Then again, she'd known vampires who'd fooled her into believing they were mortal—at least one or two. Welstiel, Magiere's own half brother, fooled her for a while, and as to the other that had once tricked Wynn…

But she also remembered Rodian's warning not to meddle—or from hn tdle—or er own perspective, not to get caught doing so.

"If you know anything," she said, "you must tell the captain."

Nikolas quickly shook his head. "I couldn't, not him. There are things in my past… But Jeremy and Elias were easy to be with. They might've laughed at some of what I told them, but not to make fun of me."

He paused.

"I could tell you," he said, "and you can tell the captain."

Wynn was a little lost and really not up to this. Nikolas spoke of something more than friendship that he shared with two lost companions. Something out of the young man's own past was tangled in his loss of Jeremy and Elias.

"Tell the captain what?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed, and anger seeped back into his voice. "Elias was courting a merchant's daughter named Elvina."

"Courting?" Wynn blinked. "When would he even find time?"

Nikolas shook his head again, dismissing the question. "Have you heard of Baron Âdweard Twynam? Only one generation noble, barely above a commoner, but his son Jason wants Elvina, too. Eight days back Jason cornered Elias behind the soap shop in the eastern district… and threatened to kill him if he didn't stay away from Elvina. Jason said no one would miss a useless little sage."

Wynn exhaled slowly. "Why didn't Elias tell the domins?"

"He'd just made journeyor and was still waiting for his assignment. The domins would've told him to stay away from her. And who knows where they would've sent him to make sure of it."

Nikolas was correct, though he still should've told someone about a death threat. But Wynn's own conclusions wavered a bit concerning the deaths of Elias and Jeremy.

What if il'Sänke was right? Was it possible they were killed for such an explainable reason, and not by something out of memories that still plagued her dreams? But it didn't all add up, if this Elvina was interested in a minor noble's son with wealth and means. Sages generally led austere lives, and only a few found their way into some wealth. So why had Elvina given Elias any note?

And if this story was true, why had Jason even felt threatened, unless he was that petty and controlling?

"How could Elias afford to court this girl?" Wynn asked.

"He borrowed coin from Jeremy."

Wynn was losing patience. "So how did Jeremy get the money?"

Nikolas started fidgeting again. "He was working…"

Wynn folded her arms and glared at him.

"…for a moneylender named Selwyn Midton," he mumbled. "I went with him sometimes."

Wynn let out huff. "Nikolas!"

"I know, I know!" he whined. "It's against guild rules, but the payment was so much. Elias was taking Elvina to all the best inns, and Jeremy wanted to help him. And Jeremy also had his eye on a fine set of calligraphy quills that he wanted before being sent off on assignment. He has—had—a good hand, enough to have been a scribe. But after he took the job with Selwyn, we started learning things. Selwyn didn't have a charter for moneylending, and he was charging ridiculous rates on illicit loans. But that wasn't all of it…"

Wynn couldn't believe what she was hearing. How had this taken place with no one's knowledge? High-Tower always seemed to learn everything about his charges. Or had he been so embroiled in the hushed translation work that he never even noticed?

"I couldn't read all of Selwyn's ciphers," Nikolas went on. "But I think Jeremy may have figured out some of his clients. He was very quiet a couple of times heading back to the guild, like he knew some of them."

Wynn slumped against the keep's side.

Most citizens seeking loans for business went through one of the few banks or chartered lenders under the sanction of the ministry of commerce. But there were people—many others—who didn't have collateral. Moneylending, legal or otherwise, was frowned upon, but it still took place in any major city for those who had no other recourse.

Sages should never be involved in anything so sordid.

Initiates and apprentices were forbidden involvement in private enterprise. Aside from masters, only journeyors were allowed to do so, if whatever assignment they were given was explicitly in a legal enterprise. It wasn't just about protecting them from exploitation. The guild couldn't risk tainting its reputation as a public institution.

"What happened?" Wynn demanded, not certain she wanted to know.

"Selwyn had a partner, Mêthos Smythe," Nikolas answered. "They lent only to desperate people who'd never go to the authorities. But a caravan owner couldn't pay back his loan, let alone the interest—probably half the reason he couldn't clear the debt. He confessed to the high advocate and lodged a legal complaint. A judge ordered Selwyn to turn over all ledgers and entry keys necessary, but Mêthos was the one who handled the books. He vanished that night, taking the master ledgers with him. Selwyn called in Jeremy to make altered copies in Mêthos's handwriting… Jeremy was that good."

"Oh, dead deities!" Wynn breathed.

She began rubbing her temples at a sudden throb in her head. A murdered sage had been paid for forgery by an illegal moneylender. If this ever got out…

"Maybe Jeremy didn't fully understand at first," Nikolas continued. "But he kept at it, even when he started suspecting. I was scared of what might happen to him when the work was finished."

"You should've told someone!" Wynn exclaimed.

"I am telling someone!" His voice broke on a squeak. "They were my only friends, and I know the domins won't want anyone outside tn'tone outo hear of this. But someone should pay… I can't tell the captain, or anyone, because I can't lose my place here. I have nowhere else to go."

Wynn didn't understand the last part. Perhaps, like herself, Nikolas was an orphan. Pity for him, as well as confused second guesses, overwhelmed her. What had actually happened to Jeremy and Elias? Then another question surfaced.

Among those ledger names, whom had Jeremy recognized and worried over? Who would an overworked apprentice sage even know, who needed money enough to go to the likes of Selwyn Midton and Mêthos Smythe?

Members of the guild came from all regions, including other countries beyond Malourné and the Numan Lands. With some of them far from home, their closest companions were always others within the guild.

Wynn immediately thought of the sun crystal she had begged for.

Premin Sykion had demanded an explanation from il'Sänke when she saw the guild's recent ledgers. Wynn didn't know how Premin Hawes, head of metaology, had reacted. Just how much had the sun crystal cost, not just in money but in time and resources? The night Domin il'Sänke had come with the crystal, he'd said something about "at least those I listed." So how else—and where else—had he acquired what was needed?

There was no doubting il'Sänke's skill, but she'd pressed him to do something never tried before… as quickly as possible. He'd agreed, and he was still working on the crystal.

Wynn reached for Nikolas's shoulder to offer comfort but stopped herself.

"I'll speak to the captain," she said. "I'll keep your name out, for now. But sooner or later this will come to the attention of the domins… and the premins."

Nikolas stared at his feet and didn't answer. Wynn couldn't bring herself to dismiss him outright, no matter how badly she wanted to disappear to her room.

"Come with me," she said. "We'll get some tea in the common hall."

Nikolas looked up in surprise.

"It would do us both good," she added halfheartedly.

As Nikolas fell into step, Wynn glanced back through the gatehouse tunnel. But she caught no glimpse of shimmering fur in the night beyond its far end.