“What happened?”
Another snarl, this one louder. “A pack of Bal’ta, led by Tokhots, lured her to her death. She used the last of her magic to protect me.”
Aislinn swallowed hard. “Anything else?” Do I really want to know? She shivered, wanting the warmth of a cook fire.
“No. We can leave.”
Strong magic zinging through the air brought Aislinn bolt upright out of an uneasy sleep. The night was well on its way toward dawn. Three of the Old Ones glimmered in the darkness. They all looked like Metae, with long, thick blond hair, iridescent, golden skin, and whirling pools for eyes. Where Metae favored gold ornaments, her two companions wore heavy silver bracelets and rings. Metae had traded her white robes for pale green. The other two wore black, sashed with peacock blue silk. No matter how many times Aislinn saw them, their height was still unnerving. She wondered what the bodies under those robes looked like. Were reptilian claws and scaled skin hiding beneath the long, dagged sleeves?
“We have come to a decision,” Metae announced.
“Yes,” an unfamiliar voice seconded. It was deeper, but the multi-faceted voice tones were genderless.
Aislinn scrambled to her feet and hastily stuffed her few things into her rucksack as she waited to hear the results of their discussion.
“We offer you a choice,” the third Old One said.
“Uh, look,” she said a shade too brightly, heart pounding. Aislinn wondered if they knew how nervous she was. Of course they do. “All I really wanted was an anti-sex charm so I can hold the dark gods at bay. Once I have that, I’ll be on my way.” She felt like she was chickening out, but she wanted to put as much distance as she could between herself and the Old Ones. Her conversation with Rune had been unnerving. She wished they’d had it before she’d dragged them to Taltos.
“What you want is of little consequence,” an Old One informed her.
“We have decided you need help developing your…potential,” Metae added.
“Yes, we will be taking you into Taltos,” the third one said. “It is a great honor.”
“Please don’t take this wrong”—Aislinn spread her hands in front of her in a self-deprecating gesture—“but what if I don’t want to go?” She had no idea where her sudden burst of courage came from, but she welcomed it. “I have a home. I don’t need yours.”
“We think you do.”
An Old One took hold of her arm, his fingers ice cold. It was the first time one had actually touched her. She was appalled. Their touch was just as frosty as the dark god’s had been. Pulling fire, she yanked her arm away and stepped out of easy reach, the sound of her own breathing loud in her ears.
“Now, now,” Metae said, a placating spell woven into her words. “She must come willingly as our guest. We agreed on that point. You’ve frightened her.”
“Yes, he did,” Aislinn agreed quickly. Had it been a he? She wasn’t sure, but it didn’t really matter. “And I’ve been scared enough lately.” She tried to infuse just the right hesitation before her next words. “If I can bring my wolf, I’d be willing to come for a short visit. Maybe half a day or so. But I have to be free to leave if I’m uncomfortable.” Suspicion gnawed at her insides. Her stomach burned. “What choice were you talking about earlier?”
Between when she’d wrenched her arm away from the Old One and now, Rune had positioned himself between her and it. The clicks, clacks, and buzzing that comprised their language filled the air. Aislinn had never been able to interpret it. Untangling their speech was as impossible as trying to make sense out of a buzzing beehive.
“That would be…acceptable,” the Old One who hadn’t grabbed her said.
The one who’d touched her bowed stiffly from the waist. He looked like a marionette, bobbing on unseen puppet strings. “I am most sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Metae has told us much of you. I was simply…eager for your visit.” Something feral shone from his swirling, multi-colored eyes.
“The choice,” Metae made a chopping motion in his direction, “was which of us you wanted to apprentice yourself to. We all possess slightly different skills. Would you like me to tell you about them?”
Aislinn shook her head, trying to figure out a diplomatic way to get out from under the Old Ones’ gun sights. The last thing she wanted was to antagonize them. “I’m sure you’re offering me quite an honor.” She picked her words with care. “Maybe, someday, I might be interested, but not just now. I’m still rattled from Perrikus and D’Chel. And from finding I have Hunter and Healing talents. I need time to assimilate them before I add any more magic.”