Burned (33 page)

‘Not that. I
like
helping you and Vari and Luna. Because I know I can count on you too. But when I’m with most people … It’s like being the only grown-up in a crowd of children. I’m the powerful one, so I’m responsible for everyone else.’

‘I know a lot of girls who’d give a lot to be as powerful as you.’

‘That’s because they’ve never lived with it,’ Anne said. ‘I know the ones you’re talking about. Those apprentices all say how awesome it would be to be as strong as me, and they’re all so bright-eyed. They think it’s like … like some pretty necklace. Something they can put on, and everyone will cheer them and clap for them, until they take it off. They don’t understand that you
can’t
take it off. Once people know what you are, what you can do, then when they look at you, that’s what they see. They don’t see you as a girl. They don’t even really see you as a person.’ Anne paused. ‘Luna understands. I think that’s why we’re friends.’

I grimaced. That sounded familiar. ‘I guess I do know what you mean.’ Diviners aren’t popular either, for reasons which aren’t really all that different when you come down to it. Maybe that’s why Anne, Luna and I get on – we know what it’s like to be set apart. Still, though … ‘Anne, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m not sure there
is
anyone out there who’s capable of taking care of you. Not in the way you mean, anyway. You are way into the ninety-ninth percentile of personal power. For someone to be a threat to you, they’d have to be a threat to just about everyone else.’

‘I know,’ Anne said. ‘But you see where that leaves me? Even if I
did
find someone, it’d just be a matter of time until one of my enemies showed up. And then he’d be dead, or worse. And it’d be my fault.’ Anne looked away, making a face. ‘And that’s why I’m single, I suppose.’

I looked at Anne thoughtfully.

‘I did tell you that they weren’t very important,’ Anne said. ‘Not by the standards of all our other stuff.’

‘Eh,’ I said. ‘Dealing with the other stuff just keeps us from dying. Still have to figure out how to live afterwards.’

Anne looked out the window. Night had fallen, and the lights of London sparkled in the darkness. ‘I wonder how Luna and Vari are doing.’

I laughed. ‘I’m not going to call them and ask how things are going.’

Anne smiled slightly. ‘So has it been a good Christmas?’

I thought about it for a second. ‘You know, it’s weird to say it after everything that’s gone wrong this week, but … yeah, it has. I just hope the worst is over.’

‘I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.’

One day left.

When things go wrong – really, badly wrong – you’re never really ready for it. The funny thing is that preparing doesn’t seem to help that much. Working out contingency plans might help you survive the physical aspect, but it doesn’t make the mental part hit any less hard. I think it’s the seductiveness of routine. It’s so easy to believe that today’s going to be the same as yesterday, and most of the time it
is
the same as yesterday, and so it just goes on, one day after another, blending into a comforting sameness. Until it stops.

I paused out on the plaza outside One Canada Square, and looked up at the towering shape of Canary Wharf. From this angle, it seemed to go up for ever. I couldn’t make out the pyramid at the top, nor the slim, almost invisible walkways. Even though it was morning on Boxing Day, the place was still busy, bankers and lawyers and businessmen walking across the plaza and into the skyscrapers. The sun was shining but thick clouds were moving across the sky and it looked as though it would be overcast soon.

The phone I was holding had been trilling quietly as it rang another number; now there was a click as the person on the other end picked up. ‘Hello?’ a voice said.

‘Hey, Lyle,’ I said. ‘You said to call?’

‘Oh, Alex!’ Lyle sounded cheerful. ‘I’ve been talking with Undaaris. He just left the building a couple of minutes ago.’

‘Is he happy?’

‘Very happy. Michael from the Keeper office was just in to thank us for the help. I haven’t seen Undaaris in such a good mood for a month.’

‘I’m hoping that translates into a favourable vote. Because I’m kind of running out of time here.’

‘Don’t worry, that was exactly where he went. He’s off to the War Rooms right now. It’ll be done within a couple of hours.’

I let myself relax slightly. Not all the way – it wasn’t a done deal yet – but it was the best news I’d had in a while. A familiar face caught my eye from across the plaza: Sonder. I waved to him and he waved back, changing course to head towards me. ‘Well, that’s a relief.’

‘Congratulations on your good work, by the way. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I’d better go. Doing anything special for Christmas?’

‘Yeah, I’m watching some journeyman tests. Call me back when you know anything?’

‘Of course. Speak to you soon. And good job.’

I hung up and nodded to Sonder. He was wearing a long overcoat, but I could see the bottom of a set of mage robes peeking out from underneath. ‘Hey.’

‘Hey, Alex.’ Sonder looked around. ‘Where’s Anne?’

‘We asked if she could come,’ I said as we started walking for the doors. ‘They said no.’

‘Really?’

‘She’s not a Light mage and she’s not Luna’s master.’

Sonder frowned. ‘That still doesn’t seem fair. Maybe if we talked to them…’

‘Now’s probably not the best time to be ruffling any feathers. Don’t worry – if Luna passes, the first thing she’s going to do is head for Anne’s flat and tell her the whole story. You should come along.’

We passed through ground floor security and were directed to the far lifts. Canary Wharf is supposed to be an office block, and for the most part it is. But the top floors are owned by the Council, and they look considerably different to the pictures you’d see if you looked them up on the internet. We got into the far lift and pressed the button for the forty-third floor.

‘Whew, warm,’ Sonder said, taking off his coat. The mage robes he was wearing underneath were blue and white, and very well tailored. ‘Nice coat, by the way.’

‘Thanks.’

Sonder glanced down at my black jeans and top. ‘You’re not wearing robes?’

‘Burned.’ Once all this was over, I’d have to get some new ones from Arachne. ‘I’m not planning to be the centre of attention anyway.’

The lift let us out into a corridor where a couple of security men were waiting. The check was thorough. I was treated more courteously than usual. One of the security men even asked how I was. I couldn’t figure it out until I realised that it must be because of the Syria operation. Apparently the Council security had their own grapevine. Once we were done we were escorted down the corridors and into a small anteroom.

Luna was waiting inside, and as she saw me her face lit up. ‘You came!’

‘Of course I came.’ I looked Luna up and down. ‘Was that really your choice of clothing?’

Luna rolled her eyes. She was wearing a white robe, belted at the waist. It didn’t look bad on her but it wasn’t exactly her usual style. ‘They wouldn’t let me wear anything else.’

‘It’s kind of traditional,’ Sonder said.

‘Still looks dorky.’ Luna looked between us. ‘No Anne?’

‘Same story as your clothes,’ I said. ‘What about Vari?’

‘He’s at the offices for the apprentice programme,’ Luna said. ‘I told him he ought to sort things out there first.’ Luna looked disappointed. ‘He said he’d come straight here afterwards. I thought he’d be done by now.’

‘He’s not going to have much time to make it,’ I said. The test was due to start in less than twenty minutes. I thought briefly about asking Luna how things had gone yesterday afternoon, then realised I didn’t need to. She looked relaxed and alert, ready to go. Challenges tend to bring out the best in Luna.

Luna paced up and down the room, clearly full of energy. ‘Got your whip?’ I asked.

‘Not using it.’

‘Wait, what?’ Now I was worried. That focus wand was made for Luna by Arachne, and it extends Luna’s range and control significantly. I’d never seen Luna go into a duel without it. ‘Why?’

‘Not allowed.’

‘You aren’t allowed magic items for the journeyman tests,’ Sonder said. ‘Otherwise anyone could pass just by gearing up enough.’

‘Yeah, but…’

‘It’s okay,’ Luna said. She didn’t look worried. ‘I’ve known the rules for months.’

‘You didn’t tell me.’

‘You didn’t ask. Don’t worry, I’ve been practising. My curse still has reach without it, the focus just helps. You were the one who told me that, remember?’

‘I did?’

‘Sure.’

I checked the time. Fifteen minutes. ‘You know, you might not necessarily have to do this any more.’

‘Do what?’

‘Your journeyman test. I mean, it isn’t confirmed yet, but it’s looking as though the resolution’s not going to be…’

‘You’re really nervous about me doing this, aren’t you?’

‘No,’ I said.

Luna grinned.

‘Fine. Maybe a little.’ Journeyman tests aren’t deadly – they’re run by Light mages, not Dark ones – and the penalties for failure are pretty minor. But still, accidents happen. ‘I’m just saying you don’t have to if you don’t want to.’

Luna was still grinning at me. ‘You’re so cute when you’re like that.’

‘I am
not
cute.’

‘Yes, you are. You’ve got that whole mother hen thing.’

I decided there was no dignified way to answer that one, and looked to see that Sonder was trying to hide a smile. ‘What’s so funny?’

Sonder composed himself. ‘Nothing.’

A man opened the door and looked in. ‘Apprentice Mancuso?’

Luna nodded. ‘It’s time,’ the man said.

‘Okay.’ Luna got to her feet. ‘Let’s do this.’

‘Good luck,’ I said.

‘Eh,’ Luna said. ‘I’ll be fine.’

It would have sounded convincing to most people, but I’ve known Luna a long time and I knew that she was more nervous than she looked. Made two of us, I suppose. ‘See you soon,’ Sonder said.

Luna turned and walked out. I had a last glimpse of her curse layered in around her, tightly packed and controlled, before the man closed the door behind her. I found myself staring after her.

‘Come on,’ Sonder said when I didn’t move. ‘We should go up to the viewing gallery.’

I tore myself away with difficulty. ‘Yeah.’

The top floor of the Canary Wharf complex is a ballroom, with a wide open floor surrounded by balconies and overlooking windows. The room Sonder led me to was long and narrow, with one wall looking down on to the ballroom floor, which didn’t look very much like a ballroom at the moment. Some sort of maze had been set up in the centre, and a pair of what looked like duelling arenas were spaced out to the side. The window giving us a view of the ballroom looked transparent, but I’d been down on that floor before and I knew that it was one-way glass. No one out there would be able to see us.

‘I wasn’t expecting it to be this crowded,’ I said under my breath. There were maybe twenty-five people in the gallery, standing and sitting in small groups, talking quietly. Like Sonder, most were wearing mage robes. I recognised a couple of girls that I thought were Luna’s classmates, as well as two of her teachers, but there were at least ten people that I was pretty sure I’d never seen before.

‘It usually is,’ Sonder said quietly. We walked towards the windows at the far end where it was quieter. One of Luna’s teachers, a tall mage named Saris who I knew was her duelling instructor, gave us a nod as we passed.

‘It shouldn’t take this many to run a test.’

‘Actually, the staff are down there,’ Sonder said, pointing down to the floor. A couple of men were visible below, standing by one of the maze walls. ‘So they can jump in if anything goes wrong.’

‘So who are these guys?’

‘Just other mages.’

‘What is this, a spectator sport?’

‘They’re just here to see what’s going on.’

I gave Sonder a look. ‘On Boxing Day morning?’

‘There are always people to watch tests,’ Sonder said. ‘Especially if it’s someone who’s been getting a lot of interest. Some of them are probably scouting.’

‘For what?’

‘You know, positions. Like, if a new battle mage is testing, then you’ll get some Keepers watching, a mind or charm mage might bring a Council politician, that sort of thing. If you put on a good show, then you might get approached afterwards. So even if you know you’re going to pass, you still have to try.’

‘Mm,’ I said. It must be nice to be connected enough that passing the test was only a formality. ‘Are they going to bring her out?’

Sonder looked at me in surprise. ‘Not
now
. Don’t you know how the tests work?’

‘I didn’t exactly go up through the Light ranks, remember?’

‘Oh, right. Well, the test’s already started, just not the public part. She’s probably doing the sensing trials.’

‘Sensing trials?’

‘You’re supposed to be tested on each part of the curriculum,’ Sonder said. ‘So the basic one is magesight. Identifying magic types and items and stuff like that. It’s usually pretty easy. Kind of like the warm-up.’

‘Oh,’ I said. Suddenly I felt nervous. Luna is very good at what she does, but she’s not a mage in the traditional sense and she doesn’t have standard magesight. I’d been aware of that from the start, and so over the years in which she’d been my apprentice, I’d gone out of my way to give her a lot of practice. Luna still can’t see magic the way I can, but she’d developed workarounds, and she’d become pretty good with them. Still, sensitivity is not one of her talents. What if they gave her some test that only a full chance mage would be able to pass?

Fifteen minutes passed, then half an hour. A few more people had arrived in the viewing gallery, but they were starting to look restless, and I could see a couple of them checking the time. ‘Is it supposed to take this long?’ I said quietly to Sonder.

‘Um, it depends.’

‘Depends on what?’

‘There’s usually an oral test after the sensing.’

‘Does it take this long?’

‘It could.’