others to steer him to safety and to care for him.
“It has always been like that,” he finished. “And each time I fail to contain the magic, the catatonia gets a little worse. I thought that being able to direct it to accomplish specific tasks might put an end to all that. But it doesn’t seem that’s possible.”
He waited in the ensuing silence. “First of all,” she told him carefully, “you haven’t mastered control of the magic. You said so yourself. You are just beginning to learn how. It’s probably too soon to be able to stop what’s happening to you. You need to give yourself more time. But eventually Arcannen is going to discover what you’re hiding. Sooner or later, the magic will break free in his presence, and he will realize what’s happening. What are you going to do then?”
He shook his head. “I know you are right about Arcannen. But maybe he won’t find out right away. If I am careful, maybe I can keep from being overstressed while learning how to keep control. Maybe I can avoid having to use magic for real. I should be able to tell the difference between what’s real and imagined. I just need to work at it a little more.”
“All right,” she said, nodding slowly. “Let’s find out if that’s so. I won’t say anything to him about what happened. We can just tell him you managed to create images that took on a presence and leave it at that. But, Reyn, this is a dangerous game you are playing. Arcannen is not someone you want to anger. He says he wants to help you and maybe he does, but he could turn on you in a moment. I’ve seen that in him. He is unpredictable. It might be better to admit what is going on and take your chances. I will stand by you if you do.”
“It would be foolish of you to do that. You’re his apprentice.”
She gave him a look. “I am my own person before I am anyone’s anything. I have learned to look after myself, and I will not be made to give that up for anyone.”
“I don’t want you involved.”
She laughed softly. “Really? You don’t? But I’m already involved.” Then she leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Haven’t you noticed?”
It was fully dark by now, the last of the sunlight faded, the skies gone black and only slivers of moonlight seeping through gaps in the heavily layered clouds to illuminate the coastline of the Tiderace. The air was cold and damp, a fine mist settling over the ruins of Arbrox. Somewhere nearby seagulls were crying mournfully and the crashing of the waves against the rocks was a cacophony of thunderous booms.
Lariana and the boy appeared through the doorway of Arcannen’s refuge looking slightly bedraggled and thoroughly worn out. The sorcerer looked up from the tide tables and charts he had spread out across the work space he kept for himself to one side of the room, taking note of their condition.
“Success?” he asked them, raising one eyebrow.
Lariana nodded. “It took all day, but in the end he managed it.”
She went on to describe what the boy had created—the men first and then the four-legged beast. She gave an accurate description, concluding with her personal belief that in another day or so Reyn Frosch would master much, much more.
When she had finished, Arcannen leaned back and contemplated her words. There was something wrong with what she was telling him, but he was not sure what. He didn’t think she was lying exactly, but he suspected she was leaving something out. He couldn’t say what made him think this—the words, her tone of voice, the smoothness of her recitation, the look on her face—but there was a gap that troubled him. His instincts were good at warning him of such deceptions, and he had learned to trust them.
But why would Lariana be deceiving him? Why would she not be entirely honest? She had been until now. Hadn’t she? He pursed his lips. He was troubled enough that he had to scratch this particular itch.
“Does she speak for you on this?” he asked the boy.
He nodded quickly. “She does.”
“And you were able to bring these images to life, to give them the appearance of flesh and blood, to move them like living creatures?”
“Until I grew tired. But I will try again in the morning, after I’ve slept and rested a bit. I was starting to make mistakes