The Glass Magician

Ceony, stomach dropping a little more, followed two paces behind Mg. Aviosky. Ironically enough, they ended up in the women’s lavatory where Delilah had worked her magic just moments before.

Ceony made a point of not looking at the mirror. Mg. Aviosky gestured to the chair they’d used to scramble up the dresser. Ceony sat without word.

“When I assigned you to be a Folder,” Mg. Aviosky began, her hands clasped behind her back as she paced back and forth, “I debriefed you on the proper apprenticely conduct and what was expected of you once you began your employment under Magician Thane.”

Trying to keep her brow smooth, Ceony nodded.

“Perhaps there are a few things I forgot to mention,” Mg. Aviosky said, taking a moment to push her round-framed spectacles up higher on her nose. “Such as referring to a magician by his first name.”

Ceony flushed. “I . . . I didn’t mean to do it, it’s just—”

“I’ll tell you now that I do not like mixed sexes in magician-apprentice relationships,” Mg. Aviosky went on, “and I do not assign them unless I deem it necessary, which in your case, it was. Eleven of our twelve Folders are male, and the only female already has an apprentice.”

Ceony touched a hand to her cheek in a feeble attempt to cool it. In all her daydreams regarding Emery, nothing quite this humiliating had ever happened.

“I believe you and Magician Thane are entirely too familiar with each other,” Mg. Aviosky continued, glancing at Ceony briefly before switching her focus to one of the lavatory’s ferns. “Which I do not credit entirely to you, Miss Twill. I’m not here to scold you, only to warn and protect you.”

Ceony slid forward on her chair. “Protect me? What exactly do you suspect Magician Thane would do?” She paled. “Mercy in heaven, have you spoken to him about this?”

“No, I have not,” the Gaffer clarified. “I wanted to speak with you first.”

Ceony released a long breath of air, offering silent thanks that she had been saved that embarrassment, at least.

She slumped in her chair, gaze dropping to the floor.

“Why do you do all of this for me, Ceony?”

“You know why.”

She swallowed hard, feeling like a stroke of paint on a canvas far too large for her to comprehend.

Mg. Aviosky said, “I think it’s in your best interest—and Magician Thane’s—if I transfer you.”

Ceony’s stomach sunk to her ankles.

“I’ve seen to the arrangements,” Mg. Aviosky continued. “Magician Howard’s apprentice isn’t expected to advance until the end of the summer, but she’s agreed to take on a second apprentice in order to boost our Folder numbers. I think you’ll find her to be very amicable, and—”

“I don’t want to transfer,” Ceony interrupted, her brow thoroughly knit now. “I told you before that I want to continue learning from Magician Thane.”

Mg. Aviosky frowned. “And as I’ve said, you two are far too familiar with each other. I see things you don’t think I see—”

“Like what?” Ceony blurted, standing.

“And as the administrator of apprenticeships,” she continued, “I am making the decision to transfer you, once I finalize the arrangements and speak to—”

“Of course I’m familiar with him!” Ceony said, raising her voice and cutting off Mg. Aviosky’s words clean at the preposition. “I live with him! I learn from him! I’ve walked through his heart, Aviosky! You know that!”

“Yes,” Mg. Aviosky said, stiff. “I recall. I also recall you were both incredibly vague about just what you experienced there, which only fuels my concern.”

Ceony shook her head. She felt hot, as if her own pulse were steadily bringing her blood to a boil. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is—”

“I will decide what does and doesn’t matter, Miss Twill!” Mg. Aviosky shot back.

“No!” she shouted, loud enough that Mg. Aviosky retreated a step. “You don’t understand what it was like in there. You can’t understand what happened! I know his heart better than my own, don’t you see?”

Mg. Aviosky didn’t respond.

“I feel like I’ve known him all my life,” Ceony continued, quieter now. “Like he was always meant to be a part of it. And Folding . . . I love Folding because he taught it to me, because he showed me the beauty in simple things. The beauty I have within myself.”

“Miss Twill—”

“I love him,” Ceony said, and Mg. Aviosky’s eyes widened almost to the size of polo balls. “And it’s as though I’ve always loved him. As though that feeble paper heart I gave him were my own . . .”

She paused, realizing she had said too much. She had stunned Mg. Aviosky into silence.

Ceony stood straighter and forced herself to speak calmly. “I haven’t broken any rules,” she said. “I’m well versed on them. I could recite them to you verbatim, if necessary. Until I break a rule, it’s unnecessary for you to take any action, especially as drastic as this. I believe that’s something on which we both can agree.”

Mg. Aviosky pursed her lips.