Free Lessons in Etiquette (Schooled in Magic series) by Christopher Nuttall Page A

she’d shown no sign of necromantic madness, the insanity that overwhelmed anyone who tried to drain the mana and life force from a sacrifice, but it could take time for the madness to become noticeable. And if someone was deeply worried, they might assume that Emily was simply more capable of keeping the madness under control for years.
    But if that were possible , she thought sourly, there would be no necromantic threat .
    Lady Barb didn’t move, but Emily sensed the sudden spike in the magic field, an instant before a flickering orb of green light flashed towards her. She recognized the hex from Martial Magic, a spell that weakened personal protective wards rather than trying to break through them outright. The spell could be an absolute nightmare to dispel, simply because it was designed to be immune to standard dispelling charms. Emily reacted on instinct, reshaping her wards and deflecting the green light away from her. It flashed over the hallway and struck the stone wall, vanishing in a shower of sparks.
    “Not too shabby,” Lady Barb said, finally. Her eyes betrayed her irritation. “Perhaps you can protect the princess after all.”
    Emily scowled at her, unable to avoid the feeling that she would have liked Lady Barb if the older woman hadn’t taken such an instant dislike to her. And the test could easily have been worse. If the hex had a chance to get enmeshed in her wards, the only other thing she could have done would have been to drop the wards completely, rendering her vulnerable to all kinds of jinxes, hexes and curses. Sergeant Miles had tested them by including a nasty transfiguration charm in the hex; anyone stupid enough to drop their wards found themselves croaking on the floor before they realized their mistake.
    And then she realized the true purpose of the test. A necromancer might not have had the skill–or the patience–to deflect the hex. Instead, a necromancer would simply have swamped the hex with so much magic that it would have evaporated before it could do serious damage. If Emily had done that…it would have exposed her as a necromancer for sure. Few magicians her age would have had the power reserves to risk using so much magic. Emily was fairly sure that she couldn’t have done it.
    Of course, trying and failing would have been a pretty good sign too , she thought.
    “She can,” Alassa said. “But tell me–isn’t protection your responsibility?”
    Lady Barb gazed at her evenly, keeping her eyes fixed on Alassa until the princess lowered her eyes. “It is not easy to protect someone from their friends,” she said, finally. “Or, for that matter, from their own foolishness.”
    She had a point, Emily had to admit. A husband–or a friend–would be able to get into position to hurt Alassa far more easily than someone from the outside. And it would be harder to tell if Alassa was actually in danger…Emily had a sudden vision of someone hitting Alassa, while her guards on the outside of her chambers had no idea that she was in deadly danger. Alassa would have to be very careful who she married. It would be easy to marry someone because of their political connections, without realizing that he was also a complete sadistic bastard. Or someone who allowed being king to go to his head.
    The grandmaster cleared his throat. “Lady Emily has earned our trust,” he said, his sightless eyes peering at Lady Barb. “And she is free of the taint of necromancy.”
    “I trust your judgement,” Lady Barb said, flatly. “Your Highness–are you ready to depart?”
    “There are two trunks, both sealed with protective charms,” Alassa said. She looked over at Emily and winked. “Emily has a chest too, also sealed.”
    Lady Barb’s lips twitched. “I shall inform the staff,” she said. “They shouldn’t go prying into your possessions in any case, but the warning should help.”
    She turned and strode off, leaving Emily staring after her. Lady Barb did look and act like Sergeant