Page 85 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
“And yet his solution was to order Felix to kill me if it turns out there is no cure!”
The blood drained from Garren’s face. His expression twisted into something close to a snarl as he turned and fixed Felix with a look of utter loathing. “I wouldn’t have imagined you stooping quite that low to get your way.”
Felix clenched his fists and shifted his stance, but did not respond to Garren’s accusation. That was good, because Isolde was not done. Swirls of magic gathered around her as she stepped between Garren and Felix to force the former’s attention on her.
“You are so quick to see the worst in Felix and the best in my father, even though he happily sent me off blindly without a thought for the sense behind it. Only so he could avoid a scandal!”
“You are blinded by infatuation,” Garren said dismissively. “If you were older and wiser, you would realise this is a mistake, a childish indulgence. You are a noblewoman, educated, intelligent. You have value. He is nothing but a lowlife sellsword.”
Felix raised his eyebrows. “I’m standing right here, Garren.”
“This is not about Felix!” Isolde all but shouted.
Garren ignored them both. “Your father cares about your long-term happiness, the wellbeing of your family, while Felix only sees you as fleeting entertainment. It is in his nature to encourage you to be reckless and make rash, dangerous decisions. He doesn’t care about your future. He will tire of you like he tired of that bard, and probably plenty of other easy women before that, and disappearwhen things get too difficult. When half the world comes after you because you made the wrong decision, he will not be there to protect you.”
Behind her, Felix moved, and she felt the heat of his rage at her back. Isolde tried to step in front of him, but he ducked around her effortlessly and dashed at Garren before anyone could stop him. His fist connected with Garren’s jaw hard enough to make him stagger backwards. Felix lunged after him, landing a second punch before Garren could defend himself.
Luella started forward to intervene, but Mia grabbed hold of her arm. “Wait,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “Let him get a few more in.”
“Let him… what?” Luella replied, blinking at Mia in confusion before she shook her head, pulled free and shoved herself boldly in between the two men. “Stop it, both of you,” she barked.
“Get out of my way, Lu,” Felix snarled. “He’s had it coming for far too long.”
Leif, meanwhile, was struggling to pull Felix back by one arm, but Felix was not backing down. Isolde didn’t think she had ever seen him this angry, even when they had had that argument in the Crovan village.
Mia turned to her, eyebrows raised in faint amusement. “I suppose we should probably do something. Will you or shall I?”
Isolde stared at her but didn’t move, so Mia shrugged and stepped forward. She wove around Luella as graceful as any accomplished dancer and spread her hands out, looking back and forth between Garren and Felix. “Boys,” she said sweetly, and as soon as she did, IsoldefeltMia’s power. It was a small, quiet thing, nothing like her own wild current that immediately wanted to reach out to Mia’s, pull at it and draw it in. But she did not let it, and a flush of pleasure and pride ran through her at the realisation that she had that level of control now. It was almost effortless.
“You may have your disagreements,” Mia continued, “but beating each other up will solve nothing. Stand down and talk this through calmly and politely, like good boys.”
Garren shook himself like a dog, as if trying to clear his head. “Right,” he mumbled. “You’re right.”
Felix, however, only scowled. “Don’t try that shit on me, Mia,” he grunted, then lunged sideways and tried to get around all of them, only to be intercepted by Luella and Leif.
Isolde had enough. She forced her way through the press of bodies until they stood toe to toe. “Felix, please.”
His face softened when he finally looked at her, but his eyes were still dark and stormy, full of anger and hurt.
“He insulted you! How do you expect –”
“It isn’t important, Felix!” She interrupted. “I don’t care what Garren thinks about us being together.”
Garren huffed behind her. Luella smacked him.
At Isolde’s words, though, all the fight seemed to go out of Felix. His hand covered hers, still pressed to his chest. The ghost of a smile crossed his face, small and warm and for her alone. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but his eyes flicked over the others and he closed it again, exhaled slowly and nodded. “Fine,” was all he said, and stalked back to where he’d been standing before.
Mia was eyeing Felix with a mixture of confusion and amazement. “Right,” she said finally. “I suggest the boys stay quiet and let the adults talk. Isolde, you were saying you need to free something, but that mage needs you to bind it. So, what do we do?”
Isolde bit her lip. They all looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell them what to do. It made her feel strong, but also terrified. What if she was wrong?
While Isolde pondered this, Garren could apparently not help himself. “The only reasonable course of action is to simply meet this mage at the Nexus and wait for your father.” He took a deep breath. “That would be the sensible thing to do.”
Mia pressed her lips together, slowly breathed out through her nose, then rounded on Garren. “Isaid,”she snarled, “be quiet, or I will show you whateasy womenlike me are capable of when windbags like you push them too far.”
Garren was quiet. Luella looked like she seriously considered giving Mia a pat on the back, but settled for a look of faint amusement.
“Maybe…” Isolde began, still frowning, “we should just meet the mage. Pretend I’m willing to help with his ritual.”
