King’s Wrath Read Free Page A

gifted in the way we suspected you could be … and I now know you are. We were right to take the precaution.’
    ‘Gifted?’ She felt goosebumps rise on her flesh. ‘What are you talking about?’
    ‘The talent that was beginning to show itself through your work as a healer will actually have been severely suppressed in the world I took you to. Here, it will presumably manifest itself far more dramatically. At least that’s what I’ve been led to believe.’
    ‘You’re losing me, Reg.’
    ‘Call me Corbel … please.’ She really did feel lost, and she assumed it showed because his expression softened. ‘Let me tell you everything I know and then you can make up your mind.’
    ‘About whether to stay, you mean?’
    He shook his head. ‘There is no way back, Evie,’ he said gently. ‘Hear me out, hear it all and then decide whether you still trust me.’
    Her mind was reeling but she didn’t feel as though she had much of a choice. Carefully, she returned to her position against the tree and nodded. ‘All right, Corbel de Vis, tell me everything you know.’

2
     
    Kilt Faris chewed on a piece of meat. Jewd had insisted that he eat. It had been several hours since he’d faced his nemesis and though his men had left him alone he knew that patience wouldn’t last. The sickness had passed but he could still taste its acid remnants at the back of his throat. How would he ever explain his behaviour to his people … to Jewd?
    From the corner of his eye he saw Jewd and Leo nod between themselves and approach, sitting on either side of him. He knew they wanted answers.
    ‘Where is he?’ Jewd asked Leo, breaking the tense silence.
    ‘I’ve asked Gavriel to get him away. He and the woman have taken Loethar higher, heading east. I’ll meet up with Gavriel shortly … when we understand more.’
    Jewd nodded and they both turned to Kilt.
    ‘Are you going to explain it?’ Leo asked.
    ‘I didn’t know, if that’s what you’re asking,’ Kilt growled.
    ‘Didn’t know you were an aegis, or didn’t know who your Valisar was?’ Leo said firmly.
    Kilt ground his teeth, flung the piece of meat down. ‘What was the point in admitting anything all these anni? It hasn’t been relevant, wasn’t relevant until now.’
    ‘Leo’s just finished telling me what an aegis is. What I want to know is, did you know you were one?’ Jewd demanded. His voicewas quiet but his tone told Kilt that he did not want anything but a truthful response.
    ‘Yes,’ he said through gritted teeth, avoiding Jewd’s eyes.
    ‘For how long?’ Jewd pressed. Kilt could hear the pain in his voice.
    Kilt sighed. ‘Does it matter?’
    ‘To me it does, because you’ve been lying.’
    Now he did look at Jewd and saw the anguish in his friend’s face, recalled promising the man just the day previous that he had no further secrets. ‘Jewd, please listen to me. I didn’t know that Loethar was even Valisar. How could I? None of us did. I learned about the powers of the ageis at the Academy. I sensed my powers were more than just a trifling magic around the time of my mother’s death, but essentially they felt like tricks for most of my life.’
    ‘I don’t believe persuading people to spill their private knowledge is a circus trick, Kilt,’ Jewd interrupted, his voice hard. ‘What you’ve admitted to being able to do is hardly trifling. It fills me with both awe and dread. And anger — because you chose to keep it from me.’
    ‘I told you, I have not used those powers until just days ago when I went in search of Lily.’
    ‘Well, at least you admit that she means that much to you!’ Leo cut in archly. ‘We will find her and we will get her back, Kilt, I promise you that. But right now we have to understand what we’re up against here. We are not your enemy, so stop treating us as if we are. Jewd and I need to share as much as possible with you or we can’t protect you.’
    Kilt laughed sadly. ‘Protect me? You have no idea