The Apprentice's Apprentice

Part 36

Cora frowned. Something about that name was familiar...

"You lying bitch!" Warren shouted, his hands balled into fists, his face flushed red. "Master Pembroke would never do anything like that! He was a good man and you have no right to speak about him that way!"

Cora winced while Zoe could only watch them, face paling a bit. Cora made a mental note to explain the whole thing to her friend when she had a chance. Whenever that ended up being. For now, from the expression on his face, Cora thought it would be more likely she'd have to stop Warren from killing the rogue.

"Master?" Marissa said, eyes widening. "You're one of his apprentices?"

Selena inclined her head. "His last one in fact."

Warren only glared, a muscle by his eye twitching as his arms trembled, his knuckles pale. Cora hoped he wasn't about to try something stupid, like attacking the woman. She really didn't want to have to stop him, for more than one reason.

The rogue sighed and leaned back. She swiped the remainder of the tears off her face and ran fingers through her hair before crossing her arms over her chest. "Well shit, that changes some things. I mean, I'm not sorry the prick's dead, he really is the reason I got declared a rogue, but if you know him there's no point in continuing this game."

"So what really happened?" Cora found herself asking.

Marissa looked at her then snorted and tossed her head. "Not that I really want to tell you, but it's not like others don't know it and will tell you. I needed a spellbreaker to... acquire a certain item, and as I've never had any skill in it, I went to Mage Pembroke. Unfortunately he was sharper than I thought and saw through my little game. Bastard damn near got me caught. And that's not to mention him outing me as a rogue. Though really, the rules of magic are stupid and the sheep who follow it even more so. I mean, what's wrong with using what you're good at to get what you want? If all of us mages just used our power to make our lives easier and to get what we want, we'd be ruling this planet. But no, we have to keep our power hidden, have to not use it selfishly. If my mind magic makes it so I can spell people into doing what I want why shouldn't I go with that?"

"Because that's not what decent human beings do," Zoe said quietly, her eyes on Marissa.

The rogue snorted. "By your standards. Trust me, kid, once you start seeing the darker sides of the world, you'll change your mind."

"No, she won't," Warren growled while Selena sighed. "Because she's not completely lacking in empathy and morality as you are. Now, I'm going to ask you this once, and only once. Was it you who killed my master?"

The venom in the last few words had Cora shuddering. She glanced at Warren whose whole face had darkened into the mask of some kind of demon. She hoped for all their sakes that the woman hadn't, or things were about to get really ugly really quick. Selena seemed to think the same if the way she edged towards her apprentice was any indication.

Marissa gave Warren a look like he was an idiot, apparently not bothered by his obvious anger. "I don't kill people, it's not my style. Sure I'll disable them or beat on them or whatever, but actually killing causes way too much trouble. Though I'd have killed your little friend there but only because she really pissed me off," she said, nodding at Cora. "But that's a heat of the moment kind of thing. I heard that whoever took out Pembroke planned it out and made sure he wasn't getting out of it alive. Sure, I hated the guy, but not enough to put my neck that far out to kill him. It'd have been a waste of time and killing him wouldn't change the fact that I'd been declared a rogue."

"And you expect us to believe that?" Warren demanded.

"I don't expect you to believe anything. I know you're just going to leave me here until whoever you called gets here and hauls me off. I'm a rogue. I know exactly what'll happen to me when I'm caught. We all do. And really, I'm only talking because it'll be boring to be shut up in this room otherwise. I could care less what you think I've done. Though if you're going to try and get your master's murder added to my crimes, then I'll fight you on that. I don't need any more time than I'm about to get."

"You know nothing of Mage Pembroke's murder then?" Selena asked, blue eyes steady, her voice as calm as ever. Cora didn't know how she was managing to stay so collected, like this kind of thing happened all the time. Again, Cora hoped she could be like Selena when she got to that age.

"Nothing much. Just that he was taken out by a mind mage. If you're just going to accuse whatever mind mage you see, you should start with your little friend there," Marissa said, eyes narrowed on Cora. "She doesn't seem to mind using her mind magic to make her life easier. Though I have to say, your little spell's backwards. If you did it the other way around your life would be a whole hell of a lot easier."

Cora frowned while the others turned to look at her. "What spell?"

Marissa stared at her for a moment then started laughing. "You don't know? You can't see the spell on you? It wasn't you?" When Cora shook her head, her frown deepening, the rogue only laughed harder. "That's hilarious!"