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A feists and turns brought her to one of the spiral staircases that wound its way through the castle The high sorcerer’s workroom was at the top of the staircase, and the scent of potions leaking down fro that, even at this distance, Isabel had to fight an urge to flee
She forced herself forward--not up the stairs, but onto the landing that branched away froave way easily to lock-picking skills she hadn’t realized she possessed She was rather pleased with herself as she pushed the door open
The sorcerer’s apprentice aiting for her, which di soundless and had expected the advantage of surprise But the dark-haired young e wooden table, watching her without a hint of fear
No fear…but no antagonism, either, that Isabel could detect She shifted her face expressionless and gave herself a ic and to survey the rooers It was sparsely furnished: a bed crammed into one corner, a wooden table covered with a julass-covered bookcase stuffed with leather-bound volu was blackened, and the rush h to reveal the oak boards beneath
Isabel had until now seen the apprentice, a young man named Ven, only from a distance Up close, he had a dark, broad-cheeked face and blue eyes that contrasted sharply with thick black eyebrows Isabel tried to i such a face, and settled on a stunned expression That should coverhis reaction "I didn’t know…that is, I see, he said, "I knoho you are"
Isabel went still Even though she had expected him to know--and hoped he knew far more than that--her body reacted to his words as if to a threat Just in case, she said, "You do? Are you acquainted with my parents?"
His lips twitched upward "Your parents are the wind and the fog, according to several songs I don’t think they h"
For a moment they stood and stared at each other, while Isabel considered her options She finally chose a tone threatening enough to warn hihten hier opaque; his expression was all eagerness, like a child’s "I’ But they didn’t think the Shifter would coht, but she didn’t say it She relaxed slightly His eyes gave him away--they were still fiercely intent on her, but not in the wary, aggressive way Albin watched her They were filled with incredulous wonder She stepped into the rooh sorcerer’s apprentice," she said in a flat tone that he could interpret however he liked
"I know he hates you," Ven said "I don’t share his views He doesn’t understand anything about you I’ve studied you for years I know much ht This was better than she had expected "Why didn’t the court think the Shifter would coed "You used to At least, that’s what they say But it’s been so long since you used your powers in public that already so you never existed Others don’t deny that there was souard, assassin, co But they say you were siend was built around you deliberately"
"Interesting," Isabel said, leaning back against the door frarin "I never believed it, of course And there are a few people who re you shift The royal cook told me you used to come to him in the shape of a cat to eat scraps of meat Is that true?"
It seerave nod "That’s always been a habit of htly on the balls of his feet Isabel got the distinct inified, he would have jumped up and down "I knew it! When you’re a cat, you have a cat’s instincts as well as its form I never met a cat who could resist handouts"
Did she have a cat’s instincts? Isabel held herself still, but if she had been as uncontrolled as Ven was, she would have jumped up and down, too He would spill inforht "How do you know that?"
"I’ve been collecting the pieces of your legend for years I came to apprentice in Saht and protected for all these hundreds of years They have all these books about you…and now I’ to you It’s al, hat it was Isabel said nothing, and Ven rose up slightly again "You will talk to me, won’t you? I want to study you" He stopped, apparently realizing how tactlessly that had been put, then forged ahead "You retain the habits of your past guardianships? So you’re really one person, not a succession of different ones? Not person, I " He flushed and flashed a hopeful grin "You’ll let me study you, won’t you? Please?"
Isabel’s instinct was to say no She bit that back and let a long"Maybe If you can offer round and chewed the side of his lip "What do you want?"
"Tell er does he want my protection from?"
He put his hands down on the table behind him, and his eyes skittered away fro one foot in front of the other with a stealthy predator’s grace She watched with satisfaction when he leaned away froave him a moment to realize he couldn’t
"I know he came to you for help first," she said when she was only a few yards away froainst the scratched wood of the table "He--he did come toyou out"
"Didn’t he?" She let her eyes change color, fro at them
Ven drew in his breath sharply With an obvious effort, he let go of the table and stepped toward her "He didn’t But I can guess I knohy he er, and why you weren’t already here to protect him from it Not just why you’re here, but why you left"
Isabel’s ht "What makes you think I don’t already know?"
"I know Rokan was hoping you wouldn’t reo find you, but Albin refused So Rokan came to me, and he told me what happened last tirabbed his wrist, squeezing hard enough to cause pain "Tell ht be treason," he blurted He didn’t even try to pull away froend was serving her well
"It reed, and waited
Ven closed his eyes briefly, like ato jump off a cliff "You left after you tried to kill Rokan’s father"