rule this one. Who are you that you can command this kind of obedience? That’s the real question no one will answer. Not even you .
“The weeds are down here,” Ari said.
“What do you do with the weeds after you’ve pulled them from the soil?” Morag asked, putting aside the questions that had no answers.
“They go in the compost piles at the end of the garden,” Ari replied. “The heat of the sun, the rain, and the wind all help turn them into a rich food for the earth.”
Earth, air, water, and fire. The four branches of the Great Mother. The four branches of power that were the heritage of witches.
Life and death. Shadows and light. Witches understood those things, too.
Morag sank to her knees beside Ari. “All right. Show me what to weed.”
Ashk wandered the forest trails with Neall, her thoughts and feelings too scattered to remain focused on the intended lesson. Neall wasn’t paying much attention either. There were times in the woods when one could drift peacefully with one’s thoughts turned elsewhere. And there were times when a moment’s inattention could be fatal. A snapped twig, a subtly different scent in the wind were enough warning for her, but Neall was stilllearning to use the gifts that had come from his father and couldn’t afford to be careless.
Although , Ashk thought, when the teacher’s mind wanders, it’s hard to fault the student for the same thing .
“Since it’s only your body that trails along with me, should we end the day’s lesson?” Ashk asked mildly.
“What?” Neall looked puzzled; then he smiled an apology. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.”
“When you’re in the woods, young Lord, keep your mind with you.”
“Yes, Lady.” He hesitated. “There’s nothing wrong, is there? With Ari or the babe?”
“Why would you think there was?”
“You all seemed so serious when I approached the kitchen garden, so I wondered if Ari had mentioned something to you and Morag that she wouldn’t have told me.”
There were plenty of things Ari had said, none of which she wanted to discuss with the young man standing nearby.
“Ashk —”
“If you must know, we were comparing the cocks of the lovers we’ve known.” She spoke without thinking, answering him the same way she answered Padrick whenever he prodded her about something that she didn’t want to talk about. Padrick always laughed and held up his hands in surrender, knowing she’d talk to him when she was ready — or wouldn’t talk if whatever was on her mind wasn’t hers to tell.
She wasn’t prepared for the stricken look Neall gave her before he turned away.
Fool , she thought. You not only stepped off the trail, but you also landed in a tangle of thorns .
“So,” Neall said quietly. “How do I compare?”
Ashk stared at him. “Neall . I was teasing.”
The uncertainty in his eyes revealed things he’d kept well hidden until now.
“Ari chose you, Neall.”
“There wasn’t much choice,” he replied. “Not after the Inquisitors showed up in Ridgeley.”
“She made her choice before they came,” Ashk replied sharply. “That’s what you told me. Was it a lie?”
Neall shook his head. “But I can’t help wonder if … I wonder if I disappoint her as a lover, if she feels with me as much as she felt with _” His voice trailed off. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“If she feels as much with you as she felt with the Lightbringer,” Ashk finished. Her emotions soared, as ferocious as they were protective. “Ari chose you, not Lucian. You . He’s not the one who’s been warming her bed all these months. It’s not his child she carries. Has she ever given any indication that what you share in bed doesn’t please her as much as it pleases you?”
“Of course not,” Neall replied hotly. “She’d never say anything even if —”
“If what?” Ashk said, just as hotly. “If you think she doesn’t enjoy your lovemaking, you should pay more attention. The two of you
“The weeds are down here,” Ari said.
“What do you do with the weeds after you’ve pulled them from the soil?” Morag asked, putting aside the questions that had no answers.
“They go in the compost piles at the end of the garden,” Ari replied. “The heat of the sun, the rain, and the wind all help turn them into a rich food for the earth.”
Earth, air, water, and fire. The four branches of the Great Mother. The four branches of power that were the heritage of witches.
Life and death. Shadows and light. Witches understood those things, too.
Morag sank to her knees beside Ari. “All right. Show me what to weed.”
Ashk wandered the forest trails with Neall, her thoughts and feelings too scattered to remain focused on the intended lesson. Neall wasn’t paying much attention either. There were times in the woods when one could drift peacefully with one’s thoughts turned elsewhere. And there were times when a moment’s inattention could be fatal. A snapped twig, a subtly different scent in the wind were enough warning for her, but Neall was stilllearning to use the gifts that had come from his father and couldn’t afford to be careless.
Although , Ashk thought, when the teacher’s mind wanders, it’s hard to fault the student for the same thing .
“Since it’s only your body that trails along with me, should we end the day’s lesson?” Ashk asked mildly.
“What?” Neall looked puzzled; then he smiled an apology. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.”
“When you’re in the woods, young Lord, keep your mind with you.”
“Yes, Lady.” He hesitated. “There’s nothing wrong, is there? With Ari or the babe?”
“Why would you think there was?”
“You all seemed so serious when I approached the kitchen garden, so I wondered if Ari had mentioned something to you and Morag that she wouldn’t have told me.”
There were plenty of things Ari had said, none of which she wanted to discuss with the young man standing nearby.
“Ashk —”
“If you must know, we were comparing the cocks of the lovers we’ve known.” She spoke without thinking, answering him the same way she answered Padrick whenever he prodded her about something that she didn’t want to talk about. Padrick always laughed and held up his hands in surrender, knowing she’d talk to him when she was ready — or wouldn’t talk if whatever was on her mind wasn’t hers to tell.
She wasn’t prepared for the stricken look Neall gave her before he turned away.
Fool , she thought. You not only stepped off the trail, but you also landed in a tangle of thorns .
“So,” Neall said quietly. “How do I compare?”
Ashk stared at him. “Neall . I was teasing.”
The uncertainty in his eyes revealed things he’d kept well hidden until now.
“Ari chose you, Neall.”
“There wasn’t much choice,” he replied. “Not after the Inquisitors showed up in Ridgeley.”
“She made her choice before they came,” Ashk replied sharply. “That’s what you told me. Was it a lie?”
Neall shook his head. “But I can’t help wonder if … I wonder if I disappoint her as a lover, if she feels with me as much as she felt with _” His voice trailed off. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“If she feels as much with you as she felt with the Lightbringer,” Ashk finished. Her emotions soared, as ferocious as they were protective. “Ari chose you, not Lucian. You . He’s not the one who’s been warming her bed all these months. It’s not his child she carries. Has she ever given any indication that what you share in bed doesn’t please her as much as it pleases you?”
“Of course not,” Neall replied hotly. “She’d never say anything even if —”
“If what?” Ashk said, just as hotly. “If you think she doesn’t enjoy your lovemaking, you should pay more attention. The two of you
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