Read Tales from Opa: Three Tales of Tir na n'Og Page 42

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  The moon was just setting as she closed the door of the inn behind her. She silently settled the latch back into place, then glided across the common room and up the stairs, feeling oddly weightless. At the door to her room she paused, listening. All was quiet. She opened the door carefully, holding the latch against possible rattling, and slipped inside.

  A candle burned on the nightstand. Baraccus sat on the bed, partly dressed. "Where have you been?" he asked coldly.

  She stood frozen in place, momentarily at a loss. Anger came to her rescue; he was her Cavalier, not her father. "Out and about," she said, her voice equally chill.

  "With Galen."

  Her head went up. "Yes. What of it?"

  He was silent for a moment, his face expressionless. "I didn't think you such a fool," he said at last, his voice laced with scorn.

  She felt her face go hot; if she'd been close enough, she'd have slapped him. "I go where I choose, with whom I choose."

  From the other bed, Paulo spoke. "He was concerned, Ton-Kel. So was I. In case you haven't noticed, it's not safe around here."

  She snorted and crossed to her pile of blankets on the floor. "I can look out for myself. I've done it all my life. What I choose to do with my free time is my own business." She shrugged her cloak from her shoulders and sat, pulling her boots off.

  "You have no free time," Baraccus said, his voice rising. "You're here with us on a mission. You don't risk your own life, and ours, by running off and telling no one."

  She spun on the floor in a crouch, her teeth bared. "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. You don't own me. I'm the Mystic of this Triad, and I'll go where you go, and I'll leave this place with you. If I want to be with someone else in the meantime, that's my own affair."

  For a long moment, no one moved or spoke. Locking eyes with Baraccus, Ton-Kel waited for him to yield while part of her quailed at the distant chill in his expression, a chill she had hoped to see fade forever. It was as if he saw a stranger.

  Paulo broke the silence first. "Enough of this. We're all tired, and Baraccus and I, at least, have just had a bit of a fright. Let's all try and get some sleep for what's left of the night. We need to be sharp tomorrow."

  The thought that their anger stemmed from honest fear woke a fresh, unwelcome pang of guilt inside her. She lowered her eyes and turned away from Baraccus, laid down, and pulled her cloak over her. "You're right, Paulo. I'm sorry I worried you. I guess I assumed you'd know I was in no danger."

  Baraccus's voice was less sharp. "We haven't been together that long. We couldn't be sure." After a moment he asked, "Did you learn anything?"

  She almost laughed, and bit it back, swallowing the sudden tears that rose in its wake. "No. Nothing I didn't already know." She turned over on her side. "Let's get some sleep."

  She lay still. After a moment, Baraccus blew the candle out, and she heard the rustle of blankets as he and Paulo lay back down.

  She did not expect to sleep, but exhaustion dragged her down into welcome, dreamless slumber.