Read Online Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jaclyn Dolamore
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driven back behind the wall during the war, before you were born.”
“Well, yes, but they still control the western trade routes and the taxes they’ve imposed on us—” He stopped abruptly. “It’s all very dull and political, Nimira, I don’t suppose you really care to hear it. Besides, with a firm hand like Smollings in charge, we can be sure the fairies will think twice before they act upon us.”
“I don’t understand. Didn’t you just say you found Smollings’s company unpleasant?”
Hollin lifted his brows. “Well, so I do. Good politicians can be very unpleasant people. But something must be done. Garvin was in favor of a generous alliance with the fairies. One can only shudder at the thought.”
I thought this made Garvin’s disappearance sound all the more suspicious, but I didn’t see how I could inquire further, or Hollin might wonder at my interest. With Mr. Smollings on the way, I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself, lest Erris be discovered.
Hollin poured himself something to drink. “Goodness, Nimira, you are certainly interested in heavy matters.”
I tried to look innocent, which is probably never a good idea. “I hate to sound ignorant on matters that may be important to you.”
“When I’m with you, I want to forget all that.” A gentle smile quirked his lips. “If you are innocent of all this, you should remain so. Keep to your books and your gardens.”
I thought of how Mother behaved in court—both feminine and unflappable, with compliments for everyone who counted. She was a different person when she came to tell me stories before I went to sleep, and another person with her dearest friends, when she complained about the same people she praised. I knew Mother would have found some other way to learn about the fairies and the Sorcerer’s Council.
I felt a little sick, but pretending was a woman’s lot, more than ever on foreign soil. “Very well, sir, although some might say books are hardly innocent.” I tried to sound teasing.
“You sound like my Anni,” he said. I didn’t like the way he said it, “my Anni,” so intimate, like they had just spoken.
“How long has she been . . . gone, sir?” I asked.
“Almost two years.”
“I’m sorry. Miss Rashten told me she was quite young.”
“Eighteen, yes. She would have turned twenty in March.”
“And she . . . took an illness?”
“Fever. Very sudden.”
I heard guilt in his voice. “That isn’t your fault, you know.”
I saw him tuck his pain back inside. “I want to begin again, you see,” he said. “I wanted such a simple thing. To see the world with my wife at my side. I would trade Vestenveld for a cottage if I could have that.” He straightened a little. “I’m sorry. Let’s talk of other things.”
“I understand, sir.” I think I was just as relieved to change the subject.
And so we talked of the opera, and he promised to take me someday.
9
“Erris, what happened to trap you here? How did you become an automaton?” I was full of curiosity.
WE WERE AT WAR.
“Does that mean you’ve been an automaton for thirty years? Hollin said the last conflict was thirty years ago.”
He sighed. POSSIBLY.
I could hardly grasp the idea of being imprisoned between life and death for thirty years. Everyone he knew would have aged. Many would have died.
“So you were at war, and someone did this to you?”
ENEMIES.
“I gathered it wasn’t your friends. . . . Was that the Sorcerer’s Council’s doing as well?”
YES. I WAS CAPTURED.
“Why did they turn you into an automaton? Why didn’t they just kill you?”
MAYBE THEY WANTED ME ALIVE BUT HELPLESS. NOT SURE. ONE MINUTE I WAS ME, AND THEN—
“You woke in this form?”
“Mmm.”
“How awful.” I couldn’t imagine the horror of waking up in a different body, one that wasn’t even really a body at all . . . with movement and speech suddenly snatched from my grasp.
“You’re very brave,” I murmured.
NO, he
“Well, yes, but they still control the western trade routes and the taxes they’ve imposed on us—” He stopped abruptly. “It’s all very dull and political, Nimira, I don’t suppose you really care to hear it. Besides, with a firm hand like Smollings in charge, we can be sure the fairies will think twice before they act upon us.”
“I don’t understand. Didn’t you just say you found Smollings’s company unpleasant?”
Hollin lifted his brows. “Well, so I do. Good politicians can be very unpleasant people. But something must be done. Garvin was in favor of a generous alliance with the fairies. One can only shudder at the thought.”
I thought this made Garvin’s disappearance sound all the more suspicious, but I didn’t see how I could inquire further, or Hollin might wonder at my interest. With Mr. Smollings on the way, I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself, lest Erris be discovered.
Hollin poured himself something to drink. “Goodness, Nimira, you are certainly interested in heavy matters.”
I tried to look innocent, which is probably never a good idea. “I hate to sound ignorant on matters that may be important to you.”
“When I’m with you, I want to forget all that.” A gentle smile quirked his lips. “If you are innocent of all this, you should remain so. Keep to your books and your gardens.”
I thought of how Mother behaved in court—both feminine and unflappable, with compliments for everyone who counted. She was a different person when she came to tell me stories before I went to sleep, and another person with her dearest friends, when she complained about the same people she praised. I knew Mother would have found some other way to learn about the fairies and the Sorcerer’s Council.
I felt a little sick, but pretending was a woman’s lot, more than ever on foreign soil. “Very well, sir, although some might say books are hardly innocent.” I tried to sound teasing.
“You sound like my Anni,” he said. I didn’t like the way he said it, “my Anni,” so intimate, like they had just spoken.
“How long has she been . . . gone, sir?” I asked.
“Almost two years.”
“I’m sorry. Miss Rashten told me she was quite young.”
“Eighteen, yes. She would have turned twenty in March.”
“And she . . . took an illness?”
“Fever. Very sudden.”
I heard guilt in his voice. “That isn’t your fault, you know.”
I saw him tuck his pain back inside. “I want to begin again, you see,” he said. “I wanted such a simple thing. To see the world with my wife at my side. I would trade Vestenveld for a cottage if I could have that.” He straightened a little. “I’m sorry. Let’s talk of other things.”
“I understand, sir.” I think I was just as relieved to change the subject.
And so we talked of the opera, and he promised to take me someday.
9
“Erris, what happened to trap you here? How did you become an automaton?” I was full of curiosity.
WE WERE AT WAR.
“Does that mean you’ve been an automaton for thirty years? Hollin said the last conflict was thirty years ago.”
He sighed. POSSIBLY.
I could hardly grasp the idea of being imprisoned between life and death for thirty years. Everyone he knew would have aged. Many would have died.
“So you were at war, and someone did this to you?”
ENEMIES.
“I gathered it wasn’t your friends. . . . Was that the Sorcerer’s Council’s doing as well?”
YES. I WAS CAPTURED.
“Why did they turn you into an automaton? Why didn’t they just kill you?”
MAYBE THEY WANTED ME ALIVE BUT HELPLESS. NOT SURE. ONE MINUTE I WAS ME, AND THEN—
“You woke in this form?”
“Mmm.”
“How awful.” I couldn’t imagine the horror of waking up in a different body, one that wasn’t even really a body at all . . . with movement and speech suddenly snatched from my grasp.
“You’re very brave,” I murmured.
NO, he
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