Avera paced the floors of the house on Mayverch Street until she had thoroughly determined to leave."Annetta," she said, calling to the kitchen from the main hall, "I'm going out.""You're leaving?" Annetta said, surprised. "But you haven't left the house in days. It's good you're getting out,
She looked at him, scared and nervous, her face only inches away for his own. He stared into her beautiful blue-green eyes, now shaded with fearful shock, and he felt a sudden cutting conviction.'What am I doing?' He stopped himself, easing off and pulling himself back from the table. "Sorry," he mumbled, placing his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly."Quince..." she began, her eyes watching him."No, it's okay," he told her, looking away. "You... don't owe me an explanation. I'm sorry," he said again quickly. "Look, I have a meeting about my apprenticeship. So, I'll... have to get going." He tilted his head back towards the door, letting out short nervous chuckle."S
She shut the book, having taken her fill of a history of Pyre and its kings, and turned her attentions to the other. She lifted its cover, faded and worn, and read the words of the title printed on the inside. Til Here We Find Ourselves Again: The Court and Reign of King Stephan Caliphus  
He had spent the day writing recommendations and letters of state to be handed off to various government officers. He sat at his desk scribbling notes, not much farther along than when he had first began, with a pile of crumpled papers beside him, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open. He glanced over his shoulder to the sight of gloved knuckles as they rapped against the door frame."Lord Blackridge, I have a proposition for you."
He sat reclined at his desk, his feet up with the papers, a cluttered desk for a cluttered mind. He remained lost in thought, tossing the ring in the air and catching it again in his hand. It was gold, ornately decorated, an ever present reminder of the promise his life once seemed to hold. Up it went, a flash of light, ascending only to return to his palm again with a similar flashing of brightness.'I wonder how he felt once he realized that I had figured it out all that time ago, that time that does constrain us. In constant, I am thankful for that, also, the time was not wasted. Still, Adrien, would you have killed me if you'd had the chance? I wonder.' He watched the ring fly up, falling again into his hand, and he sighed. 'My only hope is that he isn't trying to acquit himself of that which is forgiven.' He paus
A week had passed since he had received his apprenticeship. From early morning until late into the evening, he attended to Lord Blackridge and his needs. His time was filled with meetings, hearings, inspections, and various matters of state, which, on this particular occasion, meant piles and piles of paperwork.Kelvin sat sorting the papers as Blackridge read through them, writing out the replies.'It's funny... this work is all so political. I would've expected the position of Archmage to be a little more magical.'He stared at the piles of assorted papers. There were so many of them - hirings, promotions, demotions, firings, transfers, reports, commendations, assignments, propositions, debriefings, witness statements... he shook his head.'I guess that's why we have so many lesser mages.' He lifted the next sheet from his stack and noticed the name written on it. 'Even Lord Kallida reports to him.'"I think we ought to
The three of them sat in the office together, the room dark but for some small light from the lamps in the hall and a chamber candle which Dorcus had lit and set on the desk between them. They sat each in a chair, sipping on hot tea as they discussed their plans."So, they will arrest you, then?" Benjamin reconfirmed after rehashing some of their previous conversation."Yes, I think that's best," Eliezer agreed. "It may cause Adrien some serious problems if they don't find me, and I would hate for them to come here and find the two of you along with me.""Will they kill you?" Ben asked, his heart unwilling to ask anything less direct."No, I don't believe so," his friend assured him. "Although, I think they'd like to."
Kelvin walked down the cluttered halls of High Palace uncomfortable with all that he had seen. The term "enemy of the state" had left him with a much more sinister impression than that of the mild-mannered man who had met them at the door of the Kingsmen congregation early that morning. Generally, an arrest was made with much yelling and screaming of curses and revilings on the part of malefactor, but Webber had conducted himself with unparalleled dignity and given himself peaceably to their charge. He hardly spoke a word, even when the soldiers mocked him.It was an embarrassment to Kelvin to have been associated with such an apprehension, one in which justice seemed crueler than the man at fault. And for all of that, Kallida had recovered a ring, one which he now held and was sent to be delivered to Blackridge along with the simple di