“I think,” Metae said after Aislinn had given up on the Old One telling her anything, “I shall leave you in your world—”
An odd mixture of disappointment and relief swept through her. She’d wanted to see the mysterious Taltos, but had been scared of what she’d find there. Her humanity felt like it was shrinking. One of the fears she’d kept to herself was that the Old Ones would complete the transformation, and she’d become something alien. Like them.
Laughter like pealing bells filled the dawn. “Oh, you are far from off the hook, child. You are developing into something…interesting. Amazingly, with little intervention from us. I find that fascinating. I am simply giving you more time on your own to, shall we say, discover your talents. Then we shall welcome you to Taltos.”
So I can entertain all of you? I don’t think so. She clamped down on her thoughts. The Old Ones could read them easily if they were paying attention. Though Metae narrowed her eyes, she didn’t say anything.
If Aislinn hadn’t been so shocked by the turn of events, she’d have been ready. She knew how Lemurians came and went: in a puff of light so bright, it blinded you, leaving spots dancing in front of your eyes for hours. The blast rocked her. She slammed her lids down, but was a fraction of a second too late. Light seared her corneas, burning into her brain.
Rune yelped. She remembered he’d been frozen in place, eyes wide open. Finding him by feel, she pulled him to her. “It’s all right. She’s gone.” Laying hands over the wolf’s eyes, she sent her magic—fairly fully recovered to her relief—edging forward. When she found healthy tissue instead of sizzled cells, she blew out a breath and smoothed his fur back along the sides of his muzzle. “Your eyes will be fine, Rune.”
“What do you mean she’s gone?” he demanded.
“One of the Old Ones was here.”
“Why couldn’t I sense her?” Rune wriggled out of her grasp, blinking furiously.
“Because she immobilized you.”
The wolf growled. “I will have a word with her when we get to Taltos. Or him, if she’s shifted.”
Aislinn cocked her head to one side. “That’s just it,” she muttered. “Now we aren’t going.”
Rune squeezed his eyes shut, grimacing. “I’m going to the lake to douse my head. My eyes are burning. When I come back, you need to tell me everything.”
The sun was well up in the sky by the time they’d finished another meal. While they ate, Rune peppered her with questions as she relayed Metae’s visit, asking for clarification on several points. He growled, rose to his feet, and shook himself from ears to tail, before head-butting her with his snout. “Because you have become an interesting specimen for them to watch, they are not going to give you any assistance. At least not now.”
“That’s about the size of it.” Aislinn sucked the last shreds of rabbit flesh off a bone, following it with a thick wad of watercress. Her fire had bothered the wolf so much the night before that she’d opted for raw this morning.
“We treat pack puppies with more respect.”
Aislinn shot him a look. “I’m scarcely a puppy.”
“In terms of your knowledge of magic, that is exactly what you are.”
Ouch. “Touché.”
“And that means?”
“Even though it pains me, I agree with you.”
Rune whuffed low in the back of his throat. She could have sworn he was laughing.
“So, human, where do we go next?”
She stuffed a wild onion into her mouth, delighting in the bitter sweetness of it as she chewed. Waving the stalk in his direction, she said, “I’ve been thinking about that.”
He waited, watching her closely.
“I think we should go home. To my home, that is,” she clarified.
“Why?”
Good question. “Because all my things—well, the few I have—are there.”
“Would you like to see where Marta and I lived?”
A sudden flash of insight slammed her between the eyes. Rune wanted things from what had been his home. “I’d love to.” Her reward was a quick flip of his tail as he bounded to her side, eyes bright and filled with what looked like anticipation. She met his golden gaze full on. “We can get whatever you want while we’re there.”
“Maybe you’ll want—” Head rearing up, his voice broke off.
Senses on red alert, she leapt to her feet. It took a few seconds before she heard it, but wing beats filled the still morning air. “Just birds,” she sent, reverting to mind speech.
“No. Ready yourself. We need to fight.”