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“They call it stress testing. I don’t know why they ordered it, because it’s supposed to make the child manifest to the extreme of their ability. They do it by frightening them. Robert and I refused it for the kids because it’s cruel and unethical.” By the end of this, Elise the unflappable was enunciating the words as if she were chipping them from a glacier.
“Well. Are you threatened, Elise? Frightened?” Come on, Elise, help me out here. I’d learned ways around the geas, but she had to help. Since Carl hovered next to her and was a bodyguard, I couldn’t say she didn’t have any protection.
Elise glanced at me sidelong. “If he approaches Dmitri again, yes I will be.”
The ward shimmered, fading into the air, and I strolled a step forward. Fire danced around the stranger’s—Larger’s—fingers.
“Please don’t try to kill him,” Dove said. “I don’t want to have to fight you. Until Walker says otherwise, he’s a guest.”
While I knew that she had to keep the peace at Walker’s house, it made me even angrier. Still, “What if I promise not to kill him? Just discourage him a lot?”
Dove folded her arms. “Then I’ll supervise. If it looks like you’re going too far, I’ll stop you.”
Well, she could try, anyway.
“Pfft. If you’re finished with your comedy routine, let me finish this. Indentured: stand down, woman. I’m here on Guild business.” Larger’s voice was not unpleasant in pitch, but the tone left much to be desired.
The geas on me clamped down. It pushed at me to obey him.
Elise took a step back. “Alys, I feel very threatened. Protect me.”
Smart, Elise. Two conflicting orders, one of them given to protect, the restriction lightened; when they conflicted, I always had the option to protect. “It’s a duty and pleasure today to keep this thug away from you and Dmitri. How many pieces should he be in if he tries to use magic on either of you?”
“One is fine, but it can be full of holes,” Elise replied, hugging Dmitri.
“Elise,” Larger said, teeth gritted. “It’s an order to the Indentured. You’re making this more difficult.”
“Almost like she doesn’t appreciate you terrorizing a child, asshole.” I held the knife low. Throwing it would be useless, he could use his magic to deflect it.
“Exactly, Alys. Geoff Larger, I don’t want any more testing for my son.” Elise ducked behind me, still carrying Dmitri. “Don’t let him hurt us.”
Carl stepped up to stand next to me.
“Maybe you could try to test me. See what you can teach. Or are you only good at frightening babies?” My knife was smoking faintly. I’d never had anger show like that before. Weird.
Thunder rumbled above us.
A bead of sweat trickled down his temple and then power wrapped around Larger, a protective shield. “You know as well as I do that I wouldn’t hurt him,” he snapped.
“You saw his magic. Fuck off.” I couldn’t kill him, but he didn’t need both eyes, or all his fingers.
Dmitri’s whimper behind me rippled down my spine.
Larger didn’t need to walk; there were wheelchairs.
“Stand. Down.” Larger snapped the words, wrapping them in magical resonance keyed to the geas. It hurt, but Elise’s order took precedence. I bared my teeth at him and advanced, steps light and wary. To attack magically, he’d need to drop the shield, and I was pretty sure I was faster than him.
To the side, Dove was busy talking on her comm.
“Elise, you know why I’m doing this.” Larger spoke with firm assurance.
“Yes, Geoff, I do know. I don’t want him removed from our house because he hurt you.” Elise sidled away from Larger.
He paused.
Robert’s cool voice split the air from behind us. “Elise. You commed?”
Thank all the gods. He’d arrived.
