The Spark of a Feudling by Wendy Knight Page A

though.
    â€œWhy did he follow me? Is he also a sorcerer?” Ada asked bluntly.
    Harriet laughed. “No, m’lady. He used to pretend. When we were younger…” She hesitated, and Ada had a brief flash of what Harriet remembered — they had been friends as children, just as she and Christian and Charity had been. But William had grown up and moved on, as Ada should.
    But Ada refused.
    â€œThank you,” she said, taking the basket gently and trying to give Harriet a real smile. She could be Charity, in Ada’s village.
    Harriet blinked, seemingly confused by Ada’s kindness.
    â€œI need to be on my way. I have to get to my healer. Thank you for the meal.” Ada tried her best not to sound as exhausted as she felt.
    â€œAre you sure you won’t stay? We can summon the doctor. He’s very good.”
    Ada just shook her head, too tired to argue. Then she turned Horse away, loosening the reins and letting the big black animal pick his own pace.
    He leaped into a gallop and ran like the hounds were after him.
    ****
    Christian could finally see as the sun set on the second day. There had been no word on Ada, although her father had finally gone looking for her and had sent several of his finest guards as well. The pain in his head had abated, but his heart seemed not to have recovered, no matter how often his mother tried to heal him. He had a suspicion that it would not heal until Ada returned.
    If she returned.
    When the bell started to sound, echoing across the near-empty courtyard of the estate, Christian pushed himself to his feet, following his mother as she picked up her skirts and raced from the house. He recognized the peal of the bells — it was a warning. They were under attack.
    Under attack without the duke or Ada to protect them.
    He paused in the doorway to grab his boots, wrenching them on. From where he stood, he couldn’t see anyone — even his mother had disappeared. Behind him, Charity made a noise. He looked toward her while fighting to keep his balance. Her silver eyes were glowing. “She’s coming, Christian. You just have to fight them off until she gets here.”
    Ada is coming home .
    He nodded, straightening. “Stay here. Hide in the crawl space until I get back,” he called over his shoulder. He didn’t hear her reply as he let the door swing shut behind him.
    He heard the screams before he even found the battle, and he ran, nearly tripping as he rounded the corner.
    The courtyard was in chaos. The front gates were hanging on their hinges and the trees were on fire. She’s coming, Christian. You just have to fight them off until she gets here.
    He’d only had one lesson in Edren spells. His mother could fight, but she couldn’t do it alone. “Hurry, Ada.”
    Running down the drive, he passed Vivian, whose spells were so weak they almost didn’t make it to their target — an angry man with a large ax. So these were mercenaries. Assassins. But not sorcerers. Christian nodded to himself. He could handle that. He didn’t pause as he ran, but burned the lirik Ada had taught him, thrilled as it caught, and shoved it at the man attacking Vivian. His blue flames looked odd in such a vicious spell, but it hit the man in the side faster than Vivian’s spell that she’d pushed several seconds before. The man screamed as the magic ate through him, and then he was nothing but a leftover shell of a body and ash in the air.
    Christian felt strange. He looked for his mother. His power felt different — not the calm, healing flames he usually had, but a hunger. A handful of the duke’s guards-in-training flanked her, fighting off the main force of the mercenaries, but none of them were doing any more than getting in her way. Scarlett faced at least twenty men, and Christian could hear the sound of pounding hooves — lots of them. More were on their way. A fiery arrow, fueled by regular