Pellen knelt over her spell array in the storeroom. The sound of dragon roars rumbled through the wall in front of her. Sir Marco remained at his post by the room's one door.

"I'll have it ready to send you in just a moment," Pellen said, her eyes tracing the chalk lines for signs of degradation. For places she might have gotten it wrong to begin with.

She prayed they were right. It was too late for Lady Alyx if she'd gotten them wrong. Lady Alyx was already on the other side. Or dead. Or on the other side and dead.

Pellen's fingers peeled at the skin around her fingernails.

Odds said Lady Alyx crossed safely. The odds were favorable. The success rate of this inscription variant of her teleportation spell was eight out of nine. It was an entire order better than the chant variant she'd used as a last resort on Miss Cass in the catacombs.

Lady Alyx was probably fine.

The runes looked correct. She'd paid special attention to the Myzer runes on the left side. She definitely drew them correctly this time. Her Runic Writing skill confirmed the array was well balanced, that the runes were clean, that the formula running around the circle's edge had no inconsistencies.

Her Inscription skill didn't see any flaws either. The silver-quartz dust was evenly distributed by the chalk sticks, facilitating the mana flow. The connecting lines were sharp. The circle was unbroken.

She ran Diagnostic through the circle again, anyway. It didn't report any new problems. Nothing had changed since she'd sent Lady Alyx over the spatial barrier.

Lady Alyx was fine.

She would bring Miss Cass back.

Everyone would be safe.

Miss Cass would be safe.

She repeated that to herself.

Lady Alyx was not lying in two pieces on the other side of this wall. Miss Cass was not dead.

Miss Cass was not dead.

"How much does it cost yah to cast this one?" the guardsman asked.

"Oh, um, a lot?" Pellen admitted.

"More than a quarter your Focus?"

It cost more than that. Quite a bit more. It was a dreadfully expensive spell. She nodded.

"Are you going to have anything left after you move both of us over?" he asked.

Pellen's eyes widened. "Both?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You're not come'n?"

She shook her head. "I wouldn't be much use. It would use up all my Focus to move a third person."

Maybe if she had brought her Mana reserve crystal with her. She hadn't expected to need it during her errands today. She only had her Academy primer because she had intended to return it after her business with the Temple.

The guardsman folded his arms, a finger tapping against his buckler in thought. "No. Better you go then."

"Me?" Pellen squeaked. "But—I mean—What about your lady? You can't let her go by herself!"

He shook his head. "You've got a wider skill set with your spells. You'll still have at least a third of your Focus, yeah?"

She would. Enough for a few spells. But, "I'm not a combat mage."

"You're not?" he asked. "But you're past the Gate. You're not old enough to have gotten to level 27 from just birthdays."

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Oh, how did she explain that to this martial?

"And you did fine in the catacombs," he added.

Fine? Maybe that's how it looked to an outsider, but the catacombs had been a struggle.

She'd gotten lucky. It was luck that she had grabbed onto Miss Cass as they'd fallen between floors. Luck that Miss Cass hadn't shaken her off and luck that Miss Cass had a means of turning that deadly fall into a safe landing.

It was luck that Miss Cass had wanted her company and luck that Lady Alyx had let her tag along.

She couldn't fool herself otherwise. She hadn't won. She'd survived, tugged along in Miss Cass's wake like a kite on a wild wind.

"I'm not a combat mage," Pellen repeated. She drew the textbook on combat spells from her robes. "I can barely use any of these spells with reference. You shouldn't put your lady's safety in my hands."

They shouldn't put Miss Cass's fate in her hands.

"You're sure?" Sir Marco asked.

Pellen stared down at the sigils of her array, her hand clenching in her lap.

Lady Alyx would bring Miss Cass back safely. She had to.

Miss Cass would be safe.

Her chest constricted.

People died every day. Pellen knew that. There was a reason she wasn't a combat mage. There was a reason she'd left the Dusklight.

People died, even in safe places like the Academy. Experiments went wrong. Spells misfired. The maneuvers of politics and wealth intruded into the world of academics.

People died.

But that wasn't supposed to be Miss Cass's fate. She was strong. She was kind.

She cared.

But it was out of Pellen's hands. She'd told Lady Alyx. She'd sent Lady Alyx on. She'd done what she could.

Her role now was to wait. And pray. And hope.

Lady Alyx would face armed resistance. There would be combat. Even if she arrived safely in the sealed section, she might die fighting for Miss Cass.

Lady Alyx was strong, but she was still a young warrior, only just past the Gate. Could she handle the full force of a religious order?

She had to.

Pellen had to believe she could.

Because it was out of Pellen's hands. There was nothing more she could do.

Maybe, if she were a combat mage, she could have joined Lady Alyx. Maybe, if she held the Arcane Concept, she could have the strength to stand at their side. Maybe, if she was more.

"You're overthinkin' it," Sir Marco said, interrupting the spiraling thoughts.

Pellen flinched.

He crouched in front of her, on the far side of the array. His steely eyes met her primary ones. "What do you want?"

"I—" What did she want? She wanted Miss Cass and Lady Alyx to come back safely. But, "I'm not—"

He shook his head. "Scythes can be made spears, doubly so if that's what the scythe wants. So what do you want?"

Pellen stared at him. This was the lives of his lady and Miss Cass on the line. What she wanted was unimportant. He was a higher level. He had combat experience.

"If you don't want to go, I won't make you. There is no shame in that. Not everyone can. Not everyone wants to be. We all got our roles."

Her heart pounded in her chest.

He didn't break eye contact. "You have the choice. Not everyone does. Can you leave them to me, or will you save them yourself?"

Pellen's hands gripped tighter around her textbook. Would she forgive herself if Miss Cass died? If she went and Miss Cass died? If she didn't go and Miss Cass died? Which was worse?

"You've come this far," Sir Marco said softly. "You really don't want to go the last step?"

Pellen flinched.

She didn't have to come this far. She could have sent a note to Lady Alyx, but she'd barged into the arena. She could have left Lady Alyx at the temple's doors, but she'd insisted on following her. She could have shaken her head and claimed there was no spell to break into this sealed space, but she'd offered her experimental spell instead.

Why?

Because Miss Cass would do the same? Because she refused to let Miss Cass die?

Because she couldn't let Miss Cass face trouble alone.

"I'll go," Pellen whispered.

Sir Marco nodded, a melancholy smile slipping across his face. "That's what I thought." He stood, walking back to the door. "Protect my girl. She'll chew me out for sendin' you alone later, but you're the right choice."

"You're sure?" Pellen asked, even as she stepped into the center of her teleportation array.

He waved lazily. "I can protect my lady. Maybe I can protect her sorceress. I don't know if I can do both. You, on the other hand, with all your tricks, can't you do both?"

Pellen shook her head. She didn't know if she could live up to that expectation.

"And that Miss Cass'll almost certainly find you more useful than an old man like me." He chuckled. "She's quick like that. Go. Save her."

Pellen clenched her textbook of combat spells to her chest, willing her Focus through her feet into the array. This wasn't a mistake. She could do this.

She intoned the activation word. Space shifted around her.

Miss Cass, stay safe just a little longer. She was coming.

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