Oathblood by Mercedes Lackey

south edge of town. No one would think it odd for me to pay a visit to it, and the barn is a good place to hide horses and gear.”
    â€œWell enough,” Tarma replied. All three rose as one—Grumio caught the faint clink of brigandine mail from Tarma’s direction, though there was no outward sign that she wore any such thing beneath her worn leather tunic, brown shirt, and darker breeches.
    â€œMerchant—” Tarma said suddenly.
    He paused halfway through the door.
    â€œI, too, have known loss. You will have your revenge.” He shivered at the look in her eyes, and left.
    â€œWell?” Tarma asked, shutting the door behind him and leaning her back up against it.
    â€œMagic’s afoot here. It’s the only answer to what’s been going on. I don’t think it’s easy to deceive this merchant—he caught on to our ‘divide and conquer’ trick right away. He’s no soft money-counter either.”
    â€œI saw the sword-calluses.” Tarma balanced herself on one foot and folded her arms. “Did he tell us all he knew?”
    â€œI think so. I don’t think he held anything back after he played his high card.”
    â€œThe niece? He also didn’t want us to know how much he valued her. Damn. This is a bad piece of business.”
    â€œHe’d rather we thought the loss of goods and trade meant more to him,” Kethry replied. “They’re a secretive lot in many ways, these traders.”
    â€œAlmost as secretive as sorceresses, no?” One corner of Tarma’s thin lips quirked up in a half-smile. The smile vanished as she thought of something else.
    â€œIs there any chance that any of the women survived?”
    â€œNot to put too fine a point upon it, no. This —” Kethry patted the hilt of her sword, “—would have told me if any of them had. The pull is there, but without the urgency there’d be if there was anyone needing rescue. Still, we need more information, so I might as well add that to the set of questions I intend to ask.”
    Concern flickered briefly in Tarma’s eyes. “An unprepared summoning? Are you sure you want to risk it? If nothing else, it will wear you down, and you have all those illusions to cast.”
    â€œI think it’s worth it. There aren’t that many hostile entities to guard against in this area, and I’ll have all night to rest afterward—most of tomorrow as well, once we reach that farmstead.”
    â€œYou’re the magic-worker.” Tarma sighed. “Since we’ve hired this room for the whole evening, want to make use of it? It’s bigger than our sleeping room.”
    At Kethry’s nod, Tarma pushed the table into a comer, stacking the benches on top of it, while Kethry set the oil lamp on the mantelpiece. Most of the floor space was now cleared.
    â€œI’ll keep watch on the door.” Tarma sat on the floor with her back firmly braced against it. Since it opened inward, the entrance was now solidly guarded against all but the most stubborn of intruders.
    Kethry inscribed a circle on the floor with powders from her belt-pouch, chanting under her breath. She used no dramatic or spectacular ceremonies, for she had learned her art in a gentler school than the other sorcerers Tarma had seen. Her powers came from the voluntary cooperation of other-planar entities, and she never coerced them into doing her bidding.
    There were advantages and disadvantages to this. She need not safeguard herself against the deceptions and treacheries of these creatures—but the cost to her in terms of her own energies expended was correspondingly higher. This was particularly true at times when she had no chance to prepare herself for a summoning. It took a great deal of power to attract a being of benign intent—particularly one that did not know her—and more to convince it that her intent was good. Hence, the circle—meant not