A scholar who reveres wizards and a street rat who despises them both find themselves apprenticed to a mage with a dark storied past and discover he is not what either of them expected. They may end up learning more from each other than they do from...
Quinn woke with a start, possessing an unshakable feeling that something was wrong. At her feet, Widdershanks popped his head up in surprise and looked at her. Wearied by her conversation with Tenet and her trip to the Embrance, she'd gone to lie down earlier. Looking out the window, it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours, but without knowing why, she felt a sense of dread.
Slipping out of her bed and pulling her boots on, she left her room, Widdershanks at her heels. From the landing above, Madrigal threw open his chamber door and hurried down the stairs, panicked. "You sensed it too. Something's gone terribly wrong. Where is Tenet?"
Quinn grimaced. "He was upset earlier. He said he was seeking an alternative to training and left. What's going on? What is this feeling?"
"Someone's tampering with magic." Madrigal hurried down the stairs as he answered. "A great deal of magic. As wizards, it is our duty to safeguard against such events. Whatever is happening feels uncomfortably close." He reached the bottom of the stairs and paused, nervous. "Bickers? Where are you, Bickers?"
There was no response. Madrigal slumped his shoulders. "We must find Tenet at once."
Quinn picked Widdershanks up and put him on her shoulder. "Do you think he's responsible for whatever happened?"
Madrigal eyed the empty spot on the shelf in the foyer where Bickers normally rested. The wizard furrowed his brows. "I believe he is culpable, but I would not describe his actions as responsible. The lad is clever, but he lacks guile. I suspect there is another force at play here. Tenet may be in even more danger than we are. We must get to him."
Quinn reached out with her magic senses and saw the ribbon of connection, which seemed paler since her last conversation with him. Quinn and Madrigal headed out of the tower and headed toward the bridge. The connection pointed in the direction of the Ordo compound.
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Tenet exited the shimmering portal into the library beneath the Ordo compound, the Book of Llyr clutched to his chest. He released the breath he'd been holding, relieved.
The voice of Master Archivist still echoed from within his head. WELL DONE, BOY. THE BOOK OF LLYR IS YOURS. NOW YOU CAN LEARN ITS SECRETS AND BECOME A TRUE WIZARD.
Tenet looked down at the tome in his hands. "I can feel the power calling to me. The book wants this as much as I do." He hesitantly opened the cover. "I'm not sure which secret to pick. I can feel so many screaming at me."
USE YOUR HEAD, BOY. WHY DO YOU LIMIT YOURSELF? UNLIMITED KNOWLEDGE AND POWER IS AT YOUR HANDS. DO YOU SEEK TO BE NO BETTER THAN THE WIZARDS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE YOU? ALL OF THEM ARE DEAD OR DYING. WHY LEARN ONE OF THE BOOK'S SECRETS WHEN YOU CAN LEARN ALL OF THEM? YOU CAN BE THE GREATEST WIZARD THAT EVER LIVED.
Tenet gasped at the realization. He turned to Bria. She nodded in response. "This is your opportunity, Tenet. You may never get another one like this. Think of all the good you could do with that much power."
