Free The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas Page B

exactly,” I said. I sat down in one of the comfortable chairs. “He took me on as his servant at first, but then he realized that I was supposed to be his apprentice.”
    â€œMy goodness,” Brumbee said. “And so—let me see if I’ve got this right, Conn—he needs the academicos to teach you some things so you can get on with being a good apprentice.”
    â€œThat’s right,” I said. “Mainly, I need to know how to read.”
    â€œAh. Yes, I see,” Brumbee said. “To read. We can, of course, teach you that here.”
    I felt a sudden relief. He wasn’t going to throw me out, after all. “Can I start today?” I asked.
    â€œIt’s a bit late for today. But tomorrow, certainly,” Brumbee said. “You understand that most students, both the apprentices and the regular students, start at the academicos when they are quite a bit younger than you are?”
    I nodded.
    Brumbee spoke to himself, fidgeting with his pen. “But I don’t want to put you with the youngest children, do I?” He shook his head. “No, I don’t think that would work. Hmmm.” He fell silent. Then he asked me, “What have you learned already, Conn?”
    â€œA little bit about locus stones. And not to mix tourmalifine and slowsilver.” I thought back over the past few days. “And the embero spell, and all the key words for the gates leading to Heartsease, and a spell for making light.”
    â€œGood!” Brumbee said, smiling. “Would you mind showing me your locus magicalicus?”
    Oh. “I don’t have one yet,” I said.
    Brumbee stopped smiling. “Of course you do. You must. Or Nevery would not have taken you on as an apprentice.”
    â€œWell,” I said, “he did.”
    â€œThis is most irregular,” Brumbee said. “Without a locus stone, how does Nevery—” He cut himself off. “I shall speak to him about it. He’llhave to help you find a locus stone—we have quite a large collection at the academicos; they tend to gather here. And he’ll have to present you at Magisters Hall. It is traditional for any wizard’s apprentice to be recognized by our governing body.”
    I nodded. I’d seen the magisters at work; I wasn’t afraid of them.
    â€œAs for the reading,” Brumbee went on, “I think it would be best if you join a class of older students and receive tutoring on the side. You’ll have to work very hard to catch up.”
    That was all right. I would work hard, and I would catch up.

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    Frustrated by meeting with magisters.
    They had received my letter and would have spent next few weeks discussing my choice of paper and ink if I hadn’t arrived when I did.
    Fools.
    Yet in the end, despite Pettivox’s protests, magisters agreed I should lead them through crisis.
    Â 
    Note to self: Send Benet to Sark Square for slowsilver. Must ask Brumbee if magisters have any to spare. Never known it to be so hard to come by.
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CHAPTER 13
    T he next day, Nevery told me I would be presented to the magisters so they could approve me as his apprentice. Then I’d be able to start school.
    On our way to Magisters Hall, Nevery seemeddistracted. He walked fast through the tunnels, and I had to run to keep up with him. I knew better than to ask him any of the questions bubbling around in my head. What were the magisters going to ask me? Did they know I’d spied on their meetings? Would they care that I couldn’t read yet? Would they want to know about my locus magicalicus? Could they tell if I lied to them?

    What if they wouldn’t accept me?
    We arrived at Magisters Hall, and I followed Nevery down a long, echoing hallway. When we got to the big double doors at the end, he said, “Wait out here, boy, until you’re called for.”
    Before I could answer, he’d already swept into the magisters’ chamber,