Epilogues

Cecilia saw him do it. Taylor didn't know how long she stood in the next room, watching through the broken wall, but she was there when he was done with Kistur.

"What did you do to him?" she asked, as if unsure she was allowed to speak.

"I ruined him. It'll be a long time before he can use his class. If ever." It was strange to look at her face, so much like his own. They both took after their mother.

Cecilia's eyes drank in Kistur's miserable state. "He acts like he's such a hero. But he isn't." A spark of modest hope lit her face. "The colonel won't want him if he can't fight. He'll cancel the engagement." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank the gods."

Taylor engaged Riverstone's illusion before their reunion could turn sour, and led her back to the office that had so recently been his. Blodwin was using healing magic on the colonel. The tipped couch was upright again. Jane was penning a letter of resignation.

Soon, Blodwin ran low on mana and sank into the sofa. "Jane, you can't leave. You're essential. He can't run this place without you."

"Running this place without me is exactly what he's doing. He takes none of my advice and heeds none of my warnings." She looked pointedly at the unconscious man on the floor. "He won't do any worse without me."

The ex-curator signed her letter with a flourish and weighted it down with the inkpot. "Cecilia, I recommend you leave this house while you can."

"I can't leave. I have to make an heir for the family. I don't have a choice."

"That's your father talking. The law says you're an adult. Legally, he can't make you do anything."

"She's right, you know," added Blodwin. "If you want to leave, you should do it while he can't talk you out of it."

"Didn't you want to go to school instead of getting married?" Jane started pulling open desk drawers.

"But I can't pay for it. The Augbergs offered to send me, but I don't trust them any more than I trust him."

Jane found what she was looking for. "He ordered me not to tell you this, but since I no longer work for him," she offered Cecilia a thick sheaf of papers. "You won a full scholarship at Celosia. It's not the Imperial Academy, but it's prestigious. And very far away. There's still time to accept for the fall term."

"That's perfect," beamed Blodwin. "You have good friends in Celosia. They'll be more than happy to put you up. Given half a chance, the Vawdreys would adopt you."

"I can't disobey the colonel! The wardens will find me and put me in jail."

Jane pushed the papers at the young woman, forcing her to take them. "Not true. Ignore what your father told you. You'll live a fuller life that way."

Blodwin rang for servants, who entered with frightened glances at the water-clad visitor standing against one wall. "Take the colonel to his bed and make him comfortable. Bring food for our guest, and replace that couch. Call the hospice and have them pick up Kistur. Unless the previous legate would like to heal him? Jane says you're quite skilled."

"I don't do favors for enemies." The words landed like lead weights dropped from a height. The servants cringed. Blodwin shivered. Jane suppressed a wry smile.

"The hospice for the poor, then. Gods know the lad can't hold on to his money." Servants entered the room to do her bidding. "Bilius, your servants packed your things and took the boxes with them. Is there anything they might have forgotten?"

"It's Taylor, now. If I'm out of the family, then I'm ditching the whole name." His satchel was full of books and tools, leaving little else to pack. "As long as they took the divine figures and my crafting supplies, then I'm happy. But where are they? Did they have a wolfkin boy with them?"

"They're fine," said Jane. "Kasper was confused by the sudden change, but we promised him you'd catch up. They should be in Midway by now. There's a crew packing up their houses today, and they'll be fully moved within a week. You don't need to worry about them. You'll see," she preempted his next question, "when you get there."

Servants carried the unconscious colonel out the door while trying not to bump the injured man against the door frame. If the idiot had injured Kasper … Taylor had a vision of a flaming cyclone like the one he used against Prater, roaming over the d'Mourne estate until everything was reduced to ash. His fury at Otis d'Mourne wasn't fully satisfied. It might never be satisfied.

"That leaves today's offenses." Jane sat behind the desk as if she were still Otis's curator, doing business on his behalf. "Otis owes Bilius … sorry, Taylor … for attempting to kill him under false pretenses. He wants written statements from both of you that he acted in self-defense, and that he won't be held responsible for any damages. You will also pay restitution."

Taylor hadn't thought to want such things, but they sounded like excellent ideas. The restitution was asking for a bit much, given the severe damage he'd done to the house and its new occupants, but nothing said admission of guilt like a payoff.

"I can agree to an affidavit," said the colonel's wife, "and Cecilia will, too. But I can't empty the family's purse. Not even for this."

Taylor knew exactly what he wanted. "I don't want money. There's a set of books in the library, The Art and Practice of Magic. They're on the bottom left shelf, in red leather covers. They're rare. I'll accept them as compensation."

The series was written entirely in Spellscript. Few people understood that the correct spoken form of Spellscript wasn't Old Orlut, but a language called Mi'iri. The author of Art and Practice knew, and every spell inside worked flawlessly. Those books were the closest thing to the original grimoire of Aarden's magic system that Taylor knew of. He had often considered stuffing the nine thick tomes into his bag without telling anyone. Obtaining them legally was much kinder to his conscience.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Documents were drawn up and signed, and the treasured books were handed over. Servants removed the broken couch Kistur had been sitting on and replaced it with one from the attic. Food was set out on the coffee table. Servants bowed their way out the door.

"Why don't you take some time to get to know Cecilia?" offered Blodwin.

Jane gave him one of her rare smiles. "We'll set out for Midway whenever you're ready."

The two women thoughtfully closed the office door behind them, even though there was a Kistur-sized hole in one wall.

"I read your letters." Cecilia blurted as soon as they were alone. "I'm sorry he's not …" She struggled with what her father should have been, "better. I tried to send you letters, but the colonel caught me."

"They were a little desperate, weren't they? But thanks for trying to write back." Taylor didn't want the conversation to stall, but he didn't know what to say to a sister he'd never met.

"I've wanted to meet you for a while. I'm glad you didn't get hurt by all this." Taylor waved at the destruction.

"You don't have to say that. I'm your older sister. I should be the one looking out for you. I haven't been able to do anything."

"Just reading my letters is a lot more than some people. You know a little about me. But I don't know anything about you. Tell me something about yourself." The request made her uncomfortable enough to squirm in her seat. "Or, tell me about these Vawdreys. How do you know them?"

"Prudence Vawdrey is my best friend. Her whole family is wonderful!" Cecilia went from anxious to sparkling in a handful of words, and Taylor was treated to an hour of stories about her life in Restoration.

Taylor and Miss Jane rode to Midway in a trader's cart. It was slow, but it only cost a pittance because the woman was already going that way. Taylor had his satchel, and Jane had her travel case. Between the two of them, they could fill the merchant's entire cart with the contents of their magic bags.

"What did you think of her?"

"Cecilia?" Taylor shrugged. "I'm not sure. She's not dumb, but she lacks confidence. Any confidence. Maybe a few years away from her father will change that."

"I hope so, too. By the way, I'm sorry. If I had known what Otis and Kistur had planned, I would have told you to run." She shook her head in disbelief. "He's not the person I used to know. At all. And I've done a poor job of keeping you out of danger. I am sorry about that."

"I can handle overt danger. It's everything else that gives me trouble. What will you do next? And what about your house? Can you just leave it behind like this?"

"I hired movers, but it might be a while before I get a new place and unpack. I have a standing offer from the governor to work in one of her ministries. I'll be traveling all over the province, fixing unusual problems."

"That actually sounds interesting."

"Someone reminded me how much fun a little adventure can be. I've decided to enjoy it while I'm still young enough. What will you do?"

"I have to make sure Kasper and the rest are settled. I need a month or so to make a few things and develop some new magic. After that," his eyes focused on something in the distance, "I have ideas. Awesome ideas."

"You know, some people would be upset they just lost their family name, home, title, position, income … but you sound happy."

"I've been set free. I don't regret being legate, but it's not my long-term ambition. There's too much of the world to see. Oh, and I owe you thanks, Miss Jane. You helped me a lot, and I won't forget it."

"I feel like I didn't do very much. And it's Meltissa to you, young man. I can't call myself your mentor now that we're jobless vagabonds."

"All right, Meltissa. Let me know if you need a hand with something, okay? I know a bit of magic, and I fight monsters sometimes."

"Likewise, Taylor. If you need help or advice from a researcher or administrator, you may call on me. I look forward to working with you again."

"It's a deal."

Knexenk class activity disturbed Meltissa's aura in recurring waves. It went on for so long, it was a wonder the merchant couldn't feel it. Her eyes flicked back and forth, reading things only she could see.

"Big payoff?

"Huge," confirmed Meltissa. "It'll take months to work through the level-ups."

~ Meltissa ~

Your mentee is leaving the nest, carrying much of your knowledge and values. He is better off for having known you, and so is the world.

Congratulations! Your primary quest [Mentoring A Monster] is complete.

Class level-ups available.

Skill level-ups available.

New talents available.

Congratulations! You have crossed the second threshold.

Major class features unlocked.

New prestige classes available.

New skills available.

Do you want to level up now?

Meltissa reflexively declined the invitation to level up. Level forty was a threshold level, which made it especially difficult. She needed an ample supply of drugs and free time before she took that level.

They had time to kill, so Taylor filled her in about everything he had been doing for the last few weeks. His reports were accurate and detailed enough, but they failed to capture the pure insanity of his recent escapades. The predicaments that boy found himself in!

She noticed the giant hole in the story about his trip home. To sail from Wokehaad to Bostkirk in a little over one day, along the natural, looping waterway, upriver, seemed impossible even with magic. Taylor was hiding something, but it wasn't her place to pry the truth from him. Not anymore. If he was keeping secrets, then she was willing to trust his reasons. He was a good boy.

He did drop some clues during a long string of questions about importing and exporting goods across provincial lines. Not only the legal issues, but the practical aspects, too. He wanted to know how to deal with corrupt customs officials, fend off hostile takeovers of his suppliers, and which bureaucratic bottlenecks his competitors were most likely to exploit. She couldn't answer all his questions, but she promised to write letters of introduction to people who could. It was an interesting way to kill a few boring hours.

As they entered Midway, one more class event straggled in.

New title awarded: [Dark Lord's Advisor]

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