Read Online Pathspace: The Space of Paths by Matthew Kennedy - Free Book Online Page B

marked him for an
elder. His boots probably cost more than the rest of his outfit put
together. And his eyes! Light like the boy's, though gray like her
own, rather than blue. Unlike the boy's eyes, those of the wizard
were as far from confused as a man's eyes could be. They gazed upon
her with calm recognition, without the interest she saw the boy
quickly suppress.
    “Let me guess,” he said. “Doris fell sick
and you volunteered to bring our breakfast.” But his eyes twinkled,
and she saw that he knew this was a lie even before she agreed with
him. Suddenly her face felt warm, and she felt an unaccustomed
irritation with those eyes, his eyes that seemed hardly to look at
anything, yet saw everything – saw right through her own subterfuge
that she was sure fooled everyone else.
    “Something like that,” she muttered.
    “In any event,” he said, “you're here. Meet
my new apprentice Lester. Les, this is Aria, a young lady who knows
less than she should but far more than she admits.”
    Instantly, she saw the boy drop a mask of
courtesy across his face. He stood and sketched a quick bow. Which
would have been a bit more flattering had his eyes not fastened
upon the breakfast tray she discovered she was still holding. She
set it down next to the steaming bow and straightened, a tad more
stiffly than she intended.
    “Well, there you are. Sorry about the
interruption,” she said, turning to leave.
    “We are never so busy that an interruption
bearing food is unwelcome,” said Xander with a smile that was
dangerously close to a smirk.
    She hurried out the door, cursing herself
for acting the fool in front of the new apprentice. How was it that
the old wizard could make her do that – could so easily make her
lose control of her reactions? It was not as if she was in love
with the old fool, which from the books she read might have
explained it. But no, that wasn't it. It was, rather, as if they
shared a bond that went beyond any attraction. As if he were … she
didn't know, an older brother, or an uncle seen so often that the
only awkwardness between them was the fact that he could always
tell when she was lying, or hiding something. Like today.
    “So how's the old man doing?” said Jon. Is
it true he's got a new apprentice?”
    “None of your business,” she snapped. “Just
make sure he's not disturbed.”
    And that last was as unnecessary as telling
the sun to rise, she realized. Gritting her teeth, she stalked away
vowing to ignore Xander and the boy the next time their paths
crossed.
    She darted up the stairwell and tried to
stop growling in her mind. This distracted her enough that she
collided with Miss Gerloch. Only the closeness of the stairwell's
walls kept the two of them from tumbling to certain injury.
    Miss Gerloch put a hand behind her head and
patted her bun back into shape, as she glared at Aria. “Where have
you been? We were supposed to resume your training in Geopolitics
over twenty minutes ago!”
    “I'm sorry, Miss Gerloch. I had to take care
of something first.”
    The older woman shook her head in
exasperation. “I swear, hardly a day goes by that I don't wonder
why I even bother. And then I remember.” She fixed Aria with a
brown-eyed glare. “Do you know what it is that I remember?” she
grated, as she straightened her stiff and unflattering black
dress.
    “That one day I will be Governor, and must
be prepared for that,” Aria recited.
    “If you can remember that, can remember just
that one thing, then there is a tiny chance that the last three
years have not been a complete waste of my time.” Miss Gerloch
turned away. “Now come along. The Map room won't come to us,
child.”
    Aria hurried to catch up with her obsessive
tutor, and was a little short of breath by the time she reached the
thirty-fifth floor. Miss Gerloch didn't bother to wait for her. She
flung open the door and flew in like some enormous bat diving into
a cave mouth. Sighing, Aria followed.
    She nearly turned