Page 11

The panic of his first moments, realizing he was a different shape, that he had a rope around his neck, that he was mute and powerless, would haunt him forever.

She hesitated. “I don’t usually talk about it.”

“You could see me?” He thought about it. “Could you only see the magic, or could you see me, the man?”

She looked at him for so long in silence, he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Then she gave a tiny shake of her head. “The twine was bright with spell work. That’s all I saw, at first. When I got close enough, I saw you once. The magic of the spell woven into the copper twine was fighting to keep you hidden in a cage.”

“You knew it was the twine keeping me trapped?” He hadn’t even noticed the twine in the beginning.

She nodded.

“How?” As he asked the question, he saw her withdraw. She physically made herself smaller, tucking her arms in close to her body and dipping her head.

“Hey.” He reached out a hand, slid his fingers against the smooth skin of her chin and tilted her face back up to his. “You never have anything to fear of me. Ever.”

She studied him, eyes that were a fascinating mix of dark blue and green assessing him for a long moment.

“My father died keeping what I do secret,” she said. “I have never discussed it, especially since I saw him killed on the street, and if ever I am tempted, I remember that he sacrificed his very life to keep me invisible and safe.”

“I don’t want you to break any personal vows,” he said. “I’m just trying to understand what happened to me.”

She stepped back, then let out a sigh. “Can I just tell you that I could see the twine held a spell, and when I got closer, I could see that it held you trapped.”

“Yes.”

She could see spells. That was extraordinary. Theo suddenly understood why her father had worried about others knowing her power.

The rulers of Kassia and Cervantes would be delighted to have her on their staff. But other, less principled rulers, might not be so pleasant to work for.

“And I’m in Illoa?” He guessed it because of the dual towns on either side of the river, and it was the direction he’d been headed as he chased down the abductor.

She nodded. “On the Grimwalt side.”

“Who was the old man who tied me to the bridge?”

Melodie shook her head. “A trader. He claimed he found you. He said he was headed for Taunen.”

“He knew you were going to free me.” Theo was sure of it. She had hardly been subtle.

Melodie shrugged. “Maybe.”

“If he meets up again with the man who put that spell around my neck, he might tell him about you.” Theo didn’t want this woman in his abductor’s sights. And whatever the connection between the two men, the one who’d taken the children was not to be underestimated.

“My guess is the trader will try as much as possible to avoid meeting that man again.” Melodie paused. “Of course, someone with access to the kind of spell work involved might be difficult to shake.”

“Why is he going to try to avoid him?” Theo thought back to what had happened, but he couldn’t remember much at all. When he had come back to himself, he had been too busy reacting to the horror of his circumstances.

“He stole something from the spell worker who enchanted you. He stole you, too, is my guess. And then had second thoughts. My guess is he probably deeply regrets ever crossingpaths with the spell worker in the first place.” Melodie slid a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“How do you know this?” Theo realized he needed to sit, that his legs were not quite steady, and he found a seat on one of the thick, round logs that were placed around the forge.

“I bought the item he stole,” Melodie said. “The spell worked into it is so strong, I couldn’t let it carry on in the world unsupervised.”

“You have it now?” Nothing from the man who’d taken the children would be useful or good.

Melodie turned and picked up the square bag she’d been carrying. She took out a small, slim box.

He studied it. “What is it?”