Page 13 of Reluctant Wizard

“Before you counter,” the woman said quickly, wizard-black eyes dark in her brown face, “please stay your hand. I mean you no harm.”

“Do the people who do mean you harm announce it up front?” Alise retorted sardonically, but she also pulled back her magic. She could kill the tiger. She also didn’t want to, it was so beautiful. “Is that an actual tiger?” she inquired as a cover while she inventoried her options—and reserve of magic. Without a familiar, she was limited to only what she had stored within, which was more than most wizards, though she hadn’t yet fully regenerated what she’d used up in Bossing the Bodiless. It certainly wasn’t enough for a pitched battle, especially against what appeared to be a high-level House Ariel wizard.

Spirit warriors were all well and good for intimidation purposes and they could cause real life damage, but mostly excelled at being intimidating, which didn’t work well against animals. Non-corporeal entities in general tended not to affect animals that much. Oh, animals could perceive spirits very well, far better than mundane humans could, or even wizards without spirit magic. They just didn’t bother about them for the most part. Animals had an enviable ability to live in the moment and spirits fell into the realm of non-immediacy. Even if the spirit could inflict real-world damage, no animal worried about that until it happened.

“You’re asking me if the tiger is real?” The woman, chestnut hair cut so it fringed around her face and just brushed her shoulders, cocked her head slightly. Her emerald green necklace stirred, looping of its own accord, and sleek snake’s head poked through the hair beside her ear, forked tongue flicking in Alise’s direction. “You think I’d spend that much magic to make an illusion of a tiger with no ability to defend me?”

Alise very nearly retorted that she had zero idea of what this wizard would or wouldn’t do, but held her tongue. It had been an admittedly foolish question. A falcon flew out of the shadows and landed on the wizard-woman’s shoulder, on the opposite side from the snake. “I’m going to guess House Ariel,” Alise commented drily.

The woman dipped her chin in an affirmative. “Please forgive the somewhat dramatic entrance, but I needed to speak to you without witnesses.”

You and everyone else in the Convocation apparently. Alise stopped herself from saying that aloud, too. Still, what was up with wizards jumping her in the hallways lately? “I can’t imagine why a clearly high-level House Ariel wizard would want a clandestine conversation with a Convocation Academy student in a darkened hallway in the wee hours of the morning.”

“Can’t you?” The wizard sounded amused. The snake flicked its tongue as if taunting Alise for her foolishness. The tiger wrapped a tight circle around the wizard, trailing her tail along the woman’s waist in apparent affection, then lay down before her, panting lightly. The falcon flexed its talons but otherwise didn’t move. Was one of the three the wizard’s familiar in alternate form? Probably. Not that it mattered, as the Ariel woman couldn’t access her familiar’s magic while they were in animal form. She wouldn’t necessarily need an extra boost of magic, however, since she would be able to compel her companions to attack Alise. And Alise didn’t know what she’d do then.

“As you surmised,” the wizard said with a hint of impatience, making Alise realize she hadn’t yet replied, “I represent House Ariel’s interests. I am the Wizard Courtney Ariel and I bear a message for you.”

“You know,” Alise replied, not relaxing her guard in the least, keeping a keen eye on those animals while gathering a few spirits to aid her, “there are these convenient things called Ratsiel couriers. You can task them to carry messages for you. Very handy. No need to ambush people in dark hallways.”

Courtney smiled thinly. “Your sarcasm betrays your discomfort and fear, but again, I reassure you that I mean no harm. I come to you this way to say what cannot be entrusted to Ratsiel courier.”

Despite herself, Alise’s curiosity stirred. Another high house lining up to take sides? But why they were talking to her instead of someone with actual power, she had no idea. You are at the center of a brewing storm, young Alise. Professor Cixin’s words floated through her mind, leaving unease behind. “All right, I’m listening.”

“Would you establish a silencing shield, please? I’m rather taxed maintaining control of the animals and the illusion that conceals my presence here.”

So Alise hadn’t been wrong when she sensed some kind of illusion magic at work, which made her feel a little better. Wizard Courtney clearly intended to appear as if she’d emerged from a portal, though that kind of magic occurred only in old stories and no modern wizard thought it was even possible. If it ever had been. Many opined that the tales were based entirely on myth. Lots of wizards, however, used various parlor tricks to make it seem as if they’d manifested from nowhere. In House Elal, for example, wizards loved to employ shrouding spirits to create that exact effect. It only worked on non-wizards, though, so most people rolled their eyes at such magic-wasting efforts.

Technically, illusions were not in the purview of House Ariel. Their trademarks were limited to psychic magic in relation to animals, including control and breeding. And yet Courtney had taken the risk of using illusions, which had to be for more than trying to look fancy, especially with Alise who would know better. More curious than ever, Alise circled a finger in the air to indicate she’d established the requested soundproofing, realizing belatedly that she’d picked up the gesture from Cillian. It shouldn’t hurt to think about that.

“Speak,” she told Courtney. “I’d really love to get some sleep tonight.”

“I wish you easy rest then,” Courtney replied, making it sound like she found the probability of that very unlikely. “I’ll be brief. My message is this: beware House Hanneil.”

Alise nearly rolled her eyes, which at least felt better than the bone-watering terror Gordon Hanneil had instilled in her. “Got it. If that’s all then—”

“That’s not all,” Courtney interrupted with sharp impatience. “Dark arts save me from disrespectful teenagers.”

“Hey, you came to me,” Alise pointed out, not at all bothered and, in truth, a bit maliciously pleased to be annoying someone else for a change.

“I came to you out of duty and necessity, not my own inclinations. I am sent to warn you that House Hanneil may attempt to halt your research into the tampered archives.”

Alise bit back the words too late, and focused with interest on the implications. First, House Ariel knew about the vanished House Phel archives. Second, Ariel knew enough to predict Hanneil’s interference. Third, Ariel didn’t know enough to be aware that Wizard Gordon had already threatened Alise. Fourth and finally, why in the dark arts did House Ariel have a stake in this festival of power-grabbing?

Alise, naturally, didn’t verbalize any of these speculations. Instead she just said, “Oh?”

Courtney pressed her lips together, not at all pleased by the lackluster response to her dramatic declaration. “Have they contacted you in any fashion?”

“Wizard Courtney,” Alise said, exhaustion and exasperation making her abrupt, “with all due respect, why does House Ariel care about any of this?”

Courtney narrowed her wizard-black eyes. “For a mere student, you have a great deal of attitude, young Elal.”

“Young Phel,” Alise corrected pleasantly. “And I feel compelled to point out, yet again, that you came to me. I didn’t ask for this clandestine interview. I refuse to be placed in the position of supplicant.”

More unamused than ever, Courtney spat, “I’m here to help your ungrateful ass.”

“No,” Alise corrected calmly, “you’re here to serve the interests of House Ariel. You even said so. How about you share what those interests are and maybe we can have a conversation that goes somewhere.”

The wizard gathered her poise. “My house is no ally of Hanneil’s. That’s all you need to know.”

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