Free The Dragon Bard (Dragon of the Island) by Mary Gillgannon Page A

hastened. For that matter, if she discovered a real spell of protection, the security of the rath wouldn’t have to depend upon stout stone walls.
    Almost as if he knew her thoughts, Bridei said, “I’m confused, lady. If you’ve worked a spell to repel your enemies, why bother with stone fortifications?”
    Dessia focused her gaze straight ahead. She couldn’t let him guess the truth. If he were a spy, he would alert her enemies to her vulnerability. And if he were a sorcerer, he would never agree to share his knowledge if he realized she had nothing to offer in exchange.
    “I’m building the wall as a deterrent for invaders from the sea,” she answered, “men who might not have heard of my reputation.”
    “But if there’s a spell in place, wouldn’t it repel them as well as your other enemies? Why bother with all this work?”
    She struggled to come up with a response that would satisfy him. Finally, she said, “Spells can be broken. If my enemies should find some way through my magical defenses, I want to have something else in place to keep them from overrunning Cahermara.”
    “What could break a spell?” Bridei asked. “Perhaps another spell, one evoked by a magician whose powers are even greater than yours?”
    There seemed to be a threat behind his words, the implication he doubted the strength of her magic. Her muscles grew taut. She should never have agreed to this exchange of knowledge. Sooner or later he would realize she was bluffing. When he did, what would he do?
    Bridei suppressed a smile, feeling quite pleased with himself. Now that he had the advantage, he meant to press it. “I’m eager to discuss these things further,” he said. “To share information about magic. But clearly, we can’t do it in the hall. We must meet somewhere private.”
    She turned again to look at him, her expression glowering. Grudgingly, she nodded. “I’ll meet with you in the tower, which serves as my work area. But first, I would like to refresh myself.”
    “Of course.” He smiled at her. She was inviting him into the place where she slept. Once there, things would fall naturally into place. He cared little about spells and sorcery. What he wished to discover was what her supple, womanly body would feel like beneath his and whether she was as fiery and passionate as her vivid coloring suggested. He’d never had a woman like this one. A queen. A warrior-woman. A sorceress. The very thought fired his blood with such intensity that he had to remind himself the chase was part of the fun.
    Patience. Let it unfold as it will. Like a long and complex tale that lasts well into the night.

Chapter 6
     
    When they reached the rath, Bridei went to the cistern to wash, then made his way to the hall and the stairway leading up to the queen’s tower. He climbed the stairs, his muscles taut with anticipation. Near the top, he paused and inhaled the scent wafting down from the chamber above. The sharp, slightly astringent odor reminded him a little of his mother’s workroom when she was mixing dyes for her weaving and embroidery. “Dessia?” he called out softly.
    “Aye. You may come up,” she answered.
    He took the last few stairs and entered the chamber at the top. Dessia stood with her back to him, gazing out one of the small, narrow windows. He quickly surveyed the furnishings of the chamber: A bed draped with curtains and piled with furs and blankets. A large work table cluttered with manuscripts, jars, bowls, half-burned candles and bundles of herbs. Storage chests and baskets on the floor.
    When she didn’t speak or turn around, Bridei went to the table. He picked up a nearby manuscript and scrutinized the document. It was written in Greek rather than Latin and was obviously very old, the parchment yellowed and stiff. She must have paid dearly for such an ancient piece. He unrolled the manuscript and started to translate. “By the light of the new moon, take the caul of a newborn babe and the bones of a