“Yes, it’s there!” I said. “Shall I cut off the working?”
“Yes!” Jareth said with a shudder before Darius could answer.
I glanced at Darius, but he nodded swiftly.
“Take control.” I seized the composition still latched on to Jareth, working more quickly than I had with Matthis since this was now my second attempt at the same thing. Within moments, I disconnected again.
“All done,” I said.
“Just like that.” Jareth shook his head. “Your ability really is incredible, Verene.”
“I’m just glad I could help,” I said.
“And were you right?” he asked. “When you take control of a composition you understand its nature, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Yes, Conall’s control was what kept you from naming Tyron.”
He growled, clenching his fists and looking as if he longed for some sort of physical outlet for his feelings.
“How carefully they laid their plans.” Darius looked black. “And how close they came to succeeding. They would have, if it hadn’t been for you and your ability, Verene.”
“We all played a part,” I said swiftly. “And it isn’t over yet.”
“No.” Darius sounded deeply weary. “It’s very far from over.” He sighed. “I suppose there’s no need to send an urgent warning to the emperor of the dangers just discovered by Queen Lucienne and myself. The emperor will be well aware of the risk Conall already poses to his people. We were the fools for thinking our distance protected us for now.”
I looked around the familiar sitting room, the green sofas looking comfortable and inviting. But something was missing. I had been so pleased to see Darius again that I had forgotten something important.
“Where’s Tyron? Have you had him transferred to a cell in the capital? I thought we still needed to maintain appearances?”
“He’s still here.” Jareth sounded grim. “More’s the pity.”
Darius shot him a look. “He’s actually been less trouble than I expected. Almost cooperative, in fact. I didn’t even have to use a composition to compel him to speak when we questioned him about his summer plans.”
“But you used a truth composition, I hope.” Bryony sounded concerned.
“Of course. And he said he never had any intention of returning home over the summer. The journey is too far, and he didn’t want to risk any connection between him and the increasing rumors in the north. He intended to secretly stay in Kallorway—as he did last summer—and look for ways to cause trouble. So we haven’t had to worry about his failure to appear rousing Conall’s suspicions.”
“I’m glad that worked out so smoothly,” I said. “But what’s your plan for the year? Are you going to have to keep him bound again all year?” I couldn’t quite keep the worry out of my voice. Maintaining the binding—first on Jareth and then on Tyron—on top of all his other responsibilities had been a significant strain on Darius in third year.
“Actually Vincent has been working on that all summer,” Jareth said. “He’s worked out a simpler version that his own team can oversee. That’s why Tyron isn’t here now.”
“Is that a good idea?” Bryony’s skepticism was clear in her voice. “He’s caused a lot of trouble.”
“He has,” Darius agreed, “and his ability is very powerful. But it’s also limited compared to the abilities of a power mage, especially one as powerful as Jareth. And without his ability, Tyron has a lot less influence than a Kallorwegian prince. He doesn’t need the same bindings as Jareth did.”
“Of course, he’ll still have to be with us constantly.” Jareth sounded sour. “He needs to be watched at all times, and there’s no other way to explain guards in his classes other than having them pose as guards for Darius and me.”
I winced. Spending my days with Tyron, pretending for the rest of the Academy that we were still friends, wasn’t how I wanted to spend my final year.
“Duke Francis and Zora have had my suite expanded over the summer break,” Darius said. “The rooms next to mine were empty, and they’ve now been joined to make a three-bedroom suite. That way Jareth, Tyron, and I can be close together and well-guarded at all times.”
I glanced around my own untouched suite, foolishly grateful they hadn’t taken it to use in the expansion. It felt far more like home than I had ever imagined it could. My eyes flicked to the tapestry on the wall. And I wasn’t ready to give up my connection with Darius—even if it was now a connection with Jareth and Tyron as well.
“So he’s in there now?” Bryony also stared at the tapestry, distaste in her voice and on her face.
Jareth nodded. “But he’s watched at all times. He will never be allowed to be a danger to either of you. I hope you know that.”
“He’s a danger to my temper,” she muttered. “Because all I want to do is give him a swift kick.”
Jareth laughed. “Well, if he causes any trouble, you have my permission to do just that.”
Bryony grinned at him. “I’m going to hold you to that. If he attempts to escape or wiggle out of his bindings, I want a piece of him.”
“After three years of watching you fight with that sword of yours, I would be far too terrified to get in your way,” Jareth said solemnly.
“Are we going to be late for the evening meal?” I asked. “I’m sure I’ll deny it strenuously in about three months’ time, but I miss the bells, telling us where to be, when.”
Bryony shot upright. “We can’t miss the meal! They always have something nice the night before classes start.” She grabbed Jareth’s arm and started towing him toward the door, glaring at Darius and me as she passed by. “Come on, you two.”
I followed reluctantly, feeling foolish when I realized I had been hoping for a moment alone with Darius after their departure. Was this what it was going to be like all year? Had we returned to pretense in public, punctuated by stolen moments together? I wanted more from Darius than that.
We almost collided with Elsie as we all filed out of the door. She had two other servants with her, all of them laden down with bags. Darius and Jareth both greeted her by name, and the other two servants looked impressed. Something told me it wasn’t only in Corrin that Elsie had status beyond her age. I smiled as we hurried along the corridor to Darius’s door. She deserved all of it. After all, it was only thanks to her we had discovered Conall had his hooks in both Matthis and Jareth.
Tyron strolled out of the entrance to Darius’s suite, looking neither chastened and downcast nor particularly confident. He looked, in fact, almost entirely normal. For a moment, it felt unutterably strange, and then I felt a wave of relief. As strange as it was, it would make the coming year a lot easier if we could all pretend everything was normal.
The hum and bustle of the dining hall certainly helped with that impression, washing over me and bringing as much pleasure as the smell of the food. We had made our way from the far right of the room in first year to the long row of tables on the far left. There were no older trainees ahead of us this year. We were not just the highest-ranking group now, but also the oldest and most experienced.