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didn’t know if he could manage it….
     

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    “You seem to be adjusting quite nicely,” the older woman said as she gave my gown a critical examination. “You look lovely, and Lord Lanir will be very pleased.”
    “Has he returned yet?” I asked as casually as possible, keeping my gaze on the mirror and my reflection. “He stopped by before he left, to say that he would be late getting back.”
    “It so happens he’s dressing,” she replied after something of a hesitation. “I realize that with tonight’s dinner being rather special you have reason to ask, but in future such curiosity will not be received at all well. Lord Lanir is not here for your convenience, you are here for his.”
    “How good of you to explain things to me so clearly,” I responded in a murmur, struggling to hold my temper. “You can be sure I won’t ask that same question again.”
    “It’s pleasant to see a young girl showing proper manners,” the woman replied in her stiff, formal way, obviously missing the dryness I hadn’t been able to keep out of my tone. “Be sure not to muss yourself while waiting to be called to dinner. Best, I think, would be to stand in the middle of the room.”
    She added a nod to that bit of advice as though to underscore it, and then turned and left. The maid who had helped me dress went with her, so I was finally able to turn away from the mirror. I’d needed the help of my reflection to keep my expression properly neutral, especially after seeing the gown which had been chosen for me. All pink-and-white lace with flounces, a costume obviously designed for a very young girl. I looked like a child in it, a helpless, innocent child.
    Anger growled high inside me again, but the worry I’d been fencing with for hours had no trouble overwhelming it. As soon as my relief at being able to touch the power again faded just a little, I’d remembered I wasn’t able to release that touch if I cared to. That meant I could be found out at any time by someone with Fire magic, even though that someone would also have to be touching the power. Surely there were any number of people who made a practice of touching the power on a regular basis …
    As I sat down in a chair, I remembered ruefully how long I’d spent that afternoon, waiting to be found out. My usual self-confidence while touching the power had been badly shaken, and it only reasserted itself after time had passed and no one had come bursting in to shout and point a finger. It became clear that either no one in the house with Fire magic was touching the power, or, more likely, those touching it were Low talents and too far away to detect me.
    I reached for the teacup I’d left standing on the small table next to the chair, sipping the cold tea without making any effort to rewarm it. It had occurred to me that my touching the power might be overlooked by Low talents, but actually using my ability would certainly make it another story. Drinking cold tea was a much more pleasant option— at least until Lanir came to get me. He was the Seated High in Fire magic; surely he would be able to tell that I touched the power….
    I finished the tea in a gulp and replaced the cup, having already made up my mind about what I would do if Lanir did find out. I’d have to forget about questioning him, of course, but I couldn’t afford to let him interfere with my escape. He would have the chance to give up all claim to me and to find something to convince me that he spoke the truth, or he would find himself facing me in challenge. If he were at all like the Seated High in Earth magic, he would probably stand no chance against me. I believed that, I really did, but the wait and the uncertainty about what would happen had been combining to fray my nerves to shreds.
    Time began to drag again the way it had done that afternoon, but I refused to let myself get up and pace. Nervous energy had been flowing into me as the hilsom powder lost more and more