down wasn’t working. The magic churned even without the emotion behind it. Nothing she did tamped it back down. This was bad. She didn’t know what she should do. Linc, Colm and their chatar were at the inn. A chatar served as their advisor, wise man and seer. She frowned as she thought about that man. The dark-haired chatar and his knowledge of her worried her. Before she’d met him, she’d suspected that all chatar were fakes as the one at Scali Thent had been. That fake hadn’t been wise at all and he definitely had no ability to see the future. Definitely not true of the chatar with Colm and Linc.
She couldn’t do anything about the chatar. She needed to stay focused on the main issue. The magic. If Colm and Linc helped, that would be great and no one would have anything to worry about today, but if not… She hesitated. This could be a disaster. If she went into the forest, as long as she was far enough away from the city, no one would be hurt.
“Is something wrong? If you need to talk with the Ardin, I’d suggest you do it now. They were talking about getting a few more supplies and that could take a while if they have to haggle.” Avan took her arm.
She didn’t have time to think, much less force the words past the panic boiling inside of her. Avan led her to a good-sized wooden building near the town’s east edge. Her heartbeat sounded loud in her ears. Her chest ached and she felt as if she couldn’t pull in enough air.
Indecision made the choice for her. She didn’t resist as he pulled her up the stairs onto a porch that ran along the front of the hotel. Dread filled her. Something bad was going to happen. Her heart raced and her mind seemed to lock. She couldn’t think of a way to make him understand that he had to let her go.
He’d chase after her if she just took off. She doubted he’d consider her power a problem. None of them had seemed too concerned since she’d told them about the magic inside of her and that it was building. If she didn’t find some way to suppress it, they were going to get a firsthand demonstration of why it was a problem.
“I can’t go in there, Avan. I need to calm down, maybe go for a long walk or run.” Her voice quivered with stress. She winced at the sign. She tried to get him to understand. “The magic—”
“They’ll teach you everything you need to know about your magic, you just need to be patient. They can’t teach while we’re traveling. And as long as Laed and Kynar are still out there, going for a run or walk with just one person isn’t a good idea.” Avan opened the thick wooden door and switched his hand to the small of her back before she could even think about making a run for it.
She found herself being urged into the inn. The main door opened into a dining and drinking area with a long, scarred dark-brown bar and several tables. She didn’t take a step more once the forward pressure had stopped. His attitude and insistence as well as the fact that there were at least ten other people in the short distance between her and the first table were making her feel trapped. She wanted out and she wanted to be away from everyone.
“Linc, Colm, Cami needs to talk with you.” Avan stepped forward.
Her mind automatically locked onto the fact that there was a clear path behind her. She didn’t get a chance to think about it too much before she noticed that both men were coming toward her. Unable to stop herself, she let her eyes wander as they approached.
Colm’s golden eyes fixed on her and his face set in aggressive lines. She’d never seen them soften and sometimes wondered if he looked as if a predator lurked ready to pounce even when he slept. His skin was a dark-brown and the trika, the spots along his jawline and ribs, only a little darker. Those markings identified him as Santir, a shapeshifter, and they were also sensitive to touch. Grabbing and pinching there could be very painful, but a caress… She shivered at the thought of the pleasure it could bring or that could be given. His long black hair hung in a straight fall to just below