She was hiding in a secret alcove with her ear was plastered against a wall. Tessa Ree stood a feet away to keep an eye out for any passerbys. Old man Taius’s office was on the other side of the wall, and there was a tiny spyhole that carried voices through into the alcove.

Tessa Ree traded Arianthe the information about this spying spot for a quiet piece of revenge against another staff a year ago.

“The diadem... don’t forget the… is down… the sanctum is up...”

Arianthe growled silently in frustration, not daring to make a sound as the spyhole worked both ways. The old instructor was speaking so softly that only piecemeal phrases could be heard.

She pried herself away from the wall and patted down the dust on her knees. Then she padded her way over to Tessa, who immediately swung an arm over Arianthe’s shoulder.

“ Anything useful?” Tessa asked, steering both of them through a low doorway and into the indoor gardens.

“Complete shit,” Arainthe muttered. Something in her stomach rolled and twisted with anger. The greeneries and thin trees in the garden did little to sooth her annoyance. “Senile old man.”

Old Man Taiu had steered Hruine into the office after that announcement, so of course Arainthe quietly followed behind. Part of her was curious about Hruine and another part of her hungered for more information about this quest. She ran into Tessa on the way and commandeered the other woman’s help.

Arainthe had planned on actually talking to Old Man Taius. That plan just went out the window. One thing from her eavesdropping was completely clear: the old instructor was quietly imparting additional information about this quest to Glorrad Hruine, and the audacity of that kind of favoritism -- not that the old man had ever hid it -- left a bitter taste in Arainthe’s mouth. She had worked hard to get to where she was, had clawed her way up within the past two years, whereas the privileged were handed more. Time was running out for her, whereas Hruine had only been an acolyte for a year and had at least another to go. The injustice of the situation more than upset her.

I’ll show him. Her fists clenched until it hurt.