over his chest and draped the cloak around him as far as it would go, scooching closer to push it farther. “Please wake me if you get too cold.”
He stared between his boots at the fire. With that source of heat and her beside him boiling his blood, being too cold was the least of his concerns.
“Sleep well,” he whispered. “Thank you for mending me.”
“Of course,” she replied and turned her head away, closing her eyes.
He had spent countless hours sleeping on battlefields to know how to fall asleep quickly and wake at the right time. He let himself drift, waking a few hours later to a smoldering fire. Robyn had rolled to her side into him. With expert precision, he slipped his arm under her head, tucking her into him. Her hand clutched in the cloak was cold, but his body was warm. As he lay relishing her beside him, her hand released and laid flat on his chest. ‘Stars, I could die now and be happy.’
Nolen threw his shirt on and tucked it in. “You can go,” he said to the woman in his bed who looked less than thrilled to be there. She quickly raised herself and slipped out quietly without a second glance. The women in Atrox Manor were broken creatures. He preferred a woman with spunk and fight, but Maxine had been taking her aggressions out on fair-haired Gaelsins lately.
He pulled on boots and a buttoned a vest, winding his way out to the great room. He summoned a servant for a mug of ale and a platter of cheese. Pike occupied the great room as usual. He sat fiddling with a dozen things on a table by the window, constantly running white and green patterns through them.
Today a young woman in a pale blue dress sat before him looking terrified, her fingers twined in her lap. Nolen took a seat to watch as Pike held out a tiny ball of gray material to her.
“Swallow this,” he commanded with a steely gaze. Nolen could never quite figure Pike out. Sometimes the man was terribly gentle and considerate, but he could switch in a blink to be as fierce as a wounded hound.
The frightened girl carefully picked up the ball with delicately bended fingers and held it to her eyes. His gaze had not softened. Snapping her eyes shut, she swallowed it.
They flew open a few seconds later, and she gasped. Her fingers rapidly scratched at her chest, “My Element!”
Nolen leaned forward in interest.
“What of it?” Pike asked.
“I cannot feel it! It’s gone! What did you do?” she cried, tears springing to her eyes.
He waved a hand in a gentle gesture, and his face took on a calming expression. “It will come back. Inform me the moment it does.”
“How long will this last?” she asked as she tried to stem her emotions.
“A few days.”
“ Days ?” She jumped to her feet and rushed out in tears.
Nolen tapped his fingers on the armrest. “How did you do that?”
Pike looked up as if noticing him for the first time. “Ah, it is a condensed version of the same patterns we used in incanted stones, but with a twist. I canno’ quite work out how to make it last longer than a few days, as the body breaks the lead down.”
“What is the longest it will work for?”
“The longest I managed was three days, but I hope this will version will last five.”
“Is it the size of the ball that factors in?”
“No, it is the patterns themselves.” Pike tinkered with the little spheres before him.
“What will you do with them?”
Pike grinned. “Sell them t’ the highest bidder.”
“How many do you have?”
Pike winked and picked up a fresh one, manipulating it with a white pattern.
A servant entered with Nolen’s ale and cheese, and Ryker joined them, summoning for tea. “It is too quiet.”
Nolen held his goblet up. “Agreed.”
Ryker cocked his head and clicked his cheek as he watched Pike. “Nolen, tell me of the women what bedded the Head Mage.”
Nolen leaned back with a wistful smile. “Where do I start?”
Ryker clicked again. “Tell me, were there any he was
He stared between his boots at the fire. With that source of heat and her beside him boiling his blood, being too cold was the least of his concerns.
“Sleep well,” he whispered. “Thank you for mending me.”
“Of course,” she replied and turned her head away, closing her eyes.
He had spent countless hours sleeping on battlefields to know how to fall asleep quickly and wake at the right time. He let himself drift, waking a few hours later to a smoldering fire. Robyn had rolled to her side into him. With expert precision, he slipped his arm under her head, tucking her into him. Her hand clutched in the cloak was cold, but his body was warm. As he lay relishing her beside him, her hand released and laid flat on his chest. ‘Stars, I could die now and be happy.’
Nolen threw his shirt on and tucked it in. “You can go,” he said to the woman in his bed who looked less than thrilled to be there. She quickly raised herself and slipped out quietly without a second glance. The women in Atrox Manor were broken creatures. He preferred a woman with spunk and fight, but Maxine had been taking her aggressions out on fair-haired Gaelsins lately.
He pulled on boots and a buttoned a vest, winding his way out to the great room. He summoned a servant for a mug of ale and a platter of cheese. Pike occupied the great room as usual. He sat fiddling with a dozen things on a table by the window, constantly running white and green patterns through them.
Today a young woman in a pale blue dress sat before him looking terrified, her fingers twined in her lap. Nolen took a seat to watch as Pike held out a tiny ball of gray material to her.
“Swallow this,” he commanded with a steely gaze. Nolen could never quite figure Pike out. Sometimes the man was terribly gentle and considerate, but he could switch in a blink to be as fierce as a wounded hound.
The frightened girl carefully picked up the ball with delicately bended fingers and held it to her eyes. His gaze had not softened. Snapping her eyes shut, she swallowed it.
They flew open a few seconds later, and she gasped. Her fingers rapidly scratched at her chest, “My Element!”
Nolen leaned forward in interest.
“What of it?” Pike asked.
“I cannot feel it! It’s gone! What did you do?” she cried, tears springing to her eyes.
He waved a hand in a gentle gesture, and his face took on a calming expression. “It will come back. Inform me the moment it does.”
“How long will this last?” she asked as she tried to stem her emotions.
“A few days.”
“ Days ?” She jumped to her feet and rushed out in tears.
Nolen tapped his fingers on the armrest. “How did you do that?”
Pike looked up as if noticing him for the first time. “Ah, it is a condensed version of the same patterns we used in incanted stones, but with a twist. I canno’ quite work out how to make it last longer than a few days, as the body breaks the lead down.”
“What is the longest it will work for?”
“The longest I managed was three days, but I hope this will version will last five.”
“Is it the size of the ball that factors in?”
“No, it is the patterns themselves.” Pike tinkered with the little spheres before him.
“What will you do with them?”
Pike grinned. “Sell them t’ the highest bidder.”
“How many do you have?”
Pike winked and picked up a fresh one, manipulating it with a white pattern.
A servant entered with Nolen’s ale and cheese, and Ryker joined them, summoning for tea. “It is too quiet.”
Nolen held his goblet up. “Agreed.”
Ryker cocked his head and clicked his cheek as he watched Pike. “Nolen, tell me of the women what bedded the Head Mage.”
Nolen leaned back with a wistful smile. “Where do I start?”
Ryker clicked again. “Tell me, were there any he was
Similar Books
