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  "Excuse me."

  "Her scent." She switched cheeks, rubbing hers against mine. I thought it was quite odd. "But she left this side for me. Now you wear Mother's scent on one side and mine on the other. I hope your warrior doesn't mind."

  "We don't have that sort of relationship," I replied, and Vani leaned away, smiling at me.

  "Well," Cleo said after a moment. "I have the entire day orchestrated. Lunia, I never get to talk to you, and so you shall sit here." She gestured to a spot near one end of the table. "Alexid, please take the seat across from Lunia. I shall sit next to her so we may talk. Vanitia, the space next to Alexid, and Kia next to her."

  The arrangements left me at the end, furthest from everyone except Vani, and I knew Cleo had done it intentionally. I decided I was just fine with it. I'd asked her for distraction, and I rather thought she was providing it.

  We all took our seats, and moments later two serving maids stepped in with the first of the food. They served what they had then set them on the table to return a moment later with two more platters. We were soon eating a hearty breakfast.

  Moments into it, Cleo turned to Lunia. "I know you are from Haltorda. Will you tell us about it?"

  I didn't hear the answer, because Vani turned to me and asked, "What is it like at the school?"

  After that, Vani kept my attention for the duration of the meal. She was sweet and charming and very, very intelligent. She asked me no end of questions about myself and seemed truly interested in the answers, but she also told me about herself.

  "I am a reporter, I guess you could say."

  "For your mother?"

  "Oh no," she replied. "Mother is the gossip. I like writing much deeper pieces. I spend months on them. I would love to do one about the school. You wouldn't happen to know whom I should talk to about that."

  I laughed. "I might be able to provide an introduction."

  "I'd really like a series of pieces." And then she was quizzing me, and I felt terribly wrung out of information long before the meal was over.

  "Well," Cleo announced. "We have lingered long enough, and now it is time to linger aboard Alexid's boat." She rose from the table and got us moving towards the front door.

  "Cleo, before we leave, might I have a moment?"

  "Of course, Kia," she said. "You three go ahead and we'll catch up shortly." She shooed them on their way and pulled me into her parlor, closing the door. "What can I do for you, Kia?"

  "I wanted to thank you for today," I said.

  "Oh dear, of course. I was looking for an excuse to invite myself aboard Alexid's sailboat. It is quite lovely, you see, and he rarely invites me. But when I told him my good friend from the magic school was looking for a ride upon the ocean, he allowed me to prevail upon him."

  I cocked my head. "We both know he's wrapped around your finger and will do anything you ask."

  She laughed. "Of course he is," she said. "Where else would I wrap him?"

  I had to laugh at that.

  "But thanking me is not something that requires privacy, and I gathered you wished a private meeting."

  "I did," I said. "This may have little value to you, but I thought I would offer. You know, I'll never share the queen's secrets with you, although if I were to unintentionally blurt some out, I would hope you would never publish them."

  "Of course I wouldn't," she said. "Would you like to know why not?"

  "Yes, actually."

  "Two reasons. First, it is bad business. You are young, but you are going places. If I remain on your good side, you will give me stories to publish for a very long time. And while juicy gossip about our dear queen may sell me a few copies, I would rather keep a long-term trusted source. If I betray you, you will never speak to me again."

  "True," I said. "And I have ways of getting even."

  She laughed. "Quite so. But then there is the real reason why I wouldn't publish anything you didn't give me permission to publish."

  "What is that?"

  "Because, dear girl, we are friends, and I would never stab a friend in the back."

  I stared at her, surprised by that, but I shouldn't have been. "Thank you, Cleo."

  She smiled. "So, what is the reason we are in my parlor?"

  "I wanted to ask. Is an exclusive interview with the woman most likely to become Ordeen's next adept of any value to you?"

  She hesitated just a heartbeat then beamed at me. "Are congratulations in order?"

  "Not yet, but perhaps a month or two more. Perhaps even sooner."

  "Are you offering to sell me this interview?"

  "Not sell. Give."

  She cocked her head. "Are you trying to repay me for friendship?"

  I looked down. "Did I just commit a social faux pas?"

  "Perhaps," she said, "but friends forgive our little mistakes. Kia, friendship is friendship. It is repaid only with friendship. What you have offered is business. Yes, it has value to me, and my magazine pays for interviews. We may not pay a lot for this interview, but we would pay something."

  "I don't need the money," I said. "If I tell you something, is it in confidence?"

  "Of course."

  "Are you familiar with a fairly new company called Doctor K?"

  "I am," she replied. "Their lotions are the talk of the town. 'A little magic in every jar' is their motto, I believe."

  I smiled. "That motto is meant literally."

  She stared for a moment. "And you are Doctor K?" I inclined my head. "Oh my."

  "It's not all mine. I own twenty percent. The magic in each jar is mine. So are the formulae involved, although Magus Iladarta and my grandmother have been a great deal of help."

  "Now, that interview is worth quite a bit more."

  "I am not ready for the world to know I am Doctor K," I said. "Someday. But I have a point. We sell three different lines of products. The least of these we give away to those who can't afford the finer products we sell here in Nalori."

  "Give?"

  "Give."

  She began to laugh. "All funded by the rich ladies of Nalori."

  "There is a fund," I explained. "Those rich ladies of our fair town don't buy enough of our finer products, and so the queen supplements."

  "Oh, I see. And so, if I were to pay for an interview, you would want me to feed the fund."

  "Yes, exactly," I said.

  "But I can't tell anyone?"

  I shook my head. "No."

  She laughed. "Do you make any money at all as Doctor K?"

  "Yes, a modest amount now, but it is a new venture. There are investors, and they wish to make a profit, and so I must make my share of profit as well."

  "Well then, I would like the interview you have offered. And I will make a donation to this fund. But I also think you should allow me to publish a rumor."

  "What rumor?"

  "Only that the magic in the jars is real magic, and that I have it from the most reliable of sources."

  I smiled. "That I will allow, if you remain that vague as to the nature of the source. And I am concerned as to the timing. It isn't that big a stretch to see you have published an interview with Kia Shortshadow, and then at nearly the same time you publish a rumor about Doctor K's products."

  "Leave it to me, Kia. I will wait to spread my little rumor, and I am very good at misdirection. No one will come to you asking if you are Doctor K."

  "Thank you, Cleo," I said.

  "You are welcome. Oh, I am so glad I tried to bribe you those years ago."

  "I was so angry, but Marie laughed about it. You ruined our meal though."

  "Oh dear," she said. "How did I do that?"

  "We cancelled it and went running to the queen."

  "Oh, I am sorry. Next time I attempt to bribe you, I will wait until dessert is over."

  "I'd appreciate it," I said with a grin.

  * * * *

  Alexid's boat was beautiful. It was bigger than Adept Cardartina's, and he had a crew of four to help with the running: two men an
d two women. They were all young, all beautiful. It was the women who ran the boat and the men who took their orders, casting off lines, raising the sails, and later preparing snacks and serving drinks.

  It was still spring and somewhat brisk on the water. We wore our cloaks and drank warm drinks in the morning. But the sun was out, and winds were modest. It was a beautiful day to be out on the ocean.

  We ran south along the coast, making a point to wave to the school as we went past. I tried not to let my heart pound in my chest.

  A few minutes later, Vani asked me, "Would you like to see my favorite place?" She didn't wait for an answer but instead grabbed several blankets and pulled me forward along the outside railing until we came to the front of the boat. The main cabin ended with a sloped wall. Vani spread several blankets about, asking me to help, then we sat down, side-by-side, and we tucked more blankets in around us. "In the summer we can skip the blankets, but it's just a little too chilly to stay here long without them."

  We stayed there until it was lunchtime, exchanging stories. Vani was delightful and expressive, and she gestured when she talked. During one story, she took my hand in hers, clasping it earnestly, and when she was done, she retained possession.

  We sat quietly for a few minutes after that, holding hands.

  "I'm not very socially graceful," I finally said.

  "I would disagree, but that sounds not like a topic of conversation, but an introduction."

  "Are you flirting with me?"

  She smiled. "Yes. And you've been flirting back."

  I thought about it. "I guess I have."

  Under the blankets, she squeezed my hand. "Did you want me to stop?"

  "I don't know," I admitted.

  "Oh?" She looked a little hurt. "Mother said you wanted a distraction."

  "Do you know about Eva?"

  "I was expecting to meet both of you. But she's not here, and Mother has been encouraging me. I can put two and two together."

  I thought about it some more. "I don't want you to stop."

  "But you don't want me to invite you somewhere more private, either."

  "No."

  "Too soon?" And I nodded agreement.

  "Well then," she said with a smile. She caressed my cheek. "I'm not stopping. You're a beautiful woman, Kia, and I find you fascinating besides."

  I looked away. I wasn't accustomed to the attention, and accepting it felt a little like cheating. But then I remembered our conversation. I remembered Eva had said, "No," and I turned back.

  "You're brilliant, Vani," I said. "I enjoy your company." I squeezed her hand. "And the attention."

  "Good."

  We sat back, and a moment later I laid my head against her shoulder.

  "And you're a good distraction."

  "Good," she said again. "Tell me what it means to be a journeywoman."

  * * * *

  We rejoined the main group at lunch. Lunia gave me a look, but I didn't know what it meant, and I didn't particularly care. Vani's attention felt nice, and I needed a little nice in my life.

  What amused me was the attention Lunia was getting from the boat’s crew, all four of them. She was being polite, but it was funny watching her. She wasn't flat out rebuffing them, either. She used her voice, that sexy voice, and I began to wonder if she and Loralai had their own fight. But when one of the two women tried to step up the flirtation, I discovered Lunia was very good at holding someone at a proper arm's distance while keeping things light. After that, the four of them flirted with her, but they didn't grow more familiar than Loralai would have found amusing.

  Mid-afternoon found seven of us lounging in the spacious cockpit. Lunia found herself flanked by the two women, and Cleo was busy wrapping Alexid more firmly around her finger. Vani sat next to me.

  Then one of the women -- I struggled for a moment before remembering she was Porta -- said, "Are you really a sorceress?"

  I smiled. "Yes, I am."

  "So you can cast magic?" asked the other woman. Her name was Bandari.

  "Yes, but there's not much to see."

  "What kind of magic?" Cleo asked. She already knew the answer, but I knew the question was for everyone else.

  "Several kinds," I said. "I have some skill with plants. I can make grass grow, for instance."

  Lunia didn't even scoff.

  "That doesn't seem very useful," Bandari said.

  "I'm also a healer," I said. "And there are other magics."

  "Like what?" Vani asked. "If you don't mind answering."

  I paused. "Did you want the short answer or the long one?"

  "Take your time," she said. So I did, taking a few minutes to explain about the different types of magic and giving them an idea of the types of things I was willing to share with people I didn't know well.

  "You said you can cast a truth spell?" Vani asked.

  I smiled. "Yes. Did you want a demonstration?"

  "If you're going to cast it on Mother, I do," she said with a laugh.

  "There are different types of truth spell," I said. "I can cast one spell where only I know if someone is lying or telling the truth. That was the first one I learned. There's another one that is much harder that doesn't allow someone to lie. And then there's one that even makes people answer, but I can't cast that. Yet."

  "Yet?"

  "I am still a student. I'll be learning for a long time, long after I begin to fulfill my service obligation."

  The five of them looked at each other uncomfortably. Lunia was smirking, and I was waiting to see what they would do.

  "You're awfully quiet, Lunia," Alexid said. "Have you experienced these truth spells?"

  "I've experienced most of Kia's spells," Lunia replied.

  "Are you allowed to use them on us?" Cleo asked.

  "The older magi complain about being treated like dancing bears," I said. "I haven't been about in the world long enough to feel that way, and we're all friends here. I'd get into a great deal of trouble if I cast a spell on you against your will and you later complained to the queen. But if you ask me to, that's different."

  "We could ask you then get you into trouble by complaining anyway," Vani observed.

  "Any investigation would include both you and me feeling Senior Magus Quartain's truth spell, Vani."

  "Oh," she said with a grin. "I suppose it would."

  "Of course, I'd get in trouble for a poor choice in friends, but not for spelling you." I shrugged. "Your mother already wore one of my truth spells though, Vani."

  "I have not!"

  "The first night we met. You should thank me. The other choice was a paralyze spell and a conversation with the queen. By using a truth spell, I was able to tell you weren't lying to me."

  "Oh. Well, then I don't mind at all," she said. "Go ahead. Hit me."

  I laughed. "Are you sure? It seems one-sided. Maybe you should talk Vani into taking one. Or I can give Bandari a paralyze spell and suggest Porta might enjoy tickling her."

  Porta laughed but Bandari waved a finger at me.

  The five of them began talking, laughing at the possibilities. I decided to decorate Vani's ears. I leaned to her, "Lay back in your chair and hold still." I gave her closest ear a row of lights, then asked her to turn her head so I could do the other side.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Let me finish and you can go look," I said. A moment later I said, "There. Go find a mirror."

  No one had been paying attention, and in the daylight, the lights would be hard to see. But Vani went into the main cabin, appearing a few minutes later, smiling. "That's brilliant, Kia."

  "Easy trick," I said. "When you're a poor student of magic, it's the only jewelry you can afford. I adorned the queen that way a long time ago. I did her lips and eyebrows, too."

  "What?" Porta asked.

  "It's too light up here to see," I said. "Go somewhere dark and show them." Cleo had seen it, and I saw her talking softly to Alexid. Vani, Porta and Bandari went down below again, appear
ing a minute or so later. Both crew women knelt down in front of me and asked me to do theirs.

  "It's not permanent, is it?"

  "No. It lasts until I dispel it or fades on its own in a day or two." I did both of their ears, answering more questions. They went back down below to check then came back upstairs, beaming.

  "Was this your way of saying you won't cast your other spells for us?" Vani asked.

  "Not at all."

  "You really can paralyze someone?"

  "The one I use is for healing. If someone has a bad wound, I can numb the limb so they don't feel what I'm doing to them. Or I can numb your entire body, which effectively immobilizes you. If I do that, you can't even talk, but you're awake. About the best you can do is blink."

  Porta smiled. "Do me," she said.

  "Seriously?"

  "Yeah."

  "All right." She was sitting down again, so I built a simple paralyze and caught her legs with it.

  "Oh golly," she said. "I can't feel my legs." She poked at them. "I can't move them, either."

  Then I caught each of her arms, one after another, and she lay in the chair.

  "I can't move!" she said.

  "I thought you said she couldn't talk," Cleo said.

  "I did her arms and legs," I explained. "It's more fun to tickle someone when they can feel it."

  "No!" Porta said when Bandari and Vani both climbed from their chairs and headed towards her. "Anyone who touches me has to accept her own spell."

  I readied my best truth spell and waited to see what happened. Bandari moved to Porta's side then saw me sitting in my chair with my hand up.

  "What's that one?"

  "Truth spell," I said. "Touch her and you get it."

  She laughed and bent down to bury her fingers in Porta's side. I tossed the truth spell on her, and when Vani joined in on the other side, I gave her one as well.

  "Oh wow," Bandari said. "I felt that. That feels so odd."

  Porta was giggling but she asked, "Who is the sexiest person here, Bandari?"

  "Well, I thought it was Lunia, and I was going to get her alone, but with you helpless, I might change my mind."

  Then she slapped her hands over her mouth.

  "Bandari," said Alexid, "are you pleased with the amount I pay you?"

  She dropped her hands and said, "Yes. You're very generous, Alexid." Then she looked at me. "Damn it. I asked for a raise last week and he said he'd think about it."