Behind him, three more horsemen trotted through the smoke. They were similarly attired and similarly armed for action, swords in their hands and resolve on their faces. Senneth recognized both their distinctive livery and their air of confidence. Kirra had fetched the King’s Riders, after all.
“I am the mystic. My name is Senneth,” she said, stepping forward and addressing the large man in the lead. “But I am no longer being held prisoner.”
He glanced down at her and his gaze was coolly assessing. She had the oddest sense that she could tell exactly what was going through his mind. She does not look like a physical threat, and yet she is a mystic. Perhaps she is the one who set this place on fire. That makes her dangerous. Therefore, I must be on my guard. “I am Tayse,” he introduced himself. “My companions and I are King’s Riders.”
Before she could answer, Kirra swooped in, a bright yellow songbird who transformed herself swiftly into a woman. Senneth could hear the uneasy murmurs from the nearby townspeople—More magic! More unnatural behavior!—but the expression on Tayse’s face never changed.
“Senneth, these are the Riders I told you about,” Kirra exclaimed, coming close enough to put her hand on Senneth’s arm. “They have come to help you.”
“I appreciate that. But as you see, I am no longer in need of any aid,” Senneth replied.
Kirra was looking around at the charred and tumbled buildings. “What a mess it is here! I take it you were not the one who started these fires.”
Senneth shook her head. “A small child, just now learning what she can do.”
Kirra gave her a shrewd look. “Some poor mother has just had her heart broken, I suppose.”
“Exactly so.”
Tayse shifted in his saddle, sheathing his sword and bringing his horse around so he could look straight down at Senneth. “I understand the king has sent for you and wants you in Ghosenhall with all speed.”
“Yes, that’s what I understand as well,” she said.
“If you are ready to leave, you can ride with us,” he said. “We will protect you for the rest of your journey.”
She almost laughed. “Thank you, but I don’t need protection.”
Donnal came a few steps closer. “But there’s no reason to stay,” he said softly. “And I imagine these folk would be happy enough to see you gone.”
Senneth sighed. “You’re right. All I need to do is gather my belongings and find my horse, and then I can go.”
“We’ll wait until you’re ready,” Tayse said.
Senneth cast him one short, exasperated look. “I told you, I don’t need your protection.”
Kirra, all golden hair and big blue eyes, was smiling up at the Riders. “Speaking for myself, I will feel so much safer if we have soldiers around us on the journey,” she cooed. It was sheer flirtation; even less than Senneth did Kirra need someone to defend her on the road.
The big man shrugged, supremely indifferent to either Kirra’s wiles or Senneth’s protests. Senneth had the sense that once he had made up his mind, it was very difficult to dissuade him. He would not argue; he would not fume. He would merely do as he intended, and anyone nearby would fall in line. She could tell already she was fated to have his escort for the rest of her trip.
“You may as well ride with us to Ghosenhall,” Tayse said. “We’re going straight home.”
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Flight
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Blood
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Gold
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Flame
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Sharon Shinn, Quatrain
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