Rowena opened her eyes and stretched like a cat, enjoying the feeling of each of her limbs reaching for the ends of the long, comfortable bed. She was still sore, but felt considerably better than she had before.

A quick glance to the window told her that it was already well into the evening. After going through the standard checking in ritual with Lorimer– whose frown had only deepened when her Subclass was revealed, though he’d brightened considerably at Kieran’s– they’d more or less collapsed into the room he’d provided, a rather narrow one with six beds. Fortunately, two of them were unoccupied, and they were alone. Not that it would have mattered: they’d each slept until late morning, at which point they’d eaten a small meal with little conversation before going back to the rooms for a long nap.

She sat up with a slight groan, looked around and saw that Sorel and Mattie were still sleeping. They’d pushed two of the single beds together and stuffed pillows in the crack between them to make a space large enough for Sorel to protectively encircle Mattie. Rowena smiled faintly at the sight of them. Thankfully, Mattie’s coloring looked much better after all of the sleep.

Rowena felt reasonably well, though she reminded herself not to take it for granted. Using another Ability or inversion could easily land her right back where she’d been the night before– she winced at the thought, and hoped to never again experience such levels of exhaustion. But at least there hadn’t been a wyvern to worry about that night.

She rolled herself out of bed and stood with another stretch, wondering where Kieran had gone. For the first time, she truly looked at the room: unlike the Wandering Vine, which had been simple but comfortable and lived-in, the Broken Quill felt almost sterile. The room had six exact copies of the same furniture– a bed and a side table in which one could lock one’s valuables– that had been perfectly and exactingly placed. The bed linens were of an old fashioned, embroidered style and were so starched they might stand on their own. There wasn’t even a rug on the floor, and Rowena frowned– this place didn’t seem like it was actually designed for guests, or at least not for guests to be comfortable.

Still, the air was clean and every surface free of dust, which was pretty much all Rowena could ask for after days of traveling on the dirty road.

Moving quietly so as not to disturb Mattie and Sorel, Rowena crept out of the room and made her way downstairs, hoping to find supper well on its way to being served.

There was no one in the sparse dining room, from the sound of it, and she peeked her head hopefully through the door that led to the tiny kitchen. There was no one in there, and again she marveled at how little-used the room seemed– other than a kettle that was either very loved or very hated, judging by the many dents in its surface, there were only minimal pots, pans, and plates.

Rowena was curious to use Detect Secret on this strange inn, but Lorimer had looked at them all sternly the night before (though, Rowena thought particularly at her) and told them that Ability usage within his inn would cause immediate expulsion. Recalling how Thea had so handily Banished their attackers, Rowena had no interest in testing this claim, though whether he’d meant Banishment through an Ability or by an old fashioned showing them the door, she didn’t know.

A familiar laugh drew Rowena’s attention to a door that brought the short hallway to an abrupt end. Hesitantly, she knocked softly as she pulled the door handle down and pushed inside.

The room she entered was larger than any other in the inn so far, but unlike the rest of the sparse rooms, this one was crammed full to the brim, mostly with books and pieces of parchment. Rowena’s eyes widened as she looked at them all– bookshelves lined each wall without even a space left for windows– just a door on one side– and their contents were packed in as tightly as sardines. Additional cabinets and small dotted the whole space, also stacked with books, except for a single large table scattered with books and a rack that contained dozens of quills and pots of ink. In the middle of the room was a large couch and two single, comfortable looking burgundy chairs. Kieran sat next to their host, Lorimer, on the couch. A huge, circular woven rug covered the floor at their feet.

Lorimer’s laugh stopped when he saw Rowena enter the room. She swallowed– it had been a long time since she’d been around people who weren’t either her own loyal friends or uncommonly open minded as Thea and Finnegan had been. She’d forgotten how ROGUES were generally received. How she herself had received ROGUES before she’d become one.

“Ro, you’re up!” Kieran said, seemingly oblivious to the shift in the tone of the room. “Lorimer’s going to help us. He used to work at the University!”

Lorimer let his steady gaze at Rowena flicker in dismay toward Kieran. “I didn’t just work at the University. I was the youngest Provost ever honored,” he said sternly, with a hint of pride.

“Retired to run an inn?” Rowena raised an eyebrow. Something about this man didn’t add up.

I agree, Cuth thought in her head. Some of these book titles– we need to get a better look at what he has here!

“Retired to pursue more important studies,” Lorimer said archly over the curve of his spectacles. “The rooms are more for visiting… scholars. Won’t you join us.”

The last was not spoken as a question but a statement that brooked no disagreement.

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“We don’t need to take up any of your time,” Rowena said uneasily as she entered the room and slid into one of the free seats. “If you could just tell us how to–”

Lorimer held up a hand to silence her.

Rowena stopped talking, though whether it was because he had used an Ability or simply had a commanding presence, she wasn’t sure. She was only a little surprised to see a MAGIC USER Class Sigil on his wrist, though she couldn’t make out what class.

“Going to the University is a terrible idea,” Lorimer said, folding his hands on top of his crossed knees. He wore another perfectly tailored suit, this one in a lovely, crisp sage green.

“Because I’m a ROGUE?” Rowena hissed.

“Ro!” Kieran made a face at her, but Lorimer held up a finger to stop him.

“Not only that,” he said calmly. “Kieran here has been sharing your story with me–”

Now it was Rowena’s turn to snap, “Kieran!”

“--and I simply don’t believe you’ll find what you’re looking for at the University,” he continued.

“Justcie?” Rowena said, exasperated. “I didn’t expect for the University to mete out a judgment. We just need to find him, first.”

Lorimer was perfectly still, but blinked several times as though he was processing new information. “I’m sorry,” he said, though Rowena did not believe that he was or possibly ever had been, “I don’t– ah! You mean… Damon Conjuror of Alderhan?”

“The man who murdered my brother. Yes, of course that’s what I mean!” Rowena shot Kieran a dirty look, wondering just how he’d told their story. A pang of sadness stabbed her heart.

Alderhan. Why do I know that place? Cuth mused.

Who cares? Rowena thought furiously, wishing she could activate Calm Person without potentially being expelled from the inn. Not that she particularly wanted to stay there at the moment– only the fact that Lorimer clearly knew something and might be willing to help them kept her in her seat.

“I’m afraid I can’t help you there,” Lorimer said, sitting back in his chair. His eyes flickered briefly to the floor. He had a disconcertingly prepossessed air about him– Rowena knew he was hiding something.

“Can’t, or won’t?” She asked. “You clearly know who he is.”

He looked at her in faint surprise. “Well, of course I do. Goodness, my dear, I thought you were a Secretseeker. This is basic knowledge– I suppose I can’t expect more from a backwater like Tunehlan. I suppose there was never any point in–”

“Whether he’s common knowledge or not,” Rowena said through gritted teeth, “I think you know more than you’re telling us.”

“I’m happy to tell you, entirely free of charge, that Damon Conjuror is above your ability to influence or bring to justice,” Lorimer said, shaking his head. “His family are of the nobility of Alderhan. You’d do best to simply make your peace with your loss. For which I am sorry.”

Rowena begrudgingly had to admit that the man, whose expressions had been hard to read up til this point, did look genuinely pained. “Easy for you to say,” she said, her voice cracking a little bit.

“I– have a child,” he said haltingly, then regained his composure. “My point is this. Kieran has described to me in great detail your experiences since touching your Heartstone and gaining your Classes. I’m afraid the Heartstone was… corrupted, somehow.”

“He thinks we might be in danger, Ro,” Kieran said earnestly, though he had the decency to still look rather embarrassed that he’d neglected to find out more about Damon from Lorimer.

“You don’t say,” Rowena said, lips pursed. She barely managed to stop her eyes from rolling with impatience. “And here I figured our condition over the last few days was completely normal.”

Lorimer sighed, and stood, brushing invisible dust off of his perfectly pressed trousers. He then headed over to the large desk and shuffled through several loose pieces of parchment.

Rowena leaned over to Kieran. “Kieran, look, I know it’s exciting to meet someone who might be able to… I don’t know… explain what happened… but unless he’s going to help us find Damon… I have to go to the University. I have to keep looking.”

Kieran’s reddish gold eyes grew somber. “Ro, I miss Tommie, too. I’m not giving up on bringing this… this Damon to justice. But if he’s nobility? Ro, we need to be realistic.”

“Realistic?” she said fiercely.

He rolled his eyes. “Or at least… smart. We have to be careful about this. You saw the state of Mattie yesterday– we can’t go on using our Abilities without some guidance. There’s a reason we’re here, and I think Lorimer can help us.”

“Reason? What reason?” Rowena sat back in her chair with a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her thin blonde hair.

Kieran grinned a little. “Don’t you remember that I’m Lucky?”

Rowena paused for a second– that’s right, Kieran’s two Proficiencies were Stamina and Luck. “I’d forgotten.”

“How do you think we made it through the gate? Or to Arcania in one day, for that matter?”

“I think the former had something to do with my Ability,” Rowena grumbled, but then she grew serious again. “Kieran, maybe you’re Lucky– for you. Maybe Lorimer is the mentor you need, and maybe even Mattie and Sorel. But I don’t care about this… whatever this is. I just want justice for Tommie.”

“And we’ll get it–”

Kieran’s protest was cut short by the door slamming open with a blast, taking it off its hinges. A petite woman with short dark hair stood in the doorway wearing a dark cloak that seemed familiar to Rowena. She leaned against the doorframe, one arm stretching up it languorously, as though she’d been waiting there for a long time.

“Well, well, well, Lorimer,” she said with a low, mocking voice. “What has the cat dragged in?”