As soon as we were seated, Councilor Suyrien smiled, pleasantly, almost warmly. “Master Rhennthyl, a pleasure to see you here . . . and you, too, Mistress Seliora. I must say that you two made a powerful and impressive entrance . . . and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of you both, as I know Kandryl—he may be Ryel now, but to us, he’ll always be Kandryl—and Iryela will be.”
Fahyl’s voice silenced the murmurs. “Iryela D’Ryel and Ryel D’Alte.”
Everyone watched, but there was not a single sound as the couple moved sedately toward the table. After they were seated, Iryela turned, looked directly at Seliora, and smiled, an expression just slightly tentative, yet warm.
I smiled politely at Kandryl, and he nodded politely in return.
Seliora reached out under the table and squeezed my hand, and that warmth reaffirmed what lay ahead for us.
When I had first crossed the Bridge of Hopes, I had thought that my life could not have gotten much more complicated. How little I had known, and how much I still had to learn. Life was far more complex than a game of plaques, yet in life, as in plaques, there were those who played and who were played. I had learned something from it all, though, that in the game of life, you had to know when you were the player and when you were the plaque, because each role demanded a different response, and anyone who thought he or she would always be the player was a fool.
Imager’s ChallengeCover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Characters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Epilogue
Imager's Challenge Page 56