Page 55 of Changelings
Limping to bed, Imogen piled extra pillows to keep her leg elevated and then sank back with a groan. Shadow jumped up to lay next to her, something he wasn’t supposed to do but she allowed it. He smelled musky—needs a bath—but he was warm.Just this once.
With eyes stinging from tiredness and crying, Imogen watched the fire crackle.
Even now, in the aftermath of the horror, her mind ran.
I’ll make him pay.
And,I want to talk to Balar again.
And,What does it feel like to fall in love?
And finally,I’ll sleep, but just for a moment.
19
Even with his convictions and promises to himself to give Imogen time and space, Balar thought it very big of him, and brave and gracious, too, that he’d made it four days. Anything more would be considered cruel, surely.
Even Soren agreed that it couldn’t hurt to stop by for a little while. Just to ask how she was getting on and see where it went from there.
Balar wouldn’t arrive emptyhanded, either. He was in Granach when all the marketplace stalls opened for the day, carefully considering the wares as shopkeepers went about setting out their goods. Quite a few people called out greetings, but Balar wouldn’t be deterred. He’d determined to bring just one gift, nottoo much,so it needed to be perfect.
After a circuit of every stall, he’d narrowed the choices down to five strong contenders. Balar wanted to be decisive, yet passersby kept getting in his way.
“Well, aren’t you a stranger nowadays.”
Balar looked up from the little ear bobs glinting in themorning sun to behold Bettie the barmaid with a few of her friends. He nodded politely before going back to his careful consideration.
“Good morning, Bettie. My apologies, but this courting business is quite serious.”
“Courting?” she said in a voice that sounded suspiciously choked.
Balar glanced up again to make sure she wasn’t actually choking.
One of Bettie’s friends pushed her aside, her face bright with interest when she asked, “So it’s true, then? You’re courting Imogen Ahearn?”
“Indeed I am,” he said, a smile spreading across his lips just to hear her name. “She’s mykigara.”
The women and all the nearby shopkeepers twittered with surprise, and Balar realized he may have made a mistake when at least a dozen people leaned closer, encircling him.
“The Ahearn woman? Really?”
“Weren’t you asking about her some weeks ago?”
“Does that mean you actually found her place in the woods?”
“Is it as haunted as they say?”
Balar frowned, trying to keep up with all the questions. “It is a perfectly quaint cottage. Not haunted.”
“Oh ho, so he has been there! Have you been inside?”
“I was dared once to go touch her front door, but I couldn’t find it!”
Elbowing her way to the front again, Bettie demanded, “What do you even like about her?”
“She’s rather…unfriendly,” agreed another barmaid.
“She only ever talks to those animals of hers.”
