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“Well, you don’t believe in magic. You actually kill those who wield it. You rarely leave your kingdom, which is understandable given the location. The few traders who bother to make the trip don’t have much positive to say.”
He snorted. “Because they don’t want others infringing on their profit.”
She waved a hand. “I’m beginning to see we need to update our book describing Srayth.”
“You should perhaps also look into reading one on manners. Or are you always this abrasive?” Kormac had enough of her insults.
“Excuse me for being annoyed you didn’t warn your gate guards I’d be arriving.”
“You were supposed to be here days ago, according to the note I received from your queen.” Not to mention he couldn’t exactly tell his guards to allow entry to any woman claiming to be a witch.
“Unavoidable delays. I’m here now.”
“Can you fix Lomar?” he asked rather than argue some more.
“I assume that is the man afflicted.”
“Yes. He’s in the dungeon. If you’ll follow me…” He took a single step only to halt as she shook her head.
“Slow down. I know you’re anxious, however, I’m tired, dirty, and hungry, meaning I will require a chamber, a tub with water, cold is fine, and food. Lots of it. I expended quite a bit of my strength coming here.”
He bit his tongue rather than laugh at her imperious demands. “The servants are abed.”
“And? Are you not capable of showing me to a room?”
“I am, but your sudden appearance, since you bypassed the gate, will cause questions. How am I supposed to explain your presence?”
She blinked at him before slowly saying, “Perhaps you should have thought of that before you requested assistance.”
“I did. However, my planning hinged on your queen sending someone older.”
“Not sure why my age is an issue.”
“Because you were supposed to be Lomar’s aunt coming to visit her nephew.” It would have been the perfect cover seeing as how he’d allowed only limited people to have access to his friend.
“Why lie?”
Definitely dense. “I can’t exactly tell my people I requested the services of a witch.”
She snorted. “Ah yes, because your backwards country doesn’t believe in magic.”
“It doesn’t exist,” he insisted, choosing to ignore how she’d lit up his room with a flick of her hand.
“If you don’t believe then why the demand for help from a witch?”
“We tried everything else. A witch was my last resort, and I am regretting that choice. Lomar needs more than parlor tricks to cure him.”
“You think I’m a fake?” Her head cocked “What will it take to convince you?”
Before he could reply, he found himself floating high enough he could have touched the vaulted ceiling of his chamber.
“Do you believe in magic now?” she asked with a half smirk.
“Put me down.”
His feet hit the floor abruptly, but he managed not to fall. He also managed to hold together his demeanor while struggling with the knowledge that his whole life he’d been very wrong about magic. “Very well, you have some kind of power.”
“So begrudging,” she mocked. “Are all your people going to be as hard to convince?”
