Sosie nodded. “I think the same thing sometimes. Magic almost cost Kinnon his life-almost cost Annie her life. It had better be worth the price.”
The door to the tavern opened and a lone man stepped inside. “Oh, no, looks like you’re going to have to wait on customers,” Kirra said. “Well, get him settled right away and then come back and talk to us.”
Sosie glanced over and her blush suddenly returned. “No, that’s Darryn. He’ll wait for me. I saw him last night.”
Senneth’s eyes flew to Kirra, whose face was alight with divine mischief. Obviously, they had solved the mystery of Darryn’s peasant lover. “Darryn? Darryn Rappengrass?” Senneth said faintly. The visitor had his back to them, for he had paused to say a word to a man who had stepped out from the kitchen.
Sosie’s face was even brighter. “Do you know him? He’s a great noble.”
“Why, yes, we’ve met ser Darryn a few times,” Kirra said in an affable voice. “You wouldn’t think it to look at us, but Senneth and I are fine nobles, too, and many’s the ball we’ve attended where we took a turn dancing a waltz with the serramar.”
Sosie looked uncertainly from one to the other. “Are you joking?” she asked.
“She’s not, but don’t be nervous,” Senneth said, laying her hand on Sosie’s arm. “We’re about as disreputable as nobles can be, and both of our families have practically disowned us.”
“And you know Darryn?” Sosie repeated, clearly trying to decide how alarmed she should be.
“Know him! We traveled with him here from Ghosenhall!” Kirra said. She was utterly gleeful; this was a situation that irresistibly appealed to her sense of devilry. “And while he had mentioned that he’d fallen in love with a girl, not until we were almost at the city limits did he tell us her name or the fact that she lived in Carrebos.”
“Though he didn’t call you Sosie,” Senneth said. “What was it? Something else.”
“Sosinetta? Sosabelle?” the girl said faintly. “He is always making up new names for me.”
“Well, I think you can believe that he truly loves you, if that’s something you were worried about,” Kirra said. “For he tried not to talk of you too often, but it was clear you were constantly on his mind-and, oh, perhaps this might convince you,” she said, as if just now struck by the thought. “He’s turned down a chance to wed Princess Amalie, who’s a pretty girl with lovely manners and a kingdom to inherit. But ser Darryn says he’s in love with you.”
Sosie gasped and then clapped her hands to her hot cheeks. “The princess! No! But he-I mean, he-I love him so much, but I know he-”
Kirra put her elbows on the table and leaned forward in a confiding manner. “Senneth and I rather like it when two people make an unequal match,” she said. “Our own romances have been so unconventional.”
Senneth patted Sosie on the shoulder. “Don’t let her tease you. We’re really quite pleased to see you again-and we really do know Darryn-and he really did tell us how much he loves you. There, that’s a present better than magic any day, isn’t it? Proof of love?”
“You should let him know we’re here,” Kirra said. “Just bring him right over.”
“I-I think I will,” Sosie said, and scrambled away from the table.
Kirra looked over at Senneth and laughed outright. “I think this must be the best trip we’ve ever had.”
Senneth was watching Sosie run up to Darryn, saw him kiss her quickly, listen intently, and then glance over at the booth in something like dismay. She waved, and Kirra blew him a kiss. “Well,” Senneth said, “today has certainly been fun.”
THE rest of the day was a little less fun but definitely more productive. The owner of the tavern where Sosie worked-a thin, fretful man named Eddie-was much more amenable to the notion of army recruiters than Ward had been, and he agreed to let Senneth and Kirra stay in his place all day, presenting their case to residents. His wife turned out to be a reader as well, and she sat beside them most of the day, giving them quick biographies of the mystics who approached them and her assessment of their reliability.
Before day’s end, Senneth guessed that they’d talked to thirty or forty mystics with a range of powers and varying degrees of amiability. A few she liked instantly and hoped to bring back to Ghosenhall right away. A few others seemed only mildly interested in her proposition but agreed to join up with the royal army if war really did sweep across Gillengaria.
One or two struck her as being too furtive or too damaged to be of much use, no matter how desperate the battle became. These were mystics who had been beaten or threatened or abused so often that they had little strength and no trust left in them, and their power, if any remained, was buried and hard to summon.
These were the mystics, in some sense, who most deserved to have a war fought in their defense.
Ward came by late in the day, sneering a little. He was accompanied by a boy who might have been twelve years old, slight and reedy and freckle-faced. He had badly combed hair, impish eyes, and an air of guileless excitement.
“Lot of people seem to be interested in this story you’re telling about the king needing an army of mystics,” Ward said. He was so big he seemed to be crowding them back into the booth, though he didn’t actually try to sit.
“It’s the truth, as-with your ability-you surely know,” Senneth replied.
“Might be true, but people need a reason to follow someone like you. A total stranger,” Ward said. “Maybe you don’t have any power of your own, or not much, anyway. People want to know how strong you are.”
“Other people want to know, or just you?” Kirra inquired sweetly.
Senneth ignored her. “I’m a fire mystic. I’d be pleased to demonstrate my ability. Would you like me to burn Carrebos to the ground? I can do that, but I doubt it would make anybody truly happy.”
Ward put his hand on his companion’s shoulder. “Jase here’s a fire mystic, too,” Ward says. “We’ve all seen him call up flame-and settle it down, too, when a house was about to burn. Maybe you could have a sort of competition with Jase-show us what you can do that he can’t. People might be impressed by that. If you were better.”
“Oh, a duel!” Kirra said, clapping her hands together. “What fun!”
Senneth didn’t even look at her. “It’s not remotely fair,” she said quietly. “I’m twenty years older than he is and far stronger than you realize. He has no chance of besting me.”
Ward shrugged. “Well, if you’re afraid to try-”
Kirra strangled a laugh. Senneth dropped her eyes to Jase’s face. “How old are you?” she asked him.
“Thirteen a week ago.”
“You’re pretty good with fire.”
He shrugged, but his eyes were blazing with excitement, so she guessed he had a nice combustible power. “Well, Jase, I tell you this just so you know what to expect. I’ve never met a mystic who’s stronger than I am, no matter what his skill. And I can see I’m going to have to show off a little to prove a point to your friend here. So don’t be upset if I don’t hold back. Don’t let it discourage you.”
He grinned. “All right.”
“When shall we have our little contest?” she asked Ward. “Do you need time to alert the town?”
“How about right after dinner?” he said. “Sky’ll be dark. Fire’ll show up real pretty then.”
“Agreed,” she said. “Let’s meet out on the main street in about two hours.”
Tayse was back about an hour later, Donnal at his heels, so they ate a surprisingly delicious meal in Eddie’s tavern. Darryn joined them and endured their teasing until talk turned to the upcoming competition.