"I have a duty to the Guild, and to my family name," Grimm said with a sigh. "I've made a public vow to uphold the values of the Guild, and a private one to redeem the name of Afelnor in its eyes. I can't just throw that aside, even for you, Drex. I wish I could, but I can't. I have my family's reputation to restore."

"I know, Grimm, and I surely respect you for it. For all the rotten life I had, I've never had to shoulder a bad family name, too. Is that why you call your staff 'Redeemer'?"

Grimm nodded. "My granfer, Loras Afelnor, is reviled as a traitor and a renegade, just because he took pity on a sick old man. He's tortured by the memory, and he so wants me to wash the blemish from our name. It's a heavy burden, but not one I can easily deny."

Drex took his hands in hers. "You don't really believe your Granfer tried to kill the old Prelate, do you, Grimm?"

Grimm shrugged. "He did try to kill Geral, Drex; I can't deny it, even to myself. I've met Granfer only once since I became a Guild Mage, but I saw the guilt and pain in his aura clearly enough. I didn't say anything about it to him, but I've seen his confession in the Guild records. Yes, he tried to kill the Prelate, surely enough… even so, something seems wrong about the whole thing."

Drex's brows arched. "D'you think his confession was forced out of him, then?"

The Questor shook his head. "I think Granfer's confession was true, as far as he knew. He was caught in the act by his best friend, who is now Lord Thorn, and he never even tried to deny the act.

"It's not what he did, Drex, but how he did it. Pushing a pillow over an old man's face… it's just so bloody physical. Granfer Loras was a Mage Questor of the Seventh Rank, an avatar of destruction, a Weapon of the Guild. There must have been a hundred ways he could have snuffed out Prelate Geral's life from a distance if he wanted to. It wouldn't have needed anything like as much power as it would to kill a younger mage. Geral was a tired old man, and he was dying."