17
Three archmages sat in Irtan’s chambers sipping wine and trying to conceal their fears. Yoreus leaned back in his chair, taking pleasure in watching Loktra tremble. The third archmage clenched both the wine cup and the armrest to hide her reaction, but her face, tight and unnatural, revealed what she tried to hide, while the Towers’ leader, Irtan, made the wine swirl in his cup and watched it, deep in thought. Yoreus knew Irtan enough to know that the elaborate expression of mild concern masked a whole array of other feelings, and he could only hope he didn’t look as desperate as the other two archmages.
His thoughts returned to the echo they’d felt earlier. Powerful magic released in the desert had stirred many students and raised questions the archmages had to address without knowin
