Rachel descended the steps to the first floor to see an escalation of the scene she had left - Tassel still hung limply between the arms of two bulky policemen, but four more had arrived, two of whom held wicked halberds. The immediate surrounding of the arrest had been bustling with students when she had arrived, but now it was deserted, its previous occupants fleeing to the edges of the action like fish from a schooner. A strange silence hung in the air, no different in volume from earlier, but laced with venomous thread.

  “Don’t intervene,” Rachel whispered to Matt. She noticed then that Matt’s acquaintance had joined them, so she motioned for Matt to relay the order. “Blend in.”

  They did so, melting into the crowd next to a heavy shelf labeled Agricultural Design. The room held its breath as Tassel slowly raised his head to address one of the men with halberds.

  “We skipped introductions,” he breathed. “That wasn’t very kind of you.”

  The policeman knelt down to address Tassel. “You know who I am, wizard trash.”

  “Wizard trash?” Tassel exclaimed with mock indignation. “Who taught you to speak of others that way?”

  “You know him?” Matt’s new friend whispered, fearful wonder shimmering in her eyes.

  “I’d call that a stretch,” Rachel grumbled. “We’ve been seen with him. That’s all anyone else will care about.”

  “Is he really a wizard? I’m Lana, by the way.”

  “Oh, yes he is,” Rachel sighed, irked by Lana’s outwardness. “Doesn’t make him worthy of praise. Doesn’t make him worthy of being treated like this either, though.”

  “I wish I knew a wizard,” Lana breathed almost dreamily. “Imagine the dissertation I could write with such a source!”

  Rachel shook her head in disbelief. “Dream on. Better yet, shut your mouth while you do it.”

  Lana made a hurt noise, then retreated back behind Matt. Soon enough, though, she returned to Rachel’s shoulder, shoving forward to get a better view of the arrest.

  “Tassel Eldrin,” Tassel growled, locking eyes with the policeman/ “Nice to meet you.”

  The policeman did not share his name until, out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Tassel’s lips move soundlessly. Quickly, the policeman straightened.

  “Constable Per Barlow,” the policeman said gruffly. He did not extend his hand to Tassel, who was glaring up at him in defiance.

  “Barlow,” Tassel mused. “A nobleman fallen to public service.”

  Per did not react physically, but his face reddened. Tassel’s lips moved once more, and Per snapped, pulling back and blasting his fist into the side of Tassel’s head. Tassel, of course, didn’t let the punch connect, snapping an Edomic suggestion and letting Per’s fist swing harmlessly behind him as if he were about to put Tassel in a headlock. Per roared, but two policemen jumped into action and each grabbed one of his arms, holding him back from any further outbursts. Tassel used the distraction to wrest himself away from his one remaining captor, standing up and holding his hands up in surrender.

  When were you going to tell me you were a criminal?” Rachel thought pointedly to Tassel.

  Tassel did not turn to face her. I’m no more of a criminal than you are. They just don’t yet know you.

  Should I intervene?

  Tassel stood stock-still, throwing haughty glances at the gathering onlookers. No. I’ll have this sorted.

  Matt has picked up a shadow, Rachel thought, injecting a healthy dose of disdain into the message.

  About time, Tassel grated. That kid is in desperate need of human connection.

  Rachel barely caught a chuckle in time to keep her expression neutral. Tassel turned slowly to face Per as his henchmen let him go, leaving the five of them standing in stark silence, each trying to out-intimidate the other. Tassel stood loosely, looking out at the policemen with blatant superiority.

  “I should cut that silver tongue out of your throat for this,” Per growled.

  “You could,” Tassel reasoned, “but that would make me mad.”

  Per made a mocking gesture. “Oh no, poor little Eldrin’s got thin skin.”

  Eldrin. Rachel had almost forgotten.

  “You can’t mock me and then call me by my last name, Barlow,” Tassel bristled. “Or have you truly fallen so far from nobility that you forget the most basic of customs?”

  Per wrinkled his nose. “I forfeited my title. Us common folk speak in plainer terms.”

  Tassel grinned. “Sounds like someone’s got family issues.”

  Per, unable to resist any longer, launched himself at Tassel and threw a brutal punch that missed him by over a foot. He roared and leaped to the left, punching the air before striking a remarkably suggestive pose and twirling a beautiful pirouette.

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  “Unhand me, wretch!” Per roared.

  Tassel raised his eyebrows. “Are we all ready to act civilized?”

  The students, Rachel noticed, were shockingly quiet. Back at home, at least from what she’d heard, these students would be out for blood, chanting for a fight. Here, they all stood still, showing genuine interest but not provocation. She was glad - she couldn’t have Tassel trying to control the whole room. Even a wizard of his caliber had to have limits.

  “Since when can a wizard speak of civility?” Per spat.

  Tassel shook his head in condescending disappointment. “No, then. Sooner or later it would be nice to let these students go about their days.”

  “You didn’t have to come here,” Per argued.

  “And you didn’t have to detain an innocent man in the middle of a library.”

  Per laughed humorlessly. “Innocent? You’re out of your mind.”

  “Your father had my father killed.” Tassel took a step forward, clouds flashing behind his gaze. “You personally found me and gloated about it. So I burned down your estate. Fair’s fair.”

  “Fair?” Per stomped his foot, but did not lash out. “My entire family died in that fire!”

  “Such is the risk taken by the instigator,” Tassel reasoned.

  This argument has shuffled forward long enough, Rachel thought bitterly to Tassel.

  I’m getting there, Tassel replied.

  No, you’re not. Send them off and put this place out of its misery.

  “One day, little rat,” Per growled. “One day, you’ll be the last of your skies-forsaken breed. And you know I’ll be there to gloat.”

  Tassel let out a quiet tsk-tsk. “If wizards are to go extinct, it will be the doing of wizards, not common folk with genocidal aspirations like you and your puppet masters.”

  Tassel, I swear to all that is holy, please shut your mouth before your ego chokes the air out of this library, Rachel snubbed.

  “Nobody controls me,” Per objected.

  Tassel simply shrugged. He winked at Rachel, speaking Edomic through a corner of his lips. One by one, the policemen backed away from Tassel, saluted the crowd, then jogged out of the library. Per went last, doing one more pirouette for good measure before skipping out of the library. The heavy wooden doors crashed shut behind them, leaving the library in a sudden, decidedly mossy silence.

  Tassel turned on his heel and strode out of the limelight, aiming for the stairs directly across the circle from Matt and Rachel. Matt leaned forward as if to follow, but Rachel held out a hand to stop him. The last thing they needed was for anyone else to associate them with a wizard.

  “That was amazing,” Lana gushed. “Did you see how easily he took them down?”

  “The question is whether I can unsee it,” Rachel groaned. “Let’s go find him before he burns the whole library to the ground.”

  “Or until the students catch up and beat him to death,” Lana said, eyes widening. “You wouldn’t believe the anti-magic sentiment here. Well-founded, of course, but… still.”

  “I doubt they could accomplish anything,” Rachel bargained. “Something tells me he was barely reaching at all to send away the policemen. What he wanted to do here was to set an example.”

  “You think he’s that powerful?”

  Rachel led Lana and Matt to the stairs, opting to start their search on the third floor. “You act like I know him or something. It’s just a feeling.”

  Lana wrinkled her nose. “Seems you know him well enough to admit your association with him to a complete stranger. In Trensicourt, no less.”

  Rachel cocked her head. “If you knew someone who could kill with a word…”

  “Stay on their good side,” Lana finished. “I get it.”

  No, you don’t. Not really. “Close enough. I’m desperately lacking in fear for myself.”

  “You’re counting on a man to defend you?” Lana sniffed. “You’ll regret that one.”

  Rachel simply shrugged. There were no words to explain what she was thinking.

  They reached the third floor and began combing through it together, drawing sparse looks. The students had quickly returned to their work, though the atmosphere remained charged with Tassel still somewhere in the library. Rachel had no doubt that Tassel was using Edomic to divert attention away from himself. She wondered whether it would fool her, too.

  Let’s get out of here, Rachel thought into the ether, not expecting an answer.

  A response came almost instantly. Then get down from the third floor.

  I was looking for you.

  Cool. You found me. Shall I construct an award?

  Rachel had to force herself not to snub her nose. “Follow me. I think I know where he might have gone.”

  “You act like I know him or something,” Lana repeated mockingly.

  “She’s got fire!” Rachel exclaimed, genuinely impressed and suddenly very interested in changing the subject. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

  Lana furrowed her eyebrows, evidently a little hurt. “You’re a right witch, you know that?”

  Rachel almost laughed. “You started this one.”

  “You’ve been nothing but nasty ever since I met you,” Lana continued. “I don’t know how Matt puts up with you.”

  Rachel turned her head forward in barely enough time to hide a smile. “Neither do I.”

  She spotted Tassel at the same time that he swiveled his head to face her. They gravitated towards one another, meeting at the bottom of the stairs, then strode together out of the library with Matt and Lana at their heels. Afternoon clouds had begun to gather to the south, already obscuring Trensicourt’s outer wall with rain, though the air outside the library still felt bone dry. Students and faculty alike bustled by as they crossed the High School’s grounds, paying them suspiciously little attention.

  “You’ve got them distracted,” Rachel said.

  Tassel winked. “You want to try?”

  Yeah, I do, Rachel thought to him as she said “I’m no witch.” Not where I can be seen.

  “You’ll never know unless you try,” Tassel smirked. Matt’s new girlfriend?

  Doesn’t know unless he told her. “You think I want to know whether I have a future as a pariah?”

  Does Matt know we can speak in silence? “I’d have thought your association with me was enough indication.” Tassel tossed his head as they crossed the threshold of the High School, emerging into a bustling artisan district.

  Rachel scoffed. “You think you’re the hottest property in Trensicourt, don’t you?” She dropped the mental conversation, knowing Tassel would understand the implied answer.

  Tassel grinned. “Am I not?”

  Rachel shook her head and smiled, warmth sneaking into her chest. “You’re awful.”

  “Thank you,” Tassel replied genuinely, and silently led them deeper into the city.