Page 32 of Paladin's Faith

“I was just going to sharpen this.”

“Where’s the whetstone?”

Shane muttered something under his breath—even he wasn’t sure what—and went to fetch a whetstone.

Wren flung herself into the chair opposite. “You like her.”

“I do not like her. I mean, I like her fine. I don’t dislike her.”

“Yes, but you like her.” Wren wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“What are we, twelve?” Shane rubbed his face. “I am an adult. I do not ‘like’ people. I am attracted to them.”

“Oooh, so you are attracted to her!” Wren leaned over the arm of the chair, eyes shining. “I knew it.”

Shane stared at the ceiling. “She is very attractive. There is nothing strange about that.”

“Uh-huh.” Wren leaned in closer. “So are you gonna tell her?”

“No.” He hadn’t meant that to come out quite so vehemently. Wren sat back, grinning like a delighted shark. Shane cleared his throat and said, more quietly, “It’s not like that.”

Wren didn’t say anything, but her eyebrows were eloquent.

“It’s not.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’m attracted to lots of people.”

“Sure you are.”

“I am.”

“Name one.”

“Uh…” He floundered for a moment. “Errr…how about…Acolyte Melissa?”

“The temple healer’s apprentice?”

“Yes. She’s very attractive.”

“Her husband certainly thought so,” Wren said, “when he married her last year.”

Shane blinked.

“And then they moved to Aquila-on-Marsh. Six months ago.” Wren sat back.

“I said that I was attracted to her, not that I was paying attention to her whereabouts,” muttered Shane. “Anyway, it’s different. Just because Marguerite is an…an extremely attractive woman…”

“We’ve gone from very to extremely attractive,” Wren murmured.

Shane put his head in his hands. “Have you been taking lessons from Istvhan?”

Wren beamed. “Now that,” she said, “is possibly the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She stood up and patted his shoulder. “I’m going to bed. You should too. Tomorrow is going to be quite a day.”

FOURTEEN

“I feel ridiculous,” muttered Wren, adjusting the bodice of her dress for the fifth time. “Everyone will know that I don’t belong here.”