and I want to hear it all.”
Wolfram glowered at her. “Well, I’m in a hurry. We’ll have to talk another time.” He pushed himself toward the ladder.
Her grip tightened. “Don’t go, Wolfram.”
“Don’t try to stop me, Melody, you have no idea what’s at stake.”
“I’ll scream,” she said simply.
Wolfram wet his lips, staring down the ladder.
“They’d come running, and they won’t even bother about who you are before they hack you to bits.”
“You wouldn’t,” he scoffed, inching forward.
She released his arm and settled back into the hay. “Try me.”
Very slowly, Wolfram turned toward her. All the fun had gone out of her voice and face, her pretty lips set into a firm line. Their eyes met, and he let out a long breath. “What do you want from me, Melody?”
“Stay with me, Wolfie, a little while,” she pleaded. “You have no idea how boring it is being a princess. Alyn goes off adventuring all the time, speaking the words of the Lady, glowing like starlight on earth. The only thing I have to look forward to is picking a husband from the legion of fools they keep parading by me. That fight in the garden was the most excitement I’ve had in years.”
Wolfram grunted. “It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking straight, and I blew it.”
“You were magnificent,” she breathed. “Great Lady, Wolfram, I’ve never seen anybody fight like that.” She balled her smooth hands into fists, swinging at the air. “The mason must weigh three times as much, but you put him on his back like a dead fish.” She smacked a fist into her palm. “I wish I could do that.”
“It’s not a skill I’m proud of,” Wolfram growled, but he moved away from the ladder to sit beside her. He rubbed his right hand absently with his left.
Watching the gesture, Melody reached out and took his tingling hand between hers, gently chafing the numbness out. “You should be proud.” She ducked her head over his battered hand.
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” His fingers warmed in her grasp, and he looked down at the fall of dark hair that brushed his wrist.
Their eyes met, and she smirked at him through the gloom. “You’re the brother I should have had.”
“What about Alyn?”
“He’s off for another pilgrimage, chasing another ridiculous vision. He hears voices, Wolfram, every voice except mine.” The words trailed off.
“I didn’t know,” he said.
“Will you let me call you ‘brother’?” she asked. “And you can call me ‘sister,’ if you want. After all, you haven’t got one.”
He nodded reluctantly, though that was the last thing he wanted to call her. The scent of the hay conjured memories of other stables, other girls not half as beautiful.
“So, brother, what now?” She released his hand and shook back her hair.
“I really can’t stay, Melody. It was stupid to come here in the first place.”
“Why shouldn’t you be here?”
“No, it’s too close. It’s the first place they’ll—” He broke off, not wanting to reveal too much.
“They’ll look for you?” she finished. “You must know Lyssa’s been and left.”
“I’ve heard.” Wolfram swallowed. She probably wanted his hide even more than the master mason. Bury them both.
She cocked her head to peer up at him. “Why don’t you want to be found?”
“You don’t know everything. Best keep it that way.”
“What did they do to you? Or was it something you did?” She drew close, so that he could feel her warm breath upon his skin. “Did you kill someone or something?”
Wolfram stiffened, looking away, but a new warmth crept up his neck.
“Oh, I see.” She touched his shoulder, but he flinched away. “I won’t tell anyone, Wolfie, not ever. After all, you’re my brother.”
“So you know why I can’t be found.”
Her eyes sparkled, and she whispered, “I’m running away, very soon. Come with me—think what fun it’ll be.”
“Wait a minute.” He
Wolfram glowered at her. “Well, I’m in a hurry. We’ll have to talk another time.” He pushed himself toward the ladder.
Her grip tightened. “Don’t go, Wolfram.”
“Don’t try to stop me, Melody, you have no idea what’s at stake.”
“I’ll scream,” she said simply.
Wolfram wet his lips, staring down the ladder.
“They’d come running, and they won’t even bother about who you are before they hack you to bits.”
“You wouldn’t,” he scoffed, inching forward.
She released his arm and settled back into the hay. “Try me.”
Very slowly, Wolfram turned toward her. All the fun had gone out of her voice and face, her pretty lips set into a firm line. Their eyes met, and he let out a long breath. “What do you want from me, Melody?”
“Stay with me, Wolfie, a little while,” she pleaded. “You have no idea how boring it is being a princess. Alyn goes off adventuring all the time, speaking the words of the Lady, glowing like starlight on earth. The only thing I have to look forward to is picking a husband from the legion of fools they keep parading by me. That fight in the garden was the most excitement I’ve had in years.”
Wolfram grunted. “It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking straight, and I blew it.”
“You were magnificent,” she breathed. “Great Lady, Wolfram, I’ve never seen anybody fight like that.” She balled her smooth hands into fists, swinging at the air. “The mason must weigh three times as much, but you put him on his back like a dead fish.” She smacked a fist into her palm. “I wish I could do that.”
“It’s not a skill I’m proud of,” Wolfram growled, but he moved away from the ladder to sit beside her. He rubbed his right hand absently with his left.
Watching the gesture, Melody reached out and took his tingling hand between hers, gently chafing the numbness out. “You should be proud.” She ducked her head over his battered hand.
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” His fingers warmed in her grasp, and he looked down at the fall of dark hair that brushed his wrist.
Their eyes met, and she smirked at him through the gloom. “You’re the brother I should have had.”
“What about Alyn?”
“He’s off for another pilgrimage, chasing another ridiculous vision. He hears voices, Wolfram, every voice except mine.” The words trailed off.
“I didn’t know,” he said.
“Will you let me call you ‘brother’?” she asked. “And you can call me ‘sister,’ if you want. After all, you haven’t got one.”
He nodded reluctantly, though that was the last thing he wanted to call her. The scent of the hay conjured memories of other stables, other girls not half as beautiful.
“So, brother, what now?” She released his hand and shook back her hair.
“I really can’t stay, Melody. It was stupid to come here in the first place.”
“Why shouldn’t you be here?”
“No, it’s too close. It’s the first place they’ll—” He broke off, not wanting to reveal too much.
“They’ll look for you?” she finished. “You must know Lyssa’s been and left.”
“I’ve heard.” Wolfram swallowed. She probably wanted his hide even more than the master mason. Bury them both.
She cocked her head to peer up at him. “Why don’t you want to be found?”
“You don’t know everything. Best keep it that way.”
“What did they do to you? Or was it something you did?” She drew close, so that he could feel her warm breath upon his skin. “Did you kill someone or something?”
Wolfram stiffened, looking away, but a new warmth crept up his neck.
“Oh, I see.” She touched his shoulder, but he flinched away. “I won’t tell anyone, Wolfie, not ever. After all, you’re my brother.”
“So you know why I can’t be found.”
Her eyes sparkled, and she whispered, “I’m running away, very soon. Come with me—think what fun it’ll be.”
“Wait a minute.” He
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