Shadows and Light

leather cord over his head.
    “We can also give you a purse to pay for food and lodging on the journey.”
    “Nuala,” Aiden protested. “We can’t—”
    “Grandson.”
    He knew there was only one thing to say in response to that tone of voice. “Thank you, Grandmother.”
    Nuala smiled.
    A brief knock on the door before Keely opened it and stuck her head in the room. “Glynis says she’s ready to serve the meal.”
    “Thank you, Keely.” Nuala rose. “I think that’s all we need to discuss.” She walked out of the room.
    As soon as Nuala left, Breanna chuckled. “Ah, Aiden, you looked good sitting there like a hooked trout, just thrashing around and getting nowhere.”
    His pride stung, he said with as much sarcasm as he could muster, “Thank you, Breanna.”
    “Oh, it’s I who should be thanking you.” Breanna grinned. “It was a treat to see someone else on the receiving end of that tone of voice. Even more of a treat to discover that even the Bard can’t argue against it.”
    Aiden gave her what he hoped was a scalding look. Her grin just got sassier. Sighing, he gave up. His sharp tongue and his way of shaping words might intimidate the Fae most of the time, but he had a feeling that Breanna, with a lifetime of practice behind her, would have come out better in this “discussion” with Nuala than he had.
    With Lyrra’s arm tucked through his, he slowly followed Breanna out of the room.
    “Grandmother?” Lyrra whispered, looking at him a bit wide-eyed.
    “An honorary one.”
    “Do you think you’re going to acquire any more grandmothers on this journey?”
    “I sincerely hope not.” One was more than he could handle.

Chapter Thirteen
    Ashk rode beside Evan on the wide forest trail that led back to the Clan house. He was doing well on this practice ride with the new horse—easy hands and good seat— and the horse had a sweet way of moving. A good partnership for the time being, but she’d noticed how the small gelding’s attention tended to stray whenever it heard Caitlin’s voice. The horse accepted her son as its rider, but it was far more attached to her daughter. Ah, well. The animal wouldn’t pine for Evan when he outgrew it.
    I did what you ‘d asked, Padrick, Ashk thought dryly. I did my part of the bargaining — or tried to, anyway — and Neall managed not to kill himself choking back the laughter as we wrangled down to the price he wanted. Of course, offering twelve coppers and six rabbits might not have been where I should have started my end of the bargaining.
    She tried not to sigh out loud. Despite the time she’d spent with humans because of being Padrick’s wife, she still couldn’t understand why they enjoyed this haggling for goods. But watching Neall fight to keep a straight face gave her more understanding for why the merchants in the village were so hesitant to name an amount whenever she became interested enough in something to inquire about its price. She’d probably shocked them by paying the asking price— and probably terrified them into worrying that the baron would be along shortly to demand an explanation for what he would consider out and out thievery.
    Which probably explained why there were always a few coins tucked into whatever she’d purchased.
    She’d simply thought it was a custom among merchants to return a bit and had given the coins to the children to spend.
    And Padrick, she suddenly realized, had simply smiled all these years when he saw her remove the coins from a package and had never said a word.
    As they came in sight of the Clan house, Ashk saw the horse and rider. She recognized both. She still reined in, raising a hand to signal Evan to stop, as well.
    “It’s Gordon, Mother,” Evan said. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”
    Nothing good. Ashk studied the groom who worked in her husband’s stable. She’d made a point of riding over to the manor every couple of days since Padrick had left for the barons’ council, so whatever had brought the groom to the Clan house was out of the ordinary—something the servants didn’t feel could wait for her next visit.

    “Stay here.” She looked at her son, saw him flinch, and knew he was seeing something in her face that reflected the side of her that even the other Fae approached cautiously. “If I tell you to ride, you turn that horse around and head for the heart of the woods. Do you understand me?”
    “But, Mother—”
    “Do you understand?”
    His eyes