“I was worried I wouldn’t catch you. I just heard that you were leaving.”
Afraid his deep gray eyes would see too much, she glanced away and busily continued packing.
“Yes.”
“Where are you going?”
She studied the bay’s mane without really seeing it. “I couldn’t stay here. There’s no place for me here anymore.”
“You’ll go to the Sylvan?”
She shook her head. “Even if my grandfather were still alive, I’m not sure I would fit in; without him I probably wouldn’t even be welcome. I’m thinking of heading west, perhaps taking up your trade—selling my services as a sorceress.”
“Rusty, Tim, and I have been talking and …”
The stable door banged open, interrupting Rowen. Fletcher slipped through the doorway. Rusty followed him. They were both laden with heavy armloads of baggage. They smiled at Leah before heading down the row of stalls to the new horses that Richard had given them as gifts.
“Where are you off to?” she asked with surprise. “Back to Bluefield so soon?”
“Bluefield? No.” Rowen looked puzzled. Then he smiled. “Oh. I guess you haven’t heard. We’re leaving too, for good. Lord S’Carlton has withdrawn his offer of an alliance. He says your sister is hopelessly insane.”
“What? But Bishop Merion thinks she’ll be all right eventually.”
“Richard S’Carlton knows that. He’s just using it as an excuse. I don’t think he ever intended to give me Bluefield. If Barbara weren’t ill, he would have found another reason to break off the alliance—he doesn’t want to give up that much valuable land now that he’s got it. He paid us off in gold instead. Perhaps it’s just as well.” Rowen shrugged. “I was never completely comfortable with the idea of settling down in one place or sure I wanted the responsibility of running my own kingdom. And I never liked having to settle for a marriage of convenience.”
Leah took a deep breath, raised her head, and met Rowen’s eyes. “Then you didn’t love Barbara?”
“No. I don’t love Barbara.”
Fletcher stepped out of the stall and walked toward them. “Have you asked her yet?” said the ex-priest.
“Asked me?”
Rowen nodded. “We want to make you an offer that we’ve been discussing. We were wondering if you’d be willing to ride along with us for a while. We can use another sorcerer in the group.”
Stunned, Leah could only murmur, “I don’t know.” Fletcher grinned. “How about it? We work well together.”
Rusty came out of the stall leading one of the horses. He nodded agreement.
“I …” Leah looked back and forth unbelievingly at the three men. Their acceptance and sincerity were genuine.
The impassive mask she’d worn so long to conceal her feelings began to crack. She smiled hesitantly, then beamed and nodded, unable to speak.
Rusty’s too-wise eyes seemed to twinkle at her. “You and Michael are going to make one hell of a team.”
Rowen stepped forward, took her hand, and squeezed it gently. Then he lifted it to his lips and kissed it.
As Leah met his eyes she realized that all along they’d held a place for her that would be more of a true home than anything she’d ever had or ever dreamed of having.
The Spellstone of Shaltus Page 18