Sonea sat back in her seat and waited for the Higher Magicians to stop procrastinating.

She had tried to prevent bringing Cery into the Guild, but once it was known that others had helped her and Regin find the rogues, the Guild’s habit of exploring all sides to a situation had made it unavoidable. She had told them Cery was an old friend, not that he was a Thief. A few might make the connection to a Thief named Cery who had helped her and Akkarin during the Ichani Invasion, but most would have forgotten that detail in history. Those that preferred to ignore her part in the defeat of the invaders wouldn’t have paid attention to the names of her helpers, and the few who didn’t understood, she hoped, why she wanted to avoid too much attention being drawn to her old friend.

It was only Kallen, who paid too much attention to her already, who might make the connection and speak of it. But he was, if anything, discreet. He would not announce it to the entire Guild. He would consult with other Higher Magicians.

What annoyed Sonea was that bringing Cery in had proved nothing they didn’t already know. The woman was obviously a rogue. She had used magic in front of hundreds of people, including the Alchemist and Healer who had helped Sonea capture her. She had also used it in a vain attempt to resist the magicians who had taken her to her temporary prison, the Dome.

But the Guild, and most likely the king, were worried about offending a foreign land. Especially when they weren’t sure which land they might be offending.

Earlier in the meeting, an advisor of the king had brought maps and described some of the distant lands on them. The woman remained silent, refusing to answer when asked where she was from. The advisor had made a few guesses based on her appearance. If he was right, she made no sign.

“I cannot see any other option,” High Lord Balkan said, and there was a note of finality in his tone. “We must read her mind.”

Administrator Osen nodded. “Then I call on Black Magician Kallen and Black Magician Sonea to descend to the floor. Black Magician Kallen will read the mind of the unnamed rogue and Black Magician Sonea will read Forlie’s mind.”

Though she had been expecting this, Sonea felt a brief disappointment. There were many answers she would like to have from the foreign woman that she couldn’t ask Kallen to search for. Like whether the woman had killed Cery’s family.

Following Kallen down the stairs, she kept her gaze on Forlie. The woman had gone pale, and stared at Sonea with wide eyes.

“I’ll tell you everything,” Forlie blurted out. “You don’t have to read my mind.”

“Stupid woman,” a strangely accented voice said. “Don’t you know they can’t read your mind if you don’t want them to?”

Sonea turned to regard the foreign rogue, and realised that all of the magicians had done the same. The woman glanced from face to face, her expression changing as she read amusement and pity. Doubt and then fear crept into her eyes as Kallen stopped in front of her.

As he reached toward her, his arms were slapped away by magic.

Not wanting to watch the struggle, Sonea turned her attention back to Forlie, who flinched.

“I’m not a magician,” the woman said, looking from Sonea to the Higher Magicians. “I was made to lie. They said…they said they’d kill my daughter and her children if I told you.” She sucked in a shuddering breath, then burst into tears.

Sonea put a hand on her shoulder. “Do you know where they are?”

“I… I think so.”

“They don’t know you have told us anything yet. We’ll go get your children before they find out.”

“Th-thank you.”

“I’m afraid I do have to check that you’re telling the truth. I promise you, mind-reading doesn’t hurt. In fact, you won’t feel anything. You won’t even know I’m there. And I’ll be as quick as I can.”

Forlie stared at Sonea, then nodded.

Reaching out to gently touch the woman’s temples, Sonea sent her mind forth. Fear and anxiety washed over her as she touched the woman’s mind. She let herself waft into Forlie’s thoughts, which were of her daughter and two grandchildren, and the men who had taken them. Sonea recognised the man who had blackmailed Forlie – he was the roet-seller who had been with Forlie when she was captured.

Remembering that moment, Sonea recalled the magical force she’d felt come from Forlie. Someone else must have sent it. Perhaps the real rogue, watching them through the windows.

– Who used magic when we found you?

– I don’t know.

– Where are your daughter and grandchildren now?

A maze of alleys and makeshift houses flashed into Sonea’s mind, then settled on one house in particular. Forlie’s family were in one of the remaining poor areas of the city.

– We’ll find them, Forlie. We’ll punish the people who did this.

Opening her eyes, Sonea withdrew her fingers. Forlie’s expression was hopeful and determined now.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Turning to the Higher Magicians, Sonea related what she had learned. “I recommend that one or more of us go with Forlie to free her children as soon as possible.”

There were many nods of agreement. A small noise drew their attention to the foreign woman. Her face, caught between Kallen’s hands, expressed a mixture of surprise and dismay.

All watched in silence, and when Kallen finally released her Sonea heard a collective sigh of relief. Kallen stepped back, then turned to face the Higher Magicians.

“Her name is Lorandra,” he announced. “She is from Igra, the land beyond the great northern desert. It is a strange place, where all magic is taboo and punishable by death. Yet those who watch for and punish magicians are magicians themselves. They steal the children of those they execute in order to maintain their numbers.” He shook his head in amazement at this hypocrisy and cruelty.

“Lorandra learned magic as a young woman and was forced to flee her country with her newborn son. They managed to cross the desert to Lonmar, then travelled through Elyne to Kyralia. Here they were taken in by a Thief, who protected them in exchange for magical favours. The Thief eventually adopted the boy and made him his heir. He trained the boy in crime, while his mother trained him in magic.”

Kallen looked at Sonea and frowned.

“The son’s name is Skellin, one of the Thieves that Black Magician Sonea and Lord Regin enlisted to help them find the rogue. Of course, he did not want them finding his mother, so he arranged for Forlie to be caught in her place. He even used his own magic to make it look as if she had attacked them.”

He looked back at the Higher Magicians. “Skellin has been sending his mother out to kill off rival Thieves since he came to power. Through murder and alliances he intended to make himself king of the city’s underworld.”

Sonea’s heart skipped a beat. This woman is the Thief Hunter!

Kallen paused and his frown deepened. “And he imported roet to help bind people to him. Not just the poor but the rich as well. And magicians. He seemed to think we would be easy to manipulate once we’d all been introduced to the drug.”

A murmur of voices rose as the magicians began to discuss what they’d learned. Sonea caught dismissive remarks about Skellin’s delusions, but a chill had run down her spine at the mention of roet. She thought of Stoneworker Berrin, whose addiction she had tried and failed to Heal away. If roet addiction could not be Healed, and Skellin knew it, then his grand plan might have succeeded.

“What are you?” the foreign woman said. She was staring at Kallen. Her eyes slid to Sonea. “And you?”

Sonea answered the question with a small smile. Skellin and his mother were magicians, but clearly they weren’t black magicians. That’s something to be grateful for. Hopefully we can assume Igra isn’t a land of black magicians, too. We don’t need another Sachaka to worry about.