"Well there's nothing wrong with the runes themselves," said Maura, analysing the rhythm from her reader rune. They stood about five storeys beneath the top of the wall, within one of the corridors that ran along the side overlooking Hanna. The violet rune Maura plastered on the stone surface pulsed outwards and, when they hit the anti-climbing runes embedded in the stone walls, made them visible for a fleeting moment before they vanished. "They're intact and just as intricate as they've always been. Your mother created them, you know?"

Seiren made a non-committal sound, squinting upwards against the glare of the sun that slipped between the tiny slits between slabs.

Mother's runes were always beautiful.

Each perfect rune with their proportionate locking circles, eight sigils, and intricate designs was breathtaking. Seiren was reminded of her childhood when she and Madeleine would sneak into their mother's study and leaf through her textbooks, poring over her latest designs and experimentations. They'd covered the basics and made imitation circles of their own by the time they were six years old. By eight they could copy common runes perfectly and by ten they had ideas of their own in creating runes. It was just as well Seiren was so well-versed in rummaging through their mother's numerous tomes, or Madeleine would not be here now.

"Harred's runes are practically infallible. And even after last night's attacks they remain intact. So it wasn't the runes' failure that allowed those demons to climb."

"'Practically'?"

"When she died, the security runes to the Council of Mages were breached. Kommora Haigh fixed it, but that was the only time Harred's runes were ever compromised. Until now."

"But that would mean the Hannans had some way to negate her runes here. Something stronger."

Maura turned, her eyebrows raised. "Surprising... so you can think outside the box."

"You don't think much of me." Seiren scowled. "Is this because I've done something to offend you or is it because I'm Rowan's probationary mage?"

"You're quite keen to bring up my brother, aren't you? What's the problem? Got a crush on him?"

Seiren reddened. "Absolutely not. I just don't see why someone who puts themselves out there for their own underlings would be hated by his family. And I certainly don't see how whatever the reason is has anything to do with my performance."

Maura took her hand off the wall. Her analysing rune continued to pulse. She surveyed Seiren. It was then Seiren realised Maura's eyes were slightly more blue than Rowan's, and instead of the usual apathy there was slight curiosity.

"You're awfully loyal to him, Nithercott." She raised a suggestive eyebrow. "If you're referring to his spectacular failure in his first mission as a registered mage -- that was not the first time my brother messed up but it's the one everyone heard about. The first time was when he'd killed his superior."

Seiren felt the air leave her lungs.

"He killed...?"

"Well, that's a bit of an over-dramatisation. But it was his failure that killed his superior."

Seiren opened and shut her mouth, wordless. Without further elaboration, Maura turned and took out more paper, sketching reinforcement runes and applying them along the walls.

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me more?"

"Why? So you can have a little heart-to-heart with my brother? There's nothing to tell. If you're so curious, you can ask him."

"It's obvious it's something if he's shamed the whole of the prestigious Woodbead family from the sycophancy you spoke about."

Maura stiffened. When she turned around, Seiren felt like she was in the presence of a feral predator rather than a thirty-something-year-old woman half a head shorter than her.

"That's a mighty big word for such a little girl," she said in a soft voice. "Being in the military is all about obedience. It's not unlike King's. Whilst there might have been encouragement in your younger days and in your peers' families to be yourself and express the creativity and rebel against societal expectations -- you cannot do that in the army. You are part of something greater, more important and valuable. This is where you and my brother fall short. How can a wall stand tall and impenetrable if the lower bricks decide they wanted to be the higher bricks? How can your runes be powerful if your paper thinks it should be applied more to the right and therefore does not activate your rune when you want it? The military does not care for your individuality or your precious ego. You do as you are told."

"But I'm not in the military," said Seiren in a low voice.

Maura's nostrils flared. "No. And that's just as well, because the army does not need someone like you -- or my brother. But he is a Woodbead. And so he aligned with the military when he graduated from King's, just like I have."

Seiren had heard of the military posts. Usually those that came from traditionally military families or those who hope to work closely with the military would take those posts, but the hours were hard, the demands high -- they had to be proficient in magic as well as have the physiques to endure military training -- so she had never taken it into consideration. She did know a few in her year who applied for those posts as they had no aspirations of their own and their family pressured them into doing what they wanted.

"He had a simple mission. Guard the borders at Ebbsfleet -- this was when Acrise was still under control of Hanna. We had no expectations of him. Anything he could do, Bolliver and I had done dozens of times over. Any achievements he could get, we had already gained years ago. All he had to do was not shame the family. And he could not even do that."

Maura took in a deep breath, her eyes closed, and half-turned away from Seiren, as if the memory still boiled her blood today.

"I don't know if it was pure stupidity or of a dogged desire to please us or his superiors, but he left his post. That was all it took. He left his post when he was meant to stand guard, holding up the detection runes and also taking down anybody who snuck by the borders. His superior, Mage Eiden Slora, found the renegades who crossed the border, holding my little brother hostage. He traded his life for my brother's. He died."

She hates her own brother because he made a mistake?

No, it's more than that. Madeleine sounded odd. She's hurt. There's more to it than that. It's not just because the Woodbead family's pride is hurt that she bears a grudge against Rowan.

Well, all I see is an angry five foot tall woman who won't forgive a mistake. He was my age. I'm sure I've done worse.

You have, I assure you.

Seiren fought back a scowl, but Maura seemed engrossed in whatever memory she'd dug up just now.

You're stuck with Rowan Woodbead. I know you're curious. Just ask her.

She's a cow.

So are you. So ask.

"There's more to it, isn't there?"

Maura's eyes opened and glanced to her left at Seiren, keeping perfectly still. Those blue-green eyes bore into Seiren's soul. She could see what Madeleine meant now. It wasn't just the animosity of having dented the family pride. There was something personal, too.

"Eiden Slora was a remarkable burst mage. He was in charge of Ebbsfleet at a time when it was in constant conflict and vulnerable to Hannan forces. My father knew Rowan did not possess the physique like Bolliver does or the tenacity I do to enter the military, but he is a Woodbead. He had to enter the military." She took in another breath. "I asked Eiden to take in Rowan to be his probationary mage."

She blames herself for Slora's death, said Madeleine in a mournful voice.

That's ridiculous logic. She's done nothing wrong.

You... literally have no room to talk, Seiren Harred.

She hates her brother because she blames herself for some random mage's death.

He's not a random mage. Can't you see? Or are you really that dead on the inside?

If this is meant to be romantic, I'd rather take on a demon right now, Madeleine.

"I was stationed there, too. I ensured the Woodbeads' name remained untarnished, even though it was singularly Rowan's fault our border was breached and Eiden dead. I reported Eiden as killed in action when the Hannans stormed, even though it should never have happened if Rowan had stuck to his job like he was supposed to."

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"Yes, and that mistake could have cost the whole of Karma. If we hadn't had competent mages there, you and I would not be standing here talking so freely right now." Maura's voice became icy again and she turned her back to Seiren. The vulnerable moment had gone.

"Wait, but you said you covered that up. So how did that shame the Woodbeads?"

"It didn't. You asked me why I do not tolerate my brother. I told you why."

"Tylene told me about his first mission that ended up with everyone dead except him. This isn't it, is it?"

"Tylene?" Maura couldn't sound more disinterested.

"His aide. He--"

"You remember the aides' names? How sentimental of you."

Seiren ground her teeth. She almost forgot Maura was tutored by Portendorfer previously. "You said nothing can be done if people didn't stick to their roles, right? Well, remembering those who help me and those who hold me up is my role, so, yes, I remember her name."

Maura raised her eyebrow but Seiren could sense a hint of approval in the air.

"Rowan took up a runt as an aide. I forgot the name. He'd gotten his full licence not that long ago so I guess he thought he was remotely competent by that point. Maybe he felt some sympathy for the thing. Next I heard the back-up squad -- back-up squad, not infiltration -- were slaughtered, and only my brother survived. If he'd died, he would have brought less shame upon the family."

"You could say that about your own brother?"

"My father, shamed by the failure that was Rowan Woodbead, was forced to retire from his role as Field Marshal in the Karman army forces. Sixty years of service, unyielding and loyal, and just like that, banished to the deadlands."

Seiren's mouth went dry. She'd read about the deadlands before in textbooks back when she was at King's. A barren wasteland in the southwest eroded by some sort of perverse magic. The town of Cliffe was an almost-abandoned place whose sole existence was to support the magical barrier that separated Karma from the wasteland, preventing its spread like some disease.

Seems an awfully harsh punishment just because Rowan messed up.

"Seems awfully harsh, doesn't it?" It was as if Maura could read her mind. "To you, perhaps. To the military and to the Woodbeads, you cannot compromise excellence. It would serve as a reminder to the other families that nothing less than perfection is acceptable. At least now Rowan knows the price of insubordination."

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