Before class the next morning, Magdala, bearing a pamphlet titled “Dwayne Kalan: Genius or Fraud?”, jumped out of her rented carriage, charged through Sanford’s gate, and hammered her fist on the door.

  “Mag,” Francesca and her billowing new indigo cloak caught up to her, “maybe he doesn’t know.”

  “That’s worse.”

  Magdala raised her fist, but Rodion opened the door before she could knock.

  “My lady, I’m afraid that-”

  “Has he read this?” Magdala shoved the pamphlet into the steward’s face. “Did he know?”

  Rodion sighed. “You’d best make your way to the dining room.”

  “I will.”

  Pushing past him, and with an apologetic Francesca in her wake, Magdala marched straight to the dining room where Dwayne was mid-egg.

  “Magdala? What are-”

  “What are you going to do about this?” Magdala slapped the pamphlet onto the table in front of him.

  Dwayne glanced at it. “Oh, nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “Oh, another one.” Mei grabbed the pamphlet and placed it on a stack before sitting. “That’s twenty-three so far.”

  Francesca stared at her. “Are you… collecting them?”

  “We got so many.”

  “From the Club, I imagine. Dwayne,” Magdala put both hands on the dining room table, “you have to strike back.”

  “No, I don’t.” Dwayne gestured to an empty seat. “Breakfast?”

  “No, we have class.” Magdala moved closer, hoping looming over Dwayne would convince him. “Explain why you’re not doing anything.”

  Dwayne put down his fork. “Thadden’s only trying to undo the damage when he made me take the Rite of Attestation and I passed.”

  “Thank you, Mister Galkin,” said Francesca as Rodion placed a plate of food in front of her. Apparently, she wasn’t worried about being late to class. “Mags is right. Saying nothing makes it looks like he’s right.”

  “But these claims are ridiculous.” Dwayne gestured at Mei’s stack. “Cheating on tests, tricking others into doing my practicals for me, all of it absurd. That Rite of Attestation was personally confirmed by a bishop, the Royal Consort, and the Earth Sage himself. It can’t be contested.”

  “That’s… Well…” Francesca glanced at Magdala. “Challenging the Church, the Throne, and the Magisterium all at the same time would be-”

  “Insane.” Magdala sighed then took the seat next to Dwayne. “Still, is doing nothing really the answer? At the very least, you should reassure the Club.”

  Dwayne blinked. “I should?”

  “Yes, because most of them have never seen you cast before. Afterwards, you can answer any questions they have.”

  Dwayne eyed her. “Those could be awkward questions.”

  “As Club Chair,” Magdala placed her hand on his, “you cannot afford to make mistakes I made with Francesca and Colin. They have to know where you’re leading them.”

  Dwayne smiled. “Okay, I’ll call a meeting.”

  “Where?” asked Francesca.

  “Here.”

  “Good.”

  Dwayne stared. “Why?”

  “Because I’ll be attending.”

  It was Magdala’s turn to stare. “Why?”

  “Because,” Francesca put down her fork, “I’ve been reviewing the Royal Sorcerer’s Office records, and it’s clear that very soon we’ll need to hire. Where else can we find people inordinately excited about magic and about with Dwayne?”

  “The Club?” Dwayne answered.

  “The Club.” Francesca turned to Magdala. “I also want you installed as Vice Chair.”

  “What? Why?” asked Magdala.

  “I’m only thinking,” her roommate’s eyes flicked down to where Magdala’s hand still lay on Dwayne’s, “about who’d be best in that position.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Magdala’s face flushed as she pulled her hand off Dwayne’s. She was really not doing a good job at this friendship thing. Her stomach growled before she could form a coherent response.

  “We’ll decide things like that over time.” Dwayne handed Magdala his bread roll. “I’m more concerned about the Qe Master’s Examination, which I apparently need to know four-fifths of the entire Canon to have a chance at passing.”

  “It’s not going well,” said Mei. “He can’t say the spells right.”

  Magdala swallowed her bite of roll. “You’ve never had that problem before. You learned the Due… Lady Pol’s spell just fine.”

  Francesca gave Magdala a look, but let the question go. “And you’ve literally never gotten a spell wrong in class.”

  Dwayne steepled his fingers. “Whenever I read Qe spells on my own, they come out, like, flat or something? Like there’s an undertone I’m not hearing.”

  Was this a limitation of a Ri mage learning Qe spells? “Give me an example,” said Magdala.

  “Qebuderevem.”

  That sounded almost right, but also almost like complete nonsense. After sorting through the syllables - small, crush, hand - Magdala said, “Qebuderevem.”

  “Qebuderevem.” Dwayne brightened. “That’s right!”

  “You can’t hear the difference?” Francesca asked.

  “Sort of? It mostly kind of felt wrong before.”

  “Then I’ll help you,” announced Magdala’s mouth without consulting Magdala’s brain. Her heart cheered.

  Dwayne grinned. “You will?”

  Cups, he was cute. “Yes and maybe we can also figure out what’s wrong your Qe core too.”

  “What’s wrong with it?” Francesca asked.

  “Oh, uh…” What was a good half-truth? “It has flaws. Because I made it.”

  “We also want to ask the Club’s help,” said Dwayne hurriedly.

  Francesca didn’t look convinced. “I haven’t used mine since the Harvest Ball. What are you doing with yours?”

  Actually casting Qe magic. “Um…” Magdala tried to find an answer. “He’s…”

  Dwayne said, “I’m…”

  “Exercising with it,” answered Mei.

  Dwayne and Magdala stared at the hunter.

  Francesca frowned. “What?”

  “They meet up and exercise together while casting magic.” Mei’s words were entirely serious. “They do this alone.”

  “Oh?” Francesca’s eyes glittered. “I see.”

  Heat flooded Magdala’s face. “It’s nothing like that.”

  “Sure, it isn’t.”

  Before Magdala could think of a better lie, Lady Pol swept into the room. “Dwayne, have you read this?” She waved yet another pamphlet.

  “We were just discussing that,” said Dwayne, his voice cracking. “I’ll talk to the Club, but I don’t think we should do anything else.”

  “Do that.” Lady Pol sat. “Where are we on the finding outwhether or not that idiot is Granite?”

  Francesca frowned. “Granite?”

  “I didn’t find anything in his office,” said Dwayne.

  “Whose office?”

  “Oh, our new liaison. Welcome. Mei can fill you in.” Lady Pol waved to Rodion. “Could Thadden be working with Granite?”

  “Possibly,” said Dwayne as Mei started whispering to Francesca, “but he doesn’t have any allies at Sen Jerome’s or in the Church.”

  “Or at the Magisterium. Thank you.” Lady Pol tore a piece off the bread Rodion had given her. “I found out that only deans and above have access to those boats.”

  “Is that why we went to that party?” asked Francesca.

  “So we think Huan was lying?”

  “I thought he was from the start, but it’s good to be thorough.” Lady Pol scowled at her bread. “Unfortunately, he was our only option.”

  Dwayne and Mei shared a look.

  “What?” asked Magdala.

  “Mei and I talked about this before you came.” Dwayne looked away. “We have a lead.”

  “Oh, who?” asked Lady Pol

  Dwayne looked away. “Mei found a pamphlet in Granite’s office and taking that in combination with how Huan has been stealing old magic-”

  “And that only deans can use those boats,” said Mei.

  They can’t mean…

  “-and the old tomes the College of Martial Magic is using, then there’s one suspect.”

  Magdala jumped to her feet. “But she’s a dean! I worked with her. How could I miss her being evil?”

  “Sit down, young Gallus,” ordered Lady Pol. When Magdala did, the older mage said, softly, “Maybe you missed nothing, but even if you did, it’s not your fault. You weren’t even looking.”

  “I know. I know, but…” Magdala bit her lip.

  “Tonight, I will go find out,” announced Mei.

  “Tonight?” Francesca looked as if her head would explode. “What have you lot been up to?”

  Dwayne winced. “Perhaps saving the queendom?”

  Lady Pol slapped Francesca on the back. “Welcome to the Royal Sorcerer’s Office. You can see why we needed someone to mind the books.”

  “Can we help?” Magdala asked Mei.

  Mei shook her head. “No, go help Dwayne.”

  “But…” Magdala saw the determination in Mei’s eyes. “Okay.”

  “Now that that’s settled,” Lady Pol stood up. “Young Gallus, Miss Ma, come-”

  “Lady Pol, wait.” Francesca scrambled to her feet. “Have you considered my proposal?”

  “So long as you foot the bill,” Lady Pol gave Francesca a look, “and stop sending me complaints about the state of the Tower’s records, go ahead.”

  Dwayne blinked. “What’s the proposal?”

  Francesca said, “I-”

  “No need for you to worry about it, Dwayne. Get it done by the Examination, Miss Lucchesi.” Lady Pol snapped her finger. “Gallus, Ma, with me.”

  Bewildered, Magdala followed the older mage out of the dining room, asking Mei instead, “What’s this about?”

  The hunter shrugged.

  “What’s your first class today?” Lady Pol called back.

  “Uh… History?”

  “Good, you can skip that.”

  “I can? Why?”

  Lady Pol threw open the door to Sanford’s backyard. “Because it’s time for training.”

  Magdala frowned. “Here? Now?”

  “Here, now and every other morning.” Lady Pol looked around the yard. “You’ll duel the other days.”

  “But I don’t have time to come here, training and then go back to the Magisterium every morning,” said Magdala.

  “Easily solved. You’ll stay here at Sanford.”

  “What?”

  “You see I’ve been thinking about what it would take to make you, Magdala Gallus, Soura’s first fighting mage. ‘em.” Lady Pol’s spell cleared the yard of leaves and debris. “My conclusion: you should to learn to fight from the best fighter we know.”

  Magdala’s eyes bulged. “You mean Mei?”

  “Who else would I mean? And she’s already agreed.”

  Mei nodded.

  Lady Pol smiled. “Now, I expect it’ll take a bit for you two to figure out how to train instead of just Mei beating you into a pulp, but that is an important part of the process. I think.”

  “You think,” said Magdala.

  “I think.” Lady Pol smiled. “I have faith you two will figure it out. And With that, take it away, Mei.”