The White Candle guild's founder, Askell Prevann, ordered the seat of its power to be built as a tribute to the Black Candle, an ancient basalt lighthouse that was destroyed during the First Rios M?lstrom.

  The White Candle was the first building in Rios to be constructed—in large part—by magic. Both the tower and the guild served as an inspiration to many of the magic guilds founded in subsequent generations.

  Excerpt from 'Magic Guilds of Rios: The Age of Enlightenment'

  Maria bit her lip as she sat in one of the spacious waiting rooms of Hedera Halls, seat of the Lyceum. In a few moments she would meet with the Lyceum's entire Council as the official representative of the Daughters of Ashira.

  A formal meeting between two of the major magic guilds in the city was, by itself, an important event. The gravity of Maria's proposal made this particular meeting even more significant; a successful outcome would upset the balance of power between the four major magic guilds in the city.

  Or the remaining three, if White Candle's disappearance turns out to be permanent, Maria thought, feeling unsettled. All the more reason why I have to succeed here.

  She tossed some errant locks of her wavy brown hair off her shoulders and focused her dark hazel eyes on the oak door before her. Beyond that door lay the council hall where the meeting was to take place. Any moment now...

  “Staring at it won't make it open any sooner, you know,” Jolene said. “Or did you become a practising telekinetic when I wasn't paying attention?”

  Maria took her eyes off the door to look at the woman with long auburn hair sitting next to her. Magistra Jolene de Wilciel had been her best friend since they were adepts, and she was Maria's support for the coming meeting.

  “My stomach is tied into a knot,” Maria said, rubbing her belly. “I'm not certain I can do this.”

  Jolene patted Maria's leg. “There is no need to be nervous; you will do fine. You always do in situations like this. You let your passion take over and off you go.”

  Passion taking over isn't always what I need. “I hope you are right.”

  Jolene gave her a reassuring smile and then returned her attention to the inner yard, visible through the window next to them. The garden was filled with a wide variety of plants and flowers, all carefully arranged to create a perfect flow of colours, each fitting the one beside it. The spring sun made them seem even more vivid.

  “You know,” Jolene said as she gazed wistfully at the garden, “I always imagined Hedera Halls to be a dark and gloomy place, filled with nothing but dust and books. Not anything as colourful as this. The upper garden back at Felados Towers pales in comparison.”

  She looked at the end table that stood between their chairs and traced a finger over its surface. “And no dust, either,” she added, after inspecting her finger. “It's very different from what I imagined.”

  “You've never been here before?” Maria asked.

  “I have not. Stuffy old scholars aren't exactly my type.”

  Maria smirked. “In what way? As fellow magisters or otherwise?”

  “Both,” Jolene replied. “And speaking of otherwise...” She reached down to the hem of Maria's formal robe and tugged at it, lowering its neckline.

  “Would you stop doing that?” Maria bristled, batting Jolene's hands away. “It's bad enough that you are showing off. You should have worn a camisole underneath.”

  “The Lyceum Council is a group of stuffy old men,” Jolene said with a shrug as she readjusted her own robe. “We are beautiful women. Showing some skin will make us more persuasive.”

  Maria frowned. “I would prefer to convince them with arguments alone.”

  “And you will,” Jolene replied, feigning remorse. “But considering the importance of this meeting, wouldn't you agree that we need every advantage we can get?”

  “My advantage isn't as big as yours,” Maria said, glancing at Jolene's ample chest. Jolene waved her hand dismissively.

  “Details.”

  Maria huffed. Jolene had a face and body that could only be described as gorgeous, whereas she was more accustomed to hearing how nice she looked.

  That's easy for you to say; but maybe doing this can't hurt.

  She reached up and pulled her neckline down a little. The conversation had lightened her mood and eased her nerves.

  The door to the council hall swung open, and Maria jerked her hand away from her chest.

  Is it time?

  A slender young girl with straw-coloured hair, dressed in a Lyceum adept's robe, stood in the doorway. “The Council will see you now,” she said.

  Finally, time for all my preparations to pay off, Maria thought as she and Jolene entered the hall.

  Five men and one woman were seated behind a long table covered with a beige and white-coloured cloth. In front of the table stood two chairs. The table and chairs formed a small island in the otherwise vast emptiness of the great hall.

  “Greetings to the Council,” Maria began, inclining her head towards the Council members. “I am Magistra Maria Seleny.”

  “I am Magistra Jolene de Wilciel,” Jolene said, following Maria's lead.

  “Welcome,” the man seated in the middle acknowledged. “I am Archmagister Htenzon of the Lyceum.”

  Maria knew who he was, of course. She knew the names of everyone seated behind the table, and more. She had spent two days learning as much as possible about these people and their respective characters. All for this meeting.

  Archmagister Gield Htenzon was a short, broad-shouldered man in his late forties. His square head and wide jaw betrayed his lower-class birth, but his face showed none of the harsh lines common to people from the more rural areas of the kingdom. Unlike most of his peers in his youth, he had been lucky enough to be gifted with the talent and intellect to be accepted at the Lyceum at a young age.

  The other Council members stated their names as well, and with the formal greeting over, Maria and Jolene sat down in the two chairs.

  “Now, then,” Archmagister Htenzon said, “if you could tell us the reason for your visit.”

  The question was merely a formality. Maria had no doubt that the Council had already guessed why she had come.

  “I am here because of the disappearance of the White Candle guild,” Maria said. “Or, to be more precise, the King's response to that disappearance, which I assume you have already been made aware of.”

  “You are referring to the King's decision to assign Callium the task of finding out what happened, I take it,” Htenzon said.

  Maria nodded. “I am.”

  “We have already asked the King to reconsider that course of action. I assume the Daughters of Ashira have done so as well.”

  “We have,” Maria replied. “However, considering the current state of affairs, I'm certain that you are aware that these requests will fall on deaf ears.”

  “We are optimistic about the outcome.”

  No you aren't, you just don't know what else to do.

  “Even so,” Maria said, “I would like to discuss the threat that arises from this decision. In the past few years, Callium has rapidly grown in size, wealth and power. Only White Candle has acted as a counterbalance.” She took a deep breath. “Worse, with Callium in charge of investigating their sanctum, you know full well they will take advantage. Beyond what King Darych intends to allow.”

  Htenzon remained stoic. “I'm uncertain what you are getting at.”

  Oh, you know blazing well what I'm getting at. You just want to hear me say it. “If Callium finds the sanctum abandoned or the White Candle magistrae and magistras dead, it will take advantage. To be blunt, Callium will pillage the sanctum if they feel they can get away with it.”

  Despite the seriousness of the accusation, Htenzon's expression remained unchanged. “Do you have any proof that Callium will resort to such action?”

  Maria made herself sound indignant. “You want me to present proof of Callium's true nature? That will be easy.” She signalled Jolene, who opened the satchel she had brought with her.

  So far, everything is going as I anticipated.

  The Lyceum's magistrae were scholars first, everything else second. They would never make a decision based on gut feeling alone. For this reason, Maria and Jolene had come prepared.

  Jolene handed a stack of papers to each of the Council members. There were reports containing numbers, descriptions of past events and predictions, backed up by even more numbers. The hard facts that you enjoy so much.

  During the following hour, Maria stood and explained how much of a threat Callium represented to the other guilds. The terrifying speed at which it gained new members, its exceedingly lucrative runestone division, its involvement in several magic-related incidents, and much more.

  During her presentation, she finished an entire decanter of water. Still, her throat felt sore at the end. But the result was worth it; the entire Lyceum Council showed expressions varying between confusion and worry.

  “And that concludes my argument,” Maria said, before reseating herself. She looked at Jolene, who nodded her approval.

  Archmagister Htenzon did not respond immediately. Instead, he whispered with his fellow Council members, an anxious expression on his face.

  Is this a good or a bad sign? Maria wondered. Are they uneasy because of what I have said, or because they don't believe me?

  “Could you excuse us for a moment?” Htenzon said after they had finished their deliberations. “We would like to discuss your findings in private.”

  “Of course, Archmagister,” Maria replied, rising from her seat.

  After she and Jolene had left the hall, Maria paced around the waiting room. She needed an outlet for her tension. The serious demeanour she had maintained during her presentation faltered, and her nose wrinkled in concern.

  “You are worried,” Jolene remarked, sitting down like she didn't have a care in the world. “Do you think they won't believe you?”

  “I'm... uncertain,” Maria said. “I could see my presentation affected them, although in what way I cannot say.”

  “You stuck to the facts, even the speculative parts. They must have loved it.”

  “The numbers aren't my concern,” Maria said. “It's the illegal acts Callium is involved with. There have been so many incidents in the past few years that reeked of their involvement. But we can't prove any of it. The Lyceum won't act on speculation alone, and though it pains me to say it, that is all we have right now.”

  “Callium isn't dumb enough to leave behind hard evidence. No need to beat yourself up over that.”

  “That's where you are wrong,” Maria retorted. “I know they are leaving evidence. We just need to try harder to find it. The issue here is to convince the Council that proof of Callium's misdeeds exists to begin with. If they are unwilling to believe that, then coming here will have been for nothing.”

  Jolene closed her eyes, thinking for a moment.

  “When are you going to drop the big revelation on them?” she asked, opening her eyes again. “Considering your unease, I would have expected you to have done so already.”

  Maria stopped in her tracks and shook her head. “Not yet. They need to be on the very edge first. Only at that point can I use it to make certain they will end up firmly on our side.”

  It wasn't long before the Council called them back, which added another measure of discomfort to Maria's mood. If their deliberations were this brief, then surely their minds must have been made up even before she made her presentation.

  Will they decide in my favour or not?

  “That was quite an impressive presentation, Magistra Seleny,” Archmagister Htenzon began. “In fact, it was so impressive that I'm left wondering where you obtained some of the figures regarding the Lyceum's expenses and income.”

  That's what they are worried about? “Those were all inferred from the public records, Archmagister,” Maria said. “Nothing in these papers was obtained in an underhanded manner, I assure you.”

  Several Council members exchanged sceptical glances, but nobody disputed her claim.

  “I will take your word for it, then,” Htenzon said, speaking for the Council.

  He didn't seem convinced, but Maria couldn't care less about that. What about my presentation? Did I persuade you or not?

  Archmagister Htenzon took a sip from his glass of water and then cleared his throat.

  “In light of the overwhelming evidence you have presented, we, the Council of the Lyceum, share your opinion that Callium poses a threat to the continued existence of both our guilds.”

  With that single statement, Maria felt as if a boulder had been lifted from her shoulders, and tension fled her body.

  The archmagister continued. “In truth, we have had similar concerns for a while now. Your presentation, however, showed that the issue is far more acute than we realized.”

  I knew they weren't as neutral as they were pretending to be.

  “We are, however, disturbed by your willingness to give up on our fellow magistrae of White Candle. What makes you so certain that they are lost?”

  “Grim logic,” Maria answered without hesitation. “The current state of the White Candle sanctum is proof enough that a terrible thing occurred inside.”

  “They might simply be trapped,” one of the other Council members suggested.

  Maria shook her head. “I refuse to believe that magistrae of their calibre could have somehow become trapped by their own wards.”

  She raised a finger. “And even if that is indeed what happened, by the time Callium or anyone else manages to breach those wards, most of the people inside will be dead from thirst.” She stretched out her arms. “Should any magister remain alive, chances are they will be in no condition to do much of anything, leaving Callium free rein inside their sanctum.”

  “I am more hopeful than you in this regard,” Htenzon said, “even though I agree that the outlook is... unsettling.” He glanced at the other Council members. “In conclusion, we agree with your position, yet we remain uncertain what it is you want us to do about it. We have already filed a formal complaint with the King in this matter, and he has assured us that at least one lance of the Royal Guard will be present when the sanctum is breached.”

  “One lance will make little difference,” Maria said, gesturing dismissively. “A handful of men isn't enough to guard against wrongdoing, especially if you consider that only Callium will know when the breach is complete. It would be easy to pretend to still be working on the wards, while in reality they are already inside the sanctum. That is just the kind of trickery Callium does best.”

  “What do you suggest, then?” Htenzon asked, eyebrows raised in confusion.

  Maria rose from her chair and took a deep breath. The moment of truth.

  “We, the Daughters of Ashira, formally ask the Lyceum to declare a joint vendetta against Callium.”

  A heavy silence fell in the room. Maria saw the Council members' eyes widen and mouths fall open.

  “Absurd,” one of the Council members eventually said. “Impossible!” another exclaimed. Then several of them started to speak all at once.

  Maria listened to their exclamations with hidden glee. This was the reaction I wanted.

  Archmagister Htenzon waved his hand and the Council members fell silent. “A vendetta, you say.” He paused for a moment as if to wrap his mind around it. “That seems rather... excessive.”

  “It's perfectly lawful,” Maria instantly retorted. “The laws regarding vendettas have neither been retracted nor altered since the Callium Imperatus Schism. In fact, more than one scholar has argued that, had vendetta been declared back then, a lot of death and damage could have been prevented.”

  “I know the studies you are referring to,” Htenzon said. “I co-authored several of them.”

  I know. That's why I brought it up.

  “However,” the archmagister continued, “how is it possible that the Daughters are willing to pursue this course of action? I know Archmagistra Ashira well, and I can't imagine her ever agreeing to a vendetta. It contradicts everything she stands for. Everything your guild stands for. It is enough to make me wonder how committed the Daughters are to this course of action.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Maria drew another deep breath. She knew she would need to tread carefully. “Our commitment is your commitment. Only by making a joint stand can our sincerity and resolve be shown to the world. If you are to refuse our offer, we will not proceed down this path.”

  “And what does Archmagistra Ashira have to say about this?”

  “Nothing much, I'm afraid,” Maria answered sadly. “I'm certain you have heard the rumours regarding her illness. It pains me to say that they are mostly true.”

  Maria noted the hint of sorrow that appeared on the archmagister's face in reaction to her words, before continuing. “Although Archmagistra Ashira is still our leader in name, Tayla Kannados has taken over her responsibilities. And her path, while similar to Ashira's, is not the same.”

  “It grieves me to hear this,” Archmagister Htenzon said. “I know Ashira well; such a bright woman. For her to be afflicted by such a thing...” He fell silent.

  “There are still those who follow Ashira's teachings to the letter,” Maria continued. “Yet even they realize that this vendetta is the only possible course of action. Even more if White Candle proves to be gone forever. Callium cannot gain control over their legacy; it would doom us all. We'd be marginalized to the level of any minor guild in the provincial cities.”

  The archmagister looked down at his hands momentarily, seemingly lost in thought. The other Council members waited for him to speak.

  “Just one last thing,” Htenzon eventually said. “You will not declare vendetta without us?”

  “We will not, as that would merely isolate our guild and negate most of the advantages of a collective stand,” Maria replied. “United we cannot be ignored. Neither by the Crown nor by Callium.”

  “I understand,” Archmagister Htenzon answered. “We require some additional time for deliberation. If you could please step outside again.”

  Closing the door behind her a second time, Maria felt light-headed.

  “This time you don't look worried,” Jolene noted.

  “They are going to agree,” Maria replied ecstatically. “Like us, they feel that Callium must be stopped, and the archmagister admitted they were at a loss about what to do.”

  She dropped into a seat. “In fact, I'm quite certain they considered declaring vendetta even before I brought it up. After the initial shock of the suggestion, they went along with it almost immediately.”

  Maria rested her head on the headrest and closed her eyes. The first step has been taken. The second one, however, will be harder.

  In her presentation to the Council, she had chosen her words in such a way as to suggest the Daughters had already decided upon vendetta and that the Lyceum's cooperation was the final piece required to set that plan in motion.

  In truth, however, the Daughters' guild meeting that was to decide upon declaring vendetta had not been held yet. Worse, the odds of that vote failing were high, as a two-thirds majority was required.

  She had decided to omit these details to make a stronger case to the Council members. Once the Lyceum agreed to declare vendetta, she could use that in the upcoming meeting with her own guild. Thus it would appear the joint vendetta had been suggested by the Lyceum, even though it was in fact entirely Maria's idea.

  It was a risky move that only a few people knew about. If the Daughters voted against declaring vendetta despite the Lyceum's involvement, Maria's scheme would come to light. In that event, being kicked out of the guild was the most lenient punishment she was likely to suffer.

  That won't happen, Maria thought, clenching her hands into fists. With the Lyceum's support secure, I can sway the vote tonight in my favour for certain.

  “Are you certain it was a good idea to mention Magistra Kannados?” Jolene asked. “You made it sound like she was in favour of vendetta, but we have no idea what her position is.”

  Maria shrugged. “I trust she'll honour the outcome of the vote. She's the one who needs to lead this vendetta, after all. Archmagistra Ashira could not do it even if she wanted to.”

  This time Jolene and Maria had to wait much longer. They finished another full decanter of water before they found themselves facing the Lyceum Council for the third time that day.

  Archmagister Htenzon waited for them to sit and then began to speak. “This took some careful deliberation, and I cannot say we are unanimous. However, after both hearing your presentation and seeing your level of commitment, we agree to a joint vendetta with the Daughters of Ashira against Callium.”

  A smile appeared on Maria's face. She had expected that more convincing would be needed.

  “I'm happy to hear that, Archmagister, and my guild will be too.”

  “I would still like to discuss the practicalities of this vendetta in more detail,” Htenzon continued. “It has been many years since the last one, and I assume the collective part involves more than just a joint declaration.”

  “We do not have the exact details yet as we wanted to ensure your cooperation first,” Maria said. “However, now that a vendetta has been agreed upon, we can arrange for a meeting to discuss specifics as early as tomorrow.”

  Right after our own vote has been concluded.

  “I look forward to it,” Archmagister Htenzon said, rising from his seat.

  The other Council members stood as well.

  “If there is anything else, I'm afraid it will have to wait until then,” Htenzon added. “We have some matters to attend to.”

  “Of course, Archmagister,” Maria said, bowing her head. “I bid you good day, then.”

  As Maria and Jolene made their way to the exit, Maria kept her face carefully blank. The relief and joy she felt was almost unbearable, but it would be unwise to walk through Hedera Halls with a big grin on her face. A vendetta was a serious matter, and her behaviour, as far as the Lyceum was concerned, should reflect that.

  It wasn't until she and Jolene stepped into the carriage that had been readied for them that Maria allowed her feelings to show.

  “Oh, so you are happy about this,” Jolene said, taking note of Maria's change in expression. “I was beginning to wonder if something went wrong after all.”

  Maria did not immediately respond. She sunk back into the velvet cushions, allowing herself to be rocked back and forth as the carriage set out to take them back to Felados Towers.

  “I'm happy that we cleared the first hurdle,” Maria finally said. “But the second one will be far more difficult.”

  “I agree,” Jolene said, “though I have to admit it's ironic that convincing our own guild is going to be harder than convincing another one.”

  Maria hummed in agreement. She didn't feel like talking anymore. She would have need of her voice the coming evening.

  All will be decided then. The final step after years of preparation.

  She began to feel nervous again.

  Later that evening, Maria stepped into Felados Towers' main hall and was met with the loud hum of dozens of voices. She halted, letting the sound wash over her as she assessed attendance.

  Almost everyone is here, as far as I can tell. Excellent.

  In the back of the hall, underneath the Leaf Window, sat the faithful, as Maria liked to call them. They were a group of older magistras who had joined Ashira when she founded the guild. Every one of them was a devout follower of the archmagistra. As such, they would never vote in favour of a vendetta.

  Maria smirked. They would vote against it even if Callium was laying siege to Felados this very moment.

  To win the vote, she would need the support of no less than sixty people, a two-thirds majority. Fortunately, Maria had her own faithful as well, although they counted only fourteen in number. She had spent the last two years trying to build support for a vendetta, and had managed to sway several magistras to her side.

  Her position as official liaison to the Lyceum wasn't an accident either; it had been yet another step towards this moment.

  Still, even she could never have imagined the opportunity that was handed to her yesterday when the news reached her that Callium alone was granted the right to conduct the investigation. Seeing her chance, she had arranged for this vote immediately afterwards.

  Without this, it would have taken many more moons to gain enough support for a vendetta. Possibly years.

  Abusing the disaster that had befallen White Candle like this caused a nagging feeling of guilt in the back of Maria's mind, yet she chose to leave it there. As she had told the Council, she believed White Candle's fate had been sealed. They suffered some kind of enormous magical mishap and were all killed as a result. No other explanation makes sense.

  Jolene was seated at one of the long tables, talking to some of the younger magistras. From her gestures Maria could tell she was trying to persuade them to support the vendetta.

  Good. That's the group we should be focusing on.

  The age distribution of the magistrae in Callium and the Daughters' guild was fairly balanced, if somewhat skewed towards the younger generation. The gender distribution, however, was not equal in the slightest. For the first years after the founding of the Daughters of Ashira, men had joined in equal numbers as women. Yet after Callium recovered from the Schism, their number dropped rapidly. Callium's recruitment was far more aggressive than any previously seen, and many of the male channellers flocked to its ranks instead of to the Daughters of Ashira. Initially, this new flow of apprentices had included many women as well, but they never seemed to last in Callium's toxic male-oriented atmosphere, invariably ending up at the Daughters instead.

  At present, the Daughters of Ashira's junior ranks were entirely female and Callium's were all male.

  Maria shook her head. Don't let yourself be sidetracked. Focus on the task at hand.

  “Do you see something that you disapprove of, Maria?” came a voice from behind her.

  Maria recognized it instantly and spun around to face Tayla Kannados, acting archmagistra of the guild. “Not at all, Magistra,” she blurted out. “I was just thinking about something unrelated.”

  “Are you ready?” Tayla asked, a mysterious smile on her face.

  Maria squirmed under the magistra's gaze. Tayla Kannados was the last adept who had studied under Ashira herself, and was by far the most talented person in the guild when it came to magic. Even though she was a wizard, like Maria, she was able to weave spells of a complexity and strength that even mages would have trouble with.

  On top of that, she retained much of her youthful beauty, despite being over forty years old, with shining brown hair that fell over her shoulders with a soft curl, and matching brown eyes that seemed to invite you to tell her all your secrets. Maria knew for a fact that there were several young adepts who were attracted to Tayla beyond mere infatuation.

  “I am ready,” Maria replied, looking away from those all-seeing eyes and gazing on the gathered crowd instead.

  “I wonder,” Tayla said in a hushed voice, causing Maria to turn back at her in surprise.

  Tayla, however, did not elaborate. Instead, she passed Maria and moved towards the lectern at the back of the hall, cloaked in her aura of mystery.

  Worry crept into Maria's mind. What the blaze did she mean by that? Does she know something I don't? Perhaps what I did at the Lyceum? She wanted to shake her head again, but stopped herself. No, that's impossible. How could she know about that already?

  Despite her own reassurances to the contrary, she had a bad feeling about the enigmatic magistra's remark.

  The meeting hall began to quiet down now that Tayla had arrived, and Maria made her way to Jolene.

  “You look like you saw a ghast,” Jolene remarked as Maria sat down next to her. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “It's nothing,” Maria said, not wanting to worry Jolene as well. “I'm just nervous, like I was this morning.”

  The people around them began to settle down until finally everyone was seated and only the occasional whisper was heard in the vast hall.

  Tayla had taken position behind the lectern and looked across at the gathering. She did not speak, seeming content to just take a good look at everyone.

  Maria looked around the hall as well, yet did not see anything strange. What's she waiting for?

  “Welcome all,” Tayla eventually said, brushing away a stray lock of hair. ”I'm happy to see that so many of you are here today. I consider this an affirmation of the importance of this meeting.”

  If she feels it's an important meeting, does that mean she's in favour of the vendetta?

  Tayla had always maintained a strictly neutral position on the subject. There was no reason to think that had changed. If we win the vote, will she lead without regrets?

  She pinched herself. Stop thinking about these things. Winning the vote is all that matters now.

  “A vendetta is a serious matter,” Tayla continued. “Yet these are eventful times. Our fellow magistrae from White Candle have disappeared, and while we still do not know what happened to them, we do know that their absence will upset the balance between the magic guilds in the city.” She looked around the hall. “In light of this, we are gathered here to determine if a vendetta against Callium is the course to take to ensure our guild's future.” She made a sweeping motion with her arm. “Who wishes to speak first?”

  Magistra Sohista Verados instantly rose to her feet. “I represent those who are against vendetta.”

  As expected. That old bat can't wait to speak up.

  Sohista was one of the faithful, and one who couldn't hold a secret to save her life. Her style of arguing matched her crone-like appearance. Her representing the opposition didn't surprise Maria.

  “We shall begin, then,” Tayla announced. She took a small runestone, placed on the lectern, in her hand. A moment later, a small white ball of light appeared from behind the lectern and floated forward to the centre of the hall until it stopped and hung stationary in the air.

  “The opposition shall be represented by white, the supporters in green.”

  The light of the ball flickered, changing to green and then back to white.

  “Thank you, Tayla,” Sohista said, looking around the hall with the air of a queen. “I'm speaking on behalf of the values our archmagistra has given us. Values that you are all sworn to hold dear as long as you are proud members of our guild.”

  Maria leaned back in her chair and studied the reactions of her fellow magistras. She only half-listened to Sohista as she already knew what the core of her argument was going to be; Ashira wouldn't want this.

  To Maria, it was more important to find out who was susceptible to the argument, and to which specific parts of it. As Sohista went on, Maria saw several magistras nod in agreement with the elder magistra's words; less than she had feared, but more than she had hoped.

  If I'm going to win this, I need to sway at least a handful of them to my side, Maria thought, knowing full well that would be a greater challenge than convincing the Lyceum Council.

  Eventually, Sohista finished and sat down to subdued applause.

  Maria felt her muscles tense. It was her turn now.

  “Thank you, Sohista,” Tayla said. “Let us move on, then. Who will speak in favour of declaring vendetta?” She inclined her head and looked straight at Maria.

  Undaunted, Maria rose from her seat, and whispers came from different directions.

  She didn't care. Despite her anxiety, she was determined to see this through to the end, regardless of what others might think of her afterwards.

  Declaring vendetta is the right thing to do and I will not apologize for it even if I fail here.

  “I speak on behalf of those in favour of the vendetta,” she said with a clear voice.

  The colour of the ball of light changed to green.

  As before, she felt her anxiety wash away the moment she started to speak. Everyone listened carefully as she spoke, and while some huffed at her suggestions, others hummed in agreement. By the time she finished her speech, her throat felt raw. She guzzled the glass of water Jolene handed her.

  Again there was applause, and to Maria's ears it sounded slightly louder than before. Or is it just my imagination?

  “Thank you, Maria,” Tayla said. “We shall move on to the debate. Does the opposition wish to address the arguments set forth?”

  “We certainly do,” Sohista said as she rose again from her seat. She had a fervent look in her eyes as she scowled at Maria, who coolly met her gaze. Glare all you want. I'm not backing down.

  Sohista raised a finger in the air. “I would like to start by saying that Magistra Seleny paints a terrible future, and that she has a whole lot of numbers to support that prediction.” She paused deliberately, looking around the hall before continuing. “I won't deny those numbers or even some of the claims she makes regarding Callium. They are scum and we all know it.”

  She isn't going to refute my facts, Maria thought. A wise decision.

  “However, the question here isn't whether or not Callium is a plague on our fair city,” Sohista said, now emphasizing her words with both hands. “The question is whether a vendetta is the correct response, and I say it is not. Archmagistra Ashira—our guiding flame—founded this guild on the principles of equality, cooperation and, most importantly, peacefulness. To engage in a vendetta, which is nothing short of a declaration of violence, is unthinkable in that light. Not only would it betray everything we are, it would shatter that image in the eyes of everyone.”

  Maria noted some of the older magistras nodding their heads in agreement.

  Sohista continued. “Even if a vendetta against Callium had benefits—which I highly doubt—its drawbacks would still exceed any possible gains. Do we really want to throw away who we are to wage a petty war against those we dislike and disagree with?”

  Again, the people around Sohista agreed with her in word and gesture. Maria heard approving murmurs in other parts of the hall as well.

  The light turned green.

  My turn.

  “Magistra Verados is doing her best to convince you all that a vendetta is a source of continuing violence,” Maria said, speaking with authority. ”That it would alienate us from every major organization in the city. Needless to say, I disagree.”

  Maria looked around the room as she spoke, trying to lock eyes with those she had seen earlier as being conflicted. “A vendetta is a lawful instrument. One that has never been repealed since the day Nerion the Third signed it into law one hundred and seventy years ago. So who, I ask, are we going to alienate ourselves from? Not the Crown, as they are responsible for the existence of these laws in the first place, and that rules out all the ministries as well.”

  She raised a hand in the air, fingers stretched. “Who else, then? One of the other magic guilds? Well, I suppose that Callium will strongly object.”

  There was some chuckling from various magistras in response.

  “That leaves Hyna and the Lyceum,” Maria continued, emboldened by the laughter. “I'm certain nobody here cares what Hyna thinks of us, though that feeling is mutual, I suspect.”

  Again there was laughter.

  “That leaves the Lyceum, whom we have a close bond with,” Maria continued. “It's a treasured friendship, and when I met with the Lyceum Council this morning, they reaffirmed that sentiment.”

  She could see some expressions shift from neutral to wonder. The whispers in the hall increased. Everyone was listening to her every word now.

  “Hence, I'm pleased to say that, should we decide to declare vendetta against Callium, the Lyceum will stand with us so we can face this threat together.”

  The meeting hall exploded in sound, whispers turning into shocked or excited voices.

  “What?!” Sohista yelled. “How can that be?!”

  Feeling content, Maria let the havoc she had caused wash over her. She could tell from most of the faces that this was something no-one had expected. Even some of the faithful seemed shocked; their belief that the Lyceum was a meek and stuffy guild had been shaken to the core.

  Maria glanced at Tayla, who remained silent. The acting archmagistra's expression was the same as it had been before. If Tayla had any strong emotions about Maria's revelation, she kept them to herself.

  I truly wonder what she thinks of this.

  The green light did not change, so Maria continued. “We have to act now, not later. If Callium is allowed to enter the White Candle sanctum unhindered and without proper supervision, it will pick the place clean. Do not doubt this.” She sat down and nodded to Tayla once to indicate that she was done. Anything she said after this would only serve to distract from the impact of the Lyceum joining the vendetta.

  The light turned white.

  Sohista stood but seemed at a loss for words, something Maria had not thought possible. The old magistra looked at some of the other faithful for help, but she was met with nothing but head shakes and shrugs.

  “I have nothing to add,” Sohista finally said.

  The light turned green again. Maria shook her head at Tayla and the light vanished, signalling the end of the debate.

  “Well,” Tayla said. “Let us vote.” She beckoned to two adepts who had been standing to the side. They each carried a vase: one green, one white. The containers for the voting chits.

  A small curtain was raised and the vases placed behind it on a small table. The magistras and the few magisters of the Daughters of Ashira lined up to cast their votes.

  Each person accepted a chit from one of the adepts, who then marked off their name.

  When Maria approached the front of the line, she could hear the ticking sound that every chit made as it fell into a vase, and when it was her turn she took a moment to stare at both vases.

  These two vases now hold my future. Or the lack of one, if I am to lose.

  Maria shook her head to rid herself of the thought. No, I won't lose here. Not after all this time, and not like this.

  Determined, she dropped her chit down the narrow neck of the green vase.

  After everyone had cast their vote and was seated again, the two adepts each picked a vase and turned it over. The hall was silent as they counted, and Maria caught herself chewing on a lock of her hair; a habit she had kicked years ago.

  “Sixty-two in favour,” one adept said. “Twenty-seven against,” the other one added.

  Maria froze in her seat. I did it.

  The hall erupted. Both cheers and jeers tumbled through the air, joining in a wave of sound. As Maria looked around, she noticed it was mostly the younger magistras who made the noise. Sohista and the rest of the faithful sat in silence. The looks on their faces spoke volumes and they all avoided Maria's eyes.

  Jolene grabbed Maria by the shoulder. “We did it. We won.” Her grin stretched from ear to ear.

  Maria glowed at the attention heaped upon her. She knew that this victory was the first step towards putting an end to Callium's vile behaviour. She glanced at Tayla, who was still standing motionlessly behind the lectern, calmly observing the crowd. With Tayla as our leader, we cannot fail.

  Tayla raised her hand and the noise died down, until there were only a few whispers left.

  “Well,” Tayla said. “Normally I would congratulate the winner of the vote. But considering the subject, I feel that would be unbecoming. Declaring vendetta is, after all, a major departure from the founding principles of our guild.” She paused for a moment while looking at Maria. “Even so, our archmagistra says that as times change, so should the people who live in them. This vote proves that a more active stance towards those who regard us with hostility is desired.”

  She lowered her hand. “As the vendetta is now a reality, I would like to take this opportunity to choose the vendetta's leader.”

  Maria, still basking in the afterglow of her victory, snapped to attention. Pick a leader? She's not going to lead herself?

  “I'm not available for this position because of my standing responsibilities,” Tayla said, as if reading Maria's mind. “Who here wishes to put forward a name?”

  Maria's mouth fell open. She had counted on Tayla taking charge of the vendetta. Even the faithful would have followed her, being Ashira's last adept. If someone else was to be in charge, things would become much trickier.

  What if someone is picked who voted against the vendetta? If that happens, it will be the same as not having one at all.

  Maria knew what she had to do to prevent that, and took a deep breath. Yet before she could speak, Sohista rose from her chair and addressed the hall.

  “I would like to nominate Maria Seleny.”

  Maria's jaw closed with an audible clack as she stared at Sohista with a dumbfounded look on her face.

  She nominates me?! Why would she— Then Maria caught Sohista's look and accompanying smirk. Ah, so that's your game. You know that if somebody puts my name forward, I will win in any case. This is nothing more than a ploy to appear supportive.

  Maria narrowed her eyes, keeping her gaze locked to Sohista's. “I accept your nomination,” Maria stated loudly.

  “Any other nominations?” Tayla asked.

  People looked at each other, but nobody spoke up.

  “Well, that makes things easy,” Tayla said. “Magistra Maria Seleny will be the leader and our representative for the vendetta. Thank you for your attendance.” She stepped away from the lectern, signifying that the meeting was over.

  Murmurs filled the hall once more and several magistras stepped up to Maria to offer their congratulations. Maria accepted them all gracefully before making her way to the exit, Jolene following her closely.

  “Putting you in charge was unexpected,” Jolene said, as they walked back to their shared study. “Although it makes sense. Tayla must have her hands full already.”

  “I agree,” Maria said, tapping her temple with her index finger. “In fact, this might even be a better outcome.”

  “Are you certain? Leading people directly is a lot harder than what you are used to, and the faithful won't be as cooperative as they would have been with Tayla.”

  “I'm confident,” Maria stated, feeling able to take on the entire world. She raised up her chin and straightened her shoulders.

  Jolene chuckled at the sight. “So what happens now, leader of the vendetta?”

  A devious smile curled itself around Maria's lips. “Now we make Callium pay.”