Juxtan 3 - Beneath the Greying Cliffs by Owens Tricia

Author:Owens Tricia [Tricia, Owens]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Half a day's riding to the Greying Cliffs and Hadrian would never have thought it possible but he was looking forward to engaging the Dimorada. Even Gavedon's company might be preferable to the one he now endured.

"Day dreaming again, Hades? You scowl like a woman whose charms have been scorned. Need someone to stroke your pride? Or perhaps you've something else that needs stroking?"

Hadrian clenched his jaw and tried to ignore Caled. It had been this way ever since they'd begun riding. Caled hadn't commented upon Hadrian's brief touch with Life―thank the gods―but if the sorcerer had hoped that that meant the remainder of the previous night's activities would be similarly forgotten he was sadly mistaken. To his dismay, Caled hounded him unmercifully for what he had allowed the other man to do to him. Yes, Caled used innuendo, sparing Manix and Syellen the details, but the mercenary humiliated him all the same. Hadrian wondered if Manix understood the reason for the escalation in Caled's taunting. And if the mage thought Hadrian deserved it for his idiocy.

He was an idiot. There was no question of that. Nor was there purpose in trying to pretend he wasn't still attracted to the mercenary. That had been laughingly obvious during Caled's little 'lesson'. But why must it be a matter of winning or losing to the man? Hadrian's eyes swept Caled's profile. He didn't want this constant battle with Caled. He wanted it the way it had been before.

Before when? Before you killed all of his friends?

Yes. Back when Hadrian knew little of death and less of love but Caled was willing to instruct him in the latter. Too bad Hadrian had earned his mastery in the former. He stared ahead at the future he did not want to face. Funny how of his choices, only the present was tolerable enough to dwell on. And even that wasn't without its price.

They rode for another two hours, Caled belittling him the entire time. Eventually, Syellen let out a small shriek of irritation that made the mercenary's face screw up in horror. To Hadrian's immense relief and amusement, that shut the other man up. He would never have expected the loudmouthed apprentice to be an unwitting ally.

But his good humor faded quickly as the trees began to thin. It was the surest sign that they neared the Greying Cliffs. Eventually, the dirt ground gave way to rock and Hadrian knew he could no longer put off the inevitable.

"We cannot continue this way," Hadrian announced, drawing his horse up.

The others, ahead of him, stopped and looked back.

"The Dimorada are wary of strangers," he explained. "They'll accept me, but not any of you. I'll go on alone." Once the dreaded words were uttered, he felt no braver.

"Forget it," Caled told him. "I can understand them not wanting to interact with the mages if what Syellen has claimed of them is true. But you're not meeting them by yourself. I don't trust you on your own."

"What is it you think I'll do?" Hadrian snapped, returning the other man's glare.

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