Sentinel: A Light Mage Wars Novella (The Light Mage Wars) Read Free Page A

little encouragement, even spring to his defense.
    Unless he really was a traitor and she knew it. Getting her to talk then would be tougher. But Rick would persevere. Talent didn't entitle her to shelter a murderer.
    Too bad his palm tingled faintly with the memory of her touch. Had he imagined that hint of color in her cheeks when she'd shaken hands with him?
    He 'd come to get a story, not lose his head over a beautiful woman. But if she was attracted to him, that improved his odds of finding a chink in her armor.
    Wandering the gallery, he listened to the buzz of admiring voices under the music. But there was Burton McCree, the main critic for Macon Arts Weekly , and he was scowling. Not good. Really not good.
    Ho w could he not like images beautifully woven in silk and wool that gleamed with vibrant energy?
    Rick paused by one called Firebird , based on the classical Stravinsky. But the dark landscape, the storm clouds, and the nimbus of light around a launching bird in scarlet, gold, and tiny hints of green–how did a blind woman, even a mageborn one, know you could sometimes see green in a fire?–those were all hers. And they took his breath away.
    The bird had an exuberance, a joy, that even the dark background couldn't stifle. That same energy ran through all these hangings. The woman was brilliant.
    She might 've gotten this showing through connections, but the pieces on display deserved it. Stan had been far too dismissive. Fancy place mats, my ass.
    Rick glanced at her again. Surely there was no harm in admiring the way that vivid blue dress clung to her slim body. Her tall, willowy form showed just the right curves, subtle and feminine but not overblown. No wonder his eyes kept straying in her direction.
    A middle-aged couple stopped to speak to her. Layton leaned in, then bulled into the conversation. Rick frowned. What the hell was such a gifted woman doing with such a jackass?
    More important, how could Rick peel her away from Layton and convince her to work with him?

 
    Chapter Two
     
    "Caro, darling," her mom said, the approaching sound of her voice warm, "guess who I found wandering the foyer!"
    Familiar magic surrounded the newcomer. Caro's smile broadened, genuinely this time. She set her champagne on the table behind her, next to her eight-inch, tubular laser cane. "Will! I didn't think you could make it."
    " Wouldn't have missed it."
    Beard scruff brushed her cheek as her brother of the heart gave her a quick hug. Caro had known Will Davis all her life, so of course she'd touched his face. As a result, she could picture the boyish cast it assumed when he grinned and the streaky, blond-and-brown hair that perpetually hung just past his jaw.
    But she knew his eyes were pale blue only because her mom had shown her the exact color with paint. Being able to sense color through touch gave her a clearer picture of the world than she would've had otherwise, but it had its limits.
    Pitching his voice for her ears only, he said softly, "Hey there, Shrimp."
    The quick embrace let her sense, as he must 've intended, that the fine fabric under her hands was dark blue with lapels–a suit jacket–with a white shirt and a bright blue, paisley tie under it.
    Caro grinned. "Nice suit. Too bad you accessorized with that feeble excuse for a beard." Will saw regular shaving as a waste of time that could be better spent on video games.
    " Hey, you got me all dressed up. Don't complain."
    " Good point." Geek. She added his boyhood nickname with affectionate warmth in her heart but kept it to herself.
    Although Will took as much pride in his knowledge of obscure facts and his nerdy interests as he did in his two doctoral degrees and his black belt, Jerald and others in earshot might not understand if Caro teased him with that label.
    " Will, this is Jerald Layton. Jerald, Will Davis."
    " Good to meet you," Jerald said.
    The faint swish of fabric and the soft pat of palms meeting told Caro the two men shook hands. Thank