she thought they called it. A different pang touched her heart: not of jealousy this time, but anger. Chell had helped her escape from Tamita. Only his nautical knowledge had enabled them to sail north along the coast, eventually delivering them to the shore where the refugees of the unMasked Army straggled northward.
Her cheeks burned as she remembered a hut, the half-naked prince asleep, kneeling beside him, her hand reaching out . . .
What was I thinking?
she thought. But the truth was, she
hadnât
been thinking. Only feeling: feeling desperate to be just a girl, not a magically Gifted freak.
He had stopped her. He was married, he had said. And years older, despite his youthful appearance. In retrospect, she was glad nothing had happened between them. He had treated her no differently after that. Sheâd thought heâd remained her friend.
But now she wondered if he had only pretended to be her friend because he had needed her, needed her to sail to his own land, needed her to use her Gift to help him fight his own enemies. Because when he had seen the Lady of Pain and Fire, in an instant he had turned all his attention to
her
.
Iâm just a silly girl to him
, she thought sourly.
A silly young girl blinded by her own infatuation and desires, desires he could manipulate when he thought I could be of use to him, but which he could laugh off once he thought he had a better source of the magical power that is all heâs truly interested in.
As though he felt her gaze upon him, the prince raised his head. Their eyes met. Mara stared at him for a moment, cheeks burning, and then jerked her head around, remembering his words on the beach before the Lady put him in his place by destroying his ships.
I seek power to overthrow our enemies
, heâd said. Heâd looked first at Mara.
I thought I had found it
, heâd continuedâbut then heâd turned back to the Lady and finished,
but now I think I beheld only a reflection of the true power in this land.
Iâm nothing to him
, Mara thought now, anger swelling within her.
Nothing but a tool, a weapon, a poorly made dagger he could toss aside the moment he found a fine-forged sword to replace itâthe Lady of Pain and Fire
. It made the memory of that awkward moment in the hut all the more embarrassing.
But if Iâm nothing to him, why didnât he take advantage of me when I offered him the opportunity?
She shoved that thought aside. She didnât want to make excuses for Chellâs behavior.
Let him try his wiles on the Lady of Pain and Fire
, she though, glancing at the old woman walking at her side, without any sign of distress despite the steepness of the trail. One corner of her mouth turned up.
Somehow, I doubt heâll find it as easy to talk his way around her as he did me.
After her cold exchange with Keltan, she had no more desire to join the others down in the main camp that night than she had the one before. When they reached the top of the slope, the Ladyâs tent was the first pitched. Although the Lady and her wolves were elsewhere, Mara and Whiteblaze entered it the moment it was erected. A sizable fire already burned in the central pit, and had warmed the tent considerably. Mara removed her coat and sat by the blaze, holding out her hands to the blessed heat of the flames.
A blast of cold air caused those flames to dance, and she turned her head, expecting to see the Lady. Instead, Chell stood in the tentâs entrance. Whiteblazeâs head came up from where it had been resting on his front paws, but he made no sound, though he watched the prince intently.
âMay I come in, Mara?â Chell said. His voice was soft. His eyes gleamed in the firelight, which lit his finely chiseled features with a flattering warm glow. But she couldnât feel about him the way she had when he had been her sole companion on the long sail up the coast of Aygrima.
She heard ice in her voice as she said,
Her cheeks burned as she remembered a hut, the half-naked prince asleep, kneeling beside him, her hand reaching out . . .
What was I thinking?
she thought. But the truth was, she
hadnât
been thinking. Only feeling: feeling desperate to be just a girl, not a magically Gifted freak.
He had stopped her. He was married, he had said. And years older, despite his youthful appearance. In retrospect, she was glad nothing had happened between them. He had treated her no differently after that. Sheâd thought heâd remained her friend.
But now she wondered if he had only pretended to be her friend because he had needed her, needed her to sail to his own land, needed her to use her Gift to help him fight his own enemies. Because when he had seen the Lady of Pain and Fire, in an instant he had turned all his attention to
her
.
Iâm just a silly girl to him
, she thought sourly.
A silly young girl blinded by her own infatuation and desires, desires he could manipulate when he thought I could be of use to him, but which he could laugh off once he thought he had a better source of the magical power that is all heâs truly interested in.
As though he felt her gaze upon him, the prince raised his head. Their eyes met. Mara stared at him for a moment, cheeks burning, and then jerked her head around, remembering his words on the beach before the Lady put him in his place by destroying his ships.
I seek power to overthrow our enemies
, heâd said. Heâd looked first at Mara.
I thought I had found it
, heâd continuedâbut then heâd turned back to the Lady and finished,
but now I think I beheld only a reflection of the true power in this land.
Iâm nothing to him
, Mara thought now, anger swelling within her.
Nothing but a tool, a weapon, a poorly made dagger he could toss aside the moment he found a fine-forged sword to replace itâthe Lady of Pain and Fire
. It made the memory of that awkward moment in the hut all the more embarrassing.
But if Iâm nothing to him, why didnât he take advantage of me when I offered him the opportunity?
She shoved that thought aside. She didnât want to make excuses for Chellâs behavior.
Let him try his wiles on the Lady of Pain and Fire
, she though, glancing at the old woman walking at her side, without any sign of distress despite the steepness of the trail. One corner of her mouth turned up.
Somehow, I doubt heâll find it as easy to talk his way around her as he did me.
After her cold exchange with Keltan, she had no more desire to join the others down in the main camp that night than she had the one before. When they reached the top of the slope, the Ladyâs tent was the first pitched. Although the Lady and her wolves were elsewhere, Mara and Whiteblaze entered it the moment it was erected. A sizable fire already burned in the central pit, and had warmed the tent considerably. Mara removed her coat and sat by the blaze, holding out her hands to the blessed heat of the flames.
A blast of cold air caused those flames to dance, and she turned her head, expecting to see the Lady. Instead, Chell stood in the tentâs entrance. Whiteblazeâs head came up from where it had been resting on his front paws, but he made no sound, though he watched the prince intently.
âMay I come in, Mara?â Chell said. His voice was soft. His eyes gleamed in the firelight, which lit his finely chiseled features with a flattering warm glow. But she couldnât feel about him the way she had when he had been her sole companion on the long sail up the coast of Aygrima.
She heard ice in her voice as she said,
Similar Books
