Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling

Author:Lynn Flewelling [Flewelling, Lynn]
Language: slv
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Tobin pulled back and clasped his hands in his lap, not looking at her. "I—I'm not."

'You mustn't Jie to me, Tobin. You are mortally afraid of it."

Tobin sat mute as a turtle, but a torrent of emotion was building up behind those stubborn blue eyes.

"Mama's ghost is there," he said at last, and again he looked strangely ashamed. "She's still angry."

'I'm sorry she was so unhappy. Is there something more you'd like to tell me about her? You can, you

know. I must seem like a stranger to you, but I have served your family for many years. I've known your

father all of his life, and his mother and grandfather before him. I was a good friend to them. I want to be

your friend, as well, and serve you as best I can. So does Arkoniel. Did he tell you that?"

'Nari did," Tobin mumbled.

'It was his idea to come here and be your teacher, and to bring Ki here, too. He was worried that you

were lonely without any friends of your own age. He also told me that you don't seem to like him."

This earned her only a sidelong glance and more silence.

'Did the demon tell you not to like him?" "It's not a demon. It's a ghost," Tobin said softly. "And it

doesn't like you, either. That's why it hurt you last night."

'I see." She decided to gamble, knowing she had little to lose in the way of trust. "Did Lhel say that the

ghost doesn't like me?"

Tobin shook his head, then caught himself and looked up at her with startled eyes. Here was one

secret revealed.

'Don't be scared, Tobin. I know she's here. So does Arkoniel. Did she speak to you about us?" "No."

'How did you meet her?"

Tobin squirmed on the stool. "In the woods, after Mama died."

'You went into the forest alone?"

He nodded. "Are you going to tell?"

'Not if you don't want me to, so long as you tell me the truth. Why did you go into the woods, Tobin?

Did she call you?"

'In dreams. I didn't know it was her. I thought it was Mama. I had to go see, so I stole out one day. I

got lost but she found me and helped me get back home."

'What else did she do?"

'She let me hold a rabbit, and she told me how to call Brother."

'Brother?"

Tobin sighed. "You promise you won't tell?"

'I'll try not to, unless I think your father should know to keep you safe."

Tobin looked at her directly for the first time and the hint of a smile quirked the corner of his mouth.

"You could have lied, but you didn't."

For an instant lya felt like she'd been stripped naked. If she hadn't already known otherwise, she'd

have looked for magic in him. Trying to cover her surprise, she replied, "I'd rather we be honest with

each other."

'Brother is what Lhel said to call the spirit. She said you can't give the dead a name if they never had

one before they died.

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