The Sorcerer's Concubine (The Telepath and the Sorcerer Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

band. She is yours now.”
    Dalarsha came over to Velsa and embraced her. “I’m so glad, my dear. I think you’ve found a good home.”
    “Do you have anyone to say goodbye to? Anything of your own to take with you?” Grau asked.
    “She does not,” Dalarsha said. “All she needs is you, sir.”
    Of course she owned things, had friends to bid goodbye. Of course.
    But Dalarsha and their other teachers said they couldn’t take anything. She had to pretend she was newly born in this moment.
    He was looking at her, and his brow furrowed. “Surely she could take a memento. I’ll pay for it.”
    He seemed to think that Dalarsha was forbidding her from taking anything from the House, when in fact the rule was for his benefit.
    Dalarsha looked even happier. “You are too kind, sir. Velsa…if you would like to take something from your room, it sounds as if Mr. Thanneau won’t mind.”
    “Of course I don’t mind,” he said. “I’ve got this much space in my bag.” He framed a shape with his hands. “It’s all right if you want to take some time to say goodbye to your friends.”
    She rushed from the room, almost tripping on her own feet. Fanarlem were by nature a little clumsy anyway, and she was so startled she didn’t so much walk down the hall as flail, veering toward the wall. The other girls were gathered nearby and they erupted with questions when they saw her.
    “He said no?”
    “What happened?”
    “He bought me,” Velsa said. “He told me to bring something with me and—and say goodbye.”
    Pia gasped. “Oh, he’s very good then!”
    “You lucky girl!” Nraya cried.
    They were all grabbing her, hugging her, tugging on her hair to hassle her for such good fortune—Dalarsha would not approve. She was sobbing on the inside, but on the outside she was completely quiet. Relief mingled with a despair that threatened to overwhelm her.
    She went down the dim halls in the back of the House to her room. The only light here at this time was normally the moon, and due to the rain, she had to fumble around the beds to the shelf where the girls kept their few possessions. She found her precious wooden box and clutched it against her. She should be happy he was allowing her to take the one thing that really felt like hers, but right now it felt stupid. No better than bringing toys.
    Even if he was kind enough, she was aware of a cold fact. She didn’t want to belong to any man who was willing to take a pile of valuable coins down to a place like this, on a night like this, and buy a woman for his own pleasure.

Chapter 3
    D alarsha wrapped her in a wool cloak and exchanged her slippers for sturdy boots. The door opened to the cold, wet darkness. Grau had a hand wrapped lightly around her shoulders, steering her toward a horse standing under the edge of the roof.
    The door shut behind her. 
    This was her life now.
    The horse was untethered. She wondered if the saddle was enchanted to keep the horse in place and deter thieves. She had heard of this but it seemed like expensive magic. At least he was not too poor, then. Some men scrimped and saved for a Fanarlem girl but had little else to offer.
    “I can pack that away,” he said, offering a hand to take her box.
    “Thank you.”
    “Wow, that’s heavy. What’s in here?” He opened the box, without asking. Revealing all of her rocks and nut husks and other odds and ends. “What are these?” he asked.
    “Nothing, sir.”
    He looked at her uncertainly and shut the box again. Her heart sank. Maybe he expected her to have a more romantic possession. Maybe he didn’t want to carry a box of rocks.
    “The rain is very loud,” he said. “Can I lift you onto the horse?”
    “Yes,” she said, relieved that at least he had not left the box behind.
    He put his hands around her waist to lift her up. 
    “Oof,” he said. “You’re heavy too.” Although he had no trouble putting her up on the saddle.
    “Am I?” She had always felt fairly