“I fear I may have indeed inconvenienced His Majesty with more than just the simple pilfering of a spell or two.” He glanced at the physick still snoring happily on the sofa before he looked back at her. “’Tis possible that I may have used one or two of the rivers running deeply beneath the palace for my own nefarious purposes. Power and magic tend to travel more easily along water than land.”
“Of course they do,” she said, wondering if she were the one who should have been alarmed that such a thing was beginning to sound perfectly reasonable. “That was part of your plan to, ah—”
“Steal a goodly portion of the world’s magic and trade it for spells and whatnot?”
She nodded.
“It was a complete miss, as I believe I’ve reluctantly admitted before. You would think that my failure in the same would have mollified our irascible dwarf-king, but apparently not. Perhaps he takes his rest more seriously than I suspected.”
Apparently so if the king’s anger had burned that brightly for so long. She wasn’t entirely sure that he wouldn’t reconsider any bribes sent his way, so perhaps they would be wise to be on their way while the winds were still favorable.
“We could bolt, you know.” She paused, then looked at him seriously. “I could, you know…” She wiggled her fingers only to have him catch both her hands in his quickly.
“I think you shouldn’t,” he said. He released her and sat back. “I can’t stop what you set loose, you know. Not at the moment.”
“I didn’t ask you to,” she said quickly.
“And so you didn’t,” he agreed, “though you shouldn’t be embarrassed by the same. Even the most pampered of Nerochian princes didn’t work his first spell without some sort of mentor hovering helpfully at his elbow. But lest that prove to be an uncomfortable direction for our conversation, perhaps we should let that topic lie. We’ll be safe enough for a day or two.” He nodded at her. “You should rest.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
He smiled. “My visage is just that distracting, isn’t it?”
It was, though she wasn’t going to add to his arrogance by admitting as much. “I’m just worried we’ll never escape,” she said. “I’m not sure why I think that would be an improvement on our situation. Things aren’t much safer outside the gates than inside them, are they?”
“Not much,” he agreed, “but we must face that eventually. If I can keep myself alive here for a day or two whilst you’re about your restorative sleeping, we’ll make a dash out the front gates and see what’s left of the world. You might distract what hunts us with the same sort of fiery business you used on our reluctant host.”
“I was angry,” she said. “The king was going to have you executed.”
“Still would if it didn’t mean forfeiting that very fine pony in his stables,” he said. “And don’t think I don’t appreciate your defending me, for I do. I would wax rhapsodic about it, but then I would weep and that is a sight you definitely do not want to witness.”
“Do you ever weep?” she asked.
“Over poorly cooked beef,” he said. “Occasionally.”
She had surprisingly vivid memories of waking to his tears on her face several days earlier. She looked at him and suspected he was revisiting that same moment.
“I thought you were dead,” she said quietly.
“I know.”
“I wasn’t sure what else to do.”
He closed his eyes briefly, then looked at her. “His Majesty needs to retain better staff,” he said hoarsely, clearing his throat. “I vow my eyes haven’t stopped burning since I entered the hall.”
“You might have to write that missive after all.”
“I might,” he agreed. “But let’s go back to your attempting to burn the king’s stables to the ground. You were angry because he was no doubt going on about the horrible lengths he was willing to go to to inflict bodily harm on your humble servant.”
She attempted a smile and failed. “I’m afraid I forgot most of what you taught me below.”
“Well, what you remembered was a first-rate piece of work, my gel. That added to your insisting that I come pour your wine and King Uachdaran didn’t dare refuse you.”
She considered, then looked at him. “I’m not making a very good impression, am I?”
“I might not be the one to judge. There are impressions, of course, then there are impressions. I prefer the latter, but I have a reputation to maintain. Before you attempt the same again, perhaps you should rest. A bit more tea?”
She nodded, though she wasn’t at all sure that would do anything for her parched throat. It was as if that spell had scorched her insides right along with the king’s beard and his stables.
She watched Acair push himself to his feet, sway, then walk over to the table. If his hands were unsteady as he poured from the pot he’d brought back with him, she wasn’t about to comment. She rescued the cup he held out to her before he dropped it on the bed. The tea was cold, but not even that did anything to soothe either her mouth or her nerves.
Magic was a dodgy business, indeed.
But she had it and there was nothing to be done about it. She would have to learn how to master it just as she’d learned to master what had come through her uncle’s stable doors. For all she knew, it was just that simple.
Perhaps if she continued to tell herself that while ignoring the fact that she felt as if she were on the back of a horse made directly from the fires of Hell, she might at least manage a few hours of sleep before she woke and had to face what her life had become.
“It will become easier.”
She looked at him. “Do I want it to?”
“I would imagine,” he said quietly, “that you don’t. If I might offer an apology that I actually mean for a change, I’m sorry for it. It was generously done.”
“Again, I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Ah, now that I don’t believe,” he said, smiling wearily. “I believe your purpose was to break what’s left of my black heart, something you managed quite perfectly. I vow if I ever work a proper piece of mischief in the future, it will be nothing short of a miracle.”
“Do-gooding does seem to be becoming a habit with you.”
He snorted. “A habit I will cast aside like a cumbersome cloak the very instant I can. Then I’m back to the old business of wreaking havoc and terrifying everyone I meet. Now, before I find myself a patch of floor and have a nap, what can I do to make you more comfortable?”