place.”
The quaver in her voice drew his attention. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just…” her voice trailed off and tears filled her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
Although he wasn’t quite sure what prompted him to take such liberties, Wills pulled her into an embrace. To his pleasant surprise, she clung to him. Unwilling to interrupt the moment, he said nothing for a long time. Finally, she raised her face to look at him. His gaze fell to her lips, but before he could kiss her, she broke away.
“I’ve a confession,” she said. “The screaming you heard in Elturon came from those highwaymen. They attacked me in the alley and I-I cursed them. Their hands burned and their knives melted.”
Wills gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know! It had just happened and I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
His temper flared. She’s played me for a fool! “You might have mentioned you can work magic.”
“I can’t work magic, exactly. It…was an accident.”
“That’s absurd.” Confusion about his feelings for Samantha mixed with resentment in an explosive combination. He snatched the blanket off the ground and began to roll it up. “You don’t trust me.”
“That’s not so!”
“More to the point, I don’t trust you .” He glanced outside. The rainfall had finally stopped. “Our deal is off. We’re heading back to Elturon.”
Her heart sank. “What?”
“We had an agreement,” Wills said. “You promised not to lie and you couldn’t last half a day. I suspect you’ve been working magic on me from the time we first met.”
Samantha’s protest died on her lips. For Wills’ safety, I must send him away—far away—from me. “Yes, you’re right,” she lied. “I wanted to go to my brother so badly I cast a spell of, um, glamour on you.”
His jaw dropped. “Your behavior is despicable.”
“I’ve always had a tendency toward wickedness.”
Dislike and hostility radiated from Wills—cutting her as painfully as any knife could have done. “After we cross the river, I’m taking you home to Paloran.”
She hung her head. “I understand.”
He shouldered his pack and edged toward the stairs. “Let’s go while there’s a break in the weather.”
“You start down first.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“It’s only to break the spell. Once you’ve taken about five hundred steps, the spell of glamour will be broken.”
“I can’t wait.” Wills left, descending the stairs almost at a run.
Samantha bit back her emotions until she was certain he was out of earshot. Wills is an extraordinary man and now he hates me. Sobbing openly, she emptied her pack on the ground, picking out only the bare essentials to bring with her. I must lighten my load to move as quickly as possible now. She extinguished the glowing fire pit with a word, shouldered her pack, and began to ascend. With every step, her heartbreak grew ever more painful.
After hours of climbing, Samantha would have done anything to take her mind off the burning in her legs. Although she tried humming and singing nursery rhymes, nothing helped. At the second lookout, she allowed herself a brief respite of ten minutes only. I dare not stay longer or I’ll never be able to move.
When she reached the top of the Stairs of Tears at last, twilight was fast approaching. Staggering with exhaustion, she sank onto a flat rock, drank deeply from her water skin, and tried to get her bearings. A grassy ledge about twenty yards deep and fifty yards wide spread out in front of her, at the base of a short cliff. On one side of the ledge, a small waterfall fed a pool. Over a dozen dark, tunnels were hewn into the rock face. Samantha consulted her locator device, but the needle only pointed at the cliff itself. I have no way to know which passage leads to the city of ice without the map. Once again she emptied her pack and checked the contents. To her horror, the map was nowhere to be found. She
The quaver in her voice drew his attention. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just…” her voice trailed off and tears filled her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
Although he wasn’t quite sure what prompted him to take such liberties, Wills pulled her into an embrace. To his pleasant surprise, she clung to him. Unwilling to interrupt the moment, he said nothing for a long time. Finally, she raised her face to look at him. His gaze fell to her lips, but before he could kiss her, she broke away.
“I’ve a confession,” she said. “The screaming you heard in Elturon came from those highwaymen. They attacked me in the alley and I-I cursed them. Their hands burned and their knives melted.”
Wills gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know! It had just happened and I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
His temper flared. She’s played me for a fool! “You might have mentioned you can work magic.”
“I can’t work magic, exactly. It…was an accident.”
“That’s absurd.” Confusion about his feelings for Samantha mixed with resentment in an explosive combination. He snatched the blanket off the ground and began to roll it up. “You don’t trust me.”
“That’s not so!”
“More to the point, I don’t trust you .” He glanced outside. The rainfall had finally stopped. “Our deal is off. We’re heading back to Elturon.”
Her heart sank. “What?”
“We had an agreement,” Wills said. “You promised not to lie and you couldn’t last half a day. I suspect you’ve been working magic on me from the time we first met.”
Samantha’s protest died on her lips. For Wills’ safety, I must send him away—far away—from me. “Yes, you’re right,” she lied. “I wanted to go to my brother so badly I cast a spell of, um, glamour on you.”
His jaw dropped. “Your behavior is despicable.”
“I’ve always had a tendency toward wickedness.”
Dislike and hostility radiated from Wills—cutting her as painfully as any knife could have done. “After we cross the river, I’m taking you home to Paloran.”
She hung her head. “I understand.”
He shouldered his pack and edged toward the stairs. “Let’s go while there’s a break in the weather.”
“You start down first.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“It’s only to break the spell. Once you’ve taken about five hundred steps, the spell of glamour will be broken.”
“I can’t wait.” Wills left, descending the stairs almost at a run.
Samantha bit back her emotions until she was certain he was out of earshot. Wills is an extraordinary man and now he hates me. Sobbing openly, she emptied her pack on the ground, picking out only the bare essentials to bring with her. I must lighten my load to move as quickly as possible now. She extinguished the glowing fire pit with a word, shouldered her pack, and began to ascend. With every step, her heartbreak grew ever more painful.
After hours of climbing, Samantha would have done anything to take her mind off the burning in her legs. Although she tried humming and singing nursery rhymes, nothing helped. At the second lookout, she allowed herself a brief respite of ten minutes only. I dare not stay longer or I’ll never be able to move.
When she reached the top of the Stairs of Tears at last, twilight was fast approaching. Staggering with exhaustion, she sank onto a flat rock, drank deeply from her water skin, and tried to get her bearings. A grassy ledge about twenty yards deep and fifty yards wide spread out in front of her, at the base of a short cliff. On one side of the ledge, a small waterfall fed a pool. Over a dozen dark, tunnels were hewn into the rock face. Samantha consulted her locator device, but the needle only pointed at the cliff itself. I have no way to know which passage leads to the city of ice without the map. Once again she emptied her pack and checked the contents. To her horror, the map was nowhere to be found. She
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