After seeing the Club off, Dwayne went to the dining room, found a chair, and plopped down into it with his head in his hands. Following through on that ridiculous declaration was going to be a monumental task.

  Magdala stormed in. “What were you thinking?”

  Dwayne winced. “I wasn’t.”

  “Clearly, since promising top marks on the Qe Master’s Examination is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Magdala crossed her arms. “Not even my mother got top marks. And she’s my mother.”

  Dwayne rubbed his neck. “Perhaps she was too busy to study?”

  Magdala’s look sent chills down his spine. “No, she wasn’t. It’s because it’s impossible to take the written, the oral, and the practical and ace all three. You’ll barely manage one.”

  Dwayne blinked. “Which one?”

  “The written of course. Who else can absorb the entire Canon in a single week?”

  Dwayne’s heart lightened. “You think I can do it?”

  Magdala looked away. “Y-yes, of course. You’re you…”

  He grinned.

  She glowered. “Stop that.”

  “Stop what?”

  Magdala gestured at him. “That. I’m scolding you.”

  Dwayne almost asked why, but he knew the reason. This had been the second time Magdala had had to watch him face down a mob, the second time that the only thing between him and catastrophe was saying the right thing. Back at Walton, if she hadn’t just knocked out a bishop, Magdala probably would have scolded him then too.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “You’d better be.” Magdala dropped into the chair next to his. “You can’t keep relying on your silver tongue to get you out of situations like that.”

  “I don’t rely only on my words.” Dwayne leaned in. “I have you.”

  “That’s not enough to, oh!”

  Dwayne had pulled her close. “Thank you. And sorry for only thinking about damage control.”

  Magdala hugged him back. “You do make being Head Clerk look dangerous.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Still scolding you.”

  “Next time, I promise to share my plans before executing them.”

  “Promise also not to chase criminals down alleyways without backup.”

  “Promise.”

  “Promise to wear what Francesca makes for you.”

  Dwayne pulled back to see if she was serious. “Really?”

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  “Really.” Magdala lifted her chin. “She told me that was her price keeping Gordon, Andresen and the others from counter-rioting.”

  Dwayne groaned. “You’re aware she wants me to wear a skirt, right?”

  “It’s not a skirt, its a kilt.”

  “And that’s different how?”

  Magdala smirked. “Because you’ll be wearing it.”

  “But it’s not something I’ve ever…”

  Their eyes met, their breathing matching each other and he hand was warm on his thigh. They were alone - Lady Pol and Odette still hadn’t returned, Rodion was still on holiday, and Mei hadn’t returned from raiding the College of Martial Magic - so there was no one to what happened next. All he had to do was lean in closer and…

  No.

  He wasn’t ready.

  Dwayne coughed and pulled away. “I should tell you why I really went into Thadden’s office. I’m trying to find a way to free Akunna.”

  “Oh, uh, ahem.” Magdala sat up in her seat. “Who is…Thadden’s maid? You want to free her?”

  “Yes. Thadden sent her to work on whatever’s being built in the Plague District as punishment for helping me with the Bradsbridge demonstration.”

  Magdala tilted her head. “Whatever they’re building?”

  “I don’t know what it is, but what they’re doing to the workers is horrendous. I have to get her out of there.”

  “I see.” Magdala sat back. “How?”

  “So far I’ve been looking for any legal method of manumission, but nothing short of a Royal Order will do.”

  “Didn’t he coerce that poor windsong?”

  “We don’t have any proof of that,” Dwayne’s hands curled into fists. “Even if we did, he has the princess backs him and the High Judge hates me. We’d never get an accusation to stick.”

  Magdala nodded. “So, what’s your next move?”

  “Pass the Examination, officially become Head Clerk, then maybe-”

  “Rigballs.”

  Dwayne blinked. “What?”

  “That’s rigballs and you know it.”

  “What’s rigballs?”

  “They’re the discarded testes of…” Magdala floundered. “It doesn’t matter. You get the gist. Any plan that relies solely on ‘maybe’ is a bad plan. What are your other options?”

  “I don’t have any!” Dwayne rubbed his temples. “I just said there’s no legal-”

  “Could you buy her?”

  “Sanford can’t afford her, we’re close to having to borrow money from Mei, and Thadden won’t sell her, not to me.”

  “Tarpan can,” said Magdala. “We have more than enough money.”

  They did, but, “What is your family’s stance on slavery?”

  “Oh, umm…” Magdala squirmed. “They don’t like it? My father thinks it’s a security risk, and my mother would rather hire willing Sourans than buy unwilling labor.”

  “And they’ve probably told people.”

  Magdala winced. “Yes.”

  Dwayne sighed. “So they can’t go against their position without risking their reputations.”

  Magdala perked up. “What about Walcrest?”

  “Every coin spent there is reviewed by the Throne,” Dwayne said. “Even if I could convince Lord Kalan,” which would actually be easy to do, “it would be a misuse of funds. I just got the Exchequer on my side.”

  “Then we free her.”

  “Weren’t you listening? We can’t just…” Dwayne’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean legally.”

  “We ‘steal’ her and get her out of Soura.” Magdala looked pensive. “She can’t go to Vanuria. What about the Empire?”

  “I don’t know. Mei’s the closest thing I have to an Imperial contact.”

  Magdala made a weird face. “I may have… others, but they’re a long shot. Maybe not as long as Cokop, but-”

  “Cokop?”

  “A country out in the middle of the Hulitic somewhere.”

  “Ah, long indeed. So Wesen then.” Dwayne leaned forward. “How?”

  Magdala mirrored him. “We’ll just send her.”

  “Using a supply caravan.” Dwayne grinned. “We’d only need a merchant we trust. Maybe a certain someone’s roommate.”

  “And whose family owns a whole fleet of ships?”

  “Do you think she’ll help?”

  “Yes, I think she will.”

  “So we have a plan.” Relief pushed Dwayne back into his seat. Then he jumped to his feet. “I should go tell Akunna.”

  Magdala caught his hand. “Not tonight. Tonight, you grab your books, I’ll grab mine, and we’ll come back here to study. We’ll go see her in the morning.”

  “We?”

  “I won’t let you-” Magdala cleared her throat. “I mean, I need to thank her for her help.”

  “Oh. Uh…” Dwayne looked down. Magdala was still holding his hand. “Are you coming with me to my room?”

  He heard the implied invitation before Magdala snatched her hand away. “What? No. I will-”

  “Go to your room. Right!” Dwayne backpedaled. “See you soon!”