but straight-backed old man met Roen with a wrinkled smile.
“Uther, thank the fae,” Roen breathed out, smiling.
“Wherefore are you knocking here so late, hrm?” The way he spoke sounded as though he already knew the answer. He squinted past Roen at Memory and Eloryn.
Roen grinned and leant across the threshold, whispering to the old man. He tilted his head back, indicating the two girls. “Please, Uther, my man. You’ve not denied me before.”
Uther winked and stepped clear of the doorway. He turned his head, pretending not to witness Roen and his ladies entering in the night.
Roen patted his friend on the back when he passed. He took both girls by the hand and led them at a brisk pace through the laundry room. The old man saw to re-barring the heavy door, chuckling behind them.
Roen pulled them around a few corners in a maze of narrow halls then stopped. He turned toward Memory so forcefully she backed up against a wall.
“What was that, back there?”
“I don’t know, I don’t,” Memory stammered, unable to look at them.
Eloryn’s voice came as a plea. “But it was you. I felt the power come from you. You brought a dragon, unwilling, through the Veil. That magic was… It shouldn’t be possible.”
“It wasn’t me. I couldn’t.” Memory turned her face toward the wall, gripping her aching head in her hands. Her world, her small, short, confusing world fell apart with every step she took. She felt nauseous, the fire inside melting her away. She slumped and Roen grabbed her waist, supporting her.
“Is she going to be all right? Could she be damaged from what she did, by the magic?” Roen’s voice blurred in her ears. Angry or concerned, Memory couldn’t tell.
A silence, then Eloryn’s voice came out trembling. “I don’t know. This is... contrary to everything I... Even if she had the right words, what she did would be dangerous magic. She summoned a dragon. ”
Memory flinched, bringing her hands up in front of her face as though the words struck her physically.
Roen spoke again, this time more softly. “We’ll work it out later. We need to get her to a room. Let her calm down. Make sure she’s all right.”
Someone had Memory’s hand again, gently pulling her forward, off the wall and down the corridor. She didn’t know who. She stumbled after them, blinded by tears. Damaged? Nothing feels right in me already, and I might have just messed myself up even more. The words, the desire, the flame that rushed through her like a blazing tornado... it was her. She’d brought the dragon. Magic, impossible magic. Who am I? Moving forward made everything blur into streaks. She pulled her hand free, to stand still and ease her pounding head, only to have her legs crumble away. Roen caught her just before she hit the hard, stone floor.
Roen carried Memory through the servant corridors and up into the more ornate halls of the castle. Still unconscious, she shivered in his arms. He wondered at how fragile and light she felt. It’s surprising she made it this far.
Beside him, Eloryn trotted to keep up with his longer stride. He took them through the not-so-secret passageways to avoid servants and guards going about their night time duties. Designed for fast escape in case of a siege, they were used more often for romantic meetings and the staff gave them a wide berth at night. Roen had hoped to get inside without anyone seeing Eloryn, but if he could keep it to just Uther, that would have to do. Uther could barely see anyway.
Roen tried the sapphire suite, across the hall from his normal guest room. Marian had just finished redecorating and his guess it would be vacant paid off. Finding the door unlocked, he went inside and laid Memory onto a bed.
Eloryn hovered next to him. “What she did, I...”
Roen shook his head. “We have to go and tell Lanval what happened, now, in case we can’t stay.”
“Should we be waking him?”
“With this sort of news he needs to know
“Uther, thank the fae,” Roen breathed out, smiling.
“Wherefore are you knocking here so late, hrm?” The way he spoke sounded as though he already knew the answer. He squinted past Roen at Memory and Eloryn.
Roen grinned and leant across the threshold, whispering to the old man. He tilted his head back, indicating the two girls. “Please, Uther, my man. You’ve not denied me before.”
Uther winked and stepped clear of the doorway. He turned his head, pretending not to witness Roen and his ladies entering in the night.
Roen patted his friend on the back when he passed. He took both girls by the hand and led them at a brisk pace through the laundry room. The old man saw to re-barring the heavy door, chuckling behind them.
Roen pulled them around a few corners in a maze of narrow halls then stopped. He turned toward Memory so forcefully she backed up against a wall.
“What was that, back there?”
“I don’t know, I don’t,” Memory stammered, unable to look at them.
Eloryn’s voice came as a plea. “But it was you. I felt the power come from you. You brought a dragon, unwilling, through the Veil. That magic was… It shouldn’t be possible.”
“It wasn’t me. I couldn’t.” Memory turned her face toward the wall, gripping her aching head in her hands. Her world, her small, short, confusing world fell apart with every step she took. She felt nauseous, the fire inside melting her away. She slumped and Roen grabbed her waist, supporting her.
“Is she going to be all right? Could she be damaged from what she did, by the magic?” Roen’s voice blurred in her ears. Angry or concerned, Memory couldn’t tell.
A silence, then Eloryn’s voice came out trembling. “I don’t know. This is... contrary to everything I... Even if she had the right words, what she did would be dangerous magic. She summoned a dragon. ”
Memory flinched, bringing her hands up in front of her face as though the words struck her physically.
Roen spoke again, this time more softly. “We’ll work it out later. We need to get her to a room. Let her calm down. Make sure she’s all right.”
Someone had Memory’s hand again, gently pulling her forward, off the wall and down the corridor. She didn’t know who. She stumbled after them, blinded by tears. Damaged? Nothing feels right in me already, and I might have just messed myself up even more. The words, the desire, the flame that rushed through her like a blazing tornado... it was her. She’d brought the dragon. Magic, impossible magic. Who am I? Moving forward made everything blur into streaks. She pulled her hand free, to stand still and ease her pounding head, only to have her legs crumble away. Roen caught her just before she hit the hard, stone floor.
Roen carried Memory through the servant corridors and up into the more ornate halls of the castle. Still unconscious, she shivered in his arms. He wondered at how fragile and light she felt. It’s surprising she made it this far.
Beside him, Eloryn trotted to keep up with his longer stride. He took them through the not-so-secret passageways to avoid servants and guards going about their night time duties. Designed for fast escape in case of a siege, they were used more often for romantic meetings and the staff gave them a wide berth at night. Roen had hoped to get inside without anyone seeing Eloryn, but if he could keep it to just Uther, that would have to do. Uther could barely see anyway.
Roen tried the sapphire suite, across the hall from his normal guest room. Marian had just finished redecorating and his guess it would be vacant paid off. Finding the door unlocked, he went inside and laid Memory onto a bed.
Eloryn hovered next to him. “What she did, I...”
Roen shook his head. “We have to go and tell Lanval what happened, now, in case we can’t stay.”
“Should we be waking him?”
“With this sort of news he needs to know
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