Master and Bennit stared at her, mouths agape. Bennit even when so far as to stand, knocking his chair over, and start toward her before catching himself.

  “What did you say?” He asked, raw emotion in his voice, before eventually righting his chair and sitting back down.

  She blushed under her fur at the attention. “You are my friends.” She swallowed before pressing on. “Our secret histories say that we came from another world. We were enslaved and brought here, or maybe we came to Iosa on our own and were defeated. Either way, all of the legends say that before we were conquered, we could use spoken magic.”

  “Cat people are not constructs? You’re a natural race?” Bennit asked.

  “Yes. We are.”

  “That sounds like it’s a big deal. How big are we talking about?” Alboim asked.

  Bennit nodded slowly. “If they are truly a natural race, it could rewrite our theology.”

  “Great.” Alboim said, folding his arms and tilting his chair back. “That means religious wars.” He shuddered. “I suppose that we should not be telling anyone this.”

  “Yes.” Bennit rounded on Suzsise. “What possessed you to even tell us this?”

  “Cut it out, Bennit. What’s done is done. But,” he hugged Suzsise, and added, “Suzsise, this secret is way beyond just you. I’m glad that you trust us, but you cannot tell secrets like this that are not your own.”

  After several minutes of increasingly uncomfortable fidgeting, where both Bennit and Suzsise failed to meet his eye, Alboim asked, “The immediate question is, can you still use voice magic?”

  “The collar prevents all magic, unless you earn a gold collar.” Bennit replied, confused. “Everyone knows that.” Suzsise nodded vigorously.

  “So you say. But I wonder about that. How would they know how to prevent words of power if they only know magic circles? They may or may not be related. But they do use different methods. If the collars prevent circle magic, but not word magic, and not touching etere…” Alboim thought a moment.

  “Do you know how to sense your arwa?” he asked her. She nodded nervously. “Would you like to try to learn voice magic?”

  “Yes, Master. If I can.” She swallowed and added more confidently. “Yes, I will learn it.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ~*** *** ***~

  October 3 / Hagalsan 12

  The lessons had gone fairly well, Alboim thought to himself. For the past Barugalan week, he had given both Suzsise and Bennit meditation lessons. The two had picked up a great deal already simply by being close slaves of mages. And he knew what to look when it came to mana-scorching; He’d asked Harralt who was the more relaxed of his tutors soon after deciding to help Suzsise.

  “The big thing is obvious exhaustion.” He’d answered his question. “Sudden flushing, sweating, staggering, are also good signs. Why do you ask?” Alboim had let him know that Aunt Elspith was allowing him to practice on his own now, but wanted Bennit or Suzsise there just in case. “Wise of her.” was all he’d said to that.

  Dinner was not for another couple of chimes, or 90 minutes, and Suzsise was breathing regularly and deeply in front of him. Bennit waited at the ready just in case anything went wrong.

  “Suzsise,” Alboim spoke slowly to not startle her out of her meditations. “Without touching your arwa to your etere, I want you to say the light spell.” It was the easiest and safest spell, according to Mom’s lectures.

  “Ixghel id-dawl.” He nodded.

  “Good, it will be just like that. And the stopping spell”

  “Wakfa!”

  “Excellent. Are you ready to try?”

  Bennit swallowed nervously, eyes tight as she nodded.

  “Then let us begin… grab ahold of the smallest string of awra you can.” Alboim continued to guide her through the process, when it happened.

  Suzsise started shaking and panting. Her head drooped, and Alboim said urgently, “Let go, Suzsise, you’re starting to scorch.” It continued, and Alboim moved to slap her out of it.

  Bennit was faster.

  He moved so fast, Alboim swore he saw an afterimage, and he grabbed Suzsise by the shoulders, forcing her head up. He kissed her, long and chaste. She melted into his arms, and the shaking slowly stopped. When she came to, she gave a surprised little squeak, scooting away.

  “So what happened?” Alboim ignored the interplay between them. He just wished they would stop dancing around each other and start dating, or whatever they did in this world.

  “It was too much for me, Master.” she replied. “I think I touched too deeply. It felt like I was working the kitchens on a hot day. Or that one time, when I was about ten. I,” she took a deep breath, and scooted a bit further away from Bennit. “I tried to activate a water circle I found.”

  “You WHAT?” Bennit turned on her. “Do you have any idea how stupid that was?” He reached out to her, but she quickly got behind Alboim, who held up a hand to him.

  The butler breathed shakily, forcing him to adopt a calming rhythm to his breath. “I forget myself. Suzsise, I am sorry. It is not my place to chastize you like that.” She nodded, and came out from Alboim’s shadow. “But damn, I know you were a ditz when we were kids, but this is beyond foolhardy.”

  “What happened?” Alboim asked.

  “Uhm, my collar got hot, and I couldn’t think anymore. I ended up falling asleep in a broom closet, and Mamma yelled at me because I didn’t do any of my work. And she sent me to bed without any supper.”

  “You are lucky no one who knows the signs of arwa-scorching found you out.” Bennit sounded relieved. He stepped forward, and enveloped her in a hug. “Thank the God of Light, nothing worse happened to you.” Hesitantly, she hugged him back.