Free Shadow Magic by Karen Whiddon

my word that I--"
                  "You forgot to mention the Maccus."  The wizened one reminded him.  "If they find her, she will die also at their hands."
                  Clenching his teeth, Egann took a deep breath.  "Where is she?"
                  "Walk with me," the Wise One said.  When he used this tone of command, few dared to disobey.
                  Egann dared.  Shaking his head, he met the other man's gaze.  "Nay, not now.  I must find Deirdre."
                  "She is safe." 
                  Instantly, the fear left him.  If Fiallan said it was so, then Egann knew it for truth.  The mage could not, like all of Rune, tell a direct lie.  He relaxed slightly and when Fiallan began to walk, fell into step beside him. 
                  Dead leaves rustled underfoot as they went.  Above, in the towering treetops, birds sang and squirrels ran.  All the forest watched them from a distance, knowing in the way of all beasts that these were not humans and thus, would not harm them.
                  Finally, Egann could stand the silence no longer.  "What know you of all this?  No more games."
                  Fiallan's response was a slight nod.  "Do you ask about the woman?"
                  "Yes." Egann sighed.  "I ask about all of it - the Shadow Dancer, these Maccus, the missing amulet.  I think you know well the answer to my question - what tie is it that binds these things together?"
                  Fiallan did not answer - instead he slanted a narrow look at Egann and continued to walk sedately into the dappled forest.
                  Knowing from past experience that the ancient one wished him to reach his own conclusion, Egann smiled, though it felt a bit grim even to him. 
                  Seeing this smile, Fiallan answered with one of his own.  "Tis not what the logical chain of thought would seem to suggest, my friend."
                  "As usual, you speak an answer that is not truly an answer."
                  "Oh?"  Fiallan raised one brow, pausing to rest his wizened hand on the knotty bark of one particularly stately elm.  "You do not believe it is possible that the link can simply be you ?"
                  "Nay."  The answer came readily.  "I know this for a certain truth.  I knew nothing of the woman - of the Shadow Dancer - or the Maccus before I went in search of the amulet."
                  "What of your dreams?"
                  This Egann refused to acknowledge.  He wouldn't have put it past Fiallan, who had tried to make Egann participate in the sacred ritual that all of Rune invoked when searching for a mate, to have cast the spell that made him dream of the lovely Deirdre in the first place. 
                  Knowing Fiallan well, he knew once he got started, the Wise Man of Rune would not waver from his goal. If he wished to keep certain things hidden from Egann, then hidden they would remain, no matter how Egann poked and prodded. This talk then, full of esoteric references, riddles, and half-truths, could last for hours without Egann learning one useful thing.
                  Time to cut to the heart of the matter.  "I wish to see for myself that Deirdre is safe." 
                  "I thought you wanted the amulet."
                  Impatient, Egann growled low in his throat.  "That too.  But I must find the Shadow Dancer first."
                  Fiallan stopped so abruptly that Egann nearly continued on without him.
                  "Care you so much for this woman?"
                  Jaw set, Egann shook his head.  "Tis not that.  I have given her my word that I will protect her. I must not - will not fail at this."
                  Since they both knew well the