has taught you how to use it, but you forget. You forget something very important.” He forced a smile. “Aislinn loves her father, Electra…and the power of that love you can never destroy.”
Electra considered a moment. “Perhaps not,” she conceded, “but then must we always speak of Carillon? Why not of you, instead?”
“Does it matter?” he demanded. “You have lost her entirely.”
“Have I? No, I think not. She may believe so for now—she is welcome to that innocence—but she will soon see that she cannot deny me. I am no idle practitioner of the little love-spells other women like to think they weave. No, no—I am much more. Tynstar has made me so.” Slowly, she gathered up the red-purple mantle and draped it over one velveted shoulder. “Aislinn is all mine. You will see it. So shall she. And in the end, I shall win.”
“What can you do?” he demanded derisively. “What spell do you think you can cast? You have seen and heard your daughter, Electra—she is none of yours. How can you think to gainsay us?”
The woman smiled slowly, with all the seductiveness in her soul. “Quite easily, as you will see.” Electra laughed once more. “Surely you know the law, Donal:
No marriage is binding if it is not consummated.
”
T he ship creaked as she broke swells on her way back toward the mainland. Behind her lay the mist-shrouded island. Already the sun shone more brightly, even as it sank toward the horizon and set the seas ablaze.
“I am sorry for what I said to you in the hall.” Aislinn, standing before Donal as he leaned against the taffrail, ignored his dismissive gesture. “I said them because my mother made certain I would, though I did not realize it then. She had told me so much of you, and I almost believed her.” The lowering sun set her hair aglow. “I am—shamed by my behavior, which was not fitting for a princess.” Her voice trembled. “Oh Donal—I am
so ashamed—
”
“Aislinn—”
“No.” She made a chopping gesture with her right hand. Her young face was blotched and swollen with tears, so that most of her burgeoning beauty was replaced with anguish. “I
almost
believed her. Though I have known you for so long. And then, when I heard her confidence—when I heard how she intended to
use
me—I could not bear it! I thought of my father as I looked into your face, and I knew what she meant to do.”
Donal turned from the rail to face her directly. “Do you say, then, you did not know before today what it was she sought to do?” He asked it gently, knowing it needed to be asked; knowing also she was extremely vulnerable to the pain engendered by such questions.
The wind played with Aislinn’s red-gold hair, though shehad braided it into a single plait for traveling. The rope of hair hung down her back to her waist, bright against the dull brown of her traveling cloak. Stray curls pulled free of the braid and crept up to touch her face.
Impatiently, she stripped them back with one hand as she brushed more tears away. “I—knew something of what she intended. At least—I thought I did.” Aislinn shrugged slightly. “Perhaps it is just that now I wish to deny what sway she held over me, so I can find some pride again.” She turned away from him. “Toward the end, during my last days, I began to understand better what she wanted. And I knew I wanted no part of it. But I was—afraid. I thought—if I told her I wished to go home to my father, she would forbid it. So—I waited. And when I heard you had come, I thought I would ask you to take me back. But—I heard what you said to her, how you reviled her, and I recalled all the things she had told me–about what the Cheysuli can do—and I became afraid again.” She lowered her eyes.
She was young. So very young. He was unsurprised Electra had chosen to use her; even less so that Aislinn had so easily been taken in. He could not begin to imagine what it had been like for her in Homana-Mujhar,
Electra considered a moment. “Perhaps not,” she conceded, “but then must we always speak of Carillon? Why not of you, instead?”
“Does it matter?” he demanded. “You have lost her entirely.”
“Have I? No, I think not. She may believe so for now—she is welcome to that innocence—but she will soon see that she cannot deny me. I am no idle practitioner of the little love-spells other women like to think they weave. No, no—I am much more. Tynstar has made me so.” Slowly, she gathered up the red-purple mantle and draped it over one velveted shoulder. “Aislinn is all mine. You will see it. So shall she. And in the end, I shall win.”
“What can you do?” he demanded derisively. “What spell do you think you can cast? You have seen and heard your daughter, Electra—she is none of yours. How can you think to gainsay us?”
The woman smiled slowly, with all the seductiveness in her soul. “Quite easily, as you will see.” Electra laughed once more. “Surely you know the law, Donal:
No marriage is binding if it is not consummated.
”
T he ship creaked as she broke swells on her way back toward the mainland. Behind her lay the mist-shrouded island. Already the sun shone more brightly, even as it sank toward the horizon and set the seas ablaze.
“I am sorry for what I said to you in the hall.” Aislinn, standing before Donal as he leaned against the taffrail, ignored his dismissive gesture. “I said them because my mother made certain I would, though I did not realize it then. She had told me so much of you, and I almost believed her.” The lowering sun set her hair aglow. “I am—shamed by my behavior, which was not fitting for a princess.” Her voice trembled. “Oh Donal—I am
so ashamed—
”
“Aislinn—”
“No.” She made a chopping gesture with her right hand. Her young face was blotched and swollen with tears, so that most of her burgeoning beauty was replaced with anguish. “I
almost
believed her. Though I have known you for so long. And then, when I heard her confidence—when I heard how she intended to
use
me—I could not bear it! I thought of my father as I looked into your face, and I knew what she meant to do.”
Donal turned from the rail to face her directly. “Do you say, then, you did not know before today what it was she sought to do?” He asked it gently, knowing it needed to be asked; knowing also she was extremely vulnerable to the pain engendered by such questions.
The wind played with Aislinn’s red-gold hair, though shehad braided it into a single plait for traveling. The rope of hair hung down her back to her waist, bright against the dull brown of her traveling cloak. Stray curls pulled free of the braid and crept up to touch her face.
Impatiently, she stripped them back with one hand as she brushed more tears away. “I—knew something of what she intended. At least—I thought I did.” Aislinn shrugged slightly. “Perhaps it is just that now I wish to deny what sway she held over me, so I can find some pride again.” She turned away from him. “Toward the end, during my last days, I began to understand better what she wanted. And I knew I wanted no part of it. But I was—afraid. I thought—if I told her I wished to go home to my father, she would forbid it. So—I waited. And when I heard you had come, I thought I would ask you to take me back. But—I heard what you said to her, how you reviled her, and I recalled all the things she had told me–about what the Cheysuli can do—and I became afraid again.” She lowered her eyes.
She was young. So very young. He was unsurprised Electra had chosen to use her; even less so that Aislinn had so easily been taken in. He could not begin to imagine what it had been like for her in Homana-Mujhar,
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