The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [100]
‘Did you find out anything more?’
‘Very little. Makee’s suspicious of me and singleminded. All her intent is focused on this meeting, I know that much.’
‘Won’t An’ Lawrence protect her, being her blood?’
‘Yes, but he would have only just discovered that bit of truth and, if I know Rosette, she won’t make things easy for him.’
‘She never did with John’ra.’
‘So I heard.’ Nell sighed. ‘The Sword Master brought her here in the first place—hardly a protective act. His allegiance, it seems, is to Makee—always has been.’
‘I’ve got to get to her.’ Jarrod started forward. ‘Will I double you?’
‘The climb’s too steep, even for Wren. Ride up and I’ll meet you there.’ She gestured to the sky.
‘Of course.’ He moved off, heading up the trail.
‘One note of caution, Jarrod.’
He looked back, pulling Wren to a halt.
‘If the messengers are on the summit when you arrive, don’t let them see you. Don’t let them smell you. It’ll mean your death if they do.’
‘Just like that?’
‘They kill first and ask questions later.’
‘I’m fairly resilient.’
‘You think you’ve got the time to conjure up a whole new Tulpa-body?’
He rubbed his chin. ‘I’ll be careful.’
GAELA
CHAPTER 13
By midday, she heard the howls. At first Rosette thought it was the wind telling of some deep crevice ahead. She always listened to the wind. It had saved her life on more than a few occasions and it might be doing so again today. She frowned, listening harder, straining to catch the nuances embedded in the whirl of sound. Holding her breath, she realised it was not the wind that spoke. It was something else, and it was getting closer.
The horses’ heads tossed, eyes rolling, showing the whites. The beasts tried to look behind and to either side of the ridge all at once, taking small, prancing steps, tails held high. An’ Lawrence dismounted and Rosette did the same, holding the reins firm as her horse alternately pawed the snow and minced back and forth.
Something’s ahead. It climbs from the other side. I don’t recognise the scent. The warning cut sharply into her thoughts, alarming her even more than the horses’ behaviour. Drayco was apprehensive. She had seldom sensed that in him, not since the day they had met.
Human?
Not quite, more canine, or wolf.
Rosette went to An’ Lawrence and yanked on his long coat until he turned around.
‘Drayco says something is up ahead, on the other side of the summit.’ She leaned into him, pressing her face next to his. ‘He says it’s not quite human. Care to explain?’ She pulled her face back from his ice-encrusted hood.
‘We’re expecting a messenger, remember?’
Rosette pursed her cracked lips. ‘It’s not difficult to recall the things you tell me, Sword Master, considering how few and far between they are.’ She glared at him, fishing out Nell’s tin of ointment. Fumbling with the lid and still holding her reins, she managed to dab some on her lips.
‘So this messenger isn’t human?’ she asked, the small gesture of shoving the ointment back into her pocket without offering him any giving her a sense of satisfaction.
‘That’s correct,’ he said.
‘And I’m guessing it’s the thing making the howling noises, terrifying the horses?’
‘It is.’
‘So, it’s like, what…a wolf?’
‘A wolf, but not a wolf.’ He raised his voice over the wind. ‘Several by the sound of it.’
‘How many?’
‘We’ll find out soon enough.’
‘We can trust them?’
‘They’re terribly dangerous, and not to be trusted. They are more dangerous at night, of course, but the important thing is to keep your mind-shield up. Don’t ever let them hear your thoughts, especially fearful ones. They will use them against you.’
‘These pointers might have been more useful if discussed earlier, Sword Master.’
‘When would that have been? While struggling in the blizzard perhaps, or in the training ring, making sure you could defend yourself?’
‘There were times in between.’ She crossed her arms. ‘You could have been a lot more forthcoming.’
‘I didn’t know for certain what today would bring—who she would send. Just remember, whatever you do, don’t let your mind-shield slip…’ He looked