Chapter 62: [22.3] The Undelivered Letter

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Her second blooding was as much a torture as her first, but its results did not take as long. Grand Palace dhayang were a priority, her tester had said, and so two days later, she was back in the infirmary with Tran faithfully at her side.

Master Usman was already waiting when they entered his office. Isla could not stand the smell of it. Sharp citrus and tobacco; it tried too hard to mask the metallic scent of blood. The tester himself looked just the type to enjoy cutting up young women. He had Isla's bloodrunes on his desk – both of them. She had left her first with him the day of her blooding, and now it sat beside another, both laid upon a fold of bamboo cloth.

'Have a seat.' He did not bother to rise.

Isla fought the urge to take her bloodrunes; to study them under better light. It was difficult to appreciate any fine differences in the soft lamplight emanating from all corners of the room, but they looked to be a similar shade of purple.

'An exact match,' said Master Usman. 'Let's test it, then. Start by preparing your core.'

She did as she was told. Both bloodrunes started to glow. A warm and gentle red; embers among coal. Isla tested her theurgy, digging into Master Usman's mind at his command, and the embers ignited into bright copper, shining from the bloodrunes' pores.

'Enough.' The tester shielded his eyes. 'This confirms they are both yours.'

'I suppose that means my rank hasn't changed.' Isla had not expected differently.

'Indeed ... but an exact match? Normally there would still be some variations. Small enough that it makes no difference in ranking. It's another matter if your theurgy has settled for years ... but a newly manifested theurgist?' He lit a candle and held it up against both bloodrunes, one after the other. 'Even its spark ... look. The same hue of red under bright light.'

'I ... I'm a late bloomer. Would that have an effect? I also may have been late in declaring my theurgy. Mistress Hanopol should have made a note of it.'

Master Usman flipped through the small book that came with Isla's files. 'True enough. I notice several anomalies in your case. Your family history ... your extremely late age upon manifestation ... your unusually high ranking given these circumstances ...'

They were not as blindsided as Isla had hoped. She found Pepper in her pocket and let its warmth calm her quickening pulse.

'And now another to add to your ever-growing list. We may need to study you yet.'

'Study me?'

'Rare cases such as yours? You're an attraction for scholars as flame is to moth.'

'I've no time to entertain scholars.'

'That would be for your future husband to decide. A confirmed second-rank ... you'll hook one in seconds.' He grinned a mouthful of tobacco-stained teeth.

Isla shrank back in her seat. Pepper nudged its head out of her pocket and chirped indignantly.

'You'll need to take that lizard out of my office.'

'It's not –' Isla thought better of it. 'Are we done, then?'

'Give me your papers.'

Isla handed him Lilja's pocket book. He turned to an empty page, pressed into it the seal of second-rank theurgist, before passing it back. 'Congratulations on completing your enlistment. Don't forget your bloodrunes on your way out.'

'What am I supposed to do with them?'

'Whatever you please.' He pulled a chisel from his drawer and chipped out a piece of Isla's bloodrune, lifting the small chunk under protection of the bamboo cloth before securing it in a wooden box. 'This one goes in our records. Along, of course, with your long list of addendums. You've already garnered much interest, I must say.'

'Interest?'

'I'm obligated to inform you.' He tapped a pile of papers on the side of his desk. 'A report of your theurgy is to be sent to several parties.'

'That's supposed to be confidential.'

'Nothing remains confidential from these individuals.'

Individuals. In the plural. Isla did not need to consult the royal pedigree to guess to which of them Master Usman was referring. It'd be all Chei needs to confirm her suspicions. I don't have much time left. 'Thank you for your time.'

Master Usman waved Isla away, already procuring a pipe even before she stood. Isla snatched her bloodrunes and stuffed them into a satchel she had earlier prepared.

'You're so lucky,' said Tran the second Isla closed the door behind her. 'Did you hear what he said? You'll have members of the palace trying to recruit you.'

'I'd sooner hang than serve a single one of them.'

Tran pulled her along the hallway, as though Master Usman could hear them through the thick walls. 'Careful what you say, especially around here.'

'I thought the whole point of being educated was to learn how to express oneself.'

'You forget this academy belongs to the Maha Rama. You don't want to say anything that could be misinterpreted as ... insurgent.'

I prefer the term "revolutionary". Isla sniffed at the thought of Kiet.

'I've never told anyone this.' Tran suddenly stopped, allowing a group of dhayang to hurry past. 'My brothers were suspected of insurgence. Unfounded accusations, in the end; but most people don't care they're innocent.'

'I'm sorry ... are they –'

'They're fine. If you can call it that. Alive. But it's tarnished our family name. Made it impossible for them to find work. My father's barely tolerated by his employer, and I ... I'll never ... well. I'm here, now. This is my family's second chance of a future. Don't risk yours, is all I mean.'

'Tran.' Isla paused for a while and thought better of confessing. It would only cause more problems, and it solved nothing but to relieve Isla of her own guilt. Besides, a commotion was building somewhere behind them, and the loud voices drowned much of their conversation. Louder, she continued, 'You'll do well, whatever happens. The Water Palace is also an opportunity. We've shared many classes, and I've seen how clever you are, and hard-working.'

'Not as clever as Phrae.' She smiled sourly, and Isla knew the young lord must have told her his choice.

At least he was not a coward about it. 'You're a far better person than any of us.' The fact Tran was not storming off to the infirmary to tear Phrae into pieces was evidence of that.

'We should go if we want to visit her before our next class. This place makes my eyes sting.'

'And it smells like smoke.'

The two girls exchanged a glance before looking behind them. People had gathered by an open door somewhere towards the end of the hallway. Dhayang trying to get a look, nurses pushing them back ...

Smoke billowed from the room, but a few eyrkin were deftly channelling it out through the air vents, leaving only a faint trace of its acrid smell wafting through the hallway.

'Isn't that ...' Isla squinted for a better look.

'I think it is.'

Master Usman's office was burning.

Too much. This is too much. No one would be foolish enough to try to kill her twice using the same methods.

Isla had a sudden thought and reached for her pockets. Pepper had vanished yet again.

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