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and lunged.
Once more, fiery sparks lit up the square. Kevin
glanced up at the surrounding houses. Didn't anyone
hear or see what was going on? Didn't anyone care?
Someone did. From one side came the sound of
running footsteps and the dashing of mail.
"Oh hell," Lydia said. "Just what we needed: the
guards. Come on, guys, no time for heroics now. Let's
get out of here!"
The gang, equally illegal, thought the same thing,
scattering in all directions. Empty Eyes, panting,
paused long enough to hurl his gray sword at
Naitachal, but the Dark Elf struck it cleanly with his
black blade. Both sorcerous things blazed up in a blind-
ing surge of bloody light and were gone. Oh, blast,
Kevin thought, why was I looking that way just then ?
Vision dazzled, afterimages dancing before his eyes,
Kevin staggered away as best he could, stumbling over
the broken cobblestones. He gasped when someone
grabbed his arm and tried to strike out, but a familiar
voice said:
"It's me. Lydia. It's all right, kid, I had my head
turned away. I can still see where I'm going."
Unfortunately, so could the guards. And a whole
troop of them was flooding into the square, weapons
drawn, far too many to fight.
"Damn," Lydia muttered. "Selden really is out for
blood. No worse damage to a politician than injured
pride." She looked over the grim, well-armed troop
and sighed. "I hate to simply surrender, particularly
140 Mercedes Lackey ^Josepha Sherman
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since Selden isn't going to make things comfortable for
us, but..."
"Then don't," Tich'ki snapped.
Hovering in mid-air, wings a blur, she stared at the
guards, shouting out twisting, intricate, commanding
Words in the fairy tongue, her eyes blazing green fire.
And to Kevin's amazement, the guards stopped in
their tracks, blinking in confusion.
"Where'dtheygo...?"
"Coulda sworn they were here a minute ago..."
"Who... ? Who are we looking for... ?"
"Don't know ... can't remember .. - Hey, come on,
guys! Day's not getting any younger, and we have a city
to cover!"
With that, the guards turned and marched away.
"I don't believe it," the bardling gasped. "Tich'ki,
what did you Tich'ki!"
She came tumbling down into his arms, panting- For
a moment Kevin gingerly held her small body,
astonished at how light she was, even for her small size.
Of course she's light! he realized. Tich'fd's a winged creature;
she has to be lightweight if she's going to get off the ground.
Probably has hollow bones, like a bird or
A sudden sharp stab in his arm made Kevin gasp and
drop her. The fairy, who'd pinched him with her hard
little fingers, fluttered away, grinning in mischief even
though her eyes were weary. "Whoo-oo! That, I don't
mind telling you, was hard work."
"What was that?" Lydia asked. "That 'influence-
their-minds' spell of yours?"
Tich'ki nodded. "You know it. And you know the
thing works."
"Sure. If you can get enough force into it."
For once, Tich'ki didn't argue. "Right. It's not the
sort of thing I want to do too often." But then her sharp
grin returned. "It'sw much easier lifting purses!"
"I'm sure that's true," Eliathanis cut in coolly. "But
CASTLE OF DECEPTION 141
rather than discuss thieving triumphs, don't you think
we had best find shelter before one or another of our
enemies returns?"
"Excellent idea," Lydia said with a wry little bow. "I
need to repair my bowstring anyhow, curse that filthy
excuse for an elf."
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Eliathanis stiffened indignantly, plainly torn be-
tween the evidence of his own eyes and his refusal to
accept that one of his people could sink so low. "Have
you any idea where we should be heading?"
"Yup." Lydia pointed. "North, guys- The inn's called
the Flying Swan. You'll know it by the sign. Innkeeper
doesn't ask awkward questions of his guests and keeps
the beds vermin-free."
"What more could we possibly want?" Naitachal
asked wryly.
Lydia shrugged. "Kevin and I will register as ..."
She glanced the bardling's way, mischief in her eyes.
"As friends. Good friends. Very good friends. Right, my
lover boy?" She grinned as he reddened, and took his
arm. "See you later, everyone!"
Ah well, the bardling told himself resolutely. Let her
have her fun. Not much you can do to stop her, anyhow.
Lydia's teasing aside, it would be wonderful to be in a
nice dean room again, with a nice hot meal and maybe
even oh miracle of miracles a soft bed'
Chapter XIV
A half-turn of the hourglass later, Kevin wasn't feeling
quite so smug. Lydia, the bardling's doak draped not quite
conceahngly about herself and her scanty garb, was ding-
ing to his arm, giggling all too convincingly as he signed
the register and tried to act as though "Estban Eitar"
checked into inns with attractive older women all the time.
He was still blushing even after they had settled into
their room particularly when he saw that the fur-
nishings consisted mosdy of one large bed.
"You could hardly have asked for two beds, sweetie,"
Lydia cooed. "Not and keep up this cuddly-wuddly
pretense." To his utter mortification, she snuggled up
against him, fluttering her eyelashes elaborately, and
pinched his cheek. "Cute li'I* lover boy!"
"Stop that!''
"My, my, you do blush prettily!
"Aw, don't "
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