The Master Magician

When Ceony stepped back, she and Mg. Bailey stared into a piece of the sky itself, beyond what the human eye could see.

Stars tumbled in different sizes and colors; a distant galaxy hovered in the upper-right corner; and a comet burned its way across the paper’s surface. She included a rendition of the moon in the lower left, three-fourths of its cratered surface lit by the sun’s light. Above it hovered Saturn, complete with a soft glow and dozens of tiny rings.

Ceony grinned; she had done well.

Mg. Bailey said nothing.

She looked at him, at the unreadable expression on his face. One forearm folded across his ribs; his other hand pinched his chin between thumb and forefinger as he studied her work. He didn’t seem impressed. He didn’t seem . . . anything.

Ceony wondered if she should ask for his evaluation or stay silent. She chose the latter.

A long minute passed before he said, “A decent illusion.”

From Mg. Bailey, Ceony considered that high praise.

He continued. “I’m actually surprised at how quickly you finished it; twelve minutes and thirty-four seconds is fast for a page this size.”

“You . . . timed me?”

He gestured weakly to the clock above the door. “A good time. Not the fastest, of course, but for an apprentice with only two years’ experience, a good time. Hmm. Magician Thane must have finally gotten his wits about him and begun decent training, unless you had a second tutor.”

Ceony’s neck grew hot. She swallowed hard and said, “I did not have a second tutor.”

He nodded, fingers still pinching his chin. “Wits it is, then. Good—I was worried the board would put him on probation after his illustrious failure with his last apprentice. I’m surprised they assigned a female apprentice to him.”

Ceony’s lips parted. Unseen spiders crawled up her back. For a moment she found herself speechless, but after a few seconds she found her voice. “How dare you,” she said. “You know nothing about that.”

Emery’s second apprentice—Daniel. She had first learned of him during her journey through Emery’s heart two years ago. Emery had transferred the apprentice after the situation with Lira, his ex-wife and a rising Excisioner, grew too heated. It had been for Daniel’s own safety.

Mg. Bailey lowered his hand from his face. His eyes narrowed. “I’m stating a fact, Miss Twill. You’d do best to hold your tongue—”

“I will not,” Ceony snapped. “I’ve been here three days, and already I’ve heard far too many jabs at Magician Thane. Regardless of any malice you two had in the past, he is a good man and a fantastic teacher, and I refuse to hear another word of this slander.”

A flush burned a path across Mg. Bailey’s pale skin. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner!”

“How dare you speak to me in such a manner!” Ceony shot back, feeling her own flush rise. “I did not come here to be insulted, or to listen to you affront my tutor!”

“Miss Twill—”

“You’re just jealous that he’s a better Folder than you,” she spat.

Mg. Bailey’s eyes went wide. Ceony snatched her ledger and marched for the door. She needed to get out of the room before she said more—this was the man who would be testing her, for heaven’s sake! What fool thing had she done now?

Fortunately the Folder said nothing after her—nothing she could hear, anyway—and he didn’t pursue her, not that Ceony turned around to check. Her footsteps echoed through the wide, empty halls, so lavish and cold. Her heels clomped in time with her pulse.

She made it to her bedroom and only just resisted the impulse to slam the door. Fennel, perched upon the bed, lifted his head, but even the paper dog sensed her foul mood and covered his muzzle with his rubber-lined paws.

Ceony pinched the phosphorus charm on her necklace. In less than a minute she could summon fireballs and literally burn this horrible mansion down to size. Let Mg. Bailey deal with that. Insufferable. How she pitied Bennet.

He’ll toss me out, Ceony thought, pacing to the other end of the room. She pulled the pin from her hair and ran rigid fingers through the orange locks. But what does it matter? I don’t need him to be the one who tests me. Who cares if others question my abilities? I want Emery to administer my test.

She thought of the newspaper article. Scandal. She harrumphed. Who cares. Anything would be worth getting away from Pritwin Bailey!

She dropped the hairpin onto her mattress and paced the length of the room two more times before pausing with her hands on her hips. She took a deep breath through her nose and released it slowly between tight lips.

“Study,” she said aloud. Passing her test was her foremost goal now; she needed to be prepared regardless of who served as her tester.