Chime had climbed a table leg to the top. She clung there, tucked into the corner of the table s frame as she made that awful sound. Tris scrabbled to undo the ribbon leash. The moment she freed the dragon, Chime threw herself at her, digging her claws into Triss clothes and skin.

Tris crooned gently to the trembling creature, trying to calm her. Looking at the dragon s food, she saw a few glass flames beside the dish. Holding Chime with one hand, she set the flames in the dish with the colouring powders and put it on the table, where she couldn t break them by accident. Chime continued to screech. Over and over Tris stroked the dragon, trying to breathe meditation-style, hoping she would calm the frightened creature.

The front door opened as Little Bear continued

To bark. Tris s breezes swirled into the front hall and returned to her with voices: Jumshidas, then Nikos.

s all right,she assured Chime. belong here. You remember Niko, dont you? Now she was really puzzled. Chime had been admired by total strangers all day and had voiced nothing louder than her musical purr. What had upset her?

Red-faced with effort, several of her braids knocked free of their pins, she edged out from under the table. Once in the open air she sat back on her heels and straightened, holding Chime to her chest with one hand.

no,said a man with a slightly husky, slow, familiar voice.

Tris whirled, forgetting that she still knelt, then fell on her side. Chime leaped free, taking flight. As the dragon zipped around the room, Tris glared up at Niko , furious to be caught unkempt and awkward before a stranger. Looking past him, she recognized the newcomer.

she cried at the same moment as Kethlun did.

Take it you two have met?asked Niko mildly. Tris Trisana Chandler is the lightning mage I told you about.

Chime screeched, that same ear-splitting sound of a nail on glass, and flew straight at Kethlun. Thirty centimetres away from him the dragon spat a flurry of glass needles into her makers face.

no!cried Tris. Quick as a flash - she had practised the movements for weeks

so she could do this bit of magic in a hurry she stripped the tie from one thin braid and collected a handful of sparks. She threw them at the dragon, imagining each spark as a tiny ball of t hread connected to her fingertips. The balls spun around Chime to form a lightning cage with the dragon suspended inside. Tris reeled in the cage. Only when she held it in her hands did she look at Keth.

Hed flinched when the dragon came at him, saving hi s right eye, but that side of his face and head were peppered with thin red, blue and green needles. Niko tried to pull one out and cut himself.

you right,Tris informed Keth, scowling at him.

Did try to kill her.

Keth looked from Tris to Niko. no,he said, voice shaking. her.

m afraid so,replied Niko.

is a lightning mage. You may have noticed,he added drily.

Dont understand, said Tris, but she was afraid she did, all too well. She had tried to find other lightnin g mages, just as she had tried to find other mages who could master the forces of the earth or of the sea, with little success. It seemed that, of all the ambient magics, weather was the most dangerous. It drew its power from all over the world. Mages who tried to do more than call rainstorms or work the winds often misjudged their ability to handle the forces that supplied their power, and were crushed. It had been in the back of her mind since Niko had shown her the lightning in Chime, that Keth would ha ve trouble

Finding a teacher who could help with that aspect of his power.

course you understand,replied Niko.

Tris glared at him. Niko knew her too well.

you will do your duty,Niko added, looking down his nose at her. accepted that when you donned the medallion of your certification.

About to argue or even refuse, Tris made the mistake of looking at Keth. He was the picture of misery, blood dripping from the needles in his flesh, lines of exhaustion bracketing his mouth, dark circle s under his eyes. Instead of speaking as she had meant to, she pulled out a chair with one hand. she ordered Keth. s get you cleaned up.

DEMA

F

Or once the Elya Street arurimat was quiet when Dema sat at his desk. The night patrols had gone out; the higher-ranking officers had left. With no one to hang over his shoulder, Dema took out the envelope of reports on the Ghost murders, from Niokis, the first, to Iralima s, the most recent. Hed had two arurimi carry in a long worktable: now he used it to lay out the notes on each killing in order, so he could look for a pattern.

He was studying them when an

Arurim rapped on his door. Nomasdina, there is something you should see.

Dema turned, scowling. Standing beside the

Arurim was a little Tharian who wore the yellow stole of a clerk or scribe, hemmed with the white key pattern of Heskalifos. He clutched a covered basket with hands that shook. The silk of the cover shone to Dema s magical vision: spells for purification and containment were stitched into every centimetre of the cloth.

Took it to the Heskalifos

Arurimat the clerk explained, wheezing. captain there said to bring it to you. It was blown by a man who claimed to possess magic. He was at Heskalifos looking for a teacher. When he made this, it was just covered in lightning.

now it is not? asked Dema, taking the basket. If this was a joke at his expense, he would seek revenge, he thought as he pulled the silk covering aside. He had too much to do without dealing with jokes.

Inside the basket was a globe of clear glass that sparkled. Curious, Dema touched a spark: it stung.

you say?he asked. He went to his mages kit and got his leather gloves.

replied the clerk, wheezing still.

Dema glanced at his two guests as he pulled on his gloves.