“Must not use this calamity as an excuse to expand its authority. You wield enough power, Lady Frieden. Any attempt to wield more will not be viewed kindly by the General Council.”

Ivory pale with temper, Shari turned to Brice. “This cannot be tolerated, Lord Varen. We are none of us naughty schoolchildren to be treated to such scolds. The General Council is an undisciplined collection of lowly ranked mages and shopkeepers. For this woman to presume she—”

“Be quiet, Lady Frieden,” Brice said, sounding weary beyond bearing. “Be quiet all of you, that I might think.”

Alarmed, Venette watched Brice retreat to his favourite brooding place, the Council chamber’s balcony. It wasn’t safe out there. If mage-mist manifested itself or, justice forbid, should Dorana’s magical instability break through the workings on the Hall, he might plunge to his death. But as she opened her mouth to call him back, a knock on the closed chamber door distracted her.

“Councillors, my apologies for the interruption,” the day’s duty mage murmured. “But there is an unranked mage here, most insistent that he be given leave to address you. He says his name is Rem—”

“Have you lost your wits?” Sallis demanded. “We are in emergency session! Get rid of the fool!”

The duty mage hesitated. “My lord, I—”

“Get rid of him, I said! Tell him to make an appointment to see one of the administrators. Go.” As the chamber door closed, Sallis grimaced. “And why that prim face, Venette? Have you not had your fill of rabblesome complaints today?”

“I have,” she said mildly, ignoring Dreen Brislyn’s disapproval. “Just as I’ve had my fill of bluster. Lady Brislyn is right, we must work together to overcome this crisis.”

Dreen Brislyn nodded her thanks, then linked her hands before her on the table. “Councillors, the General Council expects me to take the truth back to the Second district.” One by one she looked at them, her light green eyes wide and unblinking. “Can this crisis be overcome? You and the College’s best mages have been seeking a solution for weeks, yet you are no closer now than when you began. Meanwhile, Dorana unravels around us. How long before it unravels entirely and we are left to the mercy of nations who have long looked upon us with envy and suspicion, even as they benefited from our magework? We are vastly outnumbered and we have no warriors. For centuries our magic has been our shield. Bereft of that, what shall we do?”

“An excellent question, Lady Brislyn,” Brice said, rejoining them. “What do you suggest?”

Her lips thinned in a wary smile. “What do I suggest? Do you say my suggestion would carry any weight?”

Brice matched her thin smile with one of his own. “As much weight as I decide it deserves to bear.”