Free The Stormcaller: Book One Of The Twilight Reign by Tom Lloyd Page B

lips as the first feathers flashed around his chest and down his spine.
    Then the air burst into life. Even with his eyes closed, Isak could feel the shadows dancing past, running questing fingers over his face and head. Tila moved closer to him, hiding in the lee of his large frame as the wind played through her hair and tugged at her clothes. The air grew dense, pressing the two of them together as the wind rushed and raged.
    With his eyes closed, Isak could feel their swift movement down until, with a jolt, they arrived at the bottom and the wind melted away to nothing. When Tila dared to look up, there was only the gloom of the lower chamber and the now-still chalk markings on the wall.
    Isak turned to look at her - suddenly aware of the closeness of her body from when she’d instinctively leaned towards him - but as he did so Tila took a smart step away and busied herself tidying her hair. Bobbing low in a curtsey she backed towards the door. ‘Thank you, my Lord.’
    ‘Will you come to see me again?’ As the words left his mouth Isak cursed himself for sounding stupid. There was something about her he found comforting - even when her pretty face was clenched in a mask of fear, it felt more welcoming than the blank looks that had greeted him in the dining hall.
    ‘Of course, my Lord. I am your personal maid,’ she said. ‘Your chambers and meals will be my responsibility.’ At last she met his eyes, and this time she looked at him as if he were human, not just some damn white-eye, which pleased him.
    ‘Oh. Well, good,’ he said, finding his voice again. ‘But that’s not what I meant. I meant to talk. I don’t know anyone here, or what in Nartis’s name I should be doing. Put me in the middle of a forest and I can survive, but this place is beyond me. I was never taught much in the way of history, or etiquette.’
    ‘Of course, my Lord,’ Tila repeated, this time with sympathy on her face. ‘I shall await you here tomorrow morning to fetch you to your breakfast. Lord Bahl would probably prefer you to eat in the Great Hall, with the Ghosts, but if you need me before, just send someone to find me, Tila Introl, as I’m sure my Lord remembers.’
    ‘Yes, of course, Tila Introl, daughter of the Gatekeeper. I, of course, am Isak - just Isak. My family name is Fershin, but like Lord Bahl I was never considered worthy of it.’
    Tila opened her mouth, no doubt to apologise, as most people instinctively did at hearing that, before closing it again - much to Isak’s relief. The last thing he wanted was her pity.
    ‘But if what Lord Bahl told me is really true, I suppose my name is Suzerain Anvee now - but let’s stick with Isak, shall we?’ He smiled at the notion and saw relief on her face as she curtsied and scurried away back to her bed.
    As soon as the door shut behind her, whatever he could sense under his feet forced itself into his thoughts and drove all else away. His gaze drifted down to the circle he was standing on. The urge to let his eyelids drift shut grew overpowering as the winged symbol appeared in his mind. As he reached for it, Isak felt a presence beside him. Alarmed, he opened his eyes, but saw nothing until he looked up and realisation dawned at last. He closed his eyes and felt himself in the still tower with the wind rushing all about, but this time he was not alone: there was another with him, one who drew the wind to himself.
    Don’t you think you’vegone far enough tonight? Bahl’s voice in his head felt strangely natural, and Isak smiled and nodded, as if the Lord could see him. Maybe he could. There was an edge to the voice which urged caution: down was obviously as large a step as Bahl had said it was. Whatever was calling him from down there wasn’t alone.
    Isak’s curiosity was piqued, but he could tell there was no hurry. There was a taste of envy in the tower now - whatever was waiting for Isak would not accept Lord Bahl, and the man knew it.
    Sleep now. Tomorrow will