moment before asking a question that seemed as steeped in careful wording as a criminal interrogation. “You remember … Viktor’s gardens? Yes?”
Only Candy’s eyes widened in excitement. “ Ohmygod! I loved the gardens! The spinning flowers, the wishing pond, and oh—remember all the Christmas trees?” She stared at her friend’s blank face in astonishment. “C’mon, Mila. How could you forget those purple whatzits? The sparkling flowers you begged your mother to buy for months .”
The grandmother’s voice was cold when she spoke, her eyes flashing from an anger that was so deep it could produce any result. Tal felt his hand tighten on where his focus should be and realized it might have been foolish to throw it through the gate.
“She’s forgotten because she was made to forget.” Then started a string of words that were more muttering than conversation. Nadia touched the golden necklace she wore and then threw her hands wide as though to embrace the Tree. “She promised … swore on her mark she would not do this thing. Who knows what might be altered, or lost inside the mind? No, it must not stand. But first I must know more from your mother, Mila. It was done to you a very bad thing.”
Mila’s face grew alarmed, as it should. If she was right … craters, a memory alteration spell. That must be what Nadia was alleging happened. It was illegal in all the known realms, so she was right to be angry with whoever had done it! To remove the training of a Guilder forcibly was dangerous in the extreme. It could cause wild manifestations of magic because of the loss of knowledge of how to control the power.
Tal cleared his throat to catch their attention. “That could have legal repercussions if true. Please tell me … I’ve never felt magic such as yours. What guild do you craft under? Who should I contact to report this violation of your granddaughter?”
Mrs. Penkin growled, a deep snarl that could easily have come from an angry animal. “To tell that tale, you must first be refreshed. Mila, you will tell me what refreshment he requires, please.” At Mila’s startled expression she rolled her hand. “Quickly, quickly. You must think … what is that expression … on your toes now. We must learn what damage has been done.”
“But how—” Her confusion was obvious as she raised her hands in frustration. “If this is something I used to do, I don’t remember it. I just don’t remember, Baba. How can I?”
Her grandmother sighed. “Is like egg rolling, yes? You use your other eyes to see his pain and weaknesses. Close the eyes that see this world to see the next. Try hard to remember how we played the healing games. You will have to fight to find your past, Mila, to find the truth of my words. At each of us you look, tell us what we need.” She clapped her hands sharply, making all of them jump.
Mila looked to Candy for guidance, but she just waved her hands before raising herself to sit on the dark granite countertop. “Not my thing, remember? I never could see sickness like you guys could. Can’t focus what’s not there, sweetie. But c’mon. You used to do it all the time. I’ll bet if you try you can.”
Tal stood up to go back and join Alexy in investigating. There was nothing to be learned here that wasn’t simple curiosity. He wanted no part of an apprentice’s attempt to rediscover her magic. He didn’t have the time or energy to waste fending off miscast spells.
But it was as though the old woman had read his mind. “No fretting, young mage. Mila was very skilled for one so young. She will remember if she tries. Sit, please, yes? This will help you and your friend greatly. My mark’s vow.”
That stopped him. A Guilder didn’t call upon their birthmark to make an oath lightly, and her eyes bore out the promise when he turned to meet them. Under the circumstances, he shouldn’t trust her—shouldn’t trust any of them. And yet he did. He’d learned to trust his
Only Candy’s eyes widened in excitement. “ Ohmygod! I loved the gardens! The spinning flowers, the wishing pond, and oh—remember all the Christmas trees?” She stared at her friend’s blank face in astonishment. “C’mon, Mila. How could you forget those purple whatzits? The sparkling flowers you begged your mother to buy for months .”
The grandmother’s voice was cold when she spoke, her eyes flashing from an anger that was so deep it could produce any result. Tal felt his hand tighten on where his focus should be and realized it might have been foolish to throw it through the gate.
“She’s forgotten because she was made to forget.” Then started a string of words that were more muttering than conversation. Nadia touched the golden necklace she wore and then threw her hands wide as though to embrace the Tree. “She promised … swore on her mark she would not do this thing. Who knows what might be altered, or lost inside the mind? No, it must not stand. But first I must know more from your mother, Mila. It was done to you a very bad thing.”
Mila’s face grew alarmed, as it should. If she was right … craters, a memory alteration spell. That must be what Nadia was alleging happened. It was illegal in all the known realms, so she was right to be angry with whoever had done it! To remove the training of a Guilder forcibly was dangerous in the extreme. It could cause wild manifestations of magic because of the loss of knowledge of how to control the power.
Tal cleared his throat to catch their attention. “That could have legal repercussions if true. Please tell me … I’ve never felt magic such as yours. What guild do you craft under? Who should I contact to report this violation of your granddaughter?”
Mrs. Penkin growled, a deep snarl that could easily have come from an angry animal. “To tell that tale, you must first be refreshed. Mila, you will tell me what refreshment he requires, please.” At Mila’s startled expression she rolled her hand. “Quickly, quickly. You must think … what is that expression … on your toes now. We must learn what damage has been done.”
“But how—” Her confusion was obvious as she raised her hands in frustration. “If this is something I used to do, I don’t remember it. I just don’t remember, Baba. How can I?”
Her grandmother sighed. “Is like egg rolling, yes? You use your other eyes to see his pain and weaknesses. Close the eyes that see this world to see the next. Try hard to remember how we played the healing games. You will have to fight to find your past, Mila, to find the truth of my words. At each of us you look, tell us what we need.” She clapped her hands sharply, making all of them jump.
Mila looked to Candy for guidance, but she just waved her hands before raising herself to sit on the dark granite countertop. “Not my thing, remember? I never could see sickness like you guys could. Can’t focus what’s not there, sweetie. But c’mon. You used to do it all the time. I’ll bet if you try you can.”
Tal stood up to go back and join Alexy in investigating. There was nothing to be learned here that wasn’t simple curiosity. He wanted no part of an apprentice’s attempt to rediscover her magic. He didn’t have the time or energy to waste fending off miscast spells.
But it was as though the old woman had read his mind. “No fretting, young mage. Mila was very skilled for one so young. She will remember if she tries. Sit, please, yes? This will help you and your friend greatly. My mark’s vow.”
That stopped him. A Guilder didn’t call upon their birthmark to make an oath lightly, and her eyes bore out the promise when he turned to meet them. Under the circumstances, he shouldn’t trust her—shouldn’t trust any of them. And yet he did. He’d learned to trust his
Similar Books
