him as hard as I could. âItâs a Shield thing.â Hereâs to hoping he didnât really know anything about Shields. It sounded like he didnât. âI need sleep. Please go.â
He was offended. Too bad. Whatever had happened, it was nothing he could do anything about. He was willing enough to leave, though. I got the feeling he didnât care for the neighborhood. He lingered a little too long, hoping to be paid and offended all over again when he realized that wasnât going to happen. Then he left, finally.
I really didnât like healers.
âTold you there was no point,â a womanâthe same one as earlierâsaid to Aiden. âRight quack, he was.â
âSomething was wrong with her,â Aiden said sullenly.
âNothing a healer can fix.â I sat up slowly. Iâd been stretched out on the bed, and though I didnât really want to be going anywhere, I thought Iâd better find out what had happened.
âSo what was it?â Aiden asked.
âStrange channeling.â
âIt has to be more than that. You were screaming.â
âAye,â the woman said dryly. âI heard you from one street over.â
So thatâs what happened to my throat. Lovely. I must have looked like a lunatic. I had to find Karish and ask him what heâd done. Maybe Iâd smack him around a bit, too. I rose to my feet, and my head didnât swim too much.
âWhere are you going?â Aiden said sharply.
âHome.â And if he wasnât there, to the taverns until I found him.
âSit back down! Youâre not going anywhere.â
Oh, lord, I was in no condition to be patient. âSorry to scare you, Aiden. I will come back soon.â
He struggled up to his feet. âLie down, Dunleavy,â he tried to order me.
I looked at the woman, who was watching Aiden with amusement. âDunleavy Mallorough.â I offered my hand.
She shook it. âClair Donner.â
âThank you.â
âNo worries. Take care.â
âI mean it, Dunleavy.â
I looked back at him. âAiden,â I said, and that was all I said. It was enough, for he was silent as I left. It appeared he was a smart lad. I liked that in a man.
The streets looked normal. No sign of imminent disaster hastily averted. That, I supposed, was only how it should be, but I felt that a few of the buildings should have fallen down, or that there should be a wild eye or two. Well, a wild eye caused by something other than a stimulant.
Maybe it hadnât been a near disaster at all. Maybe it had been something totally unrelated to what Karish and I were supposed to be doing. Some other secret talent Karish hadnât bothered to tell me about.
I didnât find Karish at the residence. I didnât find anyone else there, either. I did find Karish in a tavern, surrounded by people. The atmosphere was subdued, though. Karish and about four others sat around a table, talking quietly. Only Karish wasnât talking, but staring off into space. He looked a little pale, his eyes a little wild, and his hair was particularly disordered. He saw me as soon as I entered and rose from the table, rushing over to me.
He hugged me, and I was so shocked by it I could neither fend him off nor hug him back. âAre you all right?â he asked when he pulled back, his voice a rusty mess. He put a hand to the side of my face, careful of the temple. He knew where the pain had been. âI went to the residence but you werenât there.â
I suddenly felt wonderful. Warm and relaxed, and my throat didnât hurt at all. âWhat happened?â I asked in a whisper, for the regulars were watching us.
He shrugged, standing back a pace. âIt wasnât normal,â he said in a low voice. âI didnât know what disaster it was going to be.â
He was saving his words, but heâd said enough to alarm me, for of course Sources always
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