Chapter 21 #2
“The fifth beam followed a hidden pattern built into this floor,” I continued. “The Fifth Wing admitted all five heirs. A fifth torc recognized her, the First Trial required her presence to open, and her intervention brought every heir out alive.”
My father’s expression remained controlled.
The Northern representatives watched me.
“The demonstration established that she possesses power we do not yet understand. It also established that someone reversed the safety channels and directed four elemental forces toward her.”
Malcolm stood beside the headmaster.
His eyes remained on me.
“Removing Talia rewards the person who designed that failure. It allows an attack to achieve through procedure what it failed to accomplish through magic.”
The Stone representative rose. “You cannot call it an attack before the investigation determines intent.”
“The headmaster already did.”
“And you believe Talia should enter another Trial without knowing whether she endangers the other heirs?”
“No. I believe all five of us should train together until we understand the connection.”
A murmur moved through the Hall.
I faced the dais.
“She remains an heir.”
Torren joined me.
Then Rafe.
Sebastian stepped into line on my other side, still holding the black channel fragment.
The headmaster looked at all four of us.
“The suspension petition is denied pending completion of the sabotage inquiry.”
Sabotage.
This time, he used the word openly.
The Fifth Wing remained quiet when I returned.
Talia sat alone in the study with her right arm resting on the table. The scale at her wrist was visible without special light now. It reflected small colors onto the pages around it.
The wall runes turned white when I entered.
She had already heard.
“Sebastian told me what you said.”
“I meant it.”
“I know.”
I closed the study door behind me.
Before speaking, I placed a copied council proposal and my written account of the North Chamber meeting on the desk. The proposal showed the approved channel design without reversed returns. My account named every person present and recorded every question my father had asked.
Her gaze moved to it. “Are you about to tell me something I won’t want the others to hear?”
“Yes.”
“Then perhaps they should hear it.”
“They will. You first.”
She waited.
“My family sponsored the petition for the demonstration.”
“Malcolm announced that.”
“They based it on information I provided.”
The white runes brightened.
“What information?”
“That your torc reacted when all four elements reached the center of the First Trial. That the scale appeared under concentrated light. That you could not reproduce either effect deliberately.”
She stood.
“What else?”
“That you conceal pain.”
Her face changed.
“I told Camilla that.”
“Your healer recorded it as well.”
“And you confirmed it.”
“Yes.”
“The official notes said they interviewed my family.”
“I didn’t know that until the demonstration.”
“But you knew the simultaneous exposure came from you.”
“I recognized the wording in the notice.”
“When?”
“The night before.”
Her voice lowered. “You knew before I stepped onto that platform.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
That was the injury beneath all the others. I had not merely shared information. I had decided which risks she was permitted to know about her own examination, then allowed her to enter the circle without the full truth.
“I believed it would be controlled.”
“I told Malcolm the return channel was wrong.”
“So did I.”
“After we arrived.”
“I should have warned you sooner.”
“You should never have given them information about me without telling me.”
“The council was pursuing a lawful review.”
“Your family was trying to remove me.”
“They told me the petition would identify your power.”
“And you believed them because that was the answer you wanted too.”
I did not deny it.
Talia’s anger would have been easier to face if she had raised her voice. Instead, she stood behind the desk with one hand wrapped around her glowing wrist.
“You defended me today,” she said.
“Yes.”
“I’m grateful.”
The word sounded nothing like forgiveness.
“I didn’t do it to earn gratitude.”
“Good.”
“I did it because the suspension was wrong.”
“And giving them information was right?”
“At the time, I believed it was.”
“What do you believe now?”
“That I gave them the conditions used to build that platform.”
The admission remained between us.
The wall runes shifted from white to red.
Not desire.
Anger.
“I am sorry,” I said.
Talia looked at me for a long time.
“I believe you.”
Her answer gave me one breath of relief.
“I don’t forgive you.”
She did not soften the words to protect me. After everything I had justified in the name of informed procedure, I had no right to ask her to.
The relief ended.
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
She looked toward the door. “I want to be alone.”
“The healer said someone should remain nearby while the scale is visible.”
“I’ll call Sebastian.”
The choice was deliberate.
Sebastian had discovered her scale and let her decide when it became public. I had learned the same lesson only after helping others take that choice away. Of course she trusted him with her vulnerability now.
It should not have hurt.
It did.
I opened the study door.
“Leander.”
I stopped.
Talia remained behind the desk, her expression guarded.
“Thank you for saying I remain an heir.”
“You do.”
“That doesn’t erase the rest.”
“I know.”
I left.
The study door closed behind me.
The common-room runes remained red long after I crossed to the sleeping chamber.