Read Online Beyond the Boundary Stones (The Chronicles of Tevenar Book 3) by Angela Holder - Free Book Online Page B

power to allow me to bear an heir, just as I hoped. He wants to examine you as well and fix whatever keeps you from siring a child.”
    If Renarre disliked the way his wife spoke so carelessly of his failing, he showed no sign. He inclined his head to Elkan. “Thank you for coming so far for our sakes. If you’re able to help Verinna, it will be an answer to many prayers.”
    “It will be my joy to serve the Mother in that way.” Elkan and Renarre moved to the seating area at the Matriarch’s urging. Renarre chose a place on the couch beside the Matriarch. Josiah settled into his chair. Hopefully they wouldn’t waste time on chitchat and get down to business quickly. He really was starving.
    The Matriarch shared his impatience. She looked expectantly from Elkan to Tobi. “Go ahead.”
    Elkan nodded to her and smiled apologetically at Renarre as he placed his hand on Tobi’s head. “May we use the Mother’s power to examine you? From your wife’s account, it seems clear that apart from her own difficulties there’s some factor in you that prevents the two of you from conceiving. Some causes of infertility in men can’t be helped by the Mother’s power, but some can. If we’re able to determine what’s causing the problem we’ll likely be able to correct it.”
    Renarre held up his hand and glanced at the Matriarch. “I’ve long assumed something in me was lacking. I was never able to give my first wife a child, either. I’ll welcome your healing, wizard. But only if Verinna will assure me of something first.”
    The Matriarch turned to him, startled. “What?”
    Renarre took her hands and drew them toward him against her resistance. “Verinna, if you want me to make a child with you, I need your promise that you’ll never bar me from her life. I will be her father, and I want the full privileges and responsibilities of that role, even if someday you choose to end our marriage. You have the power to deny her to me, but if I believe you’ll ever use it I can’t go along with this.”
    The Matriarch jerked her hands away. “How dare you make such demands of me? Our child will be the future Matriarch. I alone will determine what will best prepare her for her destiny. If you ever give me reason to believe her relationship with you undermines that purpose, you’ll never see her again.” She glared at him.
    He met her gaze with quiet implacability. “Then I’m afraid I can’t go through with this. Put me aside for another if you must.” He turned to Elkan. “No, wizard, you may not use the Mother’s power on me.”
    The Matriarch whirled on Elkan. “I order you to heal him, no matter what he says!”
    Elkan looked back and forth between them cautiously. “I’m afraid that’s impossible, your majesty. The Mother doesn’t allow me to heal someone against their will.”
    Josiah shrank into his chair, wishing he could make himself invisible. Elkan was right, no matter how furious his refusal made the Matriarch. It wasn’t something wizards had to deal with often—in Tevenar people were nearly always eager to receive the benefits of the Mother’s power. But the point had become very clear when Master Dabiel’s assassin had been mortally wounded but adamantly refused healing. The familiars had refused to go against his wishes, even though it meant he’d died and they’d lost the opportunity to discover who he worked for.
    The Matriarch grew cold and still. “I can rescind the shipments of food to Tevenar. Your people will starve.”
    Josiah could see the tenseness in Elkan’s hand on Tobi’s head, but his master’s voice stayed calm. “Nevertheless, I can’t do what you ask. The Law forbids it.”
    The Matriarch stared at him for a long moment before rising majestically to her feet. One long stride brought her to tower over Josiah. “You, boy. You’re smarter than your master. You know I hold your life and the lives of your companions in my hands.”
    Josiah cowered, gaping up at her