Page 49 of Twisted Magic

“She didn’t attend Convocation Academy either?”

“No, for the same reasons.” Alise stopped short of explaining how no one had known to recognize Seliah as a familiar and how severely that had impacted her sanity, nearly costing her life. That was Seliah’s business.

“Ah, then she must be the unnamed Phel familiar listed in the lawsuit involving illegal bonding to an unnamed El-Adrel wizard.”

“How do you know so many details?”

He raised his brows. “All documents come through the library to be indexed, cross-referenced, and filed in the archives. It’s part of my job.”

“Yes, well, Seliah is bonded to Jadren El-Adrel.” Alise knew that much was true still, as she hadn’t severed the bond between them and she doubted anyone else could. Or, if someone else had discovered the trick, wouldn’t dare defy the Convocation that way. At Cillian’s continued puzzlement, she remembered no one knew about Jadren either. “My brain is tired,” she said on a sigh. “Jadren is the son of Lady El-Adrel, but he never attended Convocation Academy either.”

“Before this,” Cillian said, bemused, “I’d have sworn that every high scoring, magically gifted person in the entire Convocation had been at least recorded in the archives and thus Harahel memory.”

“Harahel memory might not be as infallible as we’d want to believe,” she said gently, expecting an indignant retort.

Cillian only considered that thoughtfully. “If House Hanneil is back to their old ways… or never ceased with their psychic warfare, only took it down to a more invisible level.” He pursed his lips, then nodded at her. “Nothing to it but a trip home. You’ll like House Harahel.”

All right, her brain was tired. All of her was tired, but she surely wasn’t understanding. “I’m not going to House Harahel.”

“Of course you are. You have to come with me.” He began sorting through books, stacking up a few, as if deciding what to leave or take. “This is your quest, your assignment. I can get you an audience with Lady Harahel and the senior wizards, but you have to be the one to do the petitioning.”

“Petitioning?”

“For a full records reveal of what Harahel knows about anything related to Phel. Don’t worry, they’ll want to know about this evidence of Hanneil’s interference, but the petition has to come from a representative of your house.”

“I’m not exactly—”

He gave her an owlish look. “Didn’t you say your sister asked you to be their spy?”

“That’s a little dramatic.”

“Unless you want to send a Ratsiel courier to House Phel to have them send someone else—not incidentally risking someone else finding out you’re looking into this—then you need to come with me. It’s an opportunity you can’t afford to miss. I have to work tonight, but I’ll spend the time looking for other gaps in the archives. More evidence is always better. Then we can leave tomorrow morning. I’ll arrange transportation.”

“I can’t leave Convocation Academy.” Again. “I’ll be permanently expelled. This is my second and final chance,” she continued with considerable agitation. Although, a small part of her danced with excitement at the prospect of escaping the oppressive atmosphere of the academy.

“I’ll provide you a note. Extracurricular research for your ‘independent study.’” He actually put air quotes around the phrase.

“Wizard Cillian Harahel,” she ground out, curling her fingers in frustration, “you can’t just rearrange my life on a whim.”

“Why Wizard Alise Phel,” he returned mildly, holding an open book and looking at her over it, his soft gaze sharper, “I thought your spying mission, and a matter of grave import to the foundation of Convocation society, would be of utmost importance to you. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“I’m also supposed to graduate,” she pointed out. “Provost Uriel—”

“Has never assigned anyone an independent study before. Clearly House Uriel is invested in what you’ll discover and is subtly aiding you.”

She stared at him in consternation. “But…”

He waited, then repeated gently, “a matter of grave import to the foundation of Convocation society. Besides, you can study in the carriage. I’ll take over guiding your independent study,” he added with a surprisingly wicked smile for his otherwise haplessly cheerful self.

“Wonderful.”

He pointed at the miniature El-Adrel clock on the wall. “Time is fleeting. Best make that appointment with Uriel. And take a nap. No library tonight for you.”

She stood there a moment, not at all sure what to say to this wizard she’d met only hours before and who seemed comfortable running her life. “Why am I even contemplating doing as he tells me?” she asked herself aloud. Herself had no answer, but Cillian did.

“Because what I’m telling you is only logical.” He sounded slightly perplexed that she didn’t already know that. “Meet me at the front steps at first bell.”

With chagrin, Alise realized she would be there.

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