Free Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop

understand.
    “I do recognize some of those words,” she said.
    “Good for you,” he snapped.
    She grinned at him.
    He stared at the people gathering in the yard. They stared back at him and Surreal like dumb sheep facing a couple of wolves.
    Dumb sheep.
    Lucivar frowned. “Where is Vae?”
    “Don’t know,” Surreal replied. “She came with me as far as Dharo when I went to fetch Cassidy’s family, then continued on to Scelt instead of coming back with us.”
    Lucivar looked at Surreal. Surreal looked at him. They headed for their flock of two-legged sheep.
    “Not our problem,” Surreal said.
    “Definitely not our problem,” Lucivar agreed. Especially when he had a wife who wouldn’t appreciate dealing with morning sickness and a small boy all by herself for more than a couple of days.
    Assuming there would be morning sickness. And that would be his problem. And his fault. And a few other things, depending on whether Marian felt happy about being pregnant or bitchy about throwing up.
    So he wasn’t going to wonder what Vae was doing in Scelt.
    But he was certain that whatever the Sceltie was up to was going to be someone’s problem.

CHAPTER 7
TERREILLE
    *C assie? Cassie! Are you allowed to do that?*
    Cassidy closed her eyes and counted to ten to stop herself from throwing the weeding claw at the Sceltie.
    All she wanted was an hour to work in the garden while she answered some of Reyhana’s questions. “Yes, Vae. I’m allowed to do this. I’m fine.”
    *Gray? Is Cassie allowed to do that?*
    “Isn’t she supposed to listen to you?” Reyhana whispered.
    “She’s a Sceltie,” Cassidy grumped. “She doesn’t listen to anyone.”
    “She listens to Prince Gray,” Reyhana pointed out.

    And that particular alliance of Warlord Prince and Sceltie had been an unrelenting pain in the ass ever since Lucivar, Karla, and the rest of the Blood from Kaeleer left two days ago. The biggest difference between dog and man was that Vae never stopped yapping at her unless she was sitting or sleeping, and Gray wouldn’t speak to her. Hadn’t said one single word to her after Karla said she was well enough to leave her room in the boardinghouse. But he was always nearby, watching everything she did. Judging everything she did.
    *Gray? Should I nip?*
    “No,” Cassidy said, dropping the weeding claw and rising from the spot she and Reyhana had been weeding. “You should not nip. Gray, tell her!”
    There was a wild look in Gray’s green eyes, a look that hadn’t been there before she collapsed. This wasn’t the boy who had been damaged by torture and frozen emotionally and mentally. And it was more than the man Gray had been becoming since she’d met him. This was a sharp-tempered stranger who was pissed off with her but refused to discuss the reason for his anger.
    Well, fine.
    No, not fine.
    “Gray, I’d like a word with you,” Cassidy said, heading away from the rest of the men who were hovering in the garden, standing guard over her. When he didn’t move, she snarled, “Jared Blaed, attend!”
    That got his attention. His eyes blazed hot as he strode to where she waited, and it took everything in her not to back down in the face of what was heading toward her.
    Warlord Prince. Most of the time it was easy to forget Gray belonged to that caste of males. She never forgot what kind of man she was dealing with when she was around Theran or Talon or Ranon, but caste hadn’t been the dominant psychic scent when she was with Gray. Until now.
    “Do you think using my real name is going to intimidate me into doing what you want?” Gray snapped.
    “I’m not a child, Cassidy.”
    She glanced at the other men. They were all paying attention to this little drama, so she kept her voice low. “I made a mistake, an error in judgment. It happens. I’m sorry it upset you—”
    “An error in judgment.” His voice was hard as stone. “You almost kill yourself for no reason, and you think it’s nothing more than