Chapter 6

Intermission

Darynn smiled as he pulled the robes tightly about himself. Although inside the council chamber the fires had kept the meeting comfortably warm, outside the chill of winter easily permeated the halls of the Administration Building on the College. As he walked away he had the distinct taste of victory in his mouth. He thought back... it had only been minutes earlier...

"Master Darynn," Teltirray had said, approaching him.

"Master Teltirray," he had replied gracefully.

"I wish to thank you. Your teaching of Aimee' has been wonderful. Her learning is spectacular, her skill growing appreciably in the six months you have known her. I admit, I had misgivings. After all, your... preference... did not encourage me to send her to you." He positively sneered the word 'preference, ' a sure sign to him that Teltirray was still dealing with him fairly, if uncomfortably. There was no double meaning here. "I thought you had nothing to teach. I see that your knowledge of, well, men, applies to her skills very clearly." The grin he gave Darynn made the blood run cold. He wondered how much of that 'skill' was applied strictly to the healing arts in a sense of self-preservation. "I thank you, especially since you have taken upon yourself an increase in the time you spend on her training, beyond our agreement, without asking for an increase in the cost."

"Master Teltirray, Aimee' presents a challenge. I hope you do not take this wrongly, but I feel I am learning from her as I have never worked with a woman before and feel most uncomfortable doing so."

Teltirray smiled, taking Darynn's words exactly as he had expected. "I understand. Still, I appreciate beyond words what you have done to her."

"It has been a challenge. I am grateful to you."

"I apologize for interrupting you. I see you are in a hurry."

"No, merely anxious to return home. I have much to do tonight."

"Then I shall not keep you any longer. Good day."

"Good day." Teltirray had departed.

Darynn walked down the hall, enjoying his success, celebrating with quiet happiness the nurtured hope that Aimee' might survive Teltirray's abuses unharmed and that she might someday register at the College as a student... under his aegis. So complete was his self absorption that he didn't notice the woman at the end of the hall until her hand reached out and dragged him aside. "What?"

The woman stepped back out of reach as his hand came up in a defensive posture. "Whoa, Darynn! It's me!"

"Bethsany?"

"Right, right! You could scare a body half to death if it didn't freeze in here first. Don't you mages believe in heat?"

"Unlike your usual clientele, mages are not likely to walk around unclothed. What are you doing here?"

"Came looking for you. I need to talk to you."

"About Aimee'?"

She nodded. "You're hoping she kills him, aren't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said as he put up privacy spells as fast as he possibly could. Before she could speak again, he put his hand up to silence her. Open mouthed, she stared, then nodded and closed it again. "Now then. As I was saying, I have no idea what you're talking about."