Read Online The Coming Storm by Valerie Douglas - Free Book Online

face.
    Though his people weren’t known much for that expression, her pleasure at seeing him was such that he allowed himself a small smile in return.
    Still, he chided her, gently.
    “Ailith, how is it  you didn’t hear me approach until I was nearly upon you? That would be dangerous in some quarters.”
    It was unlike her, this most attentive of students. Oh, she was no paragon, showing flashes of impatience or temper a time or two but not often. For the most part she was as diligent and hard-working as any Elven student he’d had, a credit and more to her race.
    With a sigh and a look of embarrassment, she answered in his own tongue, “My apologies, teacher, I’m distracted. That’s no excuse, I know and I should have been more vigilant.”
    It pleased him, the sound of his language spoken so well. Her accent was good, the lilting phrases falling easily. Only her distraction disturbed him.
    In point of fact Ailith was horrified to have allowed such a lapse. That wouldn’t do.
    “Is it something I can help with?” he asked.
    Often they’d talked of the things she couldn’t speak of with others.
    Ailith considered it. Should she? In the light of actually speaking her fears, though, it seemed silly and ill-considered. Was she making much out of nothing? Her uneasiness had no focus, save perhaps her dislike for a man she barely knew. She had no reason to dislike him, nothing she could put her finger on and say that’s it, that’s the reason.
    It was her father’s new counselor, Tolan. She didn’t know where he’d come from or how he’d made her father’s acquaintance. He’d arrived that one day to speak with her father and he hadn’t left.
    There was nothing about him to object to, really.
    A nondescript man with sandy brown hair and sandy-brown eyes and a thin-lipped mouth that looked as if he sucked on lemons when no one watched. Medium height, medium weight. In all ways pedestrian. No cause for alarm or dismay. So why did she feel it? Why did she feel so awkward and disquieted when he was around? Was it only a leftover childish resentment for the time he now had with her father? Was it merely her imagination that her father had less time for her, less interest in her day-to-day affairs? Or had she simply grown old enough he didn’t feel he had to know where she was each minute of the day?
    Only one moment stood out and sharply. Her father had been sitting at his desk pouring over tally sticks and coins, as usual.
    Ailith had stopped for a moment between one thing or another and glanced in to see him sitting there. He hadn’t noticed her and she’d paused for a moment to look at him while he didn’t notice. Her heart caught for a moment, her love for him was so deep. He loved her as well and showed it. Many fathers stopped kissing their children once they reached a certain age. He hadn’t. In all ways, he had always shown he loved her. Until lately.
    That’s when she’d seen the chain dangling from his neck, the small circle of gold with an odd stone set in the center of it. He fingered it absently. She’d never seen him wear such a thing and was certain her mother hadn’t gifted him with it. His birthing day was still months away and Selah hadn’t given it to him at the last. It seemed odd. She couldn’t imagine where it had come from or why he would wear such a thing.
    “Morning, Father,” she’d said quietly, so as not to startle him so badly, as Dorovan had inadvertently done to her moments before.
    Geric had looked up, his eyes not quite focused but breaking into a smile.
    Reaching for the chain, she’d said, “What’s this?”
    His expression had changed so swiftly it stunned her into immobility as he slapped at her hand, knocking it away.
    “Don’t touch that,” he snapped but as instantly was chagrined and apologetic, tucking the chain and its pendant swiftly back into his shirt. “Nothing, sweet one, nothing. I’m sorry I spoke so harshly. I was distracted. Forgive