Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

65: Taniel - Breakfast, Stakkr-style

I concentrated on devouring my eggs and wished I were still being treated like a prisoner. I blushed every time Dax grinned at me, knowing he relived me bashing of Wizard Ritter with the chamber pot wearing naught but a piss-soaked scowl.

His mother tried to look stern, but her eyes betrayed her amusement, too. Somehow, I had earned myself an invitation to breakfast in the Blue Hall. I studied Olivia out the corner of my eye. She was stunning. Gorgeous masses of red hair flowed down her back. Her green eyes missed nothing and they caught my glance.

"Well, here we are. One big happy family," she said, beaming around the table. The silly comment made my lips twitch, but I did not want Paget to gag me again. "A pity Jarryd is not here," she went on. "Taniel, you remember Jarryd? You met outside of that cave where you watched your dragons."

"Of course," I said, smug in the knowledge I knew him better than she thought. "Is Wizard Ritter not joining us for breakfast?"

Katerine kicked my chair leg.

Dax sniggered.

Olivia frowned at me. "Ryne does not feel up to eating." She smoothed her brow, smiling pleasantly again. "In fact, he is not up to anything much at all."

She turned to Paget. "About that little task, it's obvious the Blood Ban did not cause Dax's failure last night. This girl has already tapped into her wild magic, somehow. Paget, you did check her, did you not? We don't want my plans upset by some stable boy's bastard in her belly."

Paget frowned at me as I opened my mouth. "I checked her, Olivia."

"You will use Dax's seed."

The witch nodded.

"Mother! No." A lifted finger from his mother silenced him.

"So, where is Jarryd?" I asked Olivia. "Why isn't he here? Is he accosting some other poor unsuspecting dragonspeaker?

"I have no idea." Her brow wrinkled. "I am a little worried. It's not like him to go off without letting me know where he's going."

Fenberry removed my plate and utensils. I smiled my thanks. Another wizard, I marvelled, disguised as an impeccable manservant. I cleared my throat, intending to complain some more about the potion and my kidnapping.

Paget's crumpled eyebrows stopped my words. I did not want to spoil our recent truce.

After I had knocked out Wizard Ritter, Paget had been summoned to examine him before Dax and Fenberry took him away. The witch helped me clean the piss off me and unpacked my clothes. Introducing me to witchery whispers, she insisted we go through with an impregnation charade to gain time to get me away unscathed. She convinced me I would suffer no harm and swore that I would leave Stakkr in the same condition as I had arrived.

Driscoll was on his way, she had said.

I wished I knew if Jarryd was with the firedrake. I wondered if I could communicate with them. Apparently, my mindspeech ability was another puzzle.

Olivia had questioned me, at length, about my ability to reach into the heads of every magical person in the castle, including her. Only third grade wizards could open such personal mindpaths, she said. When I could not repeat the mindpath trick with them, Olivia and Dax seemed suspicious.

I sighed. People who lied and kept secrets never trusted others. And, what was Olivia, anyway? She hardly seemed older than Dax.

"Taniel?"

"Huh?" I looked up and discovered everyone eyed me.

Paget's eyebrows were furrowed.

Katerine looked incredulous.