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lie—convincingly, which took practice. So Mole learned that as well.
    He wasn’t a true Assassin since he wasn’t Guild, but he’d had all the training, as well as a few Guild commissions. They could put his training to use.
    Reo tugged her forward. “Let’s deal with the clammers so we can go home,” he said.
    Kara gripped his hand and nodded, following him to the kitchen. Later she’d talk to Reo about sending Mole to watch over Timo. But first, the clammers.
    “They’re all here?” Kara asked.
    “Mole says yes,” Pilo replied. Her fists were clenched as she stared out the kitchen window with narrowed eyes.
    “Good,” Kara said. She only wanted to do this once. She followed Pilo’s gaze to the group of dirty men and women sprawled on the back lawn. Getting even this close to the clammers made her skin crawl. “You stay here with the children.” She smiled at four-year-old Lisha and six-year-old Nando. “Reo and I will handle this.”
    Reo nodded before preceding her out the door and into the garden. Kara shivered when she stepped outside, despite the warm evening.
    Over twenty pairs of eyes turned towards her all at the same time, and Kara shivered again. The clammers, with matted hair and clothed in filthy rags, all sat up a little straighter. Kara felt Reo’s hand on her shoulder, and she took a deep breath.
    This was one of her least favourite tasks. Every six months the clammers came for her help, and she gave it willingly with the understanding that they would stay on their part of the island and not harm anyone who stumbled into their midst. But it still made her skin twitch.
    “It’s time,” one of the clammers said.
    Kara nodded. She wasn’t sure if the man who was their leader was one of the clammers who’d captured the docks all those years ago. She thought it might be, but if she dwelt on the past, on the terror of their escape from the clammers, she might not be able to do what she needed to do.
    She straightened up and lifted her head. “I’m ready.” Kara took a deep breath and raised her hands towards the group then pulled at the magic with all her might. Slowly at first and then faster and faster, wisps of mage mist were drawn out of the clammers until streams of multi-coloured mist circled the lawn. Once all the magic had been drawn from the clammers, Kara concentrated on dissolving the mist. Soon there was nothing left but a blank patch of grass.
    “We will return,” the clammer said, and the whole group silently rose to their feet and headed off into the night.
    Kara slumped against Reo.
    “I hate that,” she said softly.
    “I know,” he replied. “But it’s for the best. We can’t afford to have Mage Guild suspect that some unguilded have traces of magic. No one would be safe.”
    “Including Pilo. I just wish there was another way, a way that didn’t involve me.” She always felt tainted after draining the clammers of their magic. She knew it made her family and friends safer, and she herself never actually touched their mage mist, but it left a stain, somehow. She glanced at the patch of lawn where the magic had pooled. There wasn’t a trace of magic left but she knew she’d avoid this area for a few days just the same.
    “Let’s get the children and go home,” Reo said.
    Kara nodded and let him lead her into the kitchen.
    Among the warmth and smiles of her family, she felt some of the taint wear off.
     

Chapter 3
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    TIMO SAT DOWN at his work table and winced as he rubbed his hand along the bridge of his nose. Not broken, at least not this time, but there would be a bruise.
    He’d been dodging attacks like this last one for the past year and a half, ever since he’d persuaded Barra and Hestor to take him to the Hall of Records. He knew who had set this spell—he always knew—that was one of the hardest things about his unmagic. He knew whose magic made him fall, or spill ink on his notebook, or interfered with his own