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Mia struggles to her feet after her guest takes their leave of her body, though she masks it well. On unsteady feet, she leads the client to the door of the channeling chamber. She bows, then unlocks the door, letting the client exit first. As she steps through the door, acolytes rush to her side, while another guides the client outside.Morgan stands in the middle of the meditation room, stern expression decorating her face. Mia does her best to keep a serene smile on her lips, though every muscle in her body wants to cringe. With a wave of her hand, she dismisses the acolytes helping her remain on her feet. They don’t need to be here for this confrontation. The Fey Clan has its faults, but they truly don’t need to be exposed to branch families and tourists alike. If they knew the main line of the Fey Clan was at odds, their whole community might destabilize, already hanging in the balance for just over a decade now after Mia’s mother disappeared.“Mystic Morgan.” Mia diligently keeps her voice steady. “Please share what lingers on your mind, that I might aid you.”With a scoff, Morgan scans the room, making sure everyone has cleared out before she speaks. “Do you still insist on your fool’s errand, child? This ill-advised foray into the legal profession?”“Yes, Aunt Morgan.” Mia’s head spins, a throbbing ache overtaking her skull. “I must see this through. It is the best chance we have at uncovering the Master’s whereabouts.”“If the Master wished to return to Kurain, do you not think she would have some time ago?” Morgan scowls. “All that nonsense about courts and trials and investigations has been over for years.”With gritted teeth, Mia bites back a sharp retort. The pressure in her jaw makes the pounding in her head worsen. “The Master is my mother, Aunt Morgan. It would serve you well not to speak ill of her in my presence. I will inherit her title, after all, and it is my responsibility to fill her position until her return.”“You will not inherit her title,” Morgan sneers, a triumphant glint in her eyes. “If you pursue these whims of yours you will be forced to relinquish your birthright.”At this, Mia freezes, feeling her body lock up, swaying on her feet, vision swimming. “Mystic Morgan, if this were tradition, the elders would have told me about it by now. I do not wish to think the worst of your words, but if one were not aware of your dedication in raising my sister and I, they might believe this was conspiracy. It is no secret that you harbor jealousy toward the Master’s line.”“Ah, but you see, Mystic Mia, there is no history of future Masters abandoning their birthrights so readily. This is an unprecedented situation, my dear. The elders have taken their time deliberating on the issue. This is the conclusion they’ve drawn.”Every word filters through Mia’s ears as though the sound were blocked by the water of the waterfalls in these mountains. With all her mental faculties about her, Mia might protest, might argue, might take the issue up with the elders themselves. It has never been her intention to exile herself, to leave the oversight of Kurain Village on her sister’s shoulders. Upon finding her mother, it was always Mia’s intention to return to her station. She should have seen this coming, predicted that Morgan would take the opportunity to oust her.Mia’s mental faculties are burdened by the dizziness washing over her, the weakness in her knees, and the instability of the floor under her feet. Before she can summon a response, the ground rises to meet her. The world fades away then filters back in a matter of seconds, though the stretch on like little eternities. The same two acolytes from before rush to her sides, slowly turning Mia over onto her back. A third rushes in with a bowl of cold water and a rag.Eyelids fluttering, Mia is hardly aware as she is lifted onto a makeshift stretcher and carried to her chambers.“She cannot take any more clients, Mystic Morgan,” a voice reprimands. “You know better than to overexert even a medium as talented as Mystic Mia. She is strong, but she is not yet Master.”Mia groans, registering the weight of a cold rag on her forehead and two small hands holding one of hers.“Don’t listen to them, Sis,” the voice of her sister whispers, leaning in close enough that Mia can feel her breath against the shell of her ear. “They’ve been arguing for hours.”“What else is new,” Mia slurs, blinking a few times as the world comes back into focus.Maya giggles, hands tightening their grip. “You really freaked everyone out, you know, passing out like that.”“I’ll try not to do it again.”“I know you didn’t mean it. Aunt Morgan overbooked you.”Mia smirks, reaching out to fold her other hand over Maya’s. “Between you and me, I don’t think it turned out quite how she wanted it to either, what with her getting yelled at and all.”Another giggle, stifled by pursed lips. “Probably not.”The last bits of her conversation with Morgan come back to her, then, and Mia frowns. If Maya does not want the title of Master, Mia will have to rethink her entire plan. For now, though, Mia shakes the thought away. There’s still time before she has to give a final decision to the Ivy University College of Law.