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headmaster's tower, his halberd left beside the door in his haste. She couldn't hear what the guards were saying, but didn't believe it was a coincidence. It was enough to spook her and she turned, running for the stables, no longer caring if she was noticed.
    Fay stopped in the darkness of the corridor before entering the stable yard, pausing to catch her breath. She tried to listen over the thunder of her own racing heart. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from where she was and the only sounds she heard were those of horses and a single person working somewhere inside the stable itself. She stepped out when her breathing was almost normal again and to her surprise, Rain was already picketed to the post outside the stables, a sack tied to the back of his saddle. The torchlight glimmered off his black coat and mane as he turned his head to regard her, as if he knew she was there for him. One of the men who worked in the stable came out with a wheelbarrow of dirty straw and stopped when he saw her.
    "There you are, Fay. I was starting to doubt Ivanne's note. Rain's all ready to go. You take care of him while you're gone, okay?" Woll said, smiling at her.
    "Um, sure. Ivanne sent the note then, good," she said, trying to act like this wasn't a surprise to her.
    "Yes, just a little bit ago, came with the supplies. Said to saddle Rain up right away. Professor Ganson's sending you out on some important trip to Bershan, is he? Must be urgent. Note said you had to leave right away. Hope you have a good trip, Fay." Woll nodded to her and started off with the wheelbarrow.
    "Thank you," Fay called after him, then rushed over to tie her bag behind the other one, mentally thanking Ivanne. Suddenly she felt a small twinge of guilt for how she had treated the woman during her years in Voleno. She took the reins and ran a hand down Rain's neck to settle him, her fear for Ganson trying to overwhelm her again as she did so. The large black stallion bumped her shoulder with his head. She decided to lead him out rather than ride right away, because she was still concerned about the commotion at the front door. She needed to make a clean escape from Voleno, which meant no one could be allowed to see her leaving. They made their way up the lane that led around to the front of the castle. She was absurdly grateful it was packed dirt instead of the cobblestones that lined most of the streets in the city.
    She slowed to a stop when they reached the broad gate at the end. With one hand on Rain's neck to keep him calm, she listened, and heard the sound of people standing around in the square outside the entrance to the Academy. They had to be wearing some kind of armor, because she could hear the clinking and creaking of it. Praying that the stallion wouldn't make a sound, she took her hand from his neck, reached out and very slowly raised the latch on the inside of the gate, ready to stop at the smallest squeak from the hinge. It moved smoothly and silently. She opened the gate a fraction, just enough to peer through.
    Several men in leather armor sewn with small metal plates stood around the bottom of the wide steps that lead to the double doors at the front of the castle. Pacing in front of those doors was Neoro, her father's steward. Fay didn't think she had ever seen him go any further from Iondis than the village of Wyver, on the edge of the estate. She had a good idea what must have brought him here but the right door opened a moment later, revealing the headmaster himself, and Neoro's next words confirmed her fears.
    "Well? Will you produce my lord's daughter or not? We don't have all night to wait here for her." She had never heard Neoro sound so impatient.
    Professor Siveth frowned. "We would have to discuss that privately. There are circumstances to consider, and I was given to understood that this had already been made clear to Viscount Derrion when he was here for Fay's graduation. In any case, I have no intention of discussing such