03 Magic's Price by Lackey Mercedes

Author:Lackey, Mercedes [Mercedes, Lackey,]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-04-10T20:52:01.467000+00:00

Thirteen

Ordinarily Stef would have been fascinated by the activities in the fields - he was city-born and bred, and the farmers at their harvest-work were as alien to him as the Tayledras, and as interesting. But Vanyel had been brooding, again, and finally Stef decided to ferret out the cause. The road was relatively clear of travelers; with the harvest just begun, no one was bringing anything in to market. That. Savil had told Stef, would happen in about a week, when the roads would be thick with carts. This was really the ideal time to travel, if you didn't mind the late-summer dust and heat. Stef didn't mind. But he did mind the way Van kept worrying at some secret trouble until he made both their heads ache. And it seemed that the only way to end the deadlock would be if he said or did something to break it. "Something's bothering you," Stefen said, when they were barely a candlemark from Haven. "It's been bothering you for the past two days." He urged Melody up beside Yfandes, who obligingly lagged a little. Vanyel's lips tightened, and he looked away. "You won't like it," he said, finally. Stef swatted at an obnoxious horsefly. "I don't like the way you've been getting all knotted up, either," he pointed out. "Whatever it is, I wish you'd just spit it out and get it over with. You're giving me a headache." He eyed Savil, who was riding on Vanyel's right, hoping she'd get the hint. She raised one eyebrow at him, then held Kellan back, letting herself fall farther and farther behind until she was just out of earshot. Though how much that means when she can read minds - Stef thought, then chided himself. Oh, she wouldn't probe unless she had to. Heralds just don't do that to people, not even Van comes into my mind unless I ask him. I've got to get used to this, that they have powers but don't always use them. . . . "It's you," Van said quietly, once Savil had withdrawn her discreet twenty paces. "I'm afraid for you, Stef. The way I was afraid for my parents, and for the same reason." He shaded his eyes from the brilliant sun overhead, and looked out over fields full of people scything down hay, but Stef sensed he wasn't paying any attention to them. "I have an enemy who doesn't want a direct confrontation, so he'll strike at me through others. Once it's known that you and I are lovers, he won't hesitate to strike at you." Gods. I was afraid I'd shocked or offended him. He's so - virginal. And Kernos knows I'm not. "Ah," Stefen said, relieved. "I was hoping it was just something like that, and not that - that I'd upset you or anything." Vanyel turned to face him with an expression of complete surprise. "Stef, you've just had a taste of what it's like to be a target! How can

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