Despite Emris’s words of encouragement, his face was set grim as he opened the door and shut it behind them. The grand hallway was empty, but instead of leading Lena up the stairs toward the First Huntsman’s study, Emris showed her across to a different door. “I wish it had been more straightforward, for your sake. The First Huntsman will probably interpret this as further evidence that your magic is Chaos-infected.”

“Oh,” she muttered, feeling her stomach twist in fear. To her surprise, she found they’d entered the same dingy hall she’d first encountered in the building: the mop and bucket now gathering dust in the corner. “But if the Binding worked, I’m okay, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you should be, but we’ll have to work on strengthening it.” He smiled at her rather unconvincingly. “You’ll have to pray at the temple every day, reinforce your connection with Faul.”

Lena nodded doubtfully. She’d prayed to a god—and she’d have to do so again and again. Vigo had told her the gods were evil and untrustworthy, playing with the souls of humans, and that only the once human Ancestors could understand people and guide them toward their true destiny. Each time she prayed to Faul would be a betrayal of everything he’d taught her to be. What if this isn’t the right path? She thought of Lord Chatham, the alternative he had offered.

“And there are a few other things we ought to attempt too,” Emris continued as they started up the stairs. “A long time ago, before the gods, there were no laws governing magic, no temples. It is thought that young mages generally gained apprenticeships to experienced mages, learning to control their powers the old way, without the Binding: breathing techniques, meditation, self-reflection … and lots and lots of practice. Those techniques are still absolutely essential to training a mage within the temples, and you’re going to have to work especially hard at them.”

Lena grimaced.

“You’re certainly not making things easy for yourself,” he said, grinning at her over his shoulder as they reached the top. She could tell he was trying to lighten the mood and make her feel better, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile back.

They’d entered the map room, which was empty, though someone had cleaned out the ashes and laid a fresh fire. Lena shrugged off her sopping wet cloak and hung it on the back of a chair beside the small blaze.

“I’ll get someone to bring you some lunch,” Emris said. “For now, you’d better change. Feel free to use the map room this afternoon—there are lots of interesting scrolls and even some novels in the bookcase beside the window. And you should study the temple diagram too—you’ll find it helpful. But please don’t venture further afield.”