Arrow’s Flight by Mercedes Lackey Read Free Book Online Page A

half-dark of the staircase into the light of the hall. “I get a scrawny ex-thief with an appetite like a horse for my internee, and look what you get! It’s just not fair.” He looked down at her from his lofty six-and-a-half feet, and said mournfully to her, “I suppose now that you’ve gotten a good look at my partner’s justifiably famous face, the rest of us don’t stand a chance with you.”
    “I wouldn’t go making any bets if I were you,” she replied with a hint of an edge to her voice, “I have seen him before, you know, and you don’t see me falling at his feet worshiping now, do you? My father and brothers were just as handsome. No insult meant to you, Kris, but I’ve had ample cause to mistrust handsome men. I’d rather you were cross-eyed, or had warts, or something. I’d feel a great deal more comfortable around you if you were a little less than perfect.”
    Dirk howled with laughter at the nonplussed expression on his friend’s face. “That’s a new one for you, my old and rare! Rejected by a woman! How’s it feel to be in my shoes?”
    “Odd,” Kris replied with good humor, “distinctly odd. I must say though, I’m rather relieved. I was afraid Elcarth’s mind was going, assigning me a female internee. I’ve only seen you once or twice, remember, and we weren’t exchanging much personal information at the time! I thought you might be like Nessa. Around her I start to feel like a hunted stag!” He suddenly looked sheepish. “I have the feeling I may have put my foot in it; I hope you don’t mind my being frank.”
    “Not at all. It’s my besetting sin, too.”
    “Well, you seem unexpectedly sensible. I think we’ll do all right together.”
    “Provided that I haven’t taken a dislike to you,” Talia was just a little nettled at his easy assumption that she would fall swift prey to his admittedly charming manner. “Haven’t you ever been told not to count your eggs till the hens lay them?”
    From the look on Kris’ face, that possibility hadn’t occurred to him, and he was rather at a loss to deal with it. Dirk didn’t help matters by becoming hysterical.
    “She’s got you there, old boy!” he choked. “Stars be praised, I’ve lived to see the day when it’s you that gets put in his place, and not me!
    “On, Bright Havens, don’t worry about it,” Talia said, taking pity on him. “We’re both Heralds, for pity’s sake! We’ll manage to get along. It’s just for a year and a half. After all, it’s not as if somebody were forcing me to marry you!”
    Kris’ expression was indescribable when Talia spoke of being ‘forced” to marry him as if it were something distasteful.
    “I m fairly sure you didn’t insult me, but that certainly didn’t sound like a compliment!” he complained forlornly. “I’m beginning to think I prefer Nessa’s attitude after all!”
    By now they’d had to stop in the middle of the hall, as Dirk was doubled over and tears were streaming down his face. Both of them had to pound on his back in order to help him catch his breath again.
    “Holy—Astera—” he gasped. “This is something I never expected to see. Or hear! Whew!” He somehow managed to look both contrite and satisfied at the same time. “Forgive me, partner. It’s just that seeing you as the rejected one for a change—you should have seen your own face!—you looked like you’d swallowed a live toad!”
    “Which means that nothing worse can happen to him for the rest of the week. Now look, none of this is getting us to the ceremony,” Talia pointed out, “and we’re already running late.”
    “She’s right again,” Dirk said, taking her arm.
    “What do you mean, ‘again?” Kris asked suspiciously, as they hurried to the Great Hall.
    Fortunately, their arrival at the door of the Great Hall prevented his having to answer that question.
    Dirk had been having a little trouble sorting out some very odd feelings from the moment that Talia had answered