Free The Seer by Kirsten Jones Page A

her
duties.
    ‘Of course,’
she murmured politely to the chieftain with absolutely no idea of what he’d
been asking her.
    He nodded and
smiled gratefully, moving away.  She immediately nudged the twins. 
Drawing their attention to her hands, she quickly signalled left and gave the
signal for fire.  She could hear in their thoughts that they both
instantly knew to make Mycroft, stood on their right, wish to drink water.
 Their gazes locked and Mycroft’s voice boomed across the room again,
calling for water.  The twins smiled and returned their attention to the
Councillor before them. 
    ‘Of course
Mage Fawcette480
    .’ 
Phantasm murmured quietly.  ‘We would be honoured.’   
    After that
brief interlude the endless flow of petitions, empty platitudes and obsequious
requests continued.  Mistral could hear the twins’ sense of triumph
fading, reflecting her own growing boredom. 
    If I hear
another request to make their wives leave them I’m going to scream!
    Mistral hid a
smile at Phantom’s anguished thought.  She didn’t even bother to listen to
the requests made of her, but had merely nodded and smiled politely, focussing
instead on the thoughts of her Mage.
    ‘Ah!  At
last!  Arcanes, Mages, Ri … friends!  It is time for the banquet!’
    Mycroft’s
enthusiastic announcement of the start of the banquet was met with a deep sigh
of relief from Mistral and the twins.
    ‘Oh my
life!’  Phantom muttered.  ‘I think my ears are actually
bleeding!  I’ve never heard such pathetic drivel in all my life!’
    ‘Brother!’ 
Phantasm warned sharply. 
    Mistral smiled
and fell in step between them to walk across to take their seats at the
table.  As they passed the long mullioned windows overlooking the Western
Range she paused.  Night had fallen.  Cold light from the stars
illuminated the snow-filled Valley in a soft glow.  A thin stream of smoke
spiralled up from the dying embers of the Divinus’ funeral pyre.  Mistral
watched the slender curl slowly evaporate; the Divinus, leaving the Valley for
the last time.  She started slightly at the cool touch of Phantasm’s hand,
drawing her attention back to the banquet.  Giving one last glance out of
the window, Mistral turned away to begin her night’s work.
    The first year
apprentices had been given the roles of waiters for the evening, they flitted
up and down the long table, pouring wine and serving the food.  Released
from scrutiny Mistral relaxed slightly and reached out for the goblet of wine in
front of her, taking a deep swallow she nearly gagged.
    ‘What?’ 
Phantasm hissed.
    ‘It’s off!’
    Phantom took a
long drink from his own goblet, ‘No it’s not,’ he frowned at her.  ‘Maybe
Sight has changed your tastes.’
    ‘Oh great,’
she muttered and reached instead for the tumbler of water.  ‘I have to
listen to all the rubbish in their minds and not even have a drink to numb the
tedium!’
    Talking of
tedious, look at the expression on Bryden’s face!
    Phantasm’s
thought prompted Mistral to look over at Bryden Wolfsnare.  His regal
features were set in an expression of undisguised boredom while a flushed
Mycroft talked enthusiastically at the air just above Bryden’s head.  His
unfocused gaze swivelled left and right, finally managing to spot one of the apprentices
he broke off from boring Bryden to demand more wine only to be brought a glass
of water, courtesy of the twins’ subtle intervention.  Mistral smiled and
took a long drink of water herself while she focussed on his aura, preparing to
read him as per her instructions from Leo.  Mycroft’s aura erupted above
his head in a sunburst of yellow and silver.  Mistral barely had time to
register the significance of the colours before his thoughts poured into her
mind in a deluge of excitement.  Mycroft was having a fantastic
time.  He was drunk, about to enjoy an enormous meal in front of warm fire
and had a captive audience keen to listen to him …