Page 34 of Daughter of No Worlds

“Hm.” A flicker crossed Sammerin’s face, gone before I could identify it. Then, “You aren’t from Ara, are you?”

Oh, he was pretending that my accent wasn’t that noticeable. Very cute. “I came from Threll.”

“That is a long journey.”

I nodded.

Sammerin’s fingers hovered at his chin, thoughtfully brushing his cropped beard. “And you came just for the Orders?”

I nodded. “I met a Valtain, Zeryth, who teach me about them. He said he would introduce me, but…”

Sammerin and Max exchanged a look. Max sat up straighter, suddenly attentive. “ZerythAldris?”

“Yes.” I flicked my eyes between the two men across from me, my own interest piqued by theirs. “You know him?”

“What was Zeryth doing in Threll?” Max asked.

“He said — Order things.” I tried not to look too interested. “Why?”

Silence for a second too long. “We’re just curious,” Sammerin said.

“How do you know him?”

“It’s a long story. We—”

“Sammerin, I don’t mean to interrupt you but—” Max stood up, peering out the window. “Your apprentice has set my rose bushes on fire.”

Sammerin jumped to his feet, muttering a word that I didn’t understand but was spoken with the violent enthusiasm of a curse. “That boy. You have no idea.”

I have some idea,I thought.

“Five years, four months, and twenty-six days.” Sammerin paused at the door, his voice softening into a honeyed tone that, I suspected, was reserved only for attractive young women. “It was lovely to meet you, Tisaanah.”

“And you.” I unleashed my most well-practiced, charming smile.

I wondered if Sammerin would be open to taking a second apprentice. He seemed far more agreeable.

“What about me?” Max said. “Was itlovelyto see me, Sammerin?”

Sammerin placed a sarcastic hand over his heart. “Always, Max.”

Then he slipped out the door, leaving it to slam behind him. In the distance, we heard his voice. “Moth! By the Ascended, what are youdoing?”

“I was just—”

“You can’t just wander around throwing those sparks—”

The voices stopped abruptly. I wondered if they had disappeared like Nura had when she brought me here.

Max and I sat in silence for a moment, looking at each other.

“You could havethatapprentice,” I said, at last.

A smile quirked at the corners of Max’s mouth, though it looked like he was fighting it desperately. “True,” he replied.

And then, at the same time, we both chuckled.

Chapter Ten

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