At first Parker hoped Dedicate Ford would be taking her back to jail – or even better, throwing her out of Winding Circle entirely – but he brought her to a cottage, still on the temple grounds. It sat nestled in a garden, whitewashed stone finished by a thatched roof and green shutters.

"This is Discipline," said Ford. "You'll be staying here from now on."

"On my own?" she asked hopefully.

He blinked at her. "No, there are two other children here, and one adult."

"Oh," said Parker. Well, it should still be easy enough to escape.

"And me," he added.

That complicated things. Ford didn't seem to miss anything.

Her new housemates proved to be two boys named Alec and Eliot, both of whom had arrived the previous day.

"So," said Alec. "What are you in for?"

"I steal things," said Parker. She shrugged. "The other girls didn't want to room with me."

"I got into a fist fight in the dinner room," said Eliot, matching her nonchalance.

"Ambient magic," said Alec.

The other two just stared at him.

"It's what Winding Circle is known for?" Alec prompted. "The other magic, the one that comes from the world around you. How have you not heard of this?"

"You can't steal magic," said Parker.

"Wait," said Eliot. "You think we – I have magic?"

"That's why we're here," he said. "That's why Ford brought us all here."

"Nah, man, there's no way I have magic," said Eliot.

"You're here, so there must be something. C'mon, hasn't there ever been a thing that you're just... good at?"

"Falling," said Parker.

"How can you— Falling isn't a— That's not—"

Parker closed her eyes and smiled. "I fall, and then I stop. And the air talks to me."

Alec snapped his fingers. "There! Air magic! See? I'm right, I'm totally right."

"Yeah? And what's your 'thing'?"

"Knowledge. Books. Once I read a thing it's there, you know, in my head."

"Ooh, books," said Parker. "I stole a really pretty one once. It had gold leaf and so many colours... I almost hated to give it up," she continued. "But they paid me, so." She brightened. "Is there money magic?"

"Uh," said Alec. He looked pained. "No. Not that I've ever read about."

"Pity," sighed Parker. "Gold is so pretty."

Eliot looked back and forth between the two of them. "The two of you are completely insane," he said, standing up and stomping towards the door.

"I'm right though," said Alec. "You know I'm right."

"You may be right about Parker," said Eliot. "But you are wrong about me."

--

Breakfast at Discipline was a communal affair, just like in the dormitories. Ford rang the bell and the rest of them were expected to be downstairs in the dining room shortly thereafter to eat.

Today's breakfast was a kind of greyish paste.

"What," said Eliot, lifting his spoon and letting the contents slop back into his bowl. It took a long time to dislodge itself. "What is this?"

"Porridge," said Ford absently. "Since you three are all forbidden from the cafeteria, we have to make our own food."

"This— This is not porridge," said Eliot. "Where is your kitchen?" He was already moving.

Ford looked up, a smile teasing at the edge of his lips.

"You did that deliberately," said Sophie.

"It's not the same if he doesn't figure it out on his own," said Ford. He took another bite of his porridge and grimaced. "It really is terrible."

Parker looked down at her bowl. "I thought it was fine."

"Girl, you are not normal," said Alec. "This is horrible."

When Eliot returned, he had with him two steaming bowls of smooth, creamy porridge.

"How did you even..." said Alec.

"More water, a bit of cream, a few minutes on the stove. That's all it takes." He stomped back into the kitchen.

"Does this mean we don't have to eat your cooking anymore?" asked Sophie hopefully.

"I was lying," said Ford. "The kitchens will do meals for us if we want. We just need to pick it up half an hour before the bell goes."

--

Parker discovered the trap-door onto the roof on the second day. From the roof she could see the temple walls. It would be so easy to climb the stairs to the walls and fall from the other side to the freedom.

Instead, she lay back and watched the clouds meander across the sky.

She heard somebody else climbing the ladder onto the roof and rolled over.

"What are you doing up here?" asked Alec.

"Watching the clouds," said Parker.

Alec told her that he knew exactly what clouds were. He said there had been enough weather mages pass through Winding Circle to write several treatises on the subject. Water vapour, like mist only suspended in the sky.

"They're fluffy," said Parker. "I want to walk up there and fall into one, like a pillow."

He sighed loudly. "I just told you—"

"Parker, Hardison, are you up there? Ford wants you."

Parker stood up, skipping over to the edge of the roof to look down at Eliot. "What was that?"

"Get down off there," he snapped. "You'll fall."

Parker shook her head and stepped off the edge. She heard Alec swear behind her. "I can't fall," she said, twisting and landing on her feet in front of Eliot. "The air won't let me."

Eliot had turned pale and she pinched his cheek before skipping inside.

"I am going to murder that girl," said Eliot, behind her. She hoped that was a joke.

Parker found Ford in his rooms and sat at the table opposite him. "You wanted to see me?"

He jumped. "Oh, it's you, Parker. I wanted to talk to you about your teacher."

Parker waited patiently.

"None of the air mages at the temple can take on a new student right now," he said.

Parker wondered if this meant she was being sent back to jail. She was excited to try escaping again. She knew what she'd done wrong last time.

"Which means, as the mage who first identified you, I am now responsible for teaching you."

"Oh," said Parker. She wondered what magic lessons were like. Would they be like Leach's thieving lessons?

"You'll be sharing lessons with Alec, since I haven't found a teacher for him either."

"Not Eliot too?"

"Oh, Eliot has a teacher, if he ever admits he needs one," said Ford. "And he refuses to even consider meditation. It's just you two for now."

"All right," said Parker.

--

Parker liked meditation. It reminded her of staking out her targets, staying hidden in one spot for hours learning their movements. Sometimes she'd had to stay in a closet for hours before dark so that she could be there when they locked up.

Alec did not take to it the same way. He twitched, he fidgeted, he complained.

On their third morning, Ford asked Sophie to sit with Parker while they meditated instead. They sat in amiable silence. Parker wasn't certain she'd found her "centre" yet, but she felt relaxed at the end of it.

The five of them reconvened at Discipline for tea and honey pastries.

"Do you have magic, Sophie?" asked Parker.

"Ah. My magic is in the power of the spoken word." She spread her arms wide. "In my hands, the words of the greatest wordsmiths are brought to life! Were I to quote from the Saga of Hope's Breath, you would feel as if you were standing on the very shores as the ships landed." She cleared her throat and quoted several lines from the Saga.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Sophie, uh, why don't you refill the teapot for us," said Ford.

"Did you, um, feel anything?" asked Alec, once Sophie was gone.

They all shook their heads.

"Sophie's magic, uh, it works better when she's not trying to do it," explained Ford. "She overthinks it."

"I'm Ford's pet project," said Sophie, returning with the teapot. "I'm here until either I get my mage medallion, one of us gets bored or the temple finally decides to ask me to leave." She didn't look like she minded.

"Which they won't," Ford interjected. "Because all dedicates swear to teach mages."

"So I mind Discipline with Ford." She shrugged. "There are worse places I could be."

The three children nodded in agreement.

--

"Parker," hissed Alec. "Come check this out." He picked up a permission slip from the table. It declared in slightly scratchy black ink that the three of them had permission to visit the library on that date of that year. He closed his eyes and his brow furrowed with concentration.

On the table, the letters shivered and re-formed.

"Ford never taught you that," breathed Parker.

"'Course not," said Alec. "I taught myself that one. Are you going to come?"

"To the library?"

"Of course. We're not going to get caught," said Alec. "They won't suspect a thing."

They were caught. Of course they were caught. Alec didn't know the first thing about sneaking into places. Forged invitations were supposed to be used as a last resort.

The librarian looked down at them with distaste. "I was under the impression that this permission would be a temporary thing. I distinctly remember Lady Sophie saying it would be for one day only."

Lady Sophie, Parker wondered?

"She must have forgotten to tell you she extended it," said Alec quickly.

"Is that so? Well, there's one way to check that." He called over a servant and sent her to collect Sophie from Discipline.

Alec was staring miserably at the table, and Parker nudged at him until he looked at her. Look impatient, she mouthed. He shook his head at her, confused.

Parker sighed.

"Can I help you, Dedicate?" asked Sophie, drawing herself up to her full height and looking down her nose at him. Her voice was stiff and haughty.

"Your students here," said the librarian. "They say you gave them permission to be here."

"And you chose not to believe them, why? I am a very busy person, Dedicate. I cannot be always supervising my students as they perform simple errands."

"Well... that is to say... they're forbidden from the library!"

"If you are volunteering to supervise them, Dedicate," began Sophie.

The librarian blanched. "No. No. I'm sure they're quite all right," he said. "I'm sorry to have bothered you." He gave her a little half bow and bustled off.

"Was that your magic, Sophie?" asked Parker, in a hushed tone.

"Of course not, it's forbidden to use magic against the dedicates," said Sophie. "Let's get whatever it was you were looking for and get back to Discipline before he realises."

"I wasn't looking for anything in particular," said Alec. "I'm a word mage, books are my power. It's ridiculous to forbid me from the library."

"You were arrested for stealing information and selling it on to the highest bidder," said Sophie. "Trust is a thing you earn. Come on, I wasn't lying about being busy."

"Are you actually a Lady?" asked Parker.

"A number of the dedicates believe I am. I have no idea why," said Sophie, her face a picture of innocence.

Parker smiled.

--

Parker found Sophie in her room the next morning.

"Come to the roof with me," said Parker.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sophie.

"No," said Parker. "I want to talk to you. Not about anything wrong."

Sophie followed her to the attic and hesitated as Parker slipped out through the trapdoor onto the roof. After a moment, her head poked out above the roof. "Parker, I don't think I can—"

"Take my hand," said Parker. "You won't fall if I'm holding you."

In one smooth motion, Parker pulled her up to sit beside her on the roof. It was like Sophie was weightless, the air cradling her and pushing her up like a leaf in the wind. Parker mentally thanked the air and lay back on the roof, hands clasped behind her head.

They watched the clouds in silence for a moment.

"Did you want to talk about something?" prompted Sophie.

"Dedicate Ford says you were a thief too."

Sophie smiled. "I was. I was a grifter, not a sneak thief like you."

"Were you any good?"

"The best, or so they said. I'm very good at pretending to be other people. There are still nobles in the city who don't realise I was never one of them."

"So why did you stop?" asked Parker.

"Same as you. They said I could either come here or go to jail."

"Because you have magic. Like me."

Sophie shrugged. "Nate said I'd learn to control it better with time, although that's still up for debate. I never seem to be able to use it except when I'm lying."

"I could have escaped from jail," said Parker. "I don't need to be grateful for being here."

"Are you thinking of running away?"

Parker thought about that for a moment and shook her head. "I just don't get it."

"Get what?"

"People. I've never had... friends before. How do you... be friends with a person?"

"Talk to them. Spend time with them. Don't steal from them."

Parker looked at her doubtfully.

"Let me give you a suggestion, then." She tapped her finger on the rooftop for a moment. "Let's kill two birds at once. Why don't you see if you can get Eliot into the temple kitchen."

"Will that teach me how to be friends?"

"No, but I think it would be an excellent bonding experience," said Sophie.

--

She decided the best way to learn about friendship was to watch other people. The novices always seemed to be pairing up and gathering in little circles.

"I can't believe it's almost Coldborn already," said a novice to her friend. Parker may as well have been invisible, for all that she was walking along the rooftop right above them.

"I know, there were even pumpkin pasties at breakfast," said another.

"Oh, I missed it! I'll have to go tomorrow. You should have told me!"

The novices moved on, and Parker watched them thoughtfully.

"What are pumpkin pasties?" she asked, dropping down next to Alec and Eliot.

"What the-- Oh, it's Parker. What do you mean?"

She waited patiently. "Two of the novices were talking about them. I've never had them," said Parker.

"Never had pumpkin pasties?" repeated Eliot. "Not at all? Never?"

"Never!" Parker repeated. "Are they good?"

"Best part of fall," said Alec wistfully. "My nana, she always made certain there were enough for one whole one each. I haven't had one in years."

"They're pastries," said Eliot. "Half moons filled with pumpkin and spices."

"I bet they're making them in the Circle kitchen right now," said Parker. "Do you think they'd give me one if I asked?"

Eliot sighed. "Fine. Let's go to the kitchens."

The Circle kitchen was a bustle of workers moving in and around each other carrying massive plates and bowls and somehow managing not to trip over each other. Some of the novices were rolling out dough, and others were filling it with scoops of orange filling.

Eliot looked like he'd found paradise.

"If you're in this kitchen you're either helping or out," said the Dedicate in charge, putting her hands on her hips. She narrowed her eyes at Eliot. "You're Nate's boy. Eliot. I've been waiting for you to turn up."

"I don't have magic," said Eliot, folding his arms.

"Don't you?" she asked. "Well, that's too bad. We could use another set of competent hands around here. I'm tired of working with these louts."

"We love you too," said one of the passing novices.

Eliot hesitated. "I've worked in a kitchen before. But I don't have magic."

"Then why don't you take over from Cara at the pastry station?" said the Dedicate. "I need her to help with the grinder here." She winked at Parker and Alec, and they slowly backed out of the room.

"Think he'll admit he has magic now?" Parker whispered.

"Nah," said Alec. "He'll probably have his mage medallion before he admits it."