Read Online The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde - Free Book Online
Authors: Vivian Vande Velde
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hilt, and she crossed her arms to keep from what had to look a hostile gesture. She saw Mordred's hand clench and unclench, his fingers flexing, a nervous habit shared by many swordsmen. Galen, by the set of his jaw, looked in danger of cracking his teeth.
Halbert said to Alayna, "Then you'd like me to tell you where she is?" That seemed disarmingly direct. For a moment Alayna forgot to breathe, but then the wizard held his arm out to her. "Come," he said, "I have a scrying crystal, which sometimes helps me in such matters."
So he didn't have Kiera. Orâat leastâhe wasn't admitting to it. But if he didn't have her, what game was he playing at?
Alayna moved to follow him.
Galen whispered hoarsely, "I don't think you need a crystal."
Mordred also had taken a step to follow the wizard. Now he gave Galen an annoyed frown.
Alayna folded her arms again.
"Your faith in meâ" Halbert started.
Galen spat on the floor.
Halbert looked as surprised as Alayna felt. "Sir knightâ" he started.
Galen said, "Any villain who would steal a five-year-old child away from her family is no better than a dog."
"I?" Halbert said. He rested his heavily beringed hand on his chest, over the ruby on its chain. "You think I would be involved with abducting a child?"
Alayna was left speechless by her brother's suddenly belligerent attitude, not part of their plan at all. Declare and challenge was one thing, open confrontation and rudeness was anotherâespecially given that all along Galen had been the one to urge Mordred to consider that Halbert may, in truth, not be the culprit.
Now it was Mordred who stepped into the awkward silence. "Sir Galen is distraught at the disappearance of his niece." He smiled apologetically at Halbert.
Galen didn't acknowledge either Mordred's warning glare or his attempt to soothe Halbert's indignation. He demanded, "Where is she?"
"I said I was willing to help you look."
Galen said, "I can start with the upper rooms."
"Galen!" Alayna gasped, unsure what to make of this behavior that was neither characteristic nor helpful. If this was part of some plan he and Mordred had worked out between them, she couldn't see the sense of it. Andâif it wasâthey most certainly should have told her.
Halbert had lost his smile. He said, "Sir, if you persist in this insulting mannerâ"
Galen leaped forward to seize the wizards throat, but Mordred grabbed Galen and held him back, lookingâAlayna was convincedâas surprised and perplexed as she.
"Sir Denis!" the wizard called.
By his quick entrance, the stocky knight must have been on the other side of the door, which really was not proof of anything, but which Alayna noticed nonetheless.
Halbert said, "Our visitors have decided not to stay after all. Please escort them out." Halbert gave them a withering glare.
Was
he as nonplused and outraged as he acted? As bewildered as an innocent man would be? "Good day!" he snapped. With an angry flourish of his dark robes, he left by the same door through which he'd entered.
CHAPTER 7
Alayna felt as though her insides were crumbling.
Sir Denis stood by the room's main door and looked as though he was hoping for the opportunity to let his polite manners drop.
"What," Mordred hissed at Galen, "is the matter with you?"
"That wasn't the plan." Like Mordred, Alayna whispered. She tried to drive the memory of Kiera's face from her mind.
That
wouldn't help now. Stealth. Declare and challenge. It was all meaningless in the face of what had just happened. What Galen had caused to happen.
"You know he has her," Galen protested. "Why play that silly game about"âhe mimicked Halbert's self-consciously inscrutable toneâ"
looking into his crystal?
"
Sir Denis, still waiting, cleared his throat, the very image of courtly manners. Nevertheless, Alayna doubted that he would really be indisposed to using force.
"Lack-wit." Mordred swept past Galen and out into the corridor.
Alayna followed
Halbert said to Alayna, "Then you'd like me to tell you where she is?" That seemed disarmingly direct. For a moment Alayna forgot to breathe, but then the wizard held his arm out to her. "Come," he said, "I have a scrying crystal, which sometimes helps me in such matters."
So he didn't have Kiera. Orâat leastâhe wasn't admitting to it. But if he didn't have her, what game was he playing at?
Alayna moved to follow him.
Galen whispered hoarsely, "I don't think you need a crystal."
Mordred also had taken a step to follow the wizard. Now he gave Galen an annoyed frown.
Alayna folded her arms again.
"Your faith in meâ" Halbert started.
Galen spat on the floor.
Halbert looked as surprised as Alayna felt. "Sir knightâ" he started.
Galen said, "Any villain who would steal a five-year-old child away from her family is no better than a dog."
"I?" Halbert said. He rested his heavily beringed hand on his chest, over the ruby on its chain. "You think I would be involved with abducting a child?"
Alayna was left speechless by her brother's suddenly belligerent attitude, not part of their plan at all. Declare and challenge was one thing, open confrontation and rudeness was anotherâespecially given that all along Galen had been the one to urge Mordred to consider that Halbert may, in truth, not be the culprit.
Now it was Mordred who stepped into the awkward silence. "Sir Galen is distraught at the disappearance of his niece." He smiled apologetically at Halbert.
Galen didn't acknowledge either Mordred's warning glare or his attempt to soothe Halbert's indignation. He demanded, "Where is she?"
"I said I was willing to help you look."
Galen said, "I can start with the upper rooms."
"Galen!" Alayna gasped, unsure what to make of this behavior that was neither characteristic nor helpful. If this was part of some plan he and Mordred had worked out between them, she couldn't see the sense of it. Andâif it wasâthey most certainly should have told her.
Halbert had lost his smile. He said, "Sir, if you persist in this insulting mannerâ"
Galen leaped forward to seize the wizards throat, but Mordred grabbed Galen and held him back, lookingâAlayna was convincedâas surprised and perplexed as she.
"Sir Denis!" the wizard called.
By his quick entrance, the stocky knight must have been on the other side of the door, which really was not proof of anything, but which Alayna noticed nonetheless.
Halbert said, "Our visitors have decided not to stay after all. Please escort them out." Halbert gave them a withering glare.
Was
he as nonplused and outraged as he acted? As bewildered as an innocent man would be? "Good day!" he snapped. With an angry flourish of his dark robes, he left by the same door through which he'd entered.
CHAPTER 7
Alayna felt as though her insides were crumbling.
Sir Denis stood by the room's main door and looked as though he was hoping for the opportunity to let his polite manners drop.
"What," Mordred hissed at Galen, "is the matter with you?"
"That wasn't the plan." Like Mordred, Alayna whispered. She tried to drive the memory of Kiera's face from her mind.
That
wouldn't help now. Stealth. Declare and challenge. It was all meaningless in the face of what had just happened. What Galen had caused to happen.
"You know he has her," Galen protested. "Why play that silly game about"âhe mimicked Halbert's self-consciously inscrutable toneâ"
looking into his crystal?
"
Sir Denis, still waiting, cleared his throat, the very image of courtly manners. Nevertheless, Alayna doubted that he would really be indisposed to using force.
"Lack-wit." Mordred swept past Galen and out into the corridor.
Alayna followed
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