Firstly, profuse apologies. I have major exams coming up, and revising to
do, but now I have finally finished 'Yours', so I have time to devote to
this. Secondly, it has a juvenile/soap-opera feel that I don't like, but
can't seem to get rid of :P I have the end in mind, which is such a plus
point.
*
Daine stepped warily into the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found no sign of Varice and ventured further into the room. Which was a mistake.
For a moment, the blonde simply glared. If looks could kill, Daine had a feeling she'd definitely be six-feet-under by now. Then Varice shook herself slightly, becoming the gracious hostess who had once adorned Emperor Ozorne Tasikhe's Carthaki court. "Is there anything I can get you – Miss Sarrasri? Would you like a drink? Or a light snack, perhaps?" She hesitated, and her lip curled. Daine had a feeling that any food she took from Varice would be heavily poisoned. Varice continued in the same silky tones. "Or I could get the door for you?"
Daine pursed her lips, taking a step back purely for comfort's sake. "Ah, Sir Jonathan and I would like to trespass on your hospitality for a little longer. I trust you don't mind?"
Her move backwards had not come a moment too soon. Varice crossed the distance between them quickly enough as it was. "Listen, you little marriage wreaker," she snapped, her beautiful features contorting into a mask of rage. "I know what your game is. You stay here for a week – one week. And then, I want you out. Both of you. I don't care where you go, so long as I never have to see you again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly," Daine managed, pressing herself back against the wall. "Very, very clear."
Varice's expression cleared and she moved away again, picking up a cloth. "Good. Now, if you wouldn't mind, out of my way."
"Not a problem," Daine muttered as she escaped out of the door. "Sweet Mithros, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the hay barn." She shuddered slightly, making for the forest, tempted to just keep walking until she was sure she'd never have to see anybody she knew ever again. She wrapped her arms around her middle. Varice hadn't been like this back in Carthak. Daine hadn't liked Varice – she suspected this had something to do with the fact that Varice was one of Numair's old flames – but they had never been open about their evidently common dislike.
She hadn't taken any notice of where she was going. Until, that is, she walked into a tree. Or what seemed to be a tree, until she looked up and discovered that what she had mistaken for a plant was in fact-
Her mouth had suddenly gone dry. She locked her arms behind her back, struggling not to reach out and touch him. "Good day, Mister Draper," she said politely, hoping he wouldn't notice the crack in her voice. It was just hard – so hard – to see him, and not be able to hug him, to have to act as though they were mere acquaintances when...
He stiffened slightly. "Good day, Miss...?"
Tears jumped to her eyes; her fingers pinched her wrist tightly behind her back. "Sarrasri. Veralidaine Sarrasri." He knew that, he did! He was just trying to distance himself from her. Well, it wouldn't work.
"Miss Sarrasri," he finished, bowing to her and walking past.
"Though," she said thoughtfully, feeling almost certain he'd stopped in his tracks. "You never called me that. When it wasn't Daine, it was 'Magelet', then 'sweet'."
He gripped her arms and swung her round to face him. Her breath caught in her throat – the names had done it, he was remembering! His dark eyes searched hers, confused and – and angry. She shivered at the power in his gaze.
"I don't know what your purpose is, Miss Sarrasri, but I would thank you to not trouble yourself with either myself or my wife any longer," he said tightly.
Their eyes were locked, although Daine struggled to look away. Fury rose, swelling within her. Even if he didn't believe her, there was no reason to treat her like this!
"Fine," she snapped. "I just know that if I'd gone and done something daft like that with Stormwings that made me lose my memory, I'd want to know about it. I was trying to help."
He shook her impatiently; she'd forgotten he still held her. In that instant, their gazes broke.
"Let me go," Daine said tensely, determinedly not looking at him. Varice had changed her Numair, and she didn't like it. When he didn't, her face twisted up with pain, and she wrenched herself free.
"We'll be gone by sunrise," she informed him, biting off every word. "Good day to you, Master Salmalín."
He stared after her, rubbing his hands together slowly.
"Funny girl, isn't she?"
*
Daine stepped warily into the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found no sign of Varice and ventured further into the room. Which was a mistake.
For a moment, the blonde simply glared. If looks could kill, Daine had a feeling she'd definitely be six-feet-under by now. Then Varice shook herself slightly, becoming the gracious hostess who had once adorned Emperor Ozorne Tasikhe's Carthaki court. "Is there anything I can get you – Miss Sarrasri? Would you like a drink? Or a light snack, perhaps?" She hesitated, and her lip curled. Daine had a feeling that any food she took from Varice would be heavily poisoned. Varice continued in the same silky tones. "Or I could get the door for you?"
Daine pursed her lips, taking a step back purely for comfort's sake. "Ah, Sir Jonathan and I would like to trespass on your hospitality for a little longer. I trust you don't mind?"
Her move backwards had not come a moment too soon. Varice crossed the distance between them quickly enough as it was. "Listen, you little marriage wreaker," she snapped, her beautiful features contorting into a mask of rage. "I know what your game is. You stay here for a week – one week. And then, I want you out. Both of you. I don't care where you go, so long as I never have to see you again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly," Daine managed, pressing herself back against the wall. "Very, very clear."
Varice's expression cleared and she moved away again, picking up a cloth. "Good. Now, if you wouldn't mind, out of my way."
"Not a problem," Daine muttered as she escaped out of the door. "Sweet Mithros, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the hay barn." She shuddered slightly, making for the forest, tempted to just keep walking until she was sure she'd never have to see anybody she knew ever again. She wrapped her arms around her middle. Varice hadn't been like this back in Carthak. Daine hadn't liked Varice – she suspected this had something to do with the fact that Varice was one of Numair's old flames – but they had never been open about their evidently common dislike.
She hadn't taken any notice of where she was going. Until, that is, she walked into a tree. Or what seemed to be a tree, until she looked up and discovered that what she had mistaken for a plant was in fact-
Her mouth had suddenly gone dry. She locked her arms behind her back, struggling not to reach out and touch him. "Good day, Mister Draper," she said politely, hoping he wouldn't notice the crack in her voice. It was just hard – so hard – to see him, and not be able to hug him, to have to act as though they were mere acquaintances when...
He stiffened slightly. "Good day, Miss...?"
Tears jumped to her eyes; her fingers pinched her wrist tightly behind her back. "Sarrasri. Veralidaine Sarrasri." He knew that, he did! He was just trying to distance himself from her. Well, it wouldn't work.
"Miss Sarrasri," he finished, bowing to her and walking past.
"Though," she said thoughtfully, feeling almost certain he'd stopped in his tracks. "You never called me that. When it wasn't Daine, it was 'Magelet', then 'sweet'."
He gripped her arms and swung her round to face him. Her breath caught in her throat – the names had done it, he was remembering! His dark eyes searched hers, confused and – and angry. She shivered at the power in his gaze.
"I don't know what your purpose is, Miss Sarrasri, but I would thank you to not trouble yourself with either myself or my wife any longer," he said tightly.
Their eyes were locked, although Daine struggled to look away. Fury rose, swelling within her. Even if he didn't believe her, there was no reason to treat her like this!
"Fine," she snapped. "I just know that if I'd gone and done something daft like that with Stormwings that made me lose my memory, I'd want to know about it. I was trying to help."
He shook her impatiently; she'd forgotten he still held her. In that instant, their gazes broke.
"Let me go," Daine said tensely, determinedly not looking at him. Varice had changed her Numair, and she didn't like it. When he didn't, her face twisted up with pain, and she wrenched herself free.
"We'll be gone by sunrise," she informed him, biting off every word. "Good day to you, Master Salmalín."
He stared after her, rubbing his hands together slowly.
"Funny girl, isn't she?"