Unguilded by Jane Glatt

bag. After a night spent pleasing the Mage Guild Secundus in bed, it would not do to displease him out of it.
    He greeted her warmly when she stepped into the main room, and she had to suppress her triumph when he stood and pulled her chair out for her.
    Arabella settled in beside the second most powerful man in all of Tregella and smiled demurely as he poured her tea.
    “The ferry leaves in half an hour,” Valerio said. “I will create the spell after we eat.”
    “Would it be too much to ask to watch?” Arabella said. “I do of course know how to create seeking spells, but none quite this . . . directed.” She didn’t want to watch, she wanted instruction. Valerio Valendi was well-known as a powerful, yet subtle, Mage—no doubt his killing spells were finely crafted. She would dearly love to know his technique.
    Valendi stared at her for a few heartbeats, and Arabella wondered if she’d made a mistake. He would mistrust her if she pushed him too quickly. Finally he nodded.
    “I forget that you came to Rillidi late and did not have the same opportunities to learn that others had,” he said. “Of course you may watch.”
    Arabella smiled and nodded, trying to hide her relief. “Thank you, Secundus.”
    “Arabella. I think that after all we’ve . . . shared . . . you should call me Valerio, don’t you?”
    “Thank you, Valerio,” Arabella replied. “I would like that.”
    “Yes, I was sure you would,” Valerio said.
    A Server brought a plate of bread and butter, along with some fresh fruit. Arabella tried to judge Valerio’s mood, but he simply ate in silence, ignoring her. Had he meant that last comment as a warning? Had he seen through her efforts to get close to him? She nibbled on a piece of melon, her appetite gone. He glanced at her, and she smiled brightly until he looked away.
    Valerio pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. “It’s time,” he said and strode away, forcing Arabella to hurry after him.
    He knew . He knew she’d been manipulating him. She slowed and smoothed her hands across her dress. So. She should have expected that the Mage Guild Secundus would not be so easy. And he didn’t know, he’d guessed . Because she’d given herself away. And now she had to make sure he didn’t know the truth—that she’d ordered her daughter to run, knowing that the guild would kill her.
    “Valerio,” she called after his retreating back. He paused and allowed her to catch up to him, but he didn’t turn around.
    “I apologize for my clumsiness,” she said. “As you mentioned, I did not come to Rillidi until late. My peers were much further ahead of me in so many ways.”
    Valerio turned to face her. “And now?”
    “I am still paying for my lack of experience,” she said. “I want to change that.” She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “But I need the right mentor.”
    He smiled, and she knew she had him. But that thought didn’t comfort her.
    “A mentor,” he said softly. “What else do you want?”
    “A child. I need a child—one with magic.”
    “Or at least the potential for magic,” Valerio said. “It will be a decade or so until it’s known for certain. What do I get in return?”
    “Me,” Arabella said.
    “I’ve had you,” Valerio said. “What else do you offer?
    “I know things about certain members of council, things that would help you control them.”
    “I find that hard to believe,” Valerio said.
    “I have no connections, but I do have some . . . talents,” Arabella said. She lifted a hand and caressed his face.
    Valerio grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. “Yes, you do.” He stared at her, then shook his head and laughed. “I believe that you have been able to gather some secrets. All right. I will be your mentor. But we must keep it a secret.”
    “Only until I am with child and can no longer hide it,” Arabella countered. “The father of my child must be known.”
    “So I can protect you from your enemies?”
    “So that