The girl’s face haunted him every step of the way.

Sick with nerves, with a dread she resented more than she could say, Barl sat in the Hall of Knowledge, outside Lord Voln Hahren’s privy chamber, and waited for him to honour her with his presence.

He’d known for nearly five hours that she was there, because one of the Hall’s disapproving mages had told him. And then she’d told her to “Sit there. Lord Hahren will see you when he has a moment free.”

So she’d sat. And now she waited. And while she waited, tried not to think about her last conversation with Remmie. But that was proving impossible. Over and over and over it sounded, trudging the confines of her skull like a Brantish mill-house donkey hitched to a grindstone.

“What?” he’d said blankly, after she’d told him her plan. “Barl, have you lost your mind?”

She’d stared back at him, just as angry.

“Remmie, I know it’s outrageous, but I have to at least try. If I don’t, then Arndel’s won. And I won’t let him have this victory. My whole future hangs in the balance. If he has his way I’ll be taken on as a milkmaid before ever I’m allowed near magework again.”

But Remmie hadn’t wanted to hear her. “Don’t talk nonsense. Of course you’ll find other magework.”

“It’s not nonsense!” she’d shouted at him. “You weren’t there, Remmie. You didn’t see Arndel’s face, or hear the gloating satisfaction in his voice.”

“Yes, all right, he was angry. But that was two days ago, Barl.”

“Two days, two weeks, two months, it won’t matter!”

“You don’t know that,” he’d said, so stubborn. “For all you know, Arndel’s repented of his hasty action and now he’s waiting for you to come back.”

She’d laughed, incredulous. “Arndel? Really? Now who’s lost his mind? Remmie—”

But he’d trampled all over her. Gentle Remmie, throwing words at her like stones. “I’m telling you, Barl, if you go to Elvado, try to force a meeting with this Lord Hahren, with the Council, try to—to bully them into admitting you to the College? You’ll regret it. When are you going to face the facts? Mages like us don’t make the rules. You’ve only got one choice. You’ll have to wait a few days more so you can be certain Arndel has calmed down, and then go to see him. Plead your case. Or go to Lady Grie and ask her to plead it for you. She values you. Surely she’ll help.”

She’d never been so close to despising her brother. “I won’t trust my future to any hands but my own. And if you honestly think I would, Remmie, then you don’t know me at all.”