Betrayal by Fiona McIntosh Read Free Book Online

hand to Tor.
    ‘It’s all right. They feel safe…um…comforting even.’
    He shrugged to give an appearance of casual acceptance which he certainly was not feeling. Here they were: the very stones he had dreamed of the night before and later conjured in a vision for Merkhud. He was definitely making the right decision in going with the old man.
    His father looked uncomfortable at the sight of the magical stones blazing their colours, and held out the small skin pouch. ‘Put them away, Tor, and keep them hidden. It wouldn’t be a good idea for you to show those to anyone, not even Merkhud.’
    Tor tipped the stones back into the pouch and nodded. ‘No, you’re right, though how do you think I could find out what they are for?’
    It was his father’s turn to shrug. ‘My advice is to leave them. If they have a purpose, I’m sure it will make itself known to you. Promise me you’ll keep it as our secret; show no one. The golden-haired woman…’ Jhon Gynt stopped awkwardly then cleared his throat. ‘She said they were magical andwere never to be shown to anyone but you. We were to impress upon you that they were to be kept secret.’
    He covered Tor’s hand which held the pouch of stones with his own. ‘I don’t understand any of it, son. Not your strange skills nor these, but I fear it is perhaps leading to something none of us can know or understand.’
    He smiled at Ailsa. ‘Well, come on, mother, no more sadness. Our boy’s off to the Palace. We should be proud not miserable. Let’s all away to bed, and tomorrow no work—we’ll go to Rymond for the day and sort out Torkyn’s horse, get him those boots and perhaps a new shirt for his journey. Who knows, we may find that yellow silk you’ve been lusting for, woman.’
    Ailsa did at least smile. Tor’s spirits lifted as well. He knew they were going to be fine, and he could not help but feel excited for his future. However, there was one more hurdle to leap and that was to convince Alyssa Qyn to come with him.
    As he could not reach her on the link, he would go to her village the day after tomorrow and tell her everything.

4
Alyssa Qyn Disappears
    Alyssa walked into the cottage and called to her father to see if he was home. Not that he would have noticed or cared anyway. These days he spent increasingly more time in a drunken stupor talking to his ghosts. She could forgive him the women. He had loved her mother, of that she had no doubt. Rather than fall prey to the number of well-meaning ladies who had called upon him in the early days, he had found his solace with the women who required no love from him, only his money.
    The tears came easily now. What could possibly have upset Tor so badly that he had yelled at her and forgotten all about catching the posy? She had been sure he was going to find the courage and ask her the question she longed to hear.
    Everything had been perfect until the old wretch with the wild grey hair had ruined it. Who was he?Worst of all, now she could not open a link to Tor, though she had tried many times. Her efforts to cast hit a mysterious blankness. Why was he punishing her?
    Alyssa washed her face in an effort to pull herself together, knowing her gruff father could stagger in at any moment.
    When Lam Qyn did return he was, as usual, very drunk. His daughter, ever wary of his moods, fell into a well-practised routine of cheery talk as she pulled off his boots and helped him to the table. A steaming bowl of soup was quietly placed in front of him. Then, as he sat staring into his dish, she kept up her quiet flow of meaningless conversation, hoping it would lull him into eating and finally sleep.
    She might have been successful if she had not begun humming to herself when she was clearing his plate away. His temper stoked lightning fast and his movements were surprisingly swift for a drunk man. Alyssa did not even see it coming. His large hand hit the side of her face with such force that the dish she held shattered