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

nightingale—”
    “What are you doing?” Crossing the room in three brisk strides, she tore the parchment from his hand.
    He smiled at her. “I thought you were going to share your lore with me.”
    She let out a gasp, her green eyes shimmering with emotion. “First, you must prove to me that you possess knowledge of magic yourself.”
    He shrugged and let his gaze stray to her heaving bosom. She’d bathed and refreshed herself since he’d left her. He could smell the fragrance of the herbs used in her bath. They merged with the natural odors of her skin to create an intoxicating brew. As Bridei inhaled the heady aroma, he decided he’d never desired a woman as much as this one.
    The plain russet gown she wore hung loosely on her body, unadorned with belt or brooch. Her hair had been combed out and arranged with bronze pins that held it away from her face. The drab gown emphasized the feminine contours beneath, while the simplicity of her hair refined the elegant perfection of her features. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
    She stepped back and spoke sharply: “I’m waiting. Prove to me that you aren’t wasting my time, that you truly know magic.”
    With effort, Bridei focused on her words. “What do you want me to do? What sort of test of my abilities did you have in mind?”
    She took another step back and crossed her arms. “You said you could call down a storm.”
    He shook his head. “I can’t call upon the gods to perform a trick simply to please you. The powerful forces that are the source of my magic aren’t to be used for trivial things.”
    “But you must show me something. How else can I believe your claim?”
    “Perhaps you’ll have to take it on faith . . . just as I must accept that you have power. It could be that you’re lying. Perhaps all of this . . .” He gestured to the jumble of objects on the table. “. . . is an elaborate deception to make your enemies believe you’re a sorceress.”
    “Of course my powers are real!” Her eyes went wild, and her whole body seemed to thrum with tension.
    Why should she be so defensive? Bridei thought. Unless his accusation struck too close to the truth? “Prove it,” he said. “Prove you know magic.”
    Her nostrils flared. “You, first.”
    Bridei smiled at her challenge, then glanced around the room, wondering what he should try. He was bluffing as much as she was. Fortunately, he was used to pretending to be something other than what he was. Every time he told a story, he took on the attributes of the people he described: The noble, valiant warrior going into battle. The maid weeping for her lost love. The king who has lost his kingdom. He could transform himself into any one of them. This was no different. He was trying to prove to Dessia that he was sorcerer. What he needed to do was think like one. His gaze fell upon a bronze bowl on the table and he pointed to it. “Do you seek out the future in that?”
    “Aye. Sometimes.”
    Looking at her, he could tell she was lying. He approached the bowl, observing the oily surface. It would be easy to pretend to see something. But what? He stared down into the glistening orb of oil, waiting for inspiration. Something glowed in the depths of the bowl. It must be a reflection of something, perhaps the light from the window. The glow intensified until he could see clearly that it was flames. Bright, intense flames. They danced wildly around a timber wall. There was a figure by the wall. A girl. She had long red hair. Her face was streaked with dirt. She turned to look behind her, her eyes wild with fear.
    Bridei swallowed. He could feel the girl’s terror. It filled his body. She wanted to scream, but if she did, they would find her. She moved closer to the wall and saw something near the ground. A cat. Tawny colored, like the flames. She began to follow the cat as it moved stealthily along the wall. All at once, the cat disappeared.
    Bridei could feel the girl’s