The White Road - Lynn Flewelling [136]
Seregil was examining the books Ulan had set out, quickly paging through each one and setting it aside. There was no sound but the soft ruffle of the paper. Apparently not satisfied with what he found, he began searching the bookshelves, taking down only the larger books. This brought him closer and closer to the alcove, and Ilar began to feel lightheaded. All the old yearning came over him in full force and before he knew what he was doing, he parted the curtains and stepped out, revealing himself when Seregil was hardly more than arm's length away. Seregil quickly backed away, shoving the lightstone under his shirt and drawing a knife in its place. Ilar knew he should raise the alarm, even at the risk of his life, but they both stood frozen, staring at each other in the faint light from outside. Then, before he gathered anything like coherent thought, Ilar sank to his knees, shaking with excitement and guilt, unable to make a sound.
Seregil stared down at him, face lost in shadow now, though the knife blade still caught the light from the window. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.
"I--" Ilar struggled to find his voice. "I am under the khirnari's protection now. This--" he gestured weakly around the library. "It's a trap. For you. And Alec."
Seregil looked around quickly again, but Ilar reached out a hand to him. "No, not unless I call out. And I won't, I swear! Ulan has the books about the rhekaros and he needs--"
"I know what he needs. Wait, did you say 'books'? You mean there's more than one?"
"Yes. Three. And he was certain you would come looking for them, once he knew that you'd come back to Riga."
"He--? Never mind. Where are they?"
"Take me with you!"
"You said Ulan has offered you his protection."
"Please!" Ilar didn't even know what he was pleading for, except that he wanted to be near this man, to somehow ...
"If only you'd forgive me!" he whispered, voice quavering as the tears came.
Seregil's manner softened a little. "Tell me where the books are, Ilar, and I'll consider it. You already helped us once, and I haven't forgotten that. But I need those books. They're not here, are they?"
"I'll tell you, but only if you take me with you!"
"How am I supposed to do that? You could no more get out the way I got in than fly!"
"I know a way," Ilar told him, desperate.
"Another tunnel?"
"No, a postern door with only one guard."
"And that's where the trap really springs, is it?"
"No! I swear by Aura," Ilar exclaimed, forgetting himself.
Seregil clapped a hand over Ilar's mouth, then dragged him bodily back into the dark alcove, leaving just enough space between the curtains to see the door. An instant later Ulan's man Tariel burst noisily in with sword drawn.
Seregil still had an arm around him, and put his lips so close to Ilar's ear that it sent a shiver through him. "Get rid of him!" The arm fell away and a hand pressed firmly between Ilar's shoulder blades.
Quaking with fear, Ilar emerged from the alcove, careful not to leave any gap in the curtains.
"What are you doing in here?" Tariel asked in surprise.
"I--I was just--" He took a shaky breath. "I fell asleep while I was reading. I must have cried out in a dream."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Reading with no lamp?"
"I was sleepy, so I lay down in the alcove ... It must have gone out."
Tariel shook his head. "You should go back to your room before you take a chill."
"I'm not tired, and I want to read some more," Ilar told him, gathering a little courage now that his ruse had worked.
"Suit yourself, then," the man said, sheathing his sword. "But see you don't rouse the house with your dreams."
As soon as he was gone, Seregil pulled him back into the alcove