A black mage who used magic as easily as she drew breath.
Well, not of late, but he certainly seemed to be familiar with the stuff. As for anything else, she wasn’t entirely sure what to think. She kept count of the frisky lads that same black mage sent scampering off with either a warning look or a quick shove and reminded herself of all the reasons she had not to believe adamned thing anyone had said about him. His reputation was awful, true, but his manners were impeccable, he wasn’t afraid to shovel a substantial bit of manure in return for having the privilege of riding a spectacular horse or two, and he had never once in all the time she’d known him worked even the simplest spell.
She refused to bring to mind what she had seen of him,howshe’d seen him, when she’d been standing in a particular spot of shadow that shouldn’t have existed outside her nightmares, all found within the king of Neroche’s garden.
It occurred to her with a bit of a start that she hadn’t seen a damned one of those shadows so far that morning.
That was odd.
She realized Mansourah had come to a halt only because she’d run into Acair’s outstretched arm. She looked at the rather rustic door there in front of them and hoped she wasn’t about to enter a place she wouldn’t be able to get back out of easily.
“Here?” Acair asked in disbelief.
“Have you never stayed here before?” Mansourah asked.
“Well of course I’ve stayed here before,” Acair answered shortly, “when I wanted everyone in the city to know I’d arrived!”
“The innkeeper is capable of discretion,” Mansourah said smoothly, “though I generally find it difficult to hide my identity in spite of that.” He looked down his nose at Acair. “The trials of noble blood and all that. And before you wring your hands overmuch, all they know is that I took rooms for myself, my affianced lady of quality, and you, my very silent and witless servant.”
Léirsinn would have smiled, but she wasn’t at all sure that Acair wouldn’t strangle Mansourah right there in the street. He took a deep, careful breath, then gave their companion a lookthat Léirsinn was half surprised didn’t have the prince blurting out an apology.
“When I am again sailing under my own power,” he said seriously, “you had best find somewhere to hide.”
Mansourah pursed his lips. “I would remember that, but I’m not sure ’tis worth the effort.”
“I’ll make a note of it for you,” Acair promised, “at the bottom of my list of tedious but necessary engagements to be seen to the moment I am back fully to myself.” He pulled his hood up over his face. “Let’s stow our gear, then I want something marginally edible before we’re about the true business of the day.”
Mansourah elbowed Acair out of the way and held out his arm. “Lady Léirsinn?”
“I’m no lady—” she began.
“Your uncle is, I believe, lord of his own hall, which gives you station enough for me,” Mansourah said gallantly. “Here, let me take your gear and give it to him whose task it is to carry it.”
Léirsinn would have protested that as well, but Mansourah had already taken her pack and held it out toward Acair. Acair took it without hesitation, shot her a brief smile, then turned a look of fury on Mansourah. She wasn’t sure the pair wouldn’t kill each other before they managed to achieve their purpose in coming to Eòlas, but there was nothing she could do to change that. She simply followed Mansourah through rather worn and uninviting doors into the antechamber of an inn that revealed itself to be far more lavish than expected.
Her opinion of the inn only improved when they were shown to their accommodations. Mansourah managed to listen politely to the innkeeper falling over himself to make certain he was content while at the same time shooting Acair looks that promised him nothing more comfortable than the floor. She was tornbetween checking her companions for weapons or finding the first marginally suitable spot to use for a quick nap. All recent events aside, she was most definitely not accustomed to the methods of travel she’d recently been subjected to. If she never saw the Nine Kingdoms from farther off the ground than a decent horse put her, it would be too soon.
“She would be safe enough here,” Mansourah said firmly. “She looks weary.”
Léirsinn came back to herself to find herself standing in the middle of the chamber, staring at nothing and hearing not much more. She realized the innkeeper was gone and her companions were close to blows.
“I am absolutely not leaving her in someslumyou’ve chosen,” Acair growled.
“You said you’d taken lodgings here before,” Mansourah protested.
“I have stayed here before because I have the means to protect myself, unlike my lady here,” Acair said. “As for anything else, you know as well as I that the entire bloody city is dangerous.”
“I have excellent taste in—”
“Pubs, no doubt,” Léirsinn said loudly enough to be heard over their snarling. “Breakfast sounds wonderful, thank you.” If the distraction of a warm bucket of grain was good enough for horses, it was surely suitable for those two there.
Mansourah looked as if he were having trouble choosing between finding breakfast and dealing out death, but good sense apparently prevailed. He left off with his glaring and walked over to the door. She followed him from the chamber with Acair on her heels, then found herself between the two of them as they made their way down the street to a pub that seemed to suit them both.
A meal was provided posthaste, which fortunately occupied her companions long enough for her to manage to gulp down what had been set in front of her. By the time she had fed and watered herself sufficiently, the sun had somehow managed to get itself above the horizon and make its presence known through the window she was facing. She was tempted to doze off right there, which made her wonder if she shouldn’t have remained back in that chamber and taken a nap on what had looked to be a perfectly serviceable divan.
She fought an enormous yawn and turned her attention back to the conversation going on in front of her, if conversation it could be called. She reminded herself that stepping between two crotchety stallions was never a good idea, but at the moment she was very tempted. She needed those two fools to keep from killing each other long enough for Acair to see to his business so he could then help her see to hers. At the moment, she wasn’t entirely sure she would manage it.
“I wonder if you understand whom you’re dealing with here,” Mansourah said, holding his fork as if he could hardly stop himself from plunging it into Acair’s chest.
