The Goblets Immortal by Beth Overmyer (highly recommended books txt) 📗

horse.” He Dismissed the saddle and the sword. “Well, it looks like we’ll be on foot now. And we’d best hurry. If there are goblins in these parts, I don’t want to meet them in the dark.”

With a curt nod, Slaíne handed him back his handkerchief. She hadn’t even flinched at the smell, which made Aidan’s stomach turn. “We won’t make it far on foot.”

“I’ll be picking up another steed in Wontworth.”

She smirked at him. “So that is where we’re headed.”

Aidan opened his mouth to deny it, but he hadn’t the heart or energy. His horse was gone, and they had a rough journey ahead of them.

* * *

Their going was slow. The girl still claimed some nonsense of a curse was to blame, but wouldn’t go into details. Aidan wondered if she’d had a worse beating from the elves than he’d first thought, but he said nothing. The common mood between them was cordial enough, and he did not wish to bring it crashing down around their ears if he could help it.

They’d finished their food rations the previous night. That was a worry. Some berries were in season, but none were edible. After a rough hike through six miles of bracken, their mutual amiability had dissolved into a cross silence. They needed to exert themselves, to pick up their speed if they were to reach the town before nightfall. But she was struggling to keep pace with him. She fell twice, injuring nothing. And as the sun had reached its highest, the sweat-drenched travelers decided to rest and refresh themselves with a few sips of water.

But the water did not refresh. If anything, it made Aidan want more, and he knew the girl felt the same way, though she said nothing of it. He feared this had been a poor trade for her. She’d gone from living in peace with four evil elves to living in thirst with…. He couldn’t think. There would be no going further until they’d had a decent rest.

Stomach snarling like some ferocious beast, Aidan leaned against the trunk of a large oak. A dreadful thought came to him: in their haste to depart that morning, and in the confusion of losing Triumph, he’d got them turned around. They were headed too far southwest. Their course would need to be corrected, costing them an additional ten miles. No wonder they hadn’t seen any signs of civilization. “I am an utter fool.”

Slaíne, who was resting a few feet off on a patch of crabgrass, lifted her head. “Sir?”

Aidan opened his mouth but hesitated. It wouldn’t do to worry her. “I should have gone after Triumph as soon as he went missing.”

He half-expected her to give some encouragement that he’d done the right thing, but it would seem that the girl had fallen asleep.

Though the sun continued to beat down on them, the air held a chill, and the clothes that clung to his body with sweat now made him shiver. He Summoned his cloak and covered up. With nothing else to do but rest, Aidan reached out and felt for Pulls. There was no one within his reach…at least, as far as he could tell. It wasn’t getting any easier to ignore the girl’s Pull, and he was starting to wonder why. He reached out tentatively and closed his eyes. Concentrating with all his might, he opened his eyes, latched onto her Pull and tugged against it.

Screeching in surprise or pain, Slaíne shot toward Aidan like an arrow, landing at his feet. Well, that was new.

She glared up at him. “What’d you go and do that for?”

Aidan fought a grin. He hadn’t quite meant to do it, didn’t think it would work, but for the first time since his abilities had developed, he’d managed to Call another living being. This could be the answer he needed to whether or not he’d ever see his family again. “You’re all right, then?”

“What ruddy sort of question is that? ’Course I’m all right.” Grumbling still, she stumbled to her feet and returned to her place of rest. There, she flopped back down, and at once began to snore again.

Aidan looked at her amazed for a while. Was this an everyday occurrence to her? She must not know how his abilities worked, but why should she? But she knows of the Goblets, he reasoned. She must know something of my condition. He was about to wake her again, but thought better of it. It was obvious she did not care for him one jot, not as a friend nor as an ally. Why would she trade information? Would it be wise for him to say anything? There was only one way to find out, and he was no coward. He began. “Girl, wake up.”

She let out an almighty, earth-shaking snort and rolled over onto her side to face him. Her face was dirt-smudged and cross, and she looked positively ready to lose her temper. “What?”

Only a mite taken aback, Aidan started in. “I didn’t know I could do that.” The bait having been set, he waited for her to grasp it. But the minutes wore on, and she said nothing.

Her eyes were slits, and it would seem that he was in danger of losing her to sleep again. It was time to try a different tack.

“Please, Slaíne, if you know anything about my condition, I would be most grateful if you told me.”

The girl laughed, but, upon looking into his eyes, she stopped. Her expression became thoughtful. At last, she spoke. “If I were to tell you….” She sat up and propped her head on one hand. “How are you at keeping secrets that can get a body tortured and killed?”

Aidan stared deep into her eyes, as if he could Call the secrets from their depths. “I won’t speak a word of what you tell me to anyone.”

“Not to your family?”

“I have none,” he said.

She raised her eyebrows and rose to a sitting position. “Oh. Me neither.” She scratched