Free Wolfsbane Winter by Jane Fletcher Page A

questions fifteen times, Alana would spontaneously acquire more information to give them, whereas the only clear thought in her head was that she had three days to think of a way out of it.
    At last she was allowed to go. With the door of her room finally closed, Alana rested her back against it and closed her eyes. Her relief turned out to be short-lived.
    “Can you read minds?”
    “Oh please, Reyna, not you too.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    Alana felt Reyna’s hand on her arm and the calming balm of her presence.
    “I’m not a mind-mage.”
    But even as Alana said it, doubts assailed her. She realized that she truly did feel Reyna’s presence, a sensation every bit as precise as touch. Was that normal? Surely everyone drew strength and comfort from having their lover nearby. She was aware that Reyna was teetering between hope and bewilderment, but was any magical ability needed to know this?
    Alana’s eyes were closed, so she could not see Reyna’s expression, but why should she have to? The two of them had been together for two years. How long did it take before you could predict what your lover was thinking?
    In fact, could she even be sure they were Reyna’s emotions that she was aware of? Maybe she was projecting her own feelings and assuming Reyna felt the same. She was certainly bewildered enough on her own account. She did not need to be bewildered for Reyna as well.
    Alana opened her eyes and lurched away from the door. She slumped down on the bed. Reyna sat beside her and hesitantly took hold of her hand.
    “I don’t mean to upset you.”
    Despite her irritation, Alana could not help smiling. Reyna would never mean to upset anyone. “It’s not you, darling.”
    “But if you don’t have mind-mage powers now, do you still think Orrin might be right? That you could become one?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “You don’t sound happy about it.”
    “I’m not.”
    “But don’t you see what it could mean for us?”
    “Pardon?” Alana stared at her lover in confusion.
    “If you were a mind-mage. You could become Orrin’s assistant.”
    The mere thought made Alana grimace. “I don’t want to.”
    “Why not?”
    “I don’t trust him.”
    “He’s the king’s high counselor.”
    “Yes. I know that. So?”
    “The king trusts him. He has to be all right.”
    Alana rested her forehead on her hand. How did she even begin to explain the fallacy in that line of reasoning to someone so politically innocent?
    Reyna clearly took the lack of argument as a sign to continue. “Please, Alana. I know it’s different for you. The Quintanillas have always been important. But coming from a minor house, like mine, especially since I’m not a very strong ice-mage, it’s not easy. If you could become Orrin’s deputy, then I wouldn’t have to be Cari’s nursemaid. We could spend more time together. I don’t want to be thought of as anything special, but it would be nice if people gave us more respect.”
    Alana turned her head and looked at Reyna’s apologetic smile in surprise. So her lover did have some ambition after all, albeit on a very modest scale, and accompanied by feelings of guilt for not being happy with what she had.
    Ice-mage ranked above beast-master, but not by much, and it was true that Reyna’s talent was very limited—just about adequate for stopping a three-year-old setting fire to herself. Alana was sure Reyna genuinely loved her, but was she equally sure that Reyna had not entered the relationship with one eye on the prospect of advancing her position, by allying herself with the powerful Quintanillas?
    The thought was one that surfaced from time to time. Usually, Alana dismissed it as the normal sort of self-doubt that afflicted everyone, apart from the most narcissistic of egoists, but for the first time she felt genuine uncertainty. Was she picking it up from Reyna?
    “Please, Alana. For me. For us. Promise that you’ll try.”

    *

    Thick curtains covered the windows. The ceiling,