Wolfsbane (Sianim 04) by Patricia Briggs

Author:Patricia Briggs [Briggs, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ace
Published: 2010-09-21T06:00:00+00:00

That night, comfortably ensconced in the bed, Aralorn watched as Wolf, in human form, scrubbed his face with a damp cloth.

“Wolf, what do you know about howlaas?”

He held the cloth and shook his head. “Something less than a story collector like you, I imagine.”

She shrugged. “I was just wondering how long I’ll be listening to the wind.”

“Is it bothering you now?”

“Not as long as I stay away from windows.”

“Give it a few days,” he said finally. “If it doesn’t stop soon, I’ll see what I can find out.”

She nodded. The thought that it might never fade was something she didn’t want to dwell on. She came up with a change of topic.

“What was the second spell Lord Kisrah tried to work?” she asked. “The one you were worried about.”

Wolf shrugged off his shirt and set it aside so he could wash more thoroughly. “I believe it was an attempt to unwork the spell holding your father.”

Admiring the view, she said, “I thought that was what he was doing with his first spell?”

Wolf shook his head. “No. He was checking to make certain your father was still alive.”

She thought about that, frowning. “Why did his second spell bother you?”

He wiped dry and took off his loose-fitting pants. “Because he didn’t examine the spell before he tried to unwork it.”

“Which means?”

“He knew what the spell was already.”

She pulled back the cover from Wolf’s side of the bed and patted it in invitation. “You think that Kisrah cast it?”

He joined her and spent a moment settling in. “Yes. I think that’s exactly what it means.”

“Then why couldn’t he remove it?” she asked, scooting over until her head rested on his shoulder. “And why was he surprised by the baneshade’s presence?”

“I think that another wizard has his hands in the brew. Remember, Kisrah asked about other wizards in the area.”

Aralorn nodded. “So he can’t release the spell until he finds the other mage?”

“Right.”

“If he cast the spell with this other wizard, then why doesn’t he know who it is?”

“Perhaps he set the spell in an amulet,” said Wolf, grunting even before she poked him. “Seriously, I don’t know.”

“Nevyn,” she said with a sigh. “It must have been Nevyn. I’ve heard that poor Anasel can hardly feed himself.”

But Wolf shook his head. “If it was Nevyn, I’d expect that Kisrah would know it. Kisrah was telling the truth when he said it wasn’t Nevyn—he’s a terrible liar.”

She wriggled her toe in the covers for a minute, then she twisted around and braced her chin on Wolf’s chest. “So Kisrah decided that you and I had a hand in the former ae’Magi’s death. In a fit of vengeance, he uses black magic on Father to draw me, and therefore you, into coming here, where he could exact vengeance. Then another wizard steps in to add his two bits’ worth—I don’t buy it.”

“That’s because you are trying to make whole cloth from unspun wool.”

She grinned in the darkness. “You’ve been hanging around Lambshold too long. ‘Sheepish’ comments aside, I suppose, you’re probably right.

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