He told her about Zauberer and the facility beneath it while avoiding any mention of alchemy. He took special care to describe everything he remembered of the collars.

  Anything that might help her remove them.

  He studied her facial expressions as he spoke, but it was like trying to read a porcelain doll.

  He wondered if she used magic to conceal her facial expressions, or if it was just her.

  “You realize that you sound insane? If there is a group operating on such a scale then this little guild will be crushed,” Maya said.

  “Like I said, the goal is to get in, get our man, and get out again. We’re not planning to take them down all by our lonesome. Depending on what you find with the collars, perhaps we can set the slaves free as well. But that isn’t the priority.

  “Once we get our man out of there, the city guard or even the army can come in and clean them up,” Connor said.

  “If I were to go along with your insanity, then you realize the cost would be… extensive?” she said.

  “I’m willing to pay,” Connor said.

  Maya shook her head. “No,” she said, “not just gold.”

  Connor and Korvac looked at each other.

  “What else do you want?” Connor asked.

  “I want some of those collars to study,” she said.

  “Absolutely not,” Connor said.

  “And…” Maya continued, “I want you.”

  “Me? What for?” Connor asked.

  “You have some magical talent if you created such destruction even under Elgar’s gaze. I want to see if I can make something more impressive out of you. Besides, I could use an apprentice that can handle themselves,” she said.

  He couldn’t believe his ears.

  After years of trying to get his magic to obey him. Trying and failing to get apprenticed to Elgar, and now when becoming a wizard was the furthest thing from his mind, he was being strong-armed into it.

  It wasn’t even worth his time to struggle with his nearly-useless magic now that he had his alchemy.

  “My magic doesn’t work properly, but I’m sure we can find you a suitable apprentice. However, the collars are out of the question,” he said.

  “No. I don’t want any other apprentice. I want you. As for the collars… why not? Scared I’ll make some of my own?” she said.

  “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. It’s bad enough as it is. I won't risk them falling into the wrong hands,” he said.

  “From the sound of it, they’re already in the wrong hands. Besides, I just want to study them. Learn from them,” she said.

  “To what end?” he said.

  She shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “Become my apprentice, and you’ll know all about it. Like it or not. Those are my terms, and I won’t let you weasel out of any of them.” she said.

  He glared at her. “And what makes you think I’d accept?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Clearly this is very important to you… you value the lives of the slaves and the people in this city, and you know that I’m your best bet at saving them. I also know you care a lot more for the person you wish to rescue than you let on,” she said.

  He gritted his teeth. “Are you using your magic on me?” he asked.

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  Her smile widened. “Become my apprentice, and I will teach you to recognize if someone is… and how to defend against it… at least to some degree,” she said. She looked at Korvac and Connor in turn and stood up.

  “I’ll give you some time to consider what I’ve said, but in the end, we all know that I’m your best bet, and you stand to gain far more than you could lose. Don’t underestimate the value of being my apprentice. No matter how unstable you think your magic is,” she said.

  Connor stepped between her and the door, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I can’t let you leave,” he said.

  Her eyes widened an almost imperceptible amount. The first chink in her armor. In a breath, she returned to normal as though nothing had changed.

  “I know too much is that it? Very well, I can wait here until you’re done. Whatever you decide. Consider it a show of good faith,” she said.

  Connor stepped out of Korvac’s office. The usual guard, Raki, stood there. “Get me the girl that’s always with me,” Connor said.

  “The scary one?” Raki asked.

  Connor nodded.

  Raki swallowed hard. “I’ll be right back then,” he said.

  Connor waited in the doorway. Maya sat with perfect posture, no trace of concern on her face.

  Should he accept the deal? It was bad enough The Syndicate had these collars. What did she really want them for anyway? Would he just be trading one problem for another? Did it matter as long as they had Victor back?

  Raki returned with Adelia striding slightly ahead of him.

  “You needed me?” Adelia asked.

  “Yeah… watch Maya for me, would you? She can’t be allowed to leave. I need to talk things over with the others,” Connor said.

  “Okay, what’s the problem?” she asked.

  “You can probably get her to fill you in on that… you’re the only one I trust to keep an eye on her. You and I can talk about it later. Remember, she’s a specialist with mind magic. Don’t let your guard down,” he said.

  “Of course,” Adelia said.

  She stood by the doorway and watched Maya like a hawk.

  “Korvac, you’re with me,” Connor said.

  The two of them left Korvac’s office in search of the others.

  “Are you sure it’s wise to leave her alone with Maya? I don’t think Maya will try anything, but she’s a wizard… I could get a dozen men to watch her instead if you’re worried about her,” Korvac asked.

  “You’re right. Maya could be dangerous. A dozen might not be enough,” Connor said.

  “Should I call some men up then?” Korvac asked.

  “No need. We have a one-woman army watching her. Anyone else would just get in the way,” Connor said.

  They gathered the others together in another room, safe from the ears of others. Connor explained the situation to them.

  “She wants to what?” Vadik said, “you’re not seriously thinking of letting her study those things, are you? The Syndicate is bad enough!”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Connor said. He looked at the other two. “Do we know of anyone else who could do the job? Anyone we can trust?” he asked.

  “I know of another specialist in mind magic, but he’s a week’s ride away from here, and I suspect he isn’t as good as Maya. Her reputation precedes her,” Illyian said.

  “Maya really is the best at what she does,” Korvac said.

  “But can she be trusted?” Connor said, “why would she even want to study them if not to figure out how to make them?”

  “She may not want to make them,” Illyian said, “enchantments like this are rare. I can think of fifty wizards off the top of my head who’d kill for a chance to look at them. They’d be doubly tempting for a mind specialist like Maya. Who knows what insights she could gain from them?”

  “All the more reason to keep her far away from those things,” Vadik said.

  “Let’s not be hasty and rather consider this for a moment. We’re asking her to risk her life against The Syndicate. What she asks for in return isn’t unreasonable. Besides, if you agree to become her apprentice, you could keep a closer eye on her than anyone,” Illyian said.

  “Unless she uses one of those collars on me,” Connor said.

  “There is that,” Illyian said.

  “Is there nothing else we can give her?” Connor asked, “surely we must have something else she wants?”

  “You heard her, she won't settle for any less. There isn’t anything we could give her that wouldn’t perhaps be even more dangerous,” Korvac said.

  They argued back and forth a while longer.

  “So… basically, our choices are to give her what she wants, or wait a week or more just to get a message out to someone half as good,” Connor said.

  “It seems that way,” Illyian said.

  “I don’t think we can afford the delay or the risk of using anyone other than the best. Every minute we waste is another minute that facility churns out weapons of war. We need Victor back, and we need him back now,” Connor said.

  Everyone nodded solemnly.

  Connor sighed. “Let’s get this over with then…” he said.

  Maya sat exactly where she had before. She looked a bit nervous at being on the wrong end of Adelia’s unblinking gaze.

  Maya looked at them as they entered. “So? What’s it going to be?” she asked.

  “Let’s make a few things very clear,” Connor said, “if we agree then you get the collars off our man, and when possible, the rest. You can study them, but if you try to produce any. If you try to sell any. If you try to so much as sell a fraction of the plans for one… If you do anything other than just study them… we will kill you.”

  Maya smiled. “And you’ll become my apprentice, yes?” she said.

  Connor frowned. “I don’t know why you want me so badly, but fine. After all the collars are removed, and everything is squared away, I’ll be your apprentice. But only then. And only to a point. Is that clear?” Connor said.

  “That’s too vague. You’ll be my apprentice for a year and a day. After that you’ll be free to leave... if you want to,” she said.

  “Agreed,” he said.

  “Then it’s settled,” Maya said.

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