“That book you had us read,” Rachel said. She was frowning, looking thoughtful. “It said that gate magic used to be able to do more. That the old gate spells couldn’t just move us between places on Earth, they could move between worlds.”

“Which is done today, after a fashion,” Richard said. “Modern gate magic can be used to access shadow and bubble realms—but both are very limited things. What if it were possible to open a gate not just to a small pocket reality, but to an entirely new world?”

“Can you do that?”

Richard raised his eyebrows. “What do you think?”

“I . . . guess,” Rachel said slowly. “I mean, gates just work on a similarity, it doesn’t matter how far apart they are . . .” She shook her head. “But wait. You need to know where you’re going.”

“Unless you have a gate stone.”

“Oh yeah.” Rachel frowned again. “Those work even if you don’t know where you’re going.”

“Because gate stones share a sympathetic link with the location they are keyed to.”

Tobruk was starting to look restless. “Who cares about this?”

“Soon I will be departing this reality through a worldgate,” Richard said. “When I do, your time as my apprentices will be at an end.”

The room was silent but for the crackle of the fire. Both Tobruk and Rachel were visibly taken aback; whatever they’d been expecting, it hadn’t been this. “You needn’t be surprised,” Richard said. “Your studies have progressed far. Both of you are strong enough now to stand without my protection.”

Rachel and Tobruk stood staring at Richard. “What are we supposed to do?” Rachel said at last, and for the first time she sounded unsure.

“Whatever you like,” Richard said with a smile. “Isn’t that the point?”

“Who gets to be your Chosen?” Tobruk said.

Richard nodded, as if he’d been expecting the question. “I will need someone to watch over this mansion while I am away and to be ready for my return. Should either of you become my Chosen, this will be your responsibility, along with managing the rest of my property and affairs. It is of course a voluntary position.”

Both Tobruk and Rachel waited, and there was a tension in the air. “Who—?” Rachel began.

“Come now,” Richard said, and he sounded almost kindly. “Did you really think that was how it was going to work? I’d pick one of you and dismiss the others? Once I am gone, I will have no further influence over this world for a significant time. To pretend I could simply appoint someone would be sheer hypocrisy. The only qualification that matters for the position of my Chosen is the strength to keep it. That is how it works—how it has always worked. The position cannot be given, only taken. If you are unable to hold it, it was never truly yours.”