She met his gaze defiantly, and saw a world of things in his dark brown eyes: the time theyd spent on the road, the many nights theyd discussed books, the way they looked out for one another.

Hed been the first person shed ever known who understood her.

She smiled ruefully. maybe not,she said. I cant vouch for Briars manners.

Kethlun, steeped in depression, said gloomily, Shes a freak, and Im a freak. We should be quite happy together.

Tris scowled. used to freakishness, my buck,she informed him. have nowhere else to go, and lightning isnt exactly the most biddable force in nature.

Kethlun glared at her, red spots of fury burning on his cheeks. never asked for it! Never! Id give it up if I could!

you cant,retorted Tris. can. Even the ones who want magic end up hating it sometimes. You have to work your life around it, not the other way around. Join the party and stop whining.

isnt kind,Niko said with gentle reproof.

Tris lifted her chin. m not a kind person. Everyone says so.

mean you dont want people to think youre kind. You believe theyll see it as weakness,retorted Niko.

yourself in this young mans shoes,added Jumshida.

Dont want anyone in my shoes,Kethlun muttered, his voice slow. dont want to be in my shoes.

silent,Jumshida told him. To Tris she said, is someone who has had this news dropped on him at an age when other mages are completing their studies. He

was going to be head of the guild,Keth interrupted, the slow words falling from his lips like stones. without magic there was talk of me being named Glassmaker to the Imp erial Court. You can always have a glass mage engrave signs or bless the sands for imperial work. I almost had enough to pay for a house. I had a good marriage arranged, with a pretty girl I like who doesn t bore me. Then I had to go for a walk by the Syth. For inspiration.A harsh noise that might have been a laugh came out of his mouth. got all the inspiration I can take.

Tris propped her chin on her hands and glared at Keth. Lately shed begun to think that her greatest flaw was her imagination. Listening to him, imagining herself in his place, she could see how it might have been easier if the lightning had killed him. Instead he was newly born, forced to grow up in weeks, not years, with all his thoughts as a man still in his head. Hed already men tioned the long struggle to make his body and his tongue work. Would she have the patience and determination it must have taken to do that for long, weary months, not knowing if she would succeed?

were stuck with each other,she told him, not allowing her surge of pity to touch her face or voice. sooner we get started, the sooner you can wield your magic, instead of it wielding you.

First, Ill tell Cook its two for supper, not one,Jumshida said, getting to her feet. were expected at Balance Hill at sundown. We must change our clothes.

s Balance Hill?Tris asked.

s where the Keepers of the Public Good live during their three-year terms of office,Jumshida explained, walking towards the kitchen. entire conclave has been honoured with an invitation to Serenity House.

you than me,said Tris as Niko ran upstairs and Jumshida entered the kitchen. She looked at Keth.

he said, looking back at her.

Tris inspected him. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with strong, wiry muscles. His nose was short, his teeth white and even. His head was blocky, his gaze level, as if he were a rock she was not about to move. She d noticed his short blond hair and the blueness of his eyes the day before, just as s he had noticed his very large hands. Now she saw the burn marks that stippled his hands, and the way the last two fingers on his left hand stayed curled even when the other fingers and his thumb were straight another legacy of the lightning strike, like the white spot in his hair, and his magic.

He dressed like a northerner in a plain white shirt, frayed a little at the shoulder seams, brown homespun trousers, and calf-high boots that had seen a lot of wear. His belt was nicked in spots, his belt-purse made of cheap leather, his belt knife a fine one that had seen long use. All in all he looked as if he d once been more prosperous than he was now. If determination were any indication, though, she would bet he would regain his place in society before much longer.

where do you come from?he demanded as the cook came out with a tray of food. She set it on the table, then returned for tableware and plates. around here, any more than your Master Goldeye does.

was born in Ninver, in Anderran,Tris said, pouring water into their cups. a merchant family. They sent me to Stone Circle temple when I was ten. Thats where Niko found me and saw my magic.She wasn t about to tell this stranger that her family had passed her from relative to relative, each keeping her only until they grew so terrified of the strange things that happened around her that they couldn t wait to get rid of her. Stone Circle was her familys way of washing their hands of Tris. took me to Winding Circle temple in Emelan, where they specialize in ambient mages. Do you know what ambient mages are?

Do have mages in our family,Keth informed her drily as he cut up a baked chicken and served her. I listened when the big folks talked.

s only one person on this earth whos allowed to pull my tail, and you arent him,Tris retorted.

me guess. Your foster-brother.He watched as Tris added spiced chickpeas to his plate, then hers.

s right. He and I and two others lived in this one cottage. We trained with the mages who ran it and other mages around the temple.

you never went back to your family?he asked, curious. dont think theyd be proud to have a mage? My parents biggest disappointment was that I didnt have more power than just a seed.

D be delighted, I suppose,Tris replied. thats the only reason theyd be happy to have me back.