“Come in, Olivia! Sit down! I heard about your morning—what a terrible thing to wake up to. Your cohort was lucky to have you around.” Oylla motioned for Olivia to come into her office, gesturing to the pair of couches over by the window, which, uncharacteristically, had its curtains pulled wide, allowing bright morning light to fill the office.

“What makes you say that?” Olivia asked, sitting on the indicated couch.

“What? That your cohort was lucky you were there?” Oylla sat next to her, a foot or so between them. “I suppose I was thinking of worst-case scenarios—if the murderer were still present or seeking further victims. You have more raw ability and power than nearly any other student on the grounds; few professors would try to match you in pure Energy potential. I think the killer would have been rather startled had he tried to murder you the way he did poor Shathi.”

“Is it? A man? Or are you just using that term generically?”

“Inspector Carlu seems convinced the killer is a man, but he did allow for some small doubt. Now, I know this topic is burning through the hallways of the academy, and I’m sorry to add fuel to the fire. Still, we need to focus on a different matter today: you and I have interviews to conduct, and the first prospective mentor-advisor will be here in just a few moments. Are there any concerns or questions you’d like to go over with me before she arrives?”

“Who’s the first interview with?” Olivia sat up straighter, reaching for the cup of tea that sat on the coffee table before her.

“First up today will be someone you know. She indicated to me that she was the one on duty to greet new students when you arrived—Professor Yunsha.”

“The Bogoli woman? Can you explain to me why some Bogoli, like my cohort members Veena and Hanwol, have surnames and others don’t?”

“It’s not that Professor Yunsha doesn’t have a surname; it’s a matter of her choosing not to use it in public. Some Bogoli believe there’s power in a name and avoid sharing their full name with the general public.”

“Is that true? Should I be guarding my name?”

“It’s true if you believe it. It’s one of those things that seems to be affected by one’s perceptions. If you build up the power of your name in your mind, you open yourself to the possibility that someone can use it against you. If you, however, tell everyone your name and don’t dwell on its importance, it’s difficult for anyone to use it against you.”

“What would be the benefit of believing like Yunsha, then?”

“Well, having that secret allows for rituals that involve trust—if Yunsha shares her intimate name with someone, that person can work certain magics designed to take advantage of her full trust. It’s difficult to explain, but it might be something you learn about if you accept Yunsha as your mentor.”

“Will we have time to discuss the interview before the next one?” Olivia sat back on the little couch, smoothing out her robes, trying to avoid any of her usual nervous ticks.

“Oh yes. I’ve tried to keep the pressure on by only scheduling fifteen minutes for each meeting.” Oylla smiled and leaned forward, picking up her cup of tea. Olivia took a sip from the cup she held and smiled at the smooth, tart taste—it was remarkably like Earl Grey with a hint of lemon in the aftertaste.

“Good tea,” she said. She was tempted to remark about how strange it was that people on Fanwath drank tea in the same way that they did on Earth, but she knew that rabbit hole would lead to a more extended discussion than they had time for at the moment. Instead, she set down her cup and closed her eyes briefly, clearing her mind for the upcoming meeting. Oylla sipped from her cup, set it down, and, at just that moment, a delicate knock sounded on the door.

“Come,” Oylla said, sitting back and crossing her long, red legs, her knee exposed through a slit in her black, silky robes. The door opened, and Yunsha came into the office, walking quickly to the couch opposite Olivia and Oylla.

“May I?” The Bogoli asked. Olivia noticed that the woman was quite a lot taller than Veena or Hanwol, though she didn’t seem to have advanced her race as much as Gwinna; her eyes were still natural-looking, though the reds of her sclera and the glitter of her bright blue irises were striking, nonetheless.

“Of course,” Professor Oylla-dak said, gesturing with a palm toward the couch. Yunsha sat and cleared her throat, reaching for the cup of tea nearest her.

“I know I only have a few minutes, so I thought I’d get straight to the point, Olivia. You should allow me to take you on as a mentee because I’ll be able to teach you things about manipulating spatial Energy that most professors can only theorize about. I’ve heard you’ve had some luck creating spells that allow scrying and even teleportation, though I can assure you, there is much you don’t know. I’m a master, the only master at this academy, of such types of magic.”

“I can confirm that Yunsha speaks the truth—she is peerless when it comes to spatial manipulation,” Oylla said with a slight nod, sipping from her tea.

“Oh, that’s very interesting, Yunsha. I am extremely keen to learn more about that sort of magic, though it doesn’t necessarily match my talents.” Olivia wasn’t just trying to be polite—she really did find the use of Energy for instantaneous travel to be one of the most fascinating subjects she’d learned about so far.

“Nonsense. Just because you’ve an affinity for elemental Energies doesn’t mean you can’t learn to use raw Energy to fold space. Among other things.”

“So, that would be the focus of my study under your tutelage?”

“That’s correct. With your raw talent and reserves of Energy, I think that we could make some great strides in that area.” Yunsha nodded primly, her face neutral but held in such a way that it seemed like she was bending every rule in the book by paying such a compliment to a potential student.

“And what would my life be like? How do you see a typical day or week going for me as your mentee?” This wasn’t the first time Olivia had been recruited by professors or, more broadly, universities. No, she’d been recruited in academia and outside of it many times. She knew she held the cards right now.

“Well, you’ll spend time reviewing patterns that we develop, running tests, and gathering data. You’ll have a large backlog of my academic papers and texts to familiarize yourself with. You’ll need to help me research materials for the conduction and storage of Energy.”

“I understand that those are the sorts of things we’ll be working on, but what about my day? My time? I, of course, would value your work as a mentor, but I’d have my own projects to work on, and I’d like to maintain a healthy work-life balance. There are classes I still need to attend and recreational activities that I would like to participate in.”

“Oh?” Yunsha’s eyes narrowed, and Olivia could see that she was straining to form a sentence that didn’t include any sort of rebuke. “You realize the opportunity that I’m putting before you? Do you have any sort of idea how many third-year students are vying for a spot on my team?”

“She’s well aware, Professor. She’s also aware that she can work circles around any of those third-years. What do you say, Olivia? Have you heard enough?”

“I suppose . . .” Olivia started to say, but then Yunsha spoke again, leaning forward earnestly.

“Wait,” she said, “Olivia, you have a great talent; it’s true. You’re going to hear things from some of the other professors looking to recruit you for projects that make my offer seem rather dull. Still, you need to know something about me, and I think that Professor Oylla-dak will confirm my honesty,” she glanced at Oylla, who nodded solemnly, “I don’t answer to anyone, Olivia. I wasn’t lying when I said my expertise in spatial manipulation is without peer. You might learn quite a lot on the subject without me, and you may even grow to be an expert someday, but I can help you leap years or decades of trial and error on the subject. This sort of magic is powerful and very sought after. The things we discover could help you and your people solidify their foothold on Fanwath. Keep that in mind while you’re speaking to the other potential mentors, would you?”

“I will, Professor. Thank you so much for your honesty and your interest in helping me grow.” Olivia stood and held out her hand, and Yunsha stood to shake it. Her white-clothed hand was small but strong, and Olivia felt genuine warmth in the connection. She smiled and remained standing as the Bogoli walked out of Oylla’s office.

“She’s truly a great Energy worker, but she plays political games that leave even me scratching my head from time to time,” Oylla said after the door clicked shut.

“Do you think my life would be miserable working under her? That’s a question that begs another one: how long will I be expected to commit to the mentor we select?”

“Regarding the first question: you won’t be miserable, but you’ll be very busy, though it could be quite rewarding if you find common interests with the woman. As far as the duration goes, you’ll be expected to commit the rest of your three-year student tenure. After that, you’ll be free to pursue other interests or not, depending on how things are going. You might find that you want to spend the next part of your life furthering your work with your mentor.”

“Well, my thoughts about Yunsha are mixed. Maybe I’ll be able to solidify my opinion after meeting some more potential mentors. Who do we have next?”

“Next up is a rather strange but influential fellow, Professor Somhairle.” Oylla seemed to be holding a carefully neutral expression while she spoke, though Olivia got the feeling she was watching her very closely for a reaction.

“The Fae?” Olivia couldn’t help allowing some distaste to enter her voice.

“You know him?” Oylla raised an eyebrow.

“I met him briefly in the library. It was a strange meeting, though, and I always felt I lost some time—like he and I spent more time together than I realized. I’m going to be very honest, Oylla; he sort of creeps me out.”

“Very interesting. I should tell you that he was the first person to alert me about you leaving this world. How do you imagine he knew you’d gone through that portal?”

“Good question! Now I’m even more creeped out. Actually, you know, he gave me some kind of calling card. My friend, Bronwyn, said that it bothered her—she could feel something from it that she had trouble explaining to me—and so I burned it up.”

“Even more intriguing!” Oylla said, a slow smile spreading on her lips. Olivia didn’t like the idea that Oylla was gaining some sort of political points by using Olivia’s mentorship as a sort of leverage.

“Oylla, I know the realities of institutions like this—the politics involved, but I hope you aren’t steering me wrong so that you can see the reaction Somhairle has during our meeting.”

“Olivia! I promise you that I only have your best interests at heart, though I will confess that I relish the idea of learning more about the mysterious Professor Somhairle. He was hired directly by the Headmaster, and I’ve had a harpy of a time getting any concrete information about the man. Let’s see what he has to say, hmm? I promise I won’t push you into his clutches.”

“All right.” Olivia shrugged as she spoke. It wouldn’t hurt to try to learn something about the professor; she had nothing against helping out Oylla, and she had her own questions: why had Bronwyn reacted so strongly about his calling card? What sort of connection did he have to the Fae? Why was he interested in Olivia? In her heart, she had to admit that she hoped that learning more about him might help her to understand Bronwyn better.