Chapter Seven

            Thom waited impatiently outside the door. 'She's got thirty seconds before I force the lock. Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight—'

            The door flew open, giving a squeal from the rusty hinges. Audra stared at him with a trembling lip that bled slightly, as though she had been biting it. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. The expression on her face was that of someone who is doomed, and intends to defy that doom as long as possible. Her body was rigid with anger.

            "Are you all right?" he demanded crossly. If he had to teach her, she had better show up at lessons unless she had a really good reason.

            Audra opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get a word out she was interrupted. "Audra, who's that standing there? And out of bed—it's against the rules for sure." Lady Catherine stated primly. "Well, invite whoever it is in then, and introduce us. Surely you at least have enough manners to know that much."

            Audra's eyes blazed with a hatred so intense Thom recoiled. She didn't say anything, merely gestured for him to follow her into the room. He wondered 'Who is that in there? I know I've heard her voice before, but it can't have been recent.' Thom stepped in after Audra, and decided the gods were probably laughing their heads off right now.

            It was his godmother, the one and only Lady Catherine. She had been a great friend with his mother, but had changed most drastically after the death of her first husband, Levin of King's Reach. Lady Catherine had come to Trebond when Thom was eight, looking to make his father her next husband. After that visit, Thom had not kept in touch with her. All he knew was she had eventually remarried later in the same year.

            'Oh Mithros, Goddess, help!' he pleaded mentally. 'I haven't had to put up with her since we made Trebond haunted and she left three days later…no, no, no. Poor Audra, I don't know why Godmother is in her room but I feel for anyone who has to deal with her.'

            "Audra, love, you haven't done the introductions yet." Lady Catherine said in a voice so full of fake sweetness it was nauseating.  "And who is this? You don't need to worry, pet, Mum won't let you get into trouble. " She gave Audra a look that clearly stated otherwise. Audra gulped.

            "Yes, M-mother, this is…. this is…. um…" Audra trailed off, afraid her secret was out and everything ruined. 'No! Why does she always win!' she screamed in her head.

            Thom took over, stepping painfully on Audra's foot so she would follow his lead. Audra, to do her credit, did not even flinch. Eyes wide, mouth smiling indignantly behind his beard, Thom began the tricking of Lady Catherine.

            "Godmother! Don't you remember me?" he started, doing his best to look wounded.

            Lady Catherine appeared affronted. "I most certainly do not."

            "But Godmother, surely you remember your visit to Trebond nine years ago. Alanna and I were eight at the time."

            The expression on his Godmother's face was priceless. "You." It came out as more of a low hiss. "Trebond was terrible, the two of you brats constantly playing practical jokes. And all of those ghosts everywhere!"

            Thom chuckled. "Yes, you didn't seem very impressed with our work."

            "That was you?"

            "Of course." Thom allowed himself a smirk.

            "Why? Why would you want to chase away your own dear godmother?"

            The smirk became even more pronounced. "Did you honestly think you would marry our father if Alanna and I had a say in it?"

            Lady Catherine swallowed daintily and then said, "We shall agree to disagree, Thom, and leave it at that. It's late, and we're all tired." The last piece of the puzzle occurred to her. "Just why were you coming to my daughter's room in the middle of the night?"

            Audra replied before Thom could. "Well, Mother, we are god-siblings, in a sense, and Thom's been looking out for me." Her eyes became as innocent as she could get them, her face relaxed into child-like seriousness. It was a real struggle to mask how upset she was, but Audra managed. "I haven't felt well today, and when I skipped supper tonight I guess he got worried." She glanced up at him. "Isn't that right, Thom?"

            He had to swallow a laugh. "Quite correct, Audra. You didn't eat tonight, and I thought I would sneak some food to you after everyone was asleep. Except you were wide-awake and your mother—my godmother—was visiting." Thom permitted himself a small, rueful smile. "Please, if you report anyone, Godmother, don't get Audra into trouble. It's not her fault I'm a worrier."

            'Could he make me sound anymore like an invalid?' Audra wanted to know. 'He's milking my illness for all that it's worth—which, now that I think about it, is nothing. Thom had better have a plan in mind.'

            Thom leaned over and brushed Audra's forehead. "Like I thought," he announced to both of them. "You're running a very low temperature. Nothing to fuss about, as long as she gets a good night's sleep." He tossed Lady Catherine a sharp glance.  

            For the first time, her mother sounded somewhat anxious. "Should she see a healer? We could fetch one right this instant."

            Thom shook his head. "She'll be fine. If the fever's still around in the morning, I'll take her to the healers'. Promise."

            Lady Catherine looked long and hard at both of them. "I don't like this one bit. And I don't trust either of you for more than a minute. But I won't tell. Not this time. If it happens again, however, I go straight to Master Si-cham and Daughter Riesa. Understood?" At their nods, she continued, "I will take my leave now. I move on to the palace in a few hours, so this is farewell."  Lady Catherine gave Audra a stiff hug and swept from the room, her skirts swishing around her.

            Thom grinned and put a finger to his lips. Purple fire flared around his fingers. Murmuring something under his breath, he flicked it at his godmother's retreating back. "Just a little farewell present," he whispered evilly. "She'll start seeing ghosts about two-thirds into her trip. You never told me your mother's name. If you had, I wouldn't have gotten such a shock tonight."

            The second her mother's footsteps disappeared, Audra threw herself over the bed and began to cry. She tried to control herself and then gave up, her tears going from a small trickle to deep, rasping sobs. The pathetic excuse for a bed shook along with Audra's body. Forgetting Thom, Audra began beating her fists violently against the limp pillow.

"It's not fair! Why does she get the final say? Now I'll never learn to be a sorceress, and if I can't be the first female sorceress in over a century then my life dream is ruined and I may as well get married and make her happy. But one year! It's not enough time! It's not enough time; my days are numbered. I can be a child for just three hundred and sixty-five days, and then it's all over. I have to grow up. No no no no no no no no no! I won't! I'll die first." This entire tirade was punctuated by a heaving breath every few sentences. She stopped now, however, due to a fresh onslaught of crying.

'She wouldn't. She would, and she has. Oh, how could she? Is my godmother really that cruel? Yes, she is, but still. Everything Audra's just said adds up to one thing: her marriage in one year. That's why she looked so upset when I opened the door. What knife did the Crooked God throw?' Thom stared at Audra awkwardly. He could deal with anger, happiness, and just about any other emotion. But not tears. Never tears. 

Finally, Thom went towards her and sat down on the bed next to her. Audra flinched slightly as the mattress sagged, but remained silent. Tears streamed down her face noiselessly.

'They call this a bed?' he thought out of the blue. Rock hard in some places and worn through in others, it was far from comfortable.

"Go 'way. Please." Audra whispered softly.

"No."

"I already knew your answer. And yes, they do think this bed deserves the name."

"What?"

"I figured out my other power."

"Sweet Mithros."

" I know. As if life wasn't insane enough."

Thom's mind reeled with possibilities and questions, but one came to mind first. "Are you being sent to the palace in a year to find a husband?" he asked trying not to sound too accusing.

Audra studied the bed intently. "Yes." Pain filled her voice.

Thom nodded. "I thought so. But we'll worry about it later. It's almost one o'clock in the morning, and we'll have to get up soon." His voice became matter-of-fact. "All I need is for both of us to fall asleep during the day. We're already behind in your lessons."

"G'night then. I probably won't sleep at all, but I hope that you, at least, have pleasant dreams."

Thom, who was halfway to the door, stopped and spun around. "What do you mean, you won't sleep?"

"What do you think?" Audra's voice sounded drained and empty.

'Hello, Thom. She's upset. Honestly, sometimes I think I'm as dumb as I pretend to be.'

"Glad you finally understand. Shut the door tightly on your way out." She remarked.

'Let's just use this power of yours. Try and answer me mentally.'

Audra strained, but it didn't work. 'Don't worry about it.' Thom sent to her. 'We'll check it out in the library tomorrow. Now, I'm staying here until you fall asleep, so I would suggest you lie down and close your eyes.'

Audra obeyed, tucking herself in and shutting her eyes. 'Good,' he continued. Thom sat at the edge of the bed again. 'Once upon a time, your mother came and visited Trebond. Alanna and I heard some of the servants talking, and they said she was going to try and marry our father. You would have been around four. So Alanna and I created ghosts that flew around in the corners of her eyes. She left after three days.'

Thom leaned over her. Audra opened one eye and gave a weak smile. He sighed, and then placed two fingers against her forehead. Magic flared around his fingers, and he tried to make Audra sleep.

It didn't work. Thom tried again. Still Audra studied him, now with one eyebrow arched questioningly.

'You're resistant to magic that alters your state of mind.' Thom thought to her, completely numb. 'Oh gods above, this is rare. Really rare. Also something of a curse or a blessing, depending on what you try to do.'

"What?" Audra asked with more energy then she had used all evening. "Please tell me you aren't serious. Well, you are, but still. I'm resistant to some magic. What next?"



A/N: okay, this chapter is long by my standards. Have I had a lot to do? Only seven projects throughout all of December. But things are slowing down now. I'll try to get one or two more chapters up in between doing my science project. Happy Holidays everyone, and extra special wishes to those who reviewed!