Read Online The Dragon Bard (Dragon of the Island) by Mary Gillgannon - Free Book Online Page A

affect him. Nothing reached him. Was it because he knew he could always call upon his own magical abilities for protection?
    The idea intrigued her. Did this man possess the secrets she sought, the means of defeating her enemies once and for all? To find out, she must risk that he would discover what a fraud she was. Without her reputation for magic, she was desperately vulnerable. If her enemies ever learned she wasn’t truly a sorceress, the Fionnlairaos were doomed.
    A terrible risk, and yet ... if this man could really call down a storm, then she very much needed him on her side. If she ordered him back to the menial labor of breaking and carrying rocks, he might decide to move on and end up offering up his services to one of her enemies. She couldn’t allow that to happen. From the first, it seemed as if fate had brought this man to her household. As much as she feared him, she dare not risk sending him away.
    “It’s agreed,” she said. “I’ll share my secrets with you, if you will share yours with me. I would like to learn how to call down a storm, to curse my enemies by the forces of sea and sky.”
    “And what, in turn, will you offer me?” he asked. “What magic do you know?”
    She took a deep breath. “I’ve worked a spell of protection around Cahermara. As long as it remains intact, the rath can’t be taken.”
    “And you will tell me how you did this?”
    What could she say? She must make him think her powers were real. She nodded. “I’ll show you the spell.” She could come up with some pretense of magic. But if he were truly a sorcerer, he might realize it was all a bluff.
    “What now?” he asked. “Shall we go back to the rath? Or do you want to stay here? It’s certainly a beautiful place.” He glanced at the lake, a vague smile touching his lips. “A pity we didn’t bring any food. This would be a lovely spot in which to break our morning fast. Next time we come, we should bring some provisions.”
    What was he talking about? One moment they were discussing magic; the next, he behaved as if they were children frolicking in the woods. Was all of life a game to him?
    Resentment stabbed her. “I haven’t time for such foolishness,” she snapped. “I have responsibilities. A duty to my people and to my family, dead these ten years. I must put all my efforts into protecting my kingdom and avenging the great wrong that was done to me. If you wish to exchange knowledge of the magical realm, that is one thing. But I’ll have no part of your other witless plans.”
    “Ah,” he said, approaching her. “So you’re telling me you have no time for pleasure, for laughter and gaiety? But what if that’s what the gods demand? What if they favor those who make merry and enjoy life to the fullest?”
    “They don’t,” she said bluntly, “Or, at least the ones I know of do not.” That was an untruth. There were plenty of tales of the deities being playful and full of pranks.
    “A pity,” Bridei answered. “If I thought the gods were grim, cheerless beings, I would refuse to honor them.” He took another step nearer. “Life can’t be all duty. There must also be joy and laughter, music and poetry. Those things are like the dawn, breaking through the dark night sky as morning comes. For as much as there is darkness, there is light. And as much as there is sadness, there must also be celebration. Everything in life is a balance of opposing forces. For every aspect of a god or goddess that is cruel and harsh, there is a side that is bountiful and generous.”
    He was so close now. In another moment, he would reach out and touch her. And if he did, she very much feared she would weaken totally. His words aroused such an aching longing inside her, a yearning for the dreams and joys that had perished the night Cahermara was destroyed.
    She took a deep steadying breath, praying he didn’t guess her distress. “I thought we were going to share information about spells and