"What? Oh."

Nora's polite interest as she looked behind her shamed me. I might feet that because she had written me off her list of potential apprentices I didn't have to maintain a dignified appearance with her, but it didn't mean I had to let her see the catty side of me.

"Sorry," I said quietly, a fake smile of welcome plastered on my lips. "I'm just tired. I didn't mean to say that. They're nice." In a horrible, cruel sort of way.

"Well! All alone, are we?" Marvabelle asked in a voice loud enough to guarantee attention would be drawn to us.

I held on to my smile, biting back the urge to tell her it was too late, everyone already knew rhat I was there. They had to know—people avoided me like I was a plague-bearing, oozing-sored leper. With an STD. "Hank, just look who's here—it's that Ashley who keeps gettin' herself arrested, And Nora! You two wouldn't be"—her pale gray eyes took on a sly cast—"workin' together, would you?"

"I wish we were, but I'm afraid Nora has had a lot of better-qualified applicants for the spot of apprentice." I said politely, sharing my smile with the ever-silent Hank as he sat down next to Nora.

"Is that so? Well, I just hope that she counts her blessin's that your meeting went off without her endin' up dead like all the others." Marvabelle picked up her napkin and waved it toward a waiter. I braced myself, hoping against hope that our table had one of the local Other-world denizens who had been drafted into service. I'd been told earlier, by a chatty Mage, that the conference folk tried to fill the ranks of meal servers with people who would not be startled to see demons sitting amongst all the other guests. Luck, for once, was with me. The waiter didn't so much as bat an eyelash at me. I waited until Marvabelle demanded water from the waiter (he hadn't bothered to bring water when it was just me sitting here) before inquiring politely of Hank how he was enjoying the conference.

"We're having a great time, aren't we. Mother?" he answered, opening his mouth to say more, but his wife wasn't one to sit around and let someone else have the limelight.

"Yes, we are, for the most part. The conference people might have picked a nicer-quality hotel," she said with an irritated sniff. "Hank and I are used to the best hotels, naturally. And the prices they charge for a simple sandwich! Scandalous! But the workshops are good—some of them—although they don't really have enough ad-dressinI the needs of oracles. So much of what they offer is geared for Diviners, too, and you and I both know they're just not the same thing. The two panels I was on were standin' room only, of course. There were many people who came up afterwards to tell me how much they appreciated my plan to license all Olherworld practitioners. It's to keep the riffraff out," she said to Nora with a meaningful look my way. "As it is now, anyone can call themselves a Guardian without having any form of trainin'."

"Oh, speaking of that," I said, determined not to let her bait me into responding, "I was told that you're the person to talk to about undergoing the ritual to officially be recognized as an apprentice."

Her smile, which had never left her lips, brightened significantly. A little shiver of worry rippled down my back. "Ye-es," she drawled. "I am, but I had no idea that you hadn't undergone the ritual. They shouldn't have allowed you to register for the conference. Only accepted apprentices are entitled to approach mentors. I shall have to report this oversight to the appropriate officials, naturally. They will no doubt ask you to leave the conference."

Oh, great. Kicked out of a hotel and a conference, all in one day. My star certainly was rising.

"There's no need to do that," Nora said thoughtfully. "If you allow Aisling to undergo the ritual tonight, she will be officially recognized and can enjoy the rest of the conference."

"Aw, what a shame—I'm busy tonight," Marvabelle replied, her shark-toothed smile getting even sharkier as she turned it on me. "In fact, I'm busy the whole rest of the conference!"

"That's not a problem," Nora said quickly, stopping me from grinding my teeth. Her face was placid, but there was a little spark in her eyes that told me she didn't appreciate Marvabelle's attitude any more than I did. "I will oversee the ritual. I can rearrange my appointments this evening to accommodate Aisling."

Marvabelle's smile faded. "Only people with special traininI can do that. You know that as well as I do."

Nora pulled the snowy white linen napkin from her water glass as the waiter approached with a pitcher. "I am a class three mentor now, Marvabelle. I've had a lot of training since the days when we both studied under the same mentor. I can train, evaluate, and administer proxy tests as required." She looked at me. "I can be free at nine tonight, if that is good with you."

I flashed her a look of pure appreciation. She might not think I was apprentice material, but she was obviously a woman of honor. "I wish I could take you up on it but I have a dragon thing I have to go to later, and I doubt if it will be over by then."

Marvabelle wasn't going to stand for anyone doing her out of a chance to get rid of me. "I'm afraid that if Ashley here doesn't pass the ritual tonight, I'll have to report her to the committee. You know the rules as well as I do, Guardian. She'll have to go if she's not recognized."

"Would eleven-thirty work for you?" Nora asked, ignoring Marvabelle's near-gloating.

"I'll make it work," I answered, making a mental note to explain to Drake that I had to leave the green dragon party no later than eleven, "Thank you, Nora. I really appreciate you going to all this trouble on my behalf."

She murmured something about it being an interesting experience.

We managed to pass the remainder of the meal in polite conversation even though Marvabelle baited me as often as she could. I, hoping there might be a chance Nora would overlook the poor impression I'd made on her and still consider me as an apprentice, was on my very best behavior.

Hank contributed little to the conversation, confining himself to opening his mouth only to shovel a forkful of food into it. Whenever Nora and I tried to draw him out, Marvabelle would answer for him, drowning out any reply he might make. He didn't seem to be upset or even bothered by her, so I assumed he was so downtrodden that he didn't even notice anymore.