Free Oberon's Dreams by Aaron Pogue Page A

Oberon. After a moment Corin snapped his mouth shut. They didn’t know. After a moment more, he looked away. “Oberon’s…gone. Forgotten. Just a legend.”
    Jeff turned to the money changer. “Emily—”
    “Aemilia!” she snapped. “My name here is Aemilia.”
    “This is not the time for that. Do you understand what he’s saying?”
    “No!” She threw herself to her feet to confront the leech. “I don’t understand a word of it, and neither do you. You’re pretending. You’re guessing. And you’re about to do something rash based on no understanding of the strange magic in this place. That’s why we have the strictures.”
    “Em—”
    “No. No. No. We are not supposed to talk of these things at all.”
    Jeff rolled his eyes. “Only in front of the sons and daughters.”
    “Well, what is he?” she asked, stabbing a finger at Corin.
    “I don’t know what he is! This is unprecedented.”
    “And why don’t you take that as a warning?”
    Before they could argue more—before Aemilia could chase Jeff away—Corin chimed in. “I’m a Godlander. That is all. Born and raised in Aepoli. I’m nothing strange.”
    Both the druids stared at him for a moment. Aemilia threw her hands up in disgust.
    Jeff smiled. “There is no such place. What is a Godlander?”
    Aemilia hissed at him. “You need to shut up. Now.”
    Corin tried his best smile on her. “Are you so determined to keep me here on your couch?”
    She blushed. “I never suggested—”
    “And I would never impose on your hospitality,” Corin said, climbing awkwardly to his feet. Aemilia was no use to him, but Jeff seemed more than ready to talk. Corin held out a hand. “This gentleman said something about his office?”
    “No. You’re not going with him.”
    Jeff stiffened. “He’s my patient, Emily.”
    “He’s dangerous, and you know it. He’s out-of-bounds for both of us. We must send him to the palace.”
    Jeff rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on! You heard what he said. If Ephitel gets his hands on this guy…”
    Corin did not like the sound of that. “Please, my lady. I am lost and afraid and most grievously injured. Entrust me to your companion’s care. I’ll see no harm comes of it.”
    She shook her head, firm, and Corin flashed a look of abject defeat. He let his shoulders stoop and turned away. Over his shoulder, he said, “I understand. I’ll go. Thank you for your aid.”
    Aemilia only grunted. Corin took a tender step toward the door, showing his limp. Then on his second step, as his weight settled on the damaged ankle, he collapsed, clutching theatrically at the strange boot. “Stormy seas! That hurts!”
    “You see?” Jeff whined. “He needs my care.”
    She only rolled her eyes and dragged Corin back to his feet. “You can play a role almost as well as one of us, but I can see what you’re after, and you won’t get it from Jeff. He’ll pretend because he’s nosy , but once he’s shot you full of penicillin, he’s exhausted his usefulness.”
    Jeff tried to object, but she rounded on him. “What do you know about time travel? What do you know about geography and politics?”
    Corin shook his head. “If he knows anything at all, it’s more than I.”
    “No,” she said. “I will not allow it. I’ll give you both to Ephitel myself before I’ll let you have that conversation.”
    Jeff bristled. “You wouldn’t.” He did not sound sure.
    Aemilia did. “This is not a game, Jeff! If we break the strictures, we’ll only make this world into…into the one we left behind.”
    Jeff held her eyes for a long time without answering. Then he looked away, ashamed.
    Corin was not ready to surrender. “Your dedication does you great honor,” he said. “Send the leech away and hear my story yourself—”
    “Ha. No. I will not defy Oberon’s law just to satisfy my curiosity.”
    “But if you show such care, perhaps we can find something safe to discuss, and you can help me find a way—”
    She shook her