Read Online Thornbear (Book 1) by Michael G. Manning - Free Book Online

“Shibal,” she said, exerting her will and attempting to put him to sleep. However, his necklace, the same type that everyone in Castle Cameron wore, prevented her magic from affecting his mind directly.
    Gram’s teeth bit down painfully on the meat of her hand, and she jerked it back before slapping him reflexively. “Stop that!” she exclaimed before immediately changing course. “Oh, I’m sorry, Gram. I didn’t mean to do that!”
    “Just let me have my body back!”
    “Sorry, I can’t do that. Just relax, I’ll fix this.” Unclasping the chain around his neck, she repeated her spell, “Shibal.”
    Fighting to move, Gram felt her power smothering his consciousness, his eyes closed even as he struggled, and darkness overcame him.
     

Chapter 6
    Gram waited outside the great hall after the noon meal was finished. He had eaten at one of the low tables, hoping to avoid his mother. She had spotted him, of that he had no doubt, though she gave no sign of it as she nibbled on her food at the high table. She didn’t call out to him or otherwise attempt to force him to his customary seat. No, that would have created a commotion, something she would never do. She would wait, like a spider, biding its time. He would have to face her eventually, and she knew it.
    The thought sent a cold trickle of sweat down the back of his neck. He loved his mother. In the main, she was warm and kind, incredibly sweet and intuitive, despite her fierce intelligence. But when she faced an enemy, she was implacable, cold, and calculating. Gram had seen it before, mostly in her political dealings, but now he felt an echo of the fear those opponents must have experienced.
    He had never spoken to her that way before, never rebelled so openly. She had had little occasion to punish him in the past, not since he was a small child, and that had been different. Now he was nearly a man, and he feared that he had broken something with her that could not be repaired.
    Cyhan walked through the doorway and passed him without even a glance. He turned in the hall and headed for the entry hall that would lead him outside. Gram followed without a word.
    Once outside, they headed for the main gate, which led into the walled town of Washbrook. Gram moved up to walk beside the older warrior once they had left the castle environs. Cyhan didn’t say anything until they had walked a hundred yards or more, but then he turned and stopped.
    “Let me see it,” he said without preamble.
    Gram drew back his sleeve to display his forearm. The swelling had eased considerably, and the color had improved dramatically. The blacks and purples were mostly gone, replaced by yellow and faint brown patches. A small, faint, silver line marked the inside of the arm where, for some reason, Moira had opened the skin and then resealed it.
    It ached when he clenched his fist, but the pain was much less pronounced than it had been that morning. Then, it had throbbed and burned constantly, whether he moved it or not, while now he almost didn’t feel it when it was at rest.
    “Looks a lot better,” noted Cyhan. “The Count?”
    “Moira,” answered Gram. Giving her name reminded him of his confusion and worry when he had first awakened after her treatment. He still wasn’t happy about her bedside manner, but he couldn’t fault her results. He hoped he never had to ask her for healing again, though. The paralysis had been a terrifying experience.
    The knight grunted, then spoke, “Not bad—the girl has come a long way. She did a much better job than her brother, at least.”
    “It wasn’t his fault,” argued Gram, suddenly angry. He didn’t like it when people made judgments about his closest friend.
    “He’s the one who gave you the bond though, isn’t he?” countered Cyhan.
    “I don’t have a bond,” said Gram.
    “You’re handling it better today, but you still show the signs,” said the veteran knight.
    Gram shook his head, “No, really, he was only