack in the Slums. Eventually, Sonea relented, for she was definitely ready to end Regin's torment.

It took less than a week for Regin to take advantage of Sonea's isolation, confirming Sonea and Akkarin's suspicions that he had not truly given up. Akkarin alerted her to Regin's presence, and Sonea took a few moments to gather her courage before rounding the corner where she knew he would be waiting. "I thought I smelled you coming," Regin remarked, leaning casually against the wall in front of her. Sonea quickly surveyed the novices around him and realized he had recruited twenty-two this time. She wondered briefly why they would attack her again with the threat of expulsion hanging over their heads, but Regin had always been quite charismatic. Sonea imagined he had spun some story about how the Higher Magicians would never expel someone from the Houses for attacking someone from the Slums.

Without bothering to respond, Sonea quickly formed a shield, pouring most of her considerable reserves into it. The other novices once more created a shared shield before beginning their attack. Sonea opened her mind, and after a moment, she felt Akkarin's familiar presence. Immediately, she began to form her own Forcestrike, easily grasping the power Akkarin passed her to add to it. Using their ability to share power remotely, an ability they expected came from the soul binding, to fight Regin had been Akkarin's idea. They spent a good deal of time testing the extent of the ability and had found that as long as Akkarin was nearby, he could pass Sonea power nearly as quickly as he could when they were touching. As he moved further away, however, the flow slowed considerably.

Sonea felt a grim satisfaction when she saw the novices' eyes widen at the strength of her blow against their shared shield. Even Regin began to look a little nervous. Without giving them time to recover, Sonea sent another strike even more powerful than the last, and she saw the shield waver slightly. Sonea immediately noted a couple spots near the ground that flickered more than others, and she focused her next attack, a series of strikes that increased in power, on the weak spot nearest to Regin. As soon as she sent out her last Forcestrike, she sent a Heatstrike through the ground, and Regin actually yelped. The shield wavered even more, and Sonea formed a particularly powerful Stunstrike, punching through the weak spot she had found. With an exertion of her will, she changed the Stunstrike's direction as soon as it punched through the shield, sending it straight for Regin. It was a trick Lord Yikmo had taught her a couple weeks before, and she had practiced it almost to exhaustion for three days until it was easy for her.

Regin's eyes widened still further. Just before the strike hit him, a shield flickered into existence, absorbing some of the power before collapsing. The strike continued, hitting Regin squarely in the chest. He crumpled to the ground immediately. The other novices looked at him nervously, their own attacks stopping. Sonea's own eyes were wide with shock, for it did not take her quick mind long to puzzle out where the shield had come from and why. Turning away from Regin's prone body, Sonea broke into a stumbling run, breathing heavily through her nose to keep herself from vomiting.

Sonea was not sure how long she ran or even where she was when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her body. "Sonea," Akkarin said, his voice soft but commanding.

"I almost killed him!" Sonea declared, her words muffled by sobs she could no longer suppress.

"But you didn't," Akkarin told her. With gentle but firm hands, he turned her, letting her bury her head in the smooth black fabric of his robes.

"Only because you put up that shield in time."

"Which is why I was there in the first place—to make sure nothing got out of hand."

"I thought you meant you were going to protect me if our plan didn't work, not that you were afraid I was going to kill someone! You knew this might happen, didn't you? That's why you were so quick with the shield."

"I prepared for the possibility," Akkarin said, surprisingly gently.

"I'm no better than them," Sonea told him. She began to push at his shoulders, trying to force herself out of his embrace. "You should get far away from me. I might hurt you next!"

"Sonea, look at me!" Akkarin demanded, reinforcing his words by taking her cheeks in his hands and tilting her head so their eyes met. "You're still young and still learning about your powers. Even I could have done some serious damage to the novices if I had not split my strike in so many directions when I found you after Regin's last attack. Add to that the fact that you are not accustomed to using all the extra power I gave you, and it really is not surprising that things got a bit out of hand. But the fact that you are feeling this remorse now shows that you are better than them—much better. I guarantee they would not have felt the same way if the attack today had gone the other way." The two stared at one another for a few moments before Sonea finally nodded slowly, knowing that Akkarin spoke the truth.

"Can you help me make sure this doesn't happen again?" Sonea finally asked. "I mean, you have so much power, you must have a way to know how much you actually need to use."

"You will never know exactly, but there are ways to make better guesses," Akkarin told her. "I can certainly show you those." Sonea nodded, leaning forward to rest her head on his chest again, letting the steady beat of his heart gradually calm her own.

"How do you deal with this, knowing that you could kill someone so easily?"

Akkarin considered his answer carefully. "I have had many years to learn how my power feels and how to use it safely when needed. But until recently, my. . . objectives have been different. I was not doing much fighting in the Arena."

Sonea grimaced. "Right. I don't know that I could do what you're doing, even if it was to protect Kyralia. I never liked the idea that I might one day be in a situation where I would either have to kill or be killed. I thought I was done with that life when I came to the Magicians' Guild and now. . ."

"I doubt Regin will attack again. Whatever his faults, I suspect he is a person who knows when he is beat and who does not suffer humiliation well. He will not be eager to repeat tonight's experience."

"I hope you're right," Sonea murmured though she could not help but feel that her troubles with Regin were still far from over.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. A combination of sickness and 2 feet of snow that had to be shoveled off the driveway has left me less time for writing the last couple weeks. Going forward, I will probably be updating every 2 weeks so that I can work on some other in progress stories as well.