something has happened? Something bad?”
“Of course something bad has happened,” Lady Berin growled. “To the Imperials. The Hunt Pack will have sent them howling home with their tails between their legs.” She reached across the table and gripped her granddaughter-in-law’s wrist, the back of her hand grown hairy with age. “Our Geoffrey will be back in no time. Isn’t that right, Lady Hagen?”
If she’d been born Pack, Danika would have bared teeth at Lady Berin’s tone even as she was aware she was demanding reassurance, not challenging. Instead, she smiled carefully and said, “The Hunt Pack is the best Aydori has to offer.”
Lady Berin nodded in satisfaction, but Danika could see that Annalyse knew her words meant nothing at all.
Mirian spotted an acquaintance from school and maneuvered her mother alongside. Given that Bertryn wouldn’t be competing for the same attention from the Pack, her mother settled in beside his mother, leaving the two of them to follow obediently behind.
“Better odds for me than you,” Bertryn murmured, as the four of them reinserted themselves into the slow moving promenade.
“True enough.” Behind the wrought-iron barrier, the café’s small, round tables were surrounded by women, born Pack and Mage-pack. The male Pack members stood together by the rear wall, talking with men in uniform. Probably officers of the 2nd. Mirian wished she could see their expressions, but distance made that impossible. Judging by their posture, they weren’t happy. And why would they be? Seventeen miles from the border…
Air currents shifted.
“Did you feel that?”
“Feel what?” Bertryn glanced down at her, irises dominated by rich brown flecks. He’d had five levels at the end of first year, and the Earth-master had practically refused to allow him out of her sight. Rumor had it that she’d cried when he left at the end of the session. All things considered, asking if he’d felt Air move had been a stupid question.
“Never mind.” Mirian waited until they’d turned and started back again before saying, “What are you even doing here? I thought after graduation you were going to return to the university to teach?”
He shrugged. “I’m the eldest of eight and the only one with any power; teaching won’t help situate them, but getting into the Pack will. With so many of the Pack in Bercarit, this is an opportunity. Given your…”
Mirian frowned into the pause.
“…difficulties,” he continued diplomatically, “I’m a little surprised to see you.”
“My mother wants invitations to better parties.” His brows rose at her tone, and she sighed. “Sorry. Being a part of this is just…”
“Frustrating because it’s futile?”
“Entirely.” More than he knew. The air currents now blew the mage scent away from the Pack. Glancing into the café past a couple of giggling girls who couldn’t have been more than sixteen, their eyelids stained Healer gold, Mirian found herself looking into a pair of very blue eyes. It only lasted for a moment and the movement of the promenade broke the connection before Mirian realized that the eyes were Lady Hagen’s.
Lady Hagen was said to be the most powerful Air-mage in Aydori.
If she hadn’t shifted the scent, she’d approved it being done.
Why would…?
Because she hadn’t wanted the Pack distracted.
That couldn’t be good.
“Mother.” Pulling her hand from Bertryn’s elbow, she touched her mother’s shoulder. “We should…”
The gong for the end of intermission rang out on the upper level, amplified by a low level Air-mage in the employ of the Opera House.
“We should take our seats, yes, Mirian.”
“No, Mother, Lady Hagen…
But the rest was lost in the chaos created by just under a thousand people returning to their seats. Back in the box, Mirian tried again.
“You’re being ridiculous,” her mother hissed under the sound of the orchestra, nodding toward Lord Berin’s box. “Would Lord
“Of course something bad has happened,” Lady Berin growled. “To the Imperials. The Hunt Pack will have sent them howling home with their tails between their legs.” She reached across the table and gripped her granddaughter-in-law’s wrist, the back of her hand grown hairy with age. “Our Geoffrey will be back in no time. Isn’t that right, Lady Hagen?”
If she’d been born Pack, Danika would have bared teeth at Lady Berin’s tone even as she was aware she was demanding reassurance, not challenging. Instead, she smiled carefully and said, “The Hunt Pack is the best Aydori has to offer.”
Lady Berin nodded in satisfaction, but Danika could see that Annalyse knew her words meant nothing at all.
Mirian spotted an acquaintance from school and maneuvered her mother alongside. Given that Bertryn wouldn’t be competing for the same attention from the Pack, her mother settled in beside his mother, leaving the two of them to follow obediently behind.
“Better odds for me than you,” Bertryn murmured, as the four of them reinserted themselves into the slow moving promenade.
“True enough.” Behind the wrought-iron barrier, the café’s small, round tables were surrounded by women, born Pack and Mage-pack. The male Pack members stood together by the rear wall, talking with men in uniform. Probably officers of the 2nd. Mirian wished she could see their expressions, but distance made that impossible. Judging by their posture, they weren’t happy. And why would they be? Seventeen miles from the border…
Air currents shifted.
“Did you feel that?”
“Feel what?” Bertryn glanced down at her, irises dominated by rich brown flecks. He’d had five levels at the end of first year, and the Earth-master had practically refused to allow him out of her sight. Rumor had it that she’d cried when he left at the end of the session. All things considered, asking if he’d felt Air move had been a stupid question.
“Never mind.” Mirian waited until they’d turned and started back again before saying, “What are you even doing here? I thought after graduation you were going to return to the university to teach?”
He shrugged. “I’m the eldest of eight and the only one with any power; teaching won’t help situate them, but getting into the Pack will. With so many of the Pack in Bercarit, this is an opportunity. Given your…”
Mirian frowned into the pause.
“…difficulties,” he continued diplomatically, “I’m a little surprised to see you.”
“My mother wants invitations to better parties.” His brows rose at her tone, and she sighed. “Sorry. Being a part of this is just…”
“Frustrating because it’s futile?”
“Entirely.” More than he knew. The air currents now blew the mage scent away from the Pack. Glancing into the café past a couple of giggling girls who couldn’t have been more than sixteen, their eyelids stained Healer gold, Mirian found herself looking into a pair of very blue eyes. It only lasted for a moment and the movement of the promenade broke the connection before Mirian realized that the eyes were Lady Hagen’s.
Lady Hagen was said to be the most powerful Air-mage in Aydori.
If she hadn’t shifted the scent, she’d approved it being done.
Why would…?
Because she hadn’t wanted the Pack distracted.
That couldn’t be good.
“Mother.” Pulling her hand from Bertryn’s elbow, she touched her mother’s shoulder. “We should…”
The gong for the end of intermission rang out on the upper level, amplified by a low level Air-mage in the employ of the Opera House.
“We should take our seats, yes, Mirian.”
“No, Mother, Lady Hagen…
But the rest was lost in the chaos created by just under a thousand people returning to their seats. Back in the box, Mirian tried again.
“You’re being ridiculous,” her mother hissed under the sound of the orchestra, nodding toward Lord Berin’s box. “Would Lord
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