Wind from a Foreign Sky by Katya Reimann

Author:Katya Reimann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2011-03-10T05:00:00+00:00

chapter 12

Gaultry stumbled back from the font, reeling with the intensity of emotion and magic that had briefly linked her sister to her.

“That, my dear, was Issachar Dan.” The Duchess pried Gaultry’s good hand off the rim of the font and patted it. “Mercury helps the spell, but it won’t help you, will it?” She wiped the heavy metal off Gaultry’s skin with a damp cloth. “Is your shoulder bothering you? Should Mari take you back to your room?”

Bereft of speech, Gaultry shook her head. Why had Mervion not struggled against the Chancellor’s aquiline officer?

“Perhaps, Gabrielle,” Dervla said, coming to Gaultry’s other side, “now that you’ve had your vision, we can retire to comfortable quarters and discuss our next move. Gaultry should be off her feet, and so should you.”

They settled in a music room on the manor’s ground floor, a room furnished with tall wooden chairs and a long chaise. The Duchess, looking a little pale, stretched out on the chaise, insisting that Gaultry pull a chair near.

Martin paced restlessly between the windows and the chairs, in no mood to sit still. “We must get Gaultry to Haute-Tielmark quickly now we’re certain Heiratikus wants the Blas twins for Benet’s marriage. Judging by what we saw today, Mervion won’t fend off Issachar’s magic much longer. Gaultry won’t fare any better if we can’t wake the Glamour-power in her.”

“What do you mean?” said Gaultry, affronted. “Mervion had enough free will that she could answer my call.” Even as she spoke, she knew there was little to justify her reflexive defense. The spell in the great eagle had been alluring enough, a day’s ride from its owner in Princeport. Would she be able to maintain her equanimity, and hold herself free, if confronted by the spell-caster himself? She doubted it.

So did the rest of them. “Don’t be a fool, Gaultry,” Mariette waded in, blunt as ever. “Martin’s right.”

“I’m not trying to insult your twin,” Martin said. “I’m just trying to be realistic.”

“Realistic! Maybe I don’t like your idea of reality!” Gaultry spat back, wounded.

“Just because Gaultry has thrown her lot in with us,” Dervla interjected, putting a possessive arm around Gaultry’s uninjured shoulder, “it doesn’t mean she has to agree with our every point. Martin, you’d best let Gabrielle explain our plans.”

The big soldier made an impatient gesture. “Grandmère—”

“Be quiet, Martin. I need to hear myself think.” Gabrielle Lourdes pressed a thin hand to her brow, as though she felt all the weight of her years and it hurt her to see her grandson pacing and angry. Her hair hung forward, hiding her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was weary. “From what we have witnessed, we know Mervion Blas is in danger, perhaps even on the brink of succumbing to the Chancellor’s spells. Some fight remains—turning the magic of the necklace that bound her into a weapon shows imagination and fire are with her still. But she faces a powerful and experienced opponent. We don’t know how she will fare in the Keyhole Chamber tonight.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.