Free The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan

could to me, if they got hold of the blood ring I gave Lorkin
. Thankfully Osen had told Lorkin not to take it to the meeting with the Sachakan king.
If they had it, all they’d have to do is torture Lorkin while
…
    “When will I be leaving?” she asked, to turn her thoughts somewhere less frightening.
    “Tomorrow night,” Osen said. “We’ll call a Meet tomorrow and ask for volunteers to give you magical strength. We’ve decided
     to let it be known that Lorkin has been imprisoned by the Sachakan king and we are sending you to negotiate for his release.”
    “Amakira has given us the perfect excuse to send you to Sachaka,” Glarrin said. “You are to try meeting with the Traitors
     as well, though it would be best if you did it after Lorkin was free – even better if he was home – in case the meeting is
     discovered.” He frowned and looked away, then smiled. “The king asks how Lilia’s Warrior training is going.”
    Balkan grimaced. “Lilia is no natural Warrior. Her reflexes and comprehension are good, and her defence strong, but she shows
     no initiative in battle.”
    “Ah,” Sonea said, smiling. “A familiar problem.”
    Glarrin looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
    “I was much the same,” she explained. “If only Lord Yikmo hadn’t been killed in the Ichani Invasion. He was good at teaching
     reluctant novices.”
    “Lady Rol Ley had studied Yikmo’s methods,” Balkan said, his expression thoughtful. “She teaches many of the standard classes
     all novices attend, so she will know Lilia’s strengths and weaknesses.”
    “She sounds like she could help,” Sonea said. “I’d offer to if I wasn’t about to leave.”
    “Maybe you can when you get back,” Osen said. “Is there anything else we need to discuss.”
    “Nothing that can’t be relayed through blood rings,” Glarrin said. “We should not delay Sonea’s leaving more than necessary.”
    Osen looked at her. “Is there anything you must do before you go?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing.”
    “Then you had better let your assistant know he’ll be leaving tomorrow night.”
    She stood up. “If we’re done here, I’ll do that next.”
    Final-year Warrior classes had never been a part of Lilia’s plans for the future. According to the University standards, she
     had achieved the minimum level of understanding and skill required for a novice to graduate. She ought to be off in the Healer’s
     Quarters learning advanced techniques, but instead she was being roundly trounced by novices destined to be the next generation
     of red-robed magicians.
    They were finding her presence in the class fascinating. It wasn’t every day that a novice or magician got to practise fighting
     with and against a black magician. They didn’t even seem to mind that she wasn’t good at it, because the lessons were mostly
     demonstrations with little actual magic used. She wasn’t allowed to take and store power – not even if that power was given
     willingly. But she had to admit that, when the lessons didn’t involve her making decisions or taking the initiative, she found
     them as interesting as the other novices did.
    Black magic certainly changed the dynamics of fighting. She’d have thought being able to steal magic from a person would be
     the most useful black magic ability in battle, but it wasn’t. It still required her to get close enough to that personto cut their skin and break their natural barrier against magical outside interference. By the time she had worn an enemy
     down enough to do this, there was little magic left to take.
    Being able to store magic was a much bigger advantage. It was disturbing how it made non-black magicians redundant, once they’d
     given their power to a black magician. It was also frightening to realise how important it made her, over the others. And
     more of a target.
    When it came to actually engaging in a fight, she nearly always made the wrong decisions, acted too soon or hesitated