Read Online Wizard Pair (Book 3) by James Eggebeen - Free Book Online
Authors: James Eggebeen
Tags: Fantasy
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merchant's wife ran around in a panic, shouting at the staff and demanding attention for Rotiaqua. "Your Grace, please excuse my lazy servants. We don't get much royalty here."
"Please don't trouble yourself on my account. I am simply here to witness the healing of your daughter." Rotiaqua smiled over at Sulrad. She secretly hoped he would fail at his task. The more she saw of him, the more she disliked the man. She certainly didn't want him getting in the Baron's good graces.
"Please bring the girl here." Sulrad motioned to the small divan near the interior courtyard.
The wife snapped her fingers at the nearest servant. "My daughter!"
"Yes, Ma'am." The servant bowed his head and backed out of the room. He returned shortly leading the girl by the hand and seated her on the divan, as requested.
Sulrad stood before her. He held his hand up in front of her face. "Can you see my hand?"
"Yes, I can."
"How many fingers am I holding out?"
"Two ... three ... I don't know." The girl huffed and turned her head to look at her father. Rotiaqua saw the milkiness of her eyes and knew the girl was nearly blind.
Sulrad passed his staff before the girl's face, repeating unfamiliar words. Rotiaqua sensed the power rise up in him. Sulrad had a slight violet glow around him. Magic flowed from the Priest and wrapped around the girl. Rotiaqua felt the magic drain out of Sulrad as he healed the girl.
Finally, Sulrad stopped his chanting and sat back. He looked drained and thinner; it must have been exhausting for him, the way he channeled power to the girl as he worked.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked the girl again.
Her face broke out in a smile. "I see three."
The girl turned to her father. "Father. I can see again."
She sprung from the couch and ran to her father. "I can see again."
The merchant removed the gold chain from around his neck and made a big show of extending it to Sulrad. It was heavy and inlaid with precious stones. He held it out to place it around Sulrad's neck.
"No, I do not need any adornment beyond these simple robes." Sulrad took the necklace and placed it in his pocket. Rotiaqua noticed that while he might not wear it, he certainly had no qualms about accepting it.
Rotiaqua refused further hospitality from the family, who wanted to take the opportunity of a royal visitor to improve their standing in the neighborhood. Rotiaqua was slightly embarrassed that she had rushed out without proper dress.
She returned to the castle and her bath, dressing properly before seeking out the Baron. She found him in his study, sitting beside a fire with a chalice full of wine and a book.
"Well?" he said as she entered the room.
She took a seat next to him and motioned the servant for a glass of wine. "He healed the girl. He also took a very expensive necklace as payment ... Well, not as payment, more of a gratuity, but he took it nonetheless."
"Must look silly with those black robes he's determined to wear."
"He didn't wear it; he just took it and pocketed it."
"Hmmm ... we may have to start a tax on this religion. Sounds like he's profiting nicely by it already."
"I don't like it," Rotiaqua said. She took the proffered wine and drank heavily. It had been a long day and she was eager to get some rest.
"I don't much care for it myself, but if he can keep the King's men at bay, I'm inclined to put up with him. If he can convince some of these rich merchants to hand over a little more of their precious coin, I can learn to like him."
"I thought you were strictly against magic in any form."
"We all have to make compromises. Don't I keep telling you that?"
That evening Oadry turned down the bed and lit a fire for Rotiaqua, who sat at the desk and placed a large candle in the holder. Rotiaqua reached out with her mind and lit the flame. She stared into it searching for the boy she'd seen before. Her senses reached out to the hovel where he lived.
There was only a pile of ashes and a heap of
"Please don't trouble yourself on my account. I am simply here to witness the healing of your daughter." Rotiaqua smiled over at Sulrad. She secretly hoped he would fail at his task. The more she saw of him, the more she disliked the man. She certainly didn't want him getting in the Baron's good graces.
"Please bring the girl here." Sulrad motioned to the small divan near the interior courtyard.
The wife snapped her fingers at the nearest servant. "My daughter!"
"Yes, Ma'am." The servant bowed his head and backed out of the room. He returned shortly leading the girl by the hand and seated her on the divan, as requested.
Sulrad stood before her. He held his hand up in front of her face. "Can you see my hand?"
"Yes, I can."
"How many fingers am I holding out?"
"Two ... three ... I don't know." The girl huffed and turned her head to look at her father. Rotiaqua saw the milkiness of her eyes and knew the girl was nearly blind.
Sulrad passed his staff before the girl's face, repeating unfamiliar words. Rotiaqua sensed the power rise up in him. Sulrad had a slight violet glow around him. Magic flowed from the Priest and wrapped around the girl. Rotiaqua felt the magic drain out of Sulrad as he healed the girl.
Finally, Sulrad stopped his chanting and sat back. He looked drained and thinner; it must have been exhausting for him, the way he channeled power to the girl as he worked.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked the girl again.
Her face broke out in a smile. "I see three."
The girl turned to her father. "Father. I can see again."
She sprung from the couch and ran to her father. "I can see again."
The merchant removed the gold chain from around his neck and made a big show of extending it to Sulrad. It was heavy and inlaid with precious stones. He held it out to place it around Sulrad's neck.
"No, I do not need any adornment beyond these simple robes." Sulrad took the necklace and placed it in his pocket. Rotiaqua noticed that while he might not wear it, he certainly had no qualms about accepting it.
Rotiaqua refused further hospitality from the family, who wanted to take the opportunity of a royal visitor to improve their standing in the neighborhood. Rotiaqua was slightly embarrassed that she had rushed out without proper dress.
She returned to the castle and her bath, dressing properly before seeking out the Baron. She found him in his study, sitting beside a fire with a chalice full of wine and a book.
"Well?" he said as she entered the room.
She took a seat next to him and motioned the servant for a glass of wine. "He healed the girl. He also took a very expensive necklace as payment ... Well, not as payment, more of a gratuity, but he took it nonetheless."
"Must look silly with those black robes he's determined to wear."
"He didn't wear it; he just took it and pocketed it."
"Hmmm ... we may have to start a tax on this religion. Sounds like he's profiting nicely by it already."
"I don't like it," Rotiaqua said. She took the proffered wine and drank heavily. It had been a long day and she was eager to get some rest.
"I don't much care for it myself, but if he can keep the King's men at bay, I'm inclined to put up with him. If he can convince some of these rich merchants to hand over a little more of their precious coin, I can learn to like him."
"I thought you were strictly against magic in any form."
"We all have to make compromises. Don't I keep telling you that?"
That evening Oadry turned down the bed and lit a fire for Rotiaqua, who sat at the desk and placed a large candle in the holder. Rotiaqua reached out with her mind and lit the flame. She stared into it searching for the boy she'd seen before. Her senses reached out to the hovel where he lived.
There was only a pile of ashes and a heap of
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