Page 67 of Rogue Familiar

“Now, Seliah,” Chaim said placatingly, a patronizing tone that put up Jadren’s hackles and he wasn’t even the intended recipient. Jadren was no lady-killer, but if this was how Chaim went about wooing women, or familiars, or both… well, no wonder the guy was unbonded. “We already had this conversation,” Chaim continued, giving her a gentle smile better suited for small children or irascible patients. “I’m well able to sense the trauma you suffered from being an untapped familiar. We all can sense that and, while it’s wonderful to see you doing so much better than rumor indicated, no one expects you to magically recover overnight. It takes time and patience. And care,” he added darkly, throwing Jadren an accusing glare.

“I expect it—” Seliah began, then broke off, growling deep in her chest, tensing further.

Jadren was torn—should he attempt to talk her down or hold her bags while she taught Chaim a lesson?

Before Jadren could decide, Seliah stalked forward, planting palms on Chaim’s desk. “You know, Lord Refoel,” she ground out, “I was about to say that I expect it of myself. Something that I’ve said any number of times recently, to an array of people who care about me. I’ll even be generous and include you in that group, because—despite your ugly enthusiasm for seeing my wizard dead—I don’t believe you are actively malicious. Misguided and thick-headed, perhaps, and rather unpleasantly avaricious about acquiring me for your familiar.”

Jadren couldn’t help the possessive snarl at hearing Chaim had gone so far as to proposition Seliah while she was still bonded to him. Wizards had razed kingdoms for less.

Seliah glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yes, he asked. For the record, I said no. Give me some credit. I meant it when I said I love you. I know you think you’re not worthy of love, but I do and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon, so you can relax.”

Chaim looked so stunned that Jadren was able to overcome his rage to shoot the wizard a smug grin. True, Jadren probably didn’t deserve Seliah, but she was obstinately determined to keep him, so who was he to fight that?

Seliah turned back to Chaim. “Of course I know no one magically recovers from trauma overnight,” she said, ruthlessly mimicking the man. “That’s not how recovery works. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t have expectations for myself or that I’m some sort of walking invalid. Do you know what occurred to me just now, when you said no one expected me to magically recover overnight? There is one person who has expected me to get my shit together and deal. Him!” Seliah jerked her head Jadren. “My wizard is the one person who’s always seen me for who I am, not my collection of wounds and inabilities. He challenges me to be a better person, to learn and grow and overcome.”

“That’s all lovely and heartfelt,” Maya said, sounding sincere, though she flicked a glance at Jadren that showed how dubious she was. “Still, your devotion to your wizard and the reasons for it are not relevant to the matter at hand. You may believe you love him—and indeed you might, for good reasons—but none of that changes the fact that we all witnessed him murder Ozana El-Adrel on Refoel lands. Our laws and vows are crystal clear on this. He must be remanded into Convocation custody.”

“Then so must I,” Seliah said, not looking at Liat, but holding Chaim’s gaze. “Because I’m equally guilty of murdering Ozana.”

“Seliah, no!” Dark arts curse him. Jadren strode forward. “I’m the wizard. The guilt is mine.”

“It was my idea,” Seliah said flatly, turning to face him and folding her arms over her chest. “You would never have thought to reverse your healing ability that way if I hadn’t suggested it.”

He nearly choked on her casual dropping of that information, and on his terrible fear for her. “You need to stop talking right now.”

Typical of her, instead of being even remotely cowed, she gave him a cheeky grin. “It’s time to lay our cards on the table. We’re between a rock and a hard place and have nothing to lose at this point.”

“That was a dreadful mixing of metaphors,” he growled.

She rolled her eyes. “The least of our problems. I won’t tell them your name, since that’s yours to share or not, but we came here so they could help you with your magic. It’s time to ask for that help.”

He nearly sputtered, pointing at Chaim. “Did you miss the part where he wants me dead?”

She glanced at Chaim consideringly. “I think he’s new in his position as lord of a High House and is committed to following the rules and doing the right thing, so far as he understands it.”

Chaim raised his brows. “I am sitting right here.”

“Do you disagree with my assessment?” Seliah returned coolly.

“I’m not delighted by the implication that I don’t understand my own mind,” Chaim answered slowly. “But I think you are not wrong. You are also not quite who I thought.”

Seliah smiled thinly. “Messed up in the head, yes. Stupid, no.”

Chaim dipped his chin in acknowledgment, then focused his keen gaze on Jadren, looking through him as healing-wizards had an uncanny knack for doing, not unlike the Hanneil wizards and just as unsettling. “Explain what Seliah means by reversing your healing magic.”

Jadren threw up his hands in resignation. Seliah had a point that they had little to lose. If the Convocation got their paws on him, things would only get worse, whether or not they figured out a way to kill him for good. Whereas if they could convince Refoel to help him instead of handing him over for execution… It was a long shot, but better than no shot at all.

“You already know I possess healing magic,” he said. “I had a device—an El-Adrel widget—that enabled me to direct that healing outward. When Ozana hurt Seliah to force me to come with her, something I knew would be gravely dangerous for Seliah and me, I reversed the widget to use that magic to… Well, instead of knitting her tissues back together, I blew them apart.”

“Abomination,” Maya whispered, looking horrified.

“An easy stone for you to throw,” Seliah said, “sitting here in your peaceful, beautiful valley. You have no idea what this man has endured at the hands of people like Ozana, who wanted to return him to a kind of torture you can’t possibly imagine. You have no idea,” she repeated, slanting Jadren a quirk of a smile.

He tried to frown at her but didn’t quite get there, having to fight back a laugh. Funny girl.

“Why would you need a device to ‘direct healing outward?’” Liat asked, a fascinated look on her face.

Though Jadren really hesitated to say—old habits of silence and secrecy die hard—Seliah gave him an encouraging nod. It was true, this was why they’d come to Refoel. “I’ve never been able to heal anyone else,” he temporized. “I don’t know why. Using this device, however, I was able to heal Seliah.”

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