Abaddon's Call

Chapter Forty-Six

Maeno had tried to talk to Naena in private for weeks.

What she had done...

Everyone seemed to be focused on the magic. They completely ignored the fact that Nillon had been publicly executed, that he had been tormented for days before the magic of the door spent itself and the spell shut down on its own. No one talked about Nillon. There were no mentions of him after the first week. Maeno knew more about what happened because he was a shield and had discussed everything with Nendan afterward.

There simply hadn't been time to speak to Naena.

He only managed to catch her the day after her whipping, and then he had two things he wanted to talk to her about. He found them in the dining hall, waiting for dinner to begin, so he joined them at their table.

"Hey, Naena," he said as he settled in front of her and Graydon, cutting them off. "I've been trying to reach you regarding your teleporter subscription."

Naena almost laughed, then winced.

"For the low, low price of your firstborn's hand in marriage, you can use a teleporter once a month. It's a pretty good deal."

Graydon stared at Maeno. Naena smiled, raising a hand to cover her mouth as she did.

"They aren't that expensive," Graydon muttered as he frowned, then looked up, eyebrows raising. "Lefdon Lugh, problem?"

"Just here for Maeno, need a bit of help," the Lugh representative said. "Maeno?"

"Ah, guess we'll try again in another six weeks," he muttered.

"I could talk to Theon and arrange a visit over winter break," Graydon said quickly. "That's only two weeks away."

"Better, otherwise, we'll be graduated before we have time."

Maeno hadn't even had time to take on jobs with Nendan. All he did was work. Without the door troll guarding his house, he would have spent every waking hour worrying over Taya.

"Busy mages are less likely to cause problems," Lefdon reminded him. "Come."

Lefdon was correct. The students had no energy to rebel after completing their workload from classes and clubs. Maeno wasn't even certain how he managed to do all that and the extra things for Wyver and Lugh.

Maeno followed Lefdon out of the main building and down to the teleporter's office.

"I need to fetch something heavy, the boy is helping," Lefdon said, passing over two coins. "Sorrow's Keep."

They were taken to the keep, and then Lefdon led Maeno in and down the flight of steps into the lower workrooms, then further down into dungeons that Maeno hadn't been aware of, and at the very back, there was a door made of dragon glass.

No explanation was offered.

"Is this the part where I regret living?" Maeno asked.

"Very possibly," Lefdon said. "Your lord has summoned you to a private convening of the council. To reach them, you will walk through this door here. He added that you aren't in trouble, so stop panicking."

The last private convening he had attended had been held in the upper rooms of Sorrow's Keep in full daylight.

"Presents me with a door made of dragon glass and says private convening of the council. But I'm not to panic? This isn't where they gathered before."

Lefdon pulled the door open and motioned Maeno in.

The man offered no other information. A change in location for the council made some sense. He had been told they rarely met in the same place twice in a row. The newest location was frightening compared to Lugh's meeting hall.