Ileni had expected. Sorin would have responded with scorn.
When Karyn’s lashes swept up, though, her expression was speculative. “You should be getting back to bed. I have something to take care of tomorrow, so I won’t see you, but you’ll still get to play with magic all day. Have fun.”
Ileni tried not to react, though she wasn’t entirely sure what she was concealing. Guilt? Joy? Anticipation?
Whatever it was, she knew by Karyn’s pleased expression that she had not succeeded in hiding it.
CHAPTER
7
I n the large, echoing training cavern, dozens of assassins whirled and lunged at each other, wielding swords and garrotes and metal discs. But Irun, as he advanced on Ileni, bore only a knife. It was already dripping with her blood.
Kill him, Sorin whispered. He stood behind Ileni, hands firm on her waist, lips pressed to the nape of her neck. Ileni leaned back into him, resting against his chest. Kill him, and prove that you are one of us.
Ileni woke with a start. Confusion swirled as she blinked at walls that were not slick black rock but pink-speckled gray stone.
“Sorry,” Cyn said from Ileni’s chair. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Ileni shrieked and whirled. The blanket tangled around her legs, and she nearly pitched sideways off the bed. She caught herself on the edge of the mattress and struggled to sit straight, kicking the blanket away.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped with all the dignity she could muster. Which wasn’t much.
Cyn shrugged, pretending not to notice Ileni’s display of grace. She was wearing a shockingly bright red gown. “Karyn couldn’t come. I was sent to tell you.”
I have something to take care of tomorrow. Ileni tried to sound surprised. “Really? Why can’t she come?”
“She had to go deal with the Gaeran rebels.”
Ileni had no idea what that meant but couldn’t bring herself to ask. She’d had enough of displaying her ignorance the day before.
“Do you know,” Cyn said, “what she wants from you?”
“You heard her,” Ileni replied as evenly as she could. “She wants to learn healing.”
Cyn laughed. “I doubt that. We don’t spend much time on healing.”
“Among my people,” Ileni said, “we believe healingis the most important use for magic.”
“How nice,” Cyn said. “But you’re here now.”
“And so are you, apparently.” Ileni swung her legs over the side of her bed. “Why?”
Cyn stood, pushing the chair back. “I was thinking we could spar, before anyone else gets up.”
Danger bells went off all over Ileni’s mind. “Why?”
“Apparently you’re good enough to be placed in our advanced group.” Cyn’s tone made it clear just how likely she thought that was. “I like to check out my competition.”
“Competition for what?”
“For being the best,” Cyn said with a calm assurance that sent a pang through Ileni. Cyn sounded like Ileni would have, once. When she had been the most powerful of her people, with a future and a destiny and no reason or desire to question either of them.
But the thought that Ileni could be competition—even without her own power—sent a sharp, half-pleasant thrill through her.
“The best? Is that what you are?” Ileni said, and her tone made it clear just how likely she thought that was.
Cyn leaned back on the polished wood desk. “Oh, yes.Not that there’s much competition. Just Evin and Lis. And now, maybe, you. We’ll see.”
“So it’s really just the four of you?”
“Since the Battle of Rinzo.” Cyn lowered her voice, though she didn’t entirely lose her grin. “Before that, there were ten.”
So much for not displaying her ignorance. “Why?”
“Because the Rinzoans tricked us into an ambush and caused an avalanche.” Now the grin was gone. “It was five years ago. Evin, Lis, and I were too young to be there, and Karyn was on one of her missions to the mountains. All the sorcerers there died. We still haven’t recovered.” Her smile
When Karyn’s lashes swept up, though, her expression was speculative. “You should be getting back to bed. I have something to take care of tomorrow, so I won’t see you, but you’ll still get to play with magic all day. Have fun.”
Ileni tried not to react, though she wasn’t entirely sure what she was concealing. Guilt? Joy? Anticipation?
Whatever it was, she knew by Karyn’s pleased expression that she had not succeeded in hiding it.
CHAPTER
7
I n the large, echoing training cavern, dozens of assassins whirled and lunged at each other, wielding swords and garrotes and metal discs. But Irun, as he advanced on Ileni, bore only a knife. It was already dripping with her blood.
Kill him, Sorin whispered. He stood behind Ileni, hands firm on her waist, lips pressed to the nape of her neck. Ileni leaned back into him, resting against his chest. Kill him, and prove that you are one of us.
Ileni woke with a start. Confusion swirled as she blinked at walls that were not slick black rock but pink-speckled gray stone.
“Sorry,” Cyn said from Ileni’s chair. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Ileni shrieked and whirled. The blanket tangled around her legs, and she nearly pitched sideways off the bed. She caught herself on the edge of the mattress and struggled to sit straight, kicking the blanket away.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped with all the dignity she could muster. Which wasn’t much.
Cyn shrugged, pretending not to notice Ileni’s display of grace. She was wearing a shockingly bright red gown. “Karyn couldn’t come. I was sent to tell you.”
I have something to take care of tomorrow. Ileni tried to sound surprised. “Really? Why can’t she come?”
“She had to go deal with the Gaeran rebels.”
Ileni had no idea what that meant but couldn’t bring herself to ask. She’d had enough of displaying her ignorance the day before.
“Do you know,” Cyn said, “what she wants from you?”
“You heard her,” Ileni replied as evenly as she could. “She wants to learn healing.”
Cyn laughed. “I doubt that. We don’t spend much time on healing.”
“Among my people,” Ileni said, “we believe healingis the most important use for magic.”
“How nice,” Cyn said. “But you’re here now.”
“And so are you, apparently.” Ileni swung her legs over the side of her bed. “Why?”
Cyn stood, pushing the chair back. “I was thinking we could spar, before anyone else gets up.”
Danger bells went off all over Ileni’s mind. “Why?”
“Apparently you’re good enough to be placed in our advanced group.” Cyn’s tone made it clear just how likely she thought that was. “I like to check out my competition.”
“Competition for what?”
“For being the best,” Cyn said with a calm assurance that sent a pang through Ileni. Cyn sounded like Ileni would have, once. When she had been the most powerful of her people, with a future and a destiny and no reason or desire to question either of them.
But the thought that Ileni could be competition—even without her own power—sent a sharp, half-pleasant thrill through her.
“The best? Is that what you are?” Ileni said, and her tone made it clear just how likely she thought that was.
Cyn leaned back on the polished wood desk. “Oh, yes.Not that there’s much competition. Just Evin and Lis. And now, maybe, you. We’ll see.”
“So it’s really just the four of you?”
“Since the Battle of Rinzo.” Cyn lowered her voice, though she didn’t entirely lose her grin. “Before that, there were ten.”
So much for not displaying her ignorance. “Why?”
“Because the Rinzoans tricked us into an ambush and caused an avalanche.” Now the grin was gone. “It was five years ago. Evin, Lis, and I were too young to be there, and Karyn was on one of her missions to the mountains. All the sorcerers there died. We still haven’t recovered.” Her smile
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