A Girl and Her Monster (Rune Breaker) by Landon Porter Page B

they did to the mad or daft in this place and time. The halflings who once hid and fled from the masters now rode wolves and coldly aimed crossbows from their hiding places; anything was possible.
    He nodded at her silence. “I understand. As I said, I won't ask for your secrets. Just know that by helping the Clan of the Winter Willow, you've earned friends. Friends who won't let those who did this to you do anything like it again.”
    He didn't make any illusions of turning to glare at Ru, who followed behind like a wayward kite, allowing the breeze to drift him gently from side to side.
    Taylin followed his gaze. She hadn't even thought about the self-proclaimed shape-shifting master in hours, having learned to tune out his baseline emotions rather swiftly. But she knew in an instant that he'd been listening to the entire conversation, including the story about her lost wings and Kaiel's implication that it was his fault, either by action or inaction.
    A bit of her still simmering anger at him from earlier filtered through the link and made him glance at her. She got the sense that he was surprised at the depth of her anger. Presently, he corrected that notion.
    I am no stranger to rage, but how do you keep it so well leashed? Your predecessors would have lashed out by now, made the link punish me for my insolence if only through unconscious action.
    Most people don't leap at revenge and hurting others.
    She didn't know that for sure and previous experience indicated otherwise, but she clung to that idea more than any other: People were good . Some just lost their way. Some were just born aberrations.
    Even you don't believe that.
    I do. And I won't punish you. I don't even know how, but I wouldn't. Slaves get punished. You are not my slave.
    More than a minute had passed and Kaiel had watched the silent exchange with his jaw clenched. “Taylin, if he...”
    “No.” She replied softly, smoothly ignoring Ru's response to her. “I lost my wings years ago. We've only known each other a short time.”
    There was truth in that, he could feel it. So he nodded cautiously. “Would you like them back?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Your wings. I'm not an expert on the art, but they can be grown back. The spell is powerful and usually expensive, but...”
    Ru appeared not two feet from him, a look of derision curling his lip. “No charlatan can return what was once lost to a body.”
    Anger slammed through the link with enough force to make him wheel around into the green glare of his not-mistress.
    Behind him, Kaiel scoffed. “I notice that this all powerful mage before me hasn't done so either.”
    Unable to catch both of them in his own glare where he was, Ru floated back to do so at range. “That is because it cannot be done. Not without sacrifice.” Bitterly, he added, “ Willing sacrifice. Do not seek to accuse and lecture me when you dangle false hope in a sad attempt at bedding a 'helpless' damsel.”
    The accusation made Kaiel choke on a gasp. “How dare you even imply such a slur against my profession!?”
    That made absolutely no sense to Ru, but before he could retort along those lines, a deep growl caught all three of them off guard. It had come from Gruwluff, who had stopped in his tracks at Bromun's urging. The halfling grinned at how easily he'd been able to derail the argument.
    “Neither one of you can manage regeneration once the wound's healed.” He said gruffly. “Kaiel knows that too. But he also knows that if you put your hand in protecting us, Grandmother will share the blessing Sylph gives her with you. Can you at least agree that even you can't match the power of a god?”
    Ru gathered himself up and replied sullenly. “If my guess is correct; attempted and failed.” Suddenly, he set eyes on Kaiel and Taylin felt a mixture of curiosity and tentative pride wafting from him. “Tell me, charlatan; how did that bay form?”
    He was met with surprised staring for a moment. All of the cruel aggression