Francesca caught Magdala leaving class before lunch. “You went with Mei and Lady Pol. What did you do?”

  “Train.” Magdala winced from the few bruises she’d gotten from Mei “feeling her out.” “Lady Pol thinks I should learn how to brawl.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Francesca fell silent as they continued to walk. Knowing her roommate would never rush across campus for no reason, Magdala waited.

  “Do you really think that Dean Bruce is…” Francesca lowered her voice, “this Granite character?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve heard her say some alarming things, but…” Magdala sighed. “It’s Dwayne and Mei.”

  “So you can’t ignore it.” Francesca groaned. “I was really hoping you’d say ‘no.’”

  “Sorry. but between the woman who kicked me out of her college and two people who’ve literally almost died for me, I’ll always choose the latter.”

  “Of course, you will.” Francesca watched a trio of second years careen across their path. “Someone’s butler came by to take your stuff out of the room.”

  Lady Pol had said she’d send Myers. “Already?”

  Francesca kept her eyes ahead. “So you’re staying at Sanford?”

  Magdala was about to answer, but then heard her roommate’s real question. “What to come with?”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Francesca brightened. “Are you sure I won’t be in the way?”

  “How would you do that?”

  “I can think of ways.” Francesca chuckled. “But I won’t move in completely, only stay over on occasion. I’m not training to be a soldier, and I imagine Dwayne would…”

  She trailed off.

  Magdala frowned. “What?”

  Francesca looked away. “Nothing.”

  Magdala grabbed her friend by the hand. “What?”

  “It’s nothing.” Francesca’s eyes wouldn’t meet Magdala’s. “Really.”

  “So convincing.”

  Francesca sighed. “Why can’t you just be dense like usual?”

  “I am dense. Just not that dense.”

  “Ha. Fine.” Francesca pulled Magdala into an empty classroom. “Okay, so don’t get upset.”

  Magdala frowned. “Why would I?”

  “It’s about Dwayne.”

  It was Magdala’s turn to look away. “What about him?”

  “Remember how he took the Rite of Attestation?”

  “Which he passed. Easily.”

  “Yes, but before he did, he asked me for advice on how to pass it. When I told him all he had to do was listen to Cueller’s Voice, he panicked.”

  Magdala tilted her head. Was Cueller’s Voice a only Qe mage thing? “Not everyone hears it very well. I don’t.”

  “But you can hear it.” Fran lowered her voice. “I’ve seen how Dwayne casts spells, and he’s only recently used canon. Also,” her eyes were on Magdala now, “I’ve never seen him cast that fire charm of his, Ri’et’te.”

  “I see.” Magdala hid her panic under an even tone. “So?”

  Francesca’s eyes narrowed. “You know.”

  “What? No, I don’t.”

  “You know there’s something special about Dwayne’s magic.”

  “No, there isn’t.”

  “Good.” Francesca looked relieved. “He’s not hiding it from you. Don’t worry.” She cut off Magdala’s feeble protest. “Only someone in the same class as him and who has worked on the Qe core project would notice.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  Francesca’s voice dropped to near inaudibility. “Because what’s the most obvious use for an external resonator?”

  Magdala could only manage an “oh.”