Read Online Have 2 Sky Magic (Haven Series 2) by B. V. Larson - Free Book Online
Authors: B. V. Larson
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needing your own apartments,” said Thilfox, rubbing his chin in thought. “It will have to be the fourth floor, I’m afraid.”
“Clanmaster Drake,” said Brand, trying to interrupt.
“Now, you two are married, right?” he asked, he knew the answer from their shocked, embarrassed faces. “I see. Not even a moonlight ceremony out on the mound? Well, that won’t do. I’ll perform the ceremony myself tonight. We must at least keep that level of decorum, don’t you think?”
“Clanmaster Drake, please listen,” demanded Telyn. She held the child out to him. “This child isn’t ours. It’s yours. It’s your grandson.”
Thilfox’s face registered shock. He blinked at the child, then squinted. “I do believe you’re right. That’s Lanet’s boy. However—”
“He was stolen, we found him in the woods,” explained Brand, thinking it best to leave Dando out of it for now. “There is a changeling in his place.”
Sick understanding and shock came over Thilfox’s face. “I see it all now. I’ve been the fool. The delicate situation was our situation.”
“Lanet must be told.”
“Of course. We can’t let that thing spin enchantments for one more second. I really hadn’t thought they would come so quickly. I should have more wards out.”
As they followed him up the stairs, they saw Thilfox Drake strap a dagger onto his belt and loosen it in its sheath. Brand and Telyn exchanged worried glances.
By the time Thilfox arrived outside Lanet’s apartment, he looked resolute. He was scowling. They could hear Lanet inside, singing softly to what she no doubt believed was her beloved baby.
“How do we handle this?” Telyn wondered aloud in the hallway.
Thilfox glowered and shrugged. “She’ll be so heart-broken. She’ll be under the thing’s spell. But what must be done, shall be done.”
He rapped smartly on the door. After a moment, Lanet answered. They were all relieved to see she didn’t carry the changeling in her arms.
“Lanet, could you come out into the hallway for a moment?” asked Thilfox calmly.
“What is it? I don’t like to leave—”
“Of course not, we’ll only be a moment.”
Brand glanced into the apartment. Near the window, he saw what must be the cradle. As the door swung shut, he thought to see a tiny face, looking at them with one eye overtop the blankets.
“Telyn, if you please,” said Thilfox, gesturing.
Telyn held out the child for his mother to see.
“Who?” asked Lanet, pausing with her hands up before her, “what is that?”
“I want you to look at this child closely. Who is it, my dear?”
“Grandfather,” she said, almost as if in a dream. “It’s a baby.”
“Who’s baby?”
She peered at the child, coming close. She blinked and after a moment her face broke into a smile. “Why, he’s my baby.”
“That’s right,” said Thilfox, he nodded to Telyn, who handed the baby over to its mother.
“He’s hungry,” said Telyn, “let’s take him downstairs for a moment.”
She led Lanet down the stairs with her child. She walked slowly still, as if she had just awakened.
Thilfox turned to Brand, and his face was grim. “Quickly now, let’s do what must be done before she gets wise.”
They entered the apartment and let the door click shut behind them. Brand eyed Thilfox worriedly. Would he really be able to thrust that dagger into something that so resembled his own beloved grandson? He hoped that he would never be faced with such a task.
Thilfox slid the window shut, then stood over the crib with his hands on hips. He frowned down into the crib.
The baby inside was the twin of the other. Brand shook his head. The only difference he could detect was the eyes. Their nature was too knowing, too wise for an infant. But the changeling did put on a great show, kicking its feet and cooing at the old man.
“You’ll not find our folk so easy to fool as all that, manling,” said Thilfox in a quiet, threatening voice.
The
“Clanmaster Drake,” said Brand, trying to interrupt.
“Now, you two are married, right?” he asked, he knew the answer from their shocked, embarrassed faces. “I see. Not even a moonlight ceremony out on the mound? Well, that won’t do. I’ll perform the ceremony myself tonight. We must at least keep that level of decorum, don’t you think?”
“Clanmaster Drake, please listen,” demanded Telyn. She held the child out to him. “This child isn’t ours. It’s yours. It’s your grandson.”
Thilfox’s face registered shock. He blinked at the child, then squinted. “I do believe you’re right. That’s Lanet’s boy. However—”
“He was stolen, we found him in the woods,” explained Brand, thinking it best to leave Dando out of it for now. “There is a changeling in his place.”
Sick understanding and shock came over Thilfox’s face. “I see it all now. I’ve been the fool. The delicate situation was our situation.”
“Lanet must be told.”
“Of course. We can’t let that thing spin enchantments for one more second. I really hadn’t thought they would come so quickly. I should have more wards out.”
As they followed him up the stairs, they saw Thilfox Drake strap a dagger onto his belt and loosen it in its sheath. Brand and Telyn exchanged worried glances.
By the time Thilfox arrived outside Lanet’s apartment, he looked resolute. He was scowling. They could hear Lanet inside, singing softly to what she no doubt believed was her beloved baby.
“How do we handle this?” Telyn wondered aloud in the hallway.
Thilfox glowered and shrugged. “She’ll be so heart-broken. She’ll be under the thing’s spell. But what must be done, shall be done.”
He rapped smartly on the door. After a moment, Lanet answered. They were all relieved to see she didn’t carry the changeling in her arms.
“Lanet, could you come out into the hallway for a moment?” asked Thilfox calmly.
“What is it? I don’t like to leave—”
“Of course not, we’ll only be a moment.”
Brand glanced into the apartment. Near the window, he saw what must be the cradle. As the door swung shut, he thought to see a tiny face, looking at them with one eye overtop the blankets.
“Telyn, if you please,” said Thilfox, gesturing.
Telyn held out the child for his mother to see.
“Who?” asked Lanet, pausing with her hands up before her, “what is that?”
“I want you to look at this child closely. Who is it, my dear?”
“Grandfather,” she said, almost as if in a dream. “It’s a baby.”
“Who’s baby?”
She peered at the child, coming close. She blinked and after a moment her face broke into a smile. “Why, he’s my baby.”
“That’s right,” said Thilfox, he nodded to Telyn, who handed the baby over to its mother.
“He’s hungry,” said Telyn, “let’s take him downstairs for a moment.”
She led Lanet down the stairs with her child. She walked slowly still, as if she had just awakened.
Thilfox turned to Brand, and his face was grim. “Quickly now, let’s do what must be done before she gets wise.”
They entered the apartment and let the door click shut behind them. Brand eyed Thilfox worriedly. Would he really be able to thrust that dagger into something that so resembled his own beloved grandson? He hoped that he would never be faced with such a task.
Thilfox slid the window shut, then stood over the crib with his hands on hips. He frowned down into the crib.
The baby inside was the twin of the other. Brand shook his head. The only difference he could detect was the eyes. Their nature was too knowing, too wise for an infant. But the changeling did put on a great show, kicking its feet and cooing at the old man.
“You’ll not find our folk so easy to fool as all that, manling,” said Thilfox in a quiet, threatening voice.
The
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