A Time of Darkness (The Circle of Talia) Read Free Page A

short while.
    He chuckled, “Indeed I am. Your aunt’s not here?”
    “No.” She looked down at her boots.
    “Is she all right? Do you know where she is?”
    “No, sir, I don’t. The last I saw of her was when Sinjenasta took me away.”
    Arcon sat up and leaned towards her.
    Agmunsten stilled Arcon’s question with a shake of his head and a hand on his arm. “That’s enough for now, Arcon. You and I have things to discuss. I need to tell you what’s been going on. The apprentices should be receiving some lessons, I think. And I know just the person, or dragon, to do it.” He turned to Bronwyn and Blayke. “Okay, come with me.”
    “Um, Agmunsten?”
    “Yes, Blayke.”
    “Can we have dinner first? I'm starving.”
    “Mmm, me too.” It was the first time Bronwyn had felt hungry since entering Vellonia.
    Arcon laughed until a coughing spasm overtook his mirth. “See what I have to put up with?”
    “Hmm, that reminds me,” said Agmunsten, “I should introduce Bronwyn to Arie. You can all have dinner and lessons together. Get some rest, Arcon, and I’ll be back soon to finish our chat.” He sent a mind message to Arie to meet him in the smaller dining hall.
    As they walked, Bronwyn asked Blayke, “Have we met before? You seem kind of familiar.” Bronwyn smiled. “That’s right! You’re Arcon’s apprentice. Zim ate you at the meeting.”
    Blayke looked at her, his cheeks red. “Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh. At least I didn’t murder someone.”
    It was Bronwyn’s turn to blush. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m always talking before I think. Auntie says it will get me into trouble one day.”
    Blayke smiled. “It’s okay. I’m sorry too. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up here and, well, you know? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want.”
    “It’s okay.” Bronwyn shivered as she remembered Symbothial’s screams. “I was on the way here with my aunt, Avruellen, and Sinjenasta took me away. We came here and bonded; then he had to kill the dragon. I said I didn’t want to do it, so he tried by himself. The dragon was drowning him, and I couldn’t let him die, so I jumped in and killed the dragon.”
    “Wow, you make it sound so simple. Don’t you feel guilty?”
    Bronwyn stopped walking and looked at Blayke. “Of course I feel guilty. What do you want me to say? That I’ve hardly slept since, that I can’t get the image of blood or screaming out of my head, that I wish the dragons would just kill me?” Bronwyn almost screamed the last; pressed by her sides, her hands formed hard fists at the end of stiff arms. She wanted to be back in the cell, alone with her misery and self-pity.
    Blayke and Agmunsten stopped. Blayke stared at her with his mouth open, and Fang peeked out of his pocket. Agmunsten walked back to Bronwyn and placed his hands on her upper arms, his voice low and soothing. “Bronwyn, look at me. I know you feel guilty—and so you should—but you can’t let it smother your spirit. Killing is part of the realmist’s job, probably the worst part. I don’t know why, but what you did was something that had to be done in order for Talia to survive. Don’t blame Sinjenasta either; he does what he’s told. You have my permission to wallow for another day, but then I want you to stop obsessing and focus on what we need to do. You need to build your strength as a realmist. The Circle needs you and Blayke to be ready when we face the gormons. If you’re not, we will all die. Self-pity will weaken you.”
    “I don’t know if I can.” She searched his eyes for strength she could borrow. She wished Avruellen was there. The occasional dragon that walked past ignored the humans, preferring not to get involved with their trifling problems.
    “You’re not the only one who’s had to kill, I’m sorry to say. How many people do you think I’ve killed—or your aunt? Do you think she’s guilt-free? Look at Blayke. What do you think he’s endured