The other adults in the room looked at Evergreen with varying reactions. Windhelm seemed irritated and impatient while Rowan just gave her a resigned shrug. Incedis’ glare tried to intimidate her into backing down. Hawthorne’s gaze jumped between the others, evaluating the repercussions of making at least one of them angry with her decision.

Inquisitor Evergreen sat ramrod straight, her slender figure vibrating with tension and determination as she gave them all a defiant glare. Her jaw muscles jumped, and she pursed her lips, obviously refusing to back down.

Pax did his best to mimic appropriate levels of worry and fear, replacing the brief flash of relief when it had seemed that he might escape an Interrogation.

“Explain yourself, please.” Hawthorne motioned toward Evergreen while maintaining a neutral expression that hinted she hadn’t decided yet.

“We know rebels are hiding among us. Many rebels. Each one is a much bigger threat than the ones who defy us openly on the walls of Quarrybrook. My superiors have tasked our order to search everywhere to root them out. I refuse to let even a first-year pass by unexamined. We don’t know what he knows or has done unless I check. He has garnered enough attention to warrant a closer look, and I would be remiss in my duty not to take one.”

Hawthorne looked torn now. Evergreen’s argument made it clear that letting Pax go without at least a cursory Interrogation could come back to haunt her if there was ever a future issue involving him.

Pax grimaced, his newly leveled Charisma telling him the Inquisitor’s words had convinced the administrator. He wasn’t going to avoid an Interrogation, and his pulse thumped in response. Now he needed to find the best path forward.

“Go ahead.” His voice came out with just the right touch of anger and outrage as he met the surprised gazes of those facing him. “I don’t have anything to hide. Everything I’ve done is to get stronger so I can fight for the empire and help save as many lives as possible. If you think I’d have anything to do with the flicken’ rebels, then go ahead, check.”

Inquisitor Evergreen paused for a beat, looking him in the eyes for the first time. Pax flinched, because who wouldn’t when facing the cold gaze of an Inquisitor? But then he stiffened and held her gaze, pushing all of his outrage to the surface. How dare they question his loyalty?

After a long beat, she gave him an abrupt nod. “The boy has a backbone and agrees to the Interrogation. In the interests of everyone here, I will proceed quickly and follow the parameters we agreed to.” She took the parchment with the questions, stood and walked around the table toward Pax.

He didn’t have to pretend to be nervous. Before she got to him, Incedis turned and reached out to shake his hand. “You’re a brave man, Pax. Just focus on the truth, and this will all be over quickly.”

He nodded, shaking Incedis’ hand and grateful for the last bit of comfort. When he felt the cool metal of a ring in his hand, he barely kept the surprise from his face. He acted quickly, moving his hands and arms in nervous gestures as Evergreen walked up behind his chair. He slipped on the ring and blinked at the sudden clarity of thought that filled his mind.

He didn’t have time to check his menu. Instead, he harnessed the new power to fill in any gaps in the loyal persona he’d built. When he felt Evergreen’s hands land softly on his head, his new control allowed him to keep from flinching easily. However, he knew his persona wouldn’t have that control. So, he flinched on purpose. Just a subtle movement he countered immediately by stiffening his back and shoulder.

Then he felt air mana stir through his hair. He leaned into his surprise at feeling air mana and loosened the control of his thoughts, letting them ramble. He trusted the persona he’d spent so much time building, especially with Incedis’ ring reinforcing it.

Of course, the inquisitors have elements. They are mages after all. This is going to be fine. She serves the empire just like me, and it won’t take long for her to figure that out. This won’t hurt. She’s just scanning surface thoughts.

When he felt the distinct push of foreign mana against his natural shields, he resisted for a moment before succumbing. She’d expect to be a lot stronger than him, especially backed by her Interrogation skill. The last thing he wanted to do was make her use more force than necessary to get in.

“Pax Vipersworn, what are your thoughts on the empire’s current policies and leadership, along with any concerns or criticisms you’d like to share?”

They are what stands between us and the beasts. They keep the walls staffed so we can live safely behind them. Well, we need to take care of the street kids. Me and my friends went hungry plenty, but now I’m a mage and the empire made that possible. Without it, I’d never have . . .

Pax let his thoughts continue babbling as he answered her question. “Without the empire, we’d all be dead. They train the mages and warriors that fight on our walls and the crafters, merchants and workers who support the fighters. We owe everything to the empire.” He hesitated, looking reluctant to continue.

“And?” Evergreen suddenly sounded very kind and encouraging. “What concerns do you have?”

“Um.” Pax still hesitated, channeling his reluctance. I can’t criticize the empire. It’s given me everything.

Feeling fingers of foreign mana sifting along the surface of his thoughts made him cringe and want to shove them out. Thankfully, he’d tamped his light mana down as deep as it would go, only keeping his air out to play. Still, it was eerie how quickly Evergreen picked up on his thoughts. A cold sweat broke out under his tunic.

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“We all know the empire isn’t perfect.” Evergreen sounded so agreeable. “If you could pick one thing to improve and make it better, what would it be?”

He blurted it out in a rush. “They could feed the street kids more. Some of us end up as mages and warriors, so maybe help more of us make it to our Awakenings alive.” But still, the way the empire does it might be better. Though it’s harsh, it ensures only the strongest make it through, which makes for a stronger empire.

“Good.” Evergreen had paused and now seemed pleased. “Next question. Which of your family members or close friends have been associated with rebel activity or expressed dissenting views?”

My family’s all dead. All I have is the empire, along with my fellow mages and warriors. The most they complain about is not being allowed to fight because we’re too young and untrained. I’m going to get stronger so I can fight . . .

“I don’t have any family left and don’t know any rebels. My friends all know how I’d react to that. And all the grumbling I’ve heard lately is how much all of us want to join in and fight the rebels who are stupid enough to do this when we’re barely holding on against the beasts.”

Stupid, flickin’ rebels. I hope there are still some left to kill by the time I get to fight.

“What academy rules about magic have you broken? Be specific.”

Pax felt his actual personality pulse up from where he’d hidden it, a flicker of panic as his many types of forbidden magic tried to sneak into his surface thoughts.

It took an effort of will, a mental flexing that felt much harder than lifting something physical. He pushed, drawing on his own practice and the boost Incedis’ ring had given him. It was as hard as his mana work, trying to stay relaxed under the close eye of an Inquisitor while fighting a mental battle more difficult than any since he’d faced Nyxaria and her illusions.

“Please answer.” Evergreen’s tone was hard, suspicions obviously aroused by his silence, both internal and external.

He scrambled for more inane chatter. Control was too difficult, but drowning out his true thoughts wasn’t. With a mental speed he’d never had before, he generated a barrage of surface thoughts with a touch of the illicit to explain his hesitation. Finally, he was able to send his real personality back into the depths.

I don’t want to tell her where I got the mana skills. I’m not sure if buying them from that back alley booth in the market district was against the rules. But I couldn’t afford enough skills at the academy store to level up fast enough. And the mana ones were cheap, if a bit of a waste. And technically, I don’t know that the skills were actually stolen. I just suspected, because of the price. Even though no one really wants mana skills, they were still too cheap. How do I explain without sounding like a criminal? I’m . . .

“I have enough. I am satisfied.”

To Pax’s surprise, Evergreen didn’t prompt him for a verbal answer. Instead, she just lifted her hands from his head and stepped away.

“I’m not.” Hawthorne frowned at them. “I’d like an answer to the last question.”

Evergreen had stepped around his chair and shot him a look. “Would you like to tell them, or should I?”

Pax looked embarrassed, but nodded. He would own up to his actions. “I’ll explain. I bought my mana skills from a booth in a side alley of the main marketplace. Based on how cheap they were, I’m guessing they were likely stolen. But I couldn’t afford the ones at the academy store if I wanted to level up fast.” He met their gazes, looking desperate for them to understand. “I just want to be strong enough to make a difference, to help the empire. And now there’s a war going on, and I still can’t help.” He dropped his gaze, waiting to hear how much trouble he was in.

Warrior Rowan spoke first, his tone surprisingly sympathetic. “We’ve all felt that, son. But I hope you’ve learned your lesson. In the future, check with your mentor before you take risks like that with your build. Without knowing the source of the scrolls, you could have done permanent damage to your future, understand?”

Pax nodded, glancing up to give Rowan a grateful look. Pax felt truly penitent about what he’d done. He’d figure out a way to do better in the future so the academy leaders could trust him again. He wouldn’t let the empire down.

Administrator Hawthorne gave him a disappointed look before writing something down. When she looked up, she cleared her throat and spoke in a bored tone. “If no one objects, my ruling is that Student Mage Vipersworn will give us all the details about the booth he bought his illicit skills from, so we can shut it down. Further, he will get Mage Incedis’ permission for all future additions to his build until he graduates from the academy. This will satisfy the concerns of the Office of Student Compliance and Enforcement, unless anyone has objections?”

Before she’d even finished, Pax shook his head and aimed a grateful glance at everyone seated in front at the table.

“No. I’m satisfied,” Mistress Windhelm said, her papers in hand as she stood and headed toward the door without giving Pax or anyone else another glance.

He was more than impressed by the show she’d put on and how she’d helped manipulate the situation in his favor. Her irritation and dislike of him had all been a very skilled act. At least, he hoped so.

Warrior Rowan was close on her heels, but paused to give Pax an encouraging look before leaving.

Pax stood with Incedis and had turned toward the door when he heard Inquisitor Evergreen walking up behind him. He froze.

She clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, “Well done today.” Then she leaned in and whispered, “Mana skills aren’t a waste. With yours already at level 3 and your loyalty to the empire, you might have a future as an Inquisitor.”

She straightened and walked toward the door before he could do more than suck in a surprised breath. She paused before stepping through the doorway and said back over her shoulder, “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

Pax blinked, watching her stark black and white robes swish as she disappeared around the corner.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Incedis said, before muttering under his breath, “Do you always have to attract so much attention?”

Pax wondered that himself as they left the meeting room. After a departing handshake that included Pax returning the ring, Incedis left him to fill out the detailed report about the booth he’d supposedly purchased his mana skills from.

Thankfully, his street rat instincts had helped him spot the perfect booth while running messages for the Steelshades. He had plenty of details to share while his brain kept circling back to Evergreen’s parting words.

Was Interrogate a skill based on other mana controlling skills? Was it something he’d be able to learn? Did he even want to? He suspected people were already going to be leery of him messing with their mana. What if he could also read their thoughts? On the other hand, how would they even know if they’d already given permission for him to help with their mana?