Closer to the Heart by Mercedes Lackey Read Free Book Online

between clenched teeth. “An’—”
    The judge held up his hand. “It is clear that you have a great deal you want to tell the Court about this story. Herald Mags, are you inclined to let her speak her piece?”
    â€œSo long’s she does it under Truth Spell, jist like Pellen, yer Honor,” said Mags agreeably. The judge nodded and gestured to the young woman to take her place in the witness box.
    As she turned to face him and the rest of the courtroom, Mags finally got a good look at her.
    The first thing that anyone would notice was her dark brown hair. There was . . . quite a lot of it, unbelievably wild and curly, and down to her waist. It appeared she had tried to confine it with a scarf and a threadbare ribbon or two, but it was not to be tamed. Like most people in this neighborhood, in weather this cold she had on many layers of clothing, whichmuffled her up somewhat. She had probably put on every stitch she owned. Nevertheless, her figure was anything but bulky under the layers of skirts and shawls. Her face was narrow and her features angular, and right now her green eyes were ablaze with fury. So were her surface thoughts. Mags figured he had better get things in motion immediately; she looked ready to burst with the need to speak, and Mags rushed through the Truth Spell, setting it to glow in a blue aura all around her.
    â€œAll right, young woman,” the judge said, calmly. “Let’s hear what you have to say about this case.”
    â€œTuck may not be right i’ th’ head, but he been my frien’ all m’life, an he niver hurt a soul!” she burst out. “It ain’t in ’im! But that Cobber, ever since ’e moved t’ Cabbage Row, all ’e done was torment Tuck! All th’ live-long day, ’tis one mean trick arter another! An’ Tuck niver said nor done a thin’ ’bout it, niver raised so much as a finner t’defend hisself!!”
    The blue glow remained strong and steady with every word she spoke. The surface thoughts Mags skimmed from her matched her words, under a wash of fiery anger. Mags was actually quite impressed with her self-control; most people who were as angry as Linden was would be sitting on Pellen’s chest with a knife to his throat by now.
    And Cobber Pellen was beginning to look very uneasy. Clearly matters were
not
going as he had planned, and he had finally figured that out. Evidently he was not terribly bright.
    She stuck out an accusing thumb at Pellen. “That Cobber, ’e wanted Tuck’s liddle shed what he got from his Ma, an’ ’e wanted Tuck gone. ’E’s been plaguing the life outa ’im; not jist yellin’ an name-callin’, but dirty tricks an’
’urtin’
’im! Bin goin’ on since afore Midwinter, it ’as! An’ Tuck, ’e just took it. ’Til Cobber come arter me, t’day.”
    She peeled up her shawls and sleeves, and showed black and blue marks all over her arm. “’E figgered on makin’ mewhoore fer ’im,” she spat. “’E ambuscaded me an’ grabbed me an’ I fought ’im an’ ’ollered, an’ thet’s when Tuck come a-runnin’. Tuck mighta put up with bein’ bullied, but he ain’t
never
let anyone bully ’is friends.”
    The girl was
ablaze
with anger now, and it was a good thing she had no Gifts, or Cobber Pellen would surely have been dead by now. She’d have killed him with the force of her mind alone. The rest of the people in the courtroom were absolutely riveted by the performance—the story itself was ordinary enough in this part of Haven, but Linden . . . Linden was utterly astonishing.
    â€œAn’ even
then,
Tuck bare touched ’im! Tuck jist pulls Cobber offa me, ’olds ’im up by th’ arm, an’ gives ’im a shake till ’is teeth rattle, and throws ’im inter th’