Read Online Daughter of Witches: A Lyra Novel by Patricia Collins Wrede - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Collins Wrede
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pushed Ranira over to the barricade that enclosed the employees of the Inn of Nine Doors. Ranira stumbled into the midst of the crowd. Her hands came up instinctively as she collided with someone, and she barely managed to keep from falling. As she regained her balance, she looked up to apologize. She found herself staring into the red, angry face of Lykken.
“You!” he hissed, seizing her arm in a painfully tight grasp. “You pit snake! After I’ve kept you fed and clothed and given you a place for six years. It was you! I should have known better than to take the bond of a witch-child!”
Ranira’s teeth rattled as Lykken shook her. She could not have replied even if she had wished to. Suddenly Lykken pushed her away, and she stumbled again. “You hate me!” the innkeeper shouted. “That’s why you did this—to ruin me!”
“I… I have not done anything,” Ranira said jerkily. “What do you mean?”
Lykken’s face became even redder, and he raised a hand. Ranira cringed, but the innkeeper was only pointing. “There! Can you deny you told the Templemen they were here?”
As Ranira’s eyes followed the pointing finger, she suddenly understood. The three strangers were sitting calmly at the rear of the room, just on the other side of the chairs and a little apart from the rest of the customers. Two more Temple guards and an Eye of Chaldon stood close beside them, watching. The veiled woman did not appear to notice. She was speaking in a low voice to Jaren, who did not seem quite so much at ease. From time to time the man’s hand moved unconsciously to his empty scabbard. The “sick boy” drooped over the table, still keeping up the pretense of illness.
Ranira looked back at Lykken. “I didn’t tell anyone,” she added angrily. “You have no one but yourself to blame. If you weren’t so greedy this would not have happened.”
“How dare you!” The innkeeper reached out, but Ranira dodged away in time. “You slimy little thief! Witch-child! You should have burned with your parents.”
Most of the room was watching now, but Ranira knew better than to expect any of them to help her. She continued to duck Lykken’s wild swings, backing away as best she could. It was impossible to run. Suddenly Lykken bellowed and lunged forward. Ranira jumped back and bumped against the low barricade that separated the staff of the inn from the rest of the room. For a long moment, she fought for balance. Then something shifted, and she crashed to the floor in a pile of rope and broken chairs.
Lykken moved forward in triumph. Ranira pulled against the ruins of the barricade, trying to avoid him. The innkeeper’s first kick landed hard against her side. Through the explosion of pain, she felt ribs grind together. Another blow fell, and she twisted away and rolled to her knees. Lykken grinned and shifted to aim another kick before she could rise.
A shadow fell across Ranira’s face. She glimpsed green leather, and then Lykken went reeling backward into the wall. Suddenly, Jaren stood in front of her, turned slightly so that she could see the almost imperceptible smile on his face.
Lykken climbed slowly to his feet as the Temple guards hurried over. The innkeeper pointed a thick finger at Ranira, “I knew it! She’s been in league with them all along. It is all her fault!”
“Whatever she has done or not done, you will think twice before abusing her again, innkeeper. Even if she is your bondwoman.” Jaren said, spitting out the last word as if it had left a bad taste in his mouth.
Before Lykken could do more than turn red, one of the Temple guards had shoved himself between the two men. “Back where you belong,” he said brusquely to Jaren. “We will not permit disturbances among prisoners.”
Jaren looked at him coldly. “You did not seem so anxious to avoid a disturbance when it was a large man beating a small girl.”
The Templeman drew his sword and stepped forward. “The High Master will deal
“You!” he hissed, seizing her arm in a painfully tight grasp. “You pit snake! After I’ve kept you fed and clothed and given you a place for six years. It was you! I should have known better than to take the bond of a witch-child!”
Ranira’s teeth rattled as Lykken shook her. She could not have replied even if she had wished to. Suddenly Lykken pushed her away, and she stumbled again. “You hate me!” the innkeeper shouted. “That’s why you did this—to ruin me!”
“I… I have not done anything,” Ranira said jerkily. “What do you mean?”
Lykken’s face became even redder, and he raised a hand. Ranira cringed, but the innkeeper was only pointing. “There! Can you deny you told the Templemen they were here?”
As Ranira’s eyes followed the pointing finger, she suddenly understood. The three strangers were sitting calmly at the rear of the room, just on the other side of the chairs and a little apart from the rest of the customers. Two more Temple guards and an Eye of Chaldon stood close beside them, watching. The veiled woman did not appear to notice. She was speaking in a low voice to Jaren, who did not seem quite so much at ease. From time to time the man’s hand moved unconsciously to his empty scabbard. The “sick boy” drooped over the table, still keeping up the pretense of illness.
Ranira looked back at Lykken. “I didn’t tell anyone,” she added angrily. “You have no one but yourself to blame. If you weren’t so greedy this would not have happened.”
“How dare you!” The innkeeper reached out, but Ranira dodged away in time. “You slimy little thief! Witch-child! You should have burned with your parents.”
Most of the room was watching now, but Ranira knew better than to expect any of them to help her. She continued to duck Lykken’s wild swings, backing away as best she could. It was impossible to run. Suddenly Lykken bellowed and lunged forward. Ranira jumped back and bumped against the low barricade that separated the staff of the inn from the rest of the room. For a long moment, she fought for balance. Then something shifted, and she crashed to the floor in a pile of rope and broken chairs.
Lykken moved forward in triumph. Ranira pulled against the ruins of the barricade, trying to avoid him. The innkeeper’s first kick landed hard against her side. Through the explosion of pain, she felt ribs grind together. Another blow fell, and she twisted away and rolled to her knees. Lykken grinned and shifted to aim another kick before she could rise.
A shadow fell across Ranira’s face. She glimpsed green leather, and then Lykken went reeling backward into the wall. Suddenly, Jaren stood in front of her, turned slightly so that she could see the almost imperceptible smile on his face.
Lykken climbed slowly to his feet as the Temple guards hurried over. The innkeeper pointed a thick finger at Ranira, “I knew it! She’s been in league with them all along. It is all her fault!”
“Whatever she has done or not done, you will think twice before abusing her again, innkeeper. Even if she is your bondwoman.” Jaren said, spitting out the last word as if it had left a bad taste in his mouth.
Before Lykken could do more than turn red, one of the Temple guards had shoved himself between the two men. “Back where you belong,” he said brusquely to Jaren. “We will not permit disturbances among prisoners.”
Jaren looked at him coldly. “You did not seem so anxious to avoid a disturbance when it was a large man beating a small girl.”
The Templeman drew his sword and stepped forward. “The High Master will deal
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