Timo was her Journeyman.
“But—” Rorik began.
“I said no! You will not tell him anything.” She smoothed a hand across her hair. “In a few months he will be ready for Journeyman status. This will all end then.” It wouldn’t end until Inigo was dead . . . which would be soon after Timo was under her control.
TIMO PRESSED HIS ear to the partially open door.
He’d caught sight of Inigo leaving Rorik’s study. Inigo wanted him dead—what Mole had told him confirmed it—so he needed to know why the Council Mage was here.
What he’d overheard confirmed something else Mole had told him: Inigo was using magic on his mother. Worse—she knew but had no way to make him stop.
His mother could no longer offer him any protection. She couldn’t even protect herself.
Mole had thought his mother had been smart in the way she’d fooled the council, but Timo wasn’t so sure. He thought she was so intent on believing the lies she told herself that she was blind to the real truth.
Inigo wouldn’t wait until he was old enough to become a Journeyman. He would try to kill Timo—he’d already been trying kill Timo—before then.
Timo stepped away from the door and returned to his room. He took a few moments to secure it, magically and physically, before he relaxed.
Would Mole come back to spy? Could he tell him he’d changed his mind? Timo could probably leave Mage Guild Island but gaining safety on Old Rillidi was a different matter.
“YOU TOLD HIM Inigo wants him dead?” Kara asked.
“Sure, sure,” Mole said. “He already knew.”
He was sitting across from her at the small table in her and Reo’s cabin. Reo had taken the children to the main house and promised to return with Santos.
“The boy’s smart,” Mole continued. “It’s not Gyda’s luck that’s kept him alive this long.”
“You didn’t tell us he was already in danger.” Kara heard the panic in her voice and took a deep breath.
She glanced up to see Reo and Santos enter the cabin. Reo took one look at her and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his warmth.
Santos pulled up another chair.
“Someone tried to contract an Assassin,” Reo said. “Of course he’s in danger. If they could have killed him themselves they wouldn’t need to pay an Assassin.”
“Warrior Guild hasn’t given their answer yet?” She’d told Warrior Guild Primus Rualla that if they fulfilled a contract on Timo she would never clear their Guild Hall of magic again.
“No,” Reo assured her. “They won’t until they hear from us.”
“Unless Inigo and Hestor can make Timo’s death seem like an accident.” Mole paused and looked at her. “Which will be difficult considering how good he is at avoiding the most dangerous spells. They’ll wait for the Assassin.”
“Will he change his mind?” Kara asked. “And come before he turns sixteen?” Mole had explained Timo’s decision, but she didn’t understand it. Runaway or not, Mage Guild would try to kill him once he joined them on Old Rillidi. Arabella Fonti didn’t have enough control over the council to stop that, not when Inigo already wanted Timo dead.
“Maybe,” Mole said. “He doesn’t trust you, not yet—or me—and I can’t blame him for that, but he knows he can’t trust his mother. She expects Timo to be her Journeyman, which won’t be a good thing for him.”
“What?” Santos asked. “Mage Guild has never allowed a parent to formally teach their own child. How does she expect to get council approval?”
“She didn’t seem concerned about that,” Mole said.
“Does she know that Timo has unmagic?” Kara asked.
“She suspects,” Mole replied.
“Maybe she’s counting on Timo to help her control council,” Kara said.
“It’s risky,” Santos replied. “The boy isn’t trained.”
“Is she desperate?” Reo asked. “Is Timo her last chance to beat Inigo? She might try anything.”
“She still has
“But—” Rorik began.
“I said no! You will not tell him anything.” She smoothed a hand across her hair. “In a few months he will be ready for Journeyman status. This will all end then.” It wouldn’t end until Inigo was dead . . . which would be soon after Timo was under her control.
TIMO PRESSED HIS ear to the partially open door.
He’d caught sight of Inigo leaving Rorik’s study. Inigo wanted him dead—what Mole had told him confirmed it—so he needed to know why the Council Mage was here.
What he’d overheard confirmed something else Mole had told him: Inigo was using magic on his mother. Worse—she knew but had no way to make him stop.
His mother could no longer offer him any protection. She couldn’t even protect herself.
Mole had thought his mother had been smart in the way she’d fooled the council, but Timo wasn’t so sure. He thought she was so intent on believing the lies she told herself that she was blind to the real truth.
Inigo wouldn’t wait until he was old enough to become a Journeyman. He would try to kill Timo—he’d already been trying kill Timo—before then.
Timo stepped away from the door and returned to his room. He took a few moments to secure it, magically and physically, before he relaxed.
Would Mole come back to spy? Could he tell him he’d changed his mind? Timo could probably leave Mage Guild Island but gaining safety on Old Rillidi was a different matter.
“YOU TOLD HIM Inigo wants him dead?” Kara asked.
“Sure, sure,” Mole said. “He already knew.”
He was sitting across from her at the small table in her and Reo’s cabin. Reo had taken the children to the main house and promised to return with Santos.
“The boy’s smart,” Mole continued. “It’s not Gyda’s luck that’s kept him alive this long.”
“You didn’t tell us he was already in danger.” Kara heard the panic in her voice and took a deep breath.
She glanced up to see Reo and Santos enter the cabin. Reo took one look at her and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his warmth.
Santos pulled up another chair.
“Someone tried to contract an Assassin,” Reo said. “Of course he’s in danger. If they could have killed him themselves they wouldn’t need to pay an Assassin.”
“Warrior Guild hasn’t given their answer yet?” She’d told Warrior Guild Primus Rualla that if they fulfilled a contract on Timo she would never clear their Guild Hall of magic again.
“No,” Reo assured her. “They won’t until they hear from us.”
“Unless Inigo and Hestor can make Timo’s death seem like an accident.” Mole paused and looked at her. “Which will be difficult considering how good he is at avoiding the most dangerous spells. They’ll wait for the Assassin.”
“Will he change his mind?” Kara asked. “And come before he turns sixteen?” Mole had explained Timo’s decision, but she didn’t understand it. Runaway or not, Mage Guild would try to kill him once he joined them on Old Rillidi. Arabella Fonti didn’t have enough control over the council to stop that, not when Inigo already wanted Timo dead.
“Maybe,” Mole said. “He doesn’t trust you, not yet—or me—and I can’t blame him for that, but he knows he can’t trust his mother. She expects Timo to be her Journeyman, which won’t be a good thing for him.”
“What?” Santos asked. “Mage Guild has never allowed a parent to formally teach their own child. How does she expect to get council approval?”
“She didn’t seem concerned about that,” Mole said.
“Does she know that Timo has unmagic?” Kara asked.
“She suspects,” Mole replied.
“Maybe she’s counting on Timo to help her control council,” Kara said.
“It’s risky,” Santos replied. “The boy isn’t trained.”
“Is she desperate?” Reo asked. “Is Timo her last chance to beat Inigo? She might try anything.”
“She still has
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