Scholar of Magic (Art of the Adept #3) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,115

The driver’s words came out in a rush as snot began to run from his nose.

Will was beginning to worry that the hysterical man would lose control of the team. “Look, what’s your name?”

“Paul,” sobbed the man. “I have two children waiting for me at home. We lost their mother a few years ago.”

“Listen, Paul, would I ask for your name if I planned to murder you?”

The driver’s answer came out in a pitch so high it was difficult to understand. “Maybe.”

He summoned his coin pouch and removed a gold mark, then offered it to the man. “Would I offer you this to make it up to you for all the trouble?”

“You could always take it back after you kill me,” blubbered the pitiful coachman. They were about to pass through the south gate, and the look of desperation on the man’s face was so intense that Will worried the driver might throw himself out of his seat.

Will reconnected the source-link and paralyzed the driver while putting an arm over the man’s shoulder to keep him from being bounced out of his seat. With his other hand he took the reins and tried not to do anything. The team was following the road out of habit, and the road went where he needed to go. He had never driven anything larger than a small cart, and he worried what would happen if anything unexpected happened.

Meanwhile he spoke to the paralyzed man beside him. “Damn, I can’t fault your logic. I mean, I’m not going to do anything to you, but I can’t argue with your reasoning. There’s no way you can know what I’ll do, and you certainly don’t have cause to believe me, but we’re almost there. I’ll release you in a few minutes and you can turn the carriage around. You can keep the gold mark too, and your master doesn’t have to know I gave it to you if you don’t want him to know. He’s asleep, so that will be our little secret.”

A few minutes later, he did as he had promised, waving to the frightened driver as he drove away. “Don’t forget to wake up your passengers!” Will yelled. “Otherwise they might sleep until dawn!”

Gently cradling Tailtiu, he walked through the nearby pasture, heading toward the place where he knew the congruence point with Faerie would be. He hadn’t felt a response from Aislinn, but his gut told him she would be waiting for him. Glancing down, he saw both of Tailtiu’s eyes were open, and she was silently staring up at him. She couldn’t talk, but he wondered what she was thinking.

“We’re almost there,” he told her. “You don’t have to worry. Once I get you back everything will be fine. Just hold on a little longer for me, all right?”

She closed her eyes slowly, then opened them again. He hoped it was a sign that she understood, but he couldn’t be sure. They still had a half a mile to go, and as they walked he mentally reviewed everything that had happened. He wanted to kick himself for his haste, but he still couldn’t see that he’d had a better alternative. If he had delayed, Tailtiu would almost certainly have died, but then again, his friends would probably be safe and sound.

Was it worth exchanging Rob’s life for one of the fae? Was it worth Tiny’s? And what about Janice’s horrible disfigurement? He couldn’t help but feel he’d made a terrible bargain with fate and his friends had paid the price for it.

As he pondered and poked at the past, like someone probing a sore tooth with their tongue, a thought came to him, the warehouse! He still had a big problem to consider in the near future, and if he couldn’t find a solution Tiny and Janice might pay a terrible cost. Will had planned to leave for his old home immediately after returning Tailtiu to Faerie, but now he knew he needed to return to Cerria first.

Chapter 26

There was no one at the congruence point, so Will crossed over, and the effect on Tailtiu was subtle but immediate. Her eyes opened again, watching him with more intensity. He couldn’t have said what it was exactly, but