Nanette's Tale

Начало книги

In hindsight, the memories mocked her.

Nanette had been sixteen — barely sixteen — when she’d met Aurelius for the first time. The Administrator rarely had time for first-year students, particularly those of no good family. It wasn’t until she found herself in his office, staring expulsion right in the face, that she’d had a chance to study him for the first time. He was a man of power, a man so sure in his own power that he had no need to play dominance games with anyone. And part of her wanted that for herself.

And so she squared her shoulders, looked him right in the eye, and told him the truth.

“She treated me badly, sir,” she said, when Aurelius pointed out that her former mistress was currently in the infirmary. “And I wanted to get her off my back.”

Aurelius raised his eyebrows. “And how did you do it?”

Nanette stumbled through a complex explanation. Ophelia — the girl who’d been supposed to mentor Nanette, in exchange for service — had been fond of pinching her at the slightest excuse. Nanette had put together a spell that not only transferred the pain to the older girl, but magnified it. Ophelia had pinched Nanette’s upper arm, hard enough to leave bruises. Ophelia must have felt as if her arm had been caught in a pressure spell.

Читать дальше →