I left the Ollais' home, finding myself at a loss for what to do next. Rejoining Flynn seemed the most obvious choice, but I knew there was little point. My brother would have his job well in hand, and my presence wouldn't make it easier.

  Maybe I could peruse the shops and stores within the Upper District. There was no place in Ferris with as many magical artisans, and I had found plenty of inspiration in the past from examining the works of others. Then again, the real treasures would be behind locked doors, and I doubted I could open those even with the Sion name as my backing.

  Fortunatus was miles away by now, wandering through the city streets by himself. I reached out through our bond and received what I could only describe as a polite yet firm dismissal in response, as if my presence was a point of annoyance to him. Magical or not, a cat was still a cat.

  Minutes pass as I walk and turn over my options. I didn't see much point in meeting with my former friends or acquaintances. At least, not yet. Maybe it was cowardice, but I felt as though it wasn't a good use of my time.

  Finally, I decided the best option was to sit and wait for Flynn's return. So, with no small degree of irritation, I set off for our home for the next few weeks.

  The first time I had visited Volaris, my quarters had consisted of a single, small room with a bed, closet, and dresser in a modest inn. Nice enough, and certainly outside of reach for the average citizen, but hardly what one might call "impressive."

  Flynn didn't do modest. Instead, he'd reserved the entire top floor of a luxurious building, tailor-made for only the wealthiest and most powerful nobles. Staying there for even one night cost more than most commoners would see in one year, which felt a ridiculous waste to me. Still, I couldn't deny that it was a pleasant change of pace.

  All told, our lodgings consisted of separate beds, bathrooms, a small kitchen, a sitting room for company, and a balcony overlooking the city. Every inch of the space had been combed over, with the carpets scrubbed, the bedding remade, the pillows fluffed, the bathrooms perfumed, and the wood surfaces polished until they shone like glass.

  Such decadence came with additional privileges. Not only did we have an entire floor to ourselves, but multiple servants had been made available for our personal needs. When I'd returned, they'd all but fallen over themselves asking if I needed anything from a bath drawn to dinner made to a tailor or barber.

  Six months ago, I would've openly balked at the whole ordeal, regarding it as an annoyance. Now, I managed to keep those reactions hidden with some difficulty. I made a show of asking them to get me food and draw a bath, and almost instantly regretted that decision when one of the servants suggested there were certain...companions they could send for to join me while I washed myself.

  I bathed, alone, practiced my mental magic defenses, did some reading, and was just about finished with my dinner when Flynn waltzed into the sitting room.

  "How'd it go?" I asked, setting down my utensils and pushing the plate away.

  The light mage smiled. "Terrible! I didn't get to spend even one moment in the Archives, and instead wasted away my day going from one office to another."

  "And you're smiling because...?" I asked, trailing off.

  "Because I managed to get us these," Flynn replied, flourishing a hand and producing two bracelets from his pocket.

  He tossed one in my direction, and I pulled it to my hand with a brief flex of will. The bracelet was familiar, consisting of a thin leather strap with a small, dull metal plate attached to one side. Simple runes that corresponded to words such as "sword" and "light" shone against the unpolished iron, and I could sense a faint shimmer of mana within those markings.

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  All told, it was similar to but distinct from the bracelets given to apprentices. Clearly lower quality and far less stable, but without question, the same basic principle.

  "What are these?" I asked, if only to confirm my suspicions.

  "Temporary bracelets. These will allow us entrance into the Archives for as long as we're here. The Academy doesn't make a show of it, but they make certain allowances for well-connected nobles. And their children, of course. It might've taken me most of a day to find the right people, sign the right papers, and prove the right things, but these will let us actually get some work done."

  I sighed, feeling a flush of relief. Flynn had been pretty sure he could get us into the Archives, but it was still good to be sure. The best teacher was without question Alexandria, but I'd rather avoid meeting her face-to-face if possible. I still wasn't positive that the strange compulsion I had felt to avoid mind magic was her doing—or even that it was something unnatural at all—but it was a risk I'd rather avoid.

  Flynn sat on the couch in our combined lounge, throwing one leg over the other as he leaned back. "So, how did your day go? Did you woo Vesper Ollais with your polished charm and wit?"

  "We met and spoke for several hours, if that is what you mean."

  "And...?" Flynn pushed.

  "It was a pleasant enough conversation," I replied, not rising to his bait. "But I'm still not sure if she will be a wise choice for our purposes."

  "Bah," Flynn scoffed, waving a hand. "So boring. I half-expected you to return tonight, having been challenged to a duel to the death, wagering your life in some grand show of courage and daring."

  I stared at him for a few seconds, then replied. "I'm glad you think so highly of me, but no. That said, we are meeting again tomorrow. Hopefully, I can learn more about her then."

  "And ask her to accompany you to the banquet, yes?" Flynn pressed with a grin.

  "Why does that matter?" I replied. "If we can make an ally of her before then, all the better. We can just skip the damned thing."

  "Three reasons. First, because we need to introduce you to the world as the second son of the Sion family. This will be a perfect chance to do that. Second, because if we fail to puzzle out mind magic, we will need to meet Alexandria, and a party presents an excellent opportunity. And third, because it'll be fun. Not even you can train and study without taking a break."

  It was an argument we'd repeated a few times already, and I couldn't help but see the logic. Even if I did recruit Vesper to our cause beforehand, the banquet served a point.

  "Very well, I will ask her to accompany me to the banquet tomorrow, assuming everything goes well."

  Flynn smiled as though he would make another joke, but seemed to reconsider when he saw my warning glare. Instead, he cleared his throat, his face turning serious as he said, "How should we handle our digging into mind palaces? We don't have a glut of time to work with before this banquet, and if we do recruit your friend, we need to get home and get her strong enough for the ritual as quickly as possible."

  I debated pawning the work onto Flynn. The school year hadn't ended yet, and there was every chance I'd run into one of my former friends within the Archives. Only Simon tended to spend time in the Archives, but I hadn't seen them in almost two years. Who knew how much had changed in that time?

  But after a second or two, I pushed aside those childish concerns. Avoiding awkward social interactions wasn't worth slowing down our work.

  "We'll head for the Academy together first thing in the morning. We can get some ideas on where to start, maybe spend a few hours reading before I have to leave to meet with Vesper. I hope to spend the time until the banquet learning more about her, after which we can make a decision. As for the mind palace, we'll need to keep our options open. If we can't figure it out on our own, we might need to approach the Archmagus."

  "Which would require leveraging our father's name and likely making some kind of deal with Alexandria," Flynn replied, frowning. "Not the best option."

  "No, but something tells me the secrets to revolutionary mind-enhancing magic aren't lying around for any old apprentice to stumble upon," I countered.

  Flynn opened his mouth to respond, only to yawn instead. He leaned back and stretched before sitting forward. "I'm exhausted. Not sure how, considering all I did was walk from office to office, but I feel ready to fall over. Think I'll get some sleep."

  With that, Flynn stood and walked into his private quarters, leaving me alone with only my thoughts to keep me company.

  I stood, walking out onto the balcony overlooking Volaris. The city was still awake, even long after sunset, and I leaned against the railing, closing my eyes as I reached out with my senses.

  The mana here was the strongest I'd ever sensed, even after visiting so many places. The Everforge had been closest, and it was concentrated in a way that Volaris wasn't, but nowhere had such a rich abundance of power. I couldn't help but imagine what kind of things I might be able to do if I could harness such magical might.

  I hadn't lied to Flynn when I said I'd rather avoid meeting with Alexandria...I hadn't been wholly honest either. A part of me wanted answers. Why had she put some kind of compulsion on me to avoid learning mind magic? Was it simple pragmatism, ensuring I remained vulnerable, or was there some other angle I hadn't considered?

  But another, cautious voice whispered that I had to avoid her at all costs. If she had altered something within my mind once, what stopped her from doing so again? I had taken precautions that I thought should work, but hasty defenses were hardly a match for an Archmagus. A first-year apprentice's best barrier wouldn't stop me for long, after all.

  And above it all, one grim question kept returning over and over again. If Alexandria hadn't rooted that compulsion in my thoughts, then who had?

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