Lewis opened his eyes to the forest behind Birch Hall. Sweat was running down his neck and chest, the cloak suddenly unbearably stifling. He almost took it off, before recalling why he was wearing it. Just in case someone was watching, he had to leave it on. Lewis got to his feet unsteadily, Curtis catching him when he almost collapsed.

  “Are you alright?” Curtis asked. “Did something happen?”

  Lewis swallowed, an unpleasant taste in his mouth he didn’t doubt was related to Amnis spitting in it. Did this mean they had formed a pact? He had thought it would be something more formal, not something so…gross.

  “I think I made a pact,” Lewis said.

  “You think?” Curtis’s hood was still pulled low, his face hidden in the shadows. “We’ll go back to your quarters and talk there.”

  The two walked back to Birch Hall in silence, neither of them speaking until they were back in the High Mage’s study at the top of the tower. Lewis took the cloak off, hanging it on a branching wooden rack by the door. He sank into the chair behind the desk, wanting nothing more than to sleep. Curtis took his cloak off before sitting across from Lewis, staring at him with a frown.

  “You look terrible,” Curtis said. “What happened?”

  “I saw a spirit,” Lewis said. “He told me more about my magic and pacts, then we made a pact. He said my magic will get stronger with use and experience, just like that of an elemental mage. The pact should stop me from…” He hesitated. “Now I know why my father kept me away from magic. The spirit said those like me are often destroyed by their magic if they don’t make a pact. Destroyed in a terrible way.”

  “And the pact prevents this?” Curtis asked.

  “It should,” Lewis said, leaning on the desk for support. Was it the pact that had taken so much out of him?

  Curtis was silent for a long moment, looking worried. “Well, this was what we hoped for. I feel like we still don’t know enough. It can’t be so simple that making the pact makes your magic normal, can it?” He sighed. “Or maybe it is, and I’m just being paranoid.” He stood. “You can tell me more about what the spirit said after we both have a good night’s rest.”

  Those were the best words Lewis had heard all day. Curtis left, leaving behind the cloak Lewis had used in case he needed it again. Stewart had left behind everything, another sign leaving hadn’t been his choice. Having been taller than Curtis or Lewis, none of his clothes would fit Lewis, least of all his cloak.

  Lewis went straight to bed, uncomfortable for just a moment at the idea of sleeping in his missing father’s bed, but he was too tired to think about it for long. When he woke up, morning light streamed through the bedroom window. He had forgotten to close the curtain. From this side of the tower, he could see the garden and the forest behind Birch Hall. Lewis stifled a yawn as he got up. There was a small washroom off the bedroom.

  He washed off last night’s sweat, put fresh clothes on, and went back out into the main room of the tower. He felt much better than the night before, ready to face whatever came next. At least, as ready as he could be. What if, after all these years, he still couldn’t use magic? Would it be the same as calling on a spirit the night before? Was it really all just intention and instinct? Considering how he had felt the night before, he suspected using magic also took a lot of energy.

  He stood in front of the window, looking out at the front of Birch Hall. It didn’t look so different from the back, with nothing but a pale forest in every direction he looked. He thought he saw some other trees far off to the side, in the distance, but he wasn’t sure. A knock on the tower door made him jump. His heart beat fast. Was it Curtis, or was it someone else? Curtis had told him to lock the tower door the night before.

  “Lewis? Are you up?” Curtis’s muffled voice came from the other side.

  Lewis’s shoulders relaxed. He opened the door and let the man inside. Lewis sat behind the desk, with Curtis across from him again. Curtis set a bundle of cloth on the desk between them. It was linen, like most cloth in Betula, since that’s what grew on the farms. Imported cotton from Ferax was expensive.

  “These are your robes,” Curtis said.

  “They’re a different color from yours,” Lewis said.

  Curtis nodded. “I should probably explain before breakfast. You’ll be meeting everyone in the hall this morning.”

  Lewis stiffened.

  Curtis smiled, but it didn’t hide his worry. “Just don’t mention you’re an Afflicted Mage or that you have no training at all. I don’t want to lie to them either, but we don’t yet know who we can trust.” He sat straighter, suddenly serious. “Now, about the hierarchy of mages… Did Stewart tell you anything about this?”

  Lewis shook his head.

  “I suppose he wouldn’t have had a reason to mention it,” Curtis said. “I’m sure you’ve seen him wearing dark green robes, like these?” He nudged the ones on the desk.

  “He only wore them when he was leaving the house,” Lewis said, “but that’s always what he wore when he left the house.”

  “Only the High Mage wears dark green robes,” Curtis said. “There is only one mage with that title at a time. There are three Elder Mages, who wear dark blue.” He gestured to his own dark blue robes. “There are two other Elder Mages, whom you will meet at breakfast.” He frowned. “Blake is the one who will doubt you most. I think he believes he should have been chosen as the next High Mage.”

  “I definitely shouldn’t have been chosen,” Lewis said.

  “Even so, we’ll make a High Mage out of you,” Curtis said. “We don’t have another choice. The queen has already officially named you High Mage. Now, where were we? The students. There can be any number of the lower ranks here at the hall, but we usually don’t have many students, seeing as mages aren’t that common. A few students just set out into the world a season ago, so we currently only have three left. We also have one Adept, who is your age.”

  “Is that a high rank?” Lewis asked.

  “Just below Elder Mage,” Curtis said. “She is brilliant with her nature magic and would be an Elder Mage already if there weren’t only three at a time. She and the Elder Mages teach the students, and sometimes the High Mage does as well. We’ll hold off on that as long as we can. Adepts wear dark orange. You’ll see one Apprentice, the boy wearing brown. The two girls in gray are Novices, twin sisters a few years younger than the Apprentice.”

  “Those are the only students?” Lewis asked when he didn’t continue.

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  Curtis nodded. “As I said, we often have few students here.” He stood. “It will be time for breakfast soon. When they ask you what kind of magic you have, which I’m sure the other Elder Mages will, just tell them you have water magic like your father. With any luck, we can get started on your training after breakfast.”

  Lewis stayed behind the desk, the energy he’d had that morning having slipped away at the pile of potential trouble in front of him. “When do I meet with the queen?” The words came out quiet.

  Curtis paled a little. “In a few days. We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, and I will train you on the way to Palegrove. It’s a three day journey from here.” He smiled, but it looked forced. “I’m sure you’re hungry.” A bell chimed in the distance. “It’s time for breakfast.”

  Lewis reluctantly put on the robes before meeting Curtis on the stairs outside the tower. The robes were comfortable, but we wasn’t accustomed to wearing something that went down to his ankles. The shorts he had on underneath did not feel like enough. He felt exposed, even though he was very well covered. The sleeves were even long enough to cover his fingers.

  Curtis stared at him with an odd, distant smile. “If only your father could see you…” He shook his head. “Let’s go.”

  The two of them went down to the first floor of Birch Hall, to a room with a single long table down the middle. It was the only table, and most of the chairs were empty. Lewis was relieved to see the High Mage didn’t have to sit at the head of the table, just at the far end with the Elder Mages and Adept. The Apprentice and two Novices were at the end closer to the doors. Lewis smiled nervously and said good morning as the younger boy and the two girls greeted him. The Adept was looking down at her food, and he barely saw her before Curtis led him to the end of the table and sat in the chair beside him.

  The other two Elder Mages were across from Lewis and Curtis. The one directly across from Lewis was scowling. His light blue gaze seemed to bore into Lewis. His short, dark brown hair was neatly combed. He appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. The woman next to him was older, maybe in her late fifties. Her black hair, threaded with gray, was tied in a bun. Her blue eyes were as dark as the man’s were light, like pools of impenetrable water.

  “You must be Lewis,” the woman said, her expression unreadable. “Stewart was always very closed off when it came to you. He told us so little about you.”

  “You must be something if you didn’t even need to be trained here,” the man said coldly. “Especially to become High Mage at such a young age. How old are you? Sixteen?”

  “Nineteen,” Lewis said. He didn’t know what else to say to all of that.

  The woman’s expression softened, and she was almost smiling. “Ignore him. He is simply bitter he did not become High Mage.”

  The man scowled even more, crossing his arms. “I am not bitter.”

  “I’m Miriam,” the woman said. “He is Blake. I’m sure there will be time later for you to be properly introduced to everyone else.” She raised a brow at Blake. “If you don’t hurry, your porridge will get cold.”

  They ate in silence for a while.

  “What kind of magic do you have?” Miriam asked.

  “Water,” Lewis said, feeling his face turning red. He should have warned Curtis that he had never been good at lying.

  Miriam smiled briefly. “Stewart also had water magic. I have wind magic.”

  “Fire,” Blake said shortly, not looking up from his porridge.

  “Curtis was always close to your father,” Miriam said. “I’m sure he will help you get settled in to your new position.”

  Curtis nodded. “Certainly. I will also accompany him to Palegrove to meet with the queen, since it will be his first time meeting her and the court.”

  Miriam sighed. “Such a thing never becomes easy. The court are a different kind of people from us.” She looked at Lewis and smiled kindly. “I don’t know about you, but the extravagance of the castle is very intimidating.”

  “I’ve only seen it from a distance,” Lewis said. “I can’t imagine going closer.”

  Blake snorted. “Then your father didn’t prepare you well for this position.”

  No one said anything else during breakfast. The Apprentice and two Novices left the hall first, closely followed by the Adept.

  “Classes are about to begin for the day,” Miriam said. “We’ll give Curtis the day off to settle Lewis into his post.” She looked at Blake, as though daring him to protest.

  “Very well,” Blake said, not looking at any of them.

  Lewis had never been so relieved to leave a room. He tried not to look too eager as he followed Curtis out of the dining hall and back up to the tower.

  “That went better than I thought it would,” Curtis said when they were safely back in the High Mage’s study. “But you’ll have to get better at not turning beet red when you lie. And that wasn’t even truly a lie, as you do have water magic.”

  “Just knowing I’m deceiving people makes me nervous,” Lewis said.

  Curtis sighed. “Well, your father would be glad to hear that. I don’t think he could have foreseen something like this happening. Nor could I.” He shook his head. “We best get started, but we don’t want to draw suspicion. I’ll have to train you in here, where we won’t be observed.” He took a wooden bowl from a shelf and disappeared into the washroom, returning to set the water filled bowl on the desk gently. “Are you ready to learn how to use your magic?”

  Lewis nodded, even though he didn’t feel the least bit ready. He sat across from Curtis at the desk.

  “We’ll start with the most basic use of water magic. Focus on the water,” Curtis said. “Focus on your intention to make it move.”

  Lewis stared at the water in the bowl, but he felt nothing. Was he supposed to feel something? He stared harder, willing the water to move. Sweat ran down his face and neck. How long had he been staring at the water? If he couldn’t do even this, then he wouldn’t be able to uphold the lie that he was qualified to be High Mage. His failure would likely give whoever had put him in this position exactly what they wanted. Lewis focused harder.

  Was that the light of sunset reflected on the water? Lewis’s eyes burned with the strain, but he didn’t look away. Curtis had said this was the most basic use of water magic. Surely he could do this much now that he had a pact with a spirit. A tiny bubble rose to the surface in the bowl, a few small ripples spreading around it. Lewis breathed out, almost collapsing onto the desk.

  Curtis smiled. “That’s a good start.”

  Lewis glanced at the window. “It took me all day to make a minuscule bubble.”

  Curtis looked away, but Lewis saw his worry. “We have three days to practice on the way to Palegrove.”