“This power has an unusual character.” He met Emris’s eyes for a second, but the scarred huntsman shrugged, apparently speechless. The First Huntsman blew the vapor, and with a little shiver, it disappeared. “Well, if I were to call that a color, I’d say it was gray.” He stood. “Let’s call it inconclusive—but for now we’ll keep you in the temple of Faul. I must consult with the Council.” He met Lena’s eyes, and his expression hardened. “I have a feeling the Council will need to test her, Emris,” he said, speaking about her as if she weren’t standing in front of him, staring up in confusion. Something about the way he said it, the emphasis on “test” … Lena looked between the two men.

“What do you mean, test me?”

“I’ll explain later, Lena,” said Emris. And he turned to his superior. “We’ll attempt the Binding right away, sir.”

“Report back to me this evening.” He returned to his desk and, shooting Lena a final suspicious glance, sat down. “Dismissed.”

Emris touched her elbow gently. “Come along, then,” he said, and drew her out of the room.

“What in the thousand crypts was that?” she said, as they descended the staircase, footsteps ringing loud in the silence.

“I’ve never seen a mage-light quite like it before. And by the expression on his face, neither had the First Huntsman.” Emris smiled, but the warmth never reached his eyes. “He’s a man who doesn’t like to be surprised … and you’re a bit of a puzzle, Lena.”

“What’s a mage-light supposed to look like anyway?” she asked.

“Look.” Emris stopped on the steps and opened his palm, face up. Lena gasped as a little light appeared in its center. She stumbled backward slightly, her heart racing as she clutched the banister. “It’s okay,” he said. “Just look.” The light in his palm was ghostly, like the moon shining through mist, but it was definitely a light. Not a cloud. He closed his palm and the light disappeared. “Come on.”

He turned away. Lena shivered, wondering if she would ever grow so accustomed to magic. Emris had summoned the glowing globe so casually, it was like he thought nothing of it.

As she followed him farther downstairs, she thought back to the sensation she’d felt in the First Huntsman’s office, summoning the vapor. When the serpent had nearly killed her, hadn’t she felt the same? The tingling, the coldness. “What’s going to happen to me?” she asked quietly. “What did he mean about another test?”