Shade and Sorceress Read Online Free Page A

but it was comforting, somehow, just to hear herself.
It was difficult to make out his expression, but she could have sworn he looked puzzled. At that moment, the door behind her opened again and a small woman with grey streaks in her dark hair came bustling in with a tray of food. She very efficiently unfolded four long legs from the tray, so that it became a little table, and placed it in front of Eliza. It contained a plate of steaming waffles smothered in berries and whipped cream, as well as sausages and eggs and fried tomatoes and a big mug of hot chocolate.
“Missus Ash,” Kyreth intoned, by way of introduction. “She will take care of you, Eliza Tok.”
“Oh,” said Eliza, at a loss for words. Seeing such an ordinary-looking woman in a place like this was almost more surprising than being surrounded by Mancers, or doors appearing in walls, or sirens going off. Missus Ash gave Eliza a quick, friendly smile and then said cheerfully to Kyreth, “Let me know if she needs anything else, aye,” almost as if he were just a man and not this terrifying being with blazing eyes. Kyreth gave a single nod and Missus Ash left them alone again. The archipelegan aye had startled Eliza and she stared after the woman a moment, wishing she had stayed.
Reluctantly, she forced her gaze back towards the Mancer.
“Why am I here?” she asked again, more forcefully.
“Has it not been explained to you?” The Supreme Mancer sounded shocked.
Eliza couldn’t remember if it had been or not. What she had heard had not made a great deal of sense.
“There’s been a huge mistake, aye,” she ventured. “They think I can do Magic, and something about my ma, but Ma could nay do any Magic and neither can I.”
“I am sorry,” Kyreth said. “It must seem as if we have kidnapped you. To be accurate, I suppose we have kidnapped you, but believe me when I tell you it was absolutely necessary, that of course you will see your father soon, and that you will come to understand the necessity of our actions.”
Hearing again that she would see her father calmed her slightly. The smell of the hot chocolate got the better of her and she raised the mug to her lips. It wasn’t as if they were likely to try to poison her, after all. It was the perfect temperature, hot and soothing, but not so hot as to burn her tongue. It was the best, richest, most chocolaty hot chocolate she had ever tasted.
“I will answer all of your questions, Eliza, but first we have an urgent matter to take care of. The sound you heard a few minutes ago was the Citadel telling us that Unauthorized Magic was being done on the premises. I suspect...indeed, I hope...that it was something you did. Perhaps accidentally. Before you heard the siren, Eliza, did you try to do something?”
“I’d just...I didnay know where I was,” said Eliza. “I was getting dressed.”
She realized she was terribly hungry after all and began on the waffles. No point starving herself, after all. They were delicious.
The Mancer’s voice was heavy. “It is very important that you be honest with me, Eliza. Did you do any Magic?”
In spite of her fear and confusion, Eliza almost wanted to laugh. It was all such an absurd, hideous mistake, her being here. She was afraid of what he would do, but she said again, “I told you, I can nay do Magic! Trust me, I’ve tried! My best friend and I used to...” She trailed off, because he didn’t seem to be listening any more and likely wouldn’t be interested in the half-serious attempts she and Nell had made to mix potions.
“You are safe for the time being,” he muttered, looking past her. She wasn’t sure if he was talking to her, or to himself, or even to somebody else she couldn’t see. This last possibility gave her a little shiver of fright. Then he looked straight at her with those radiant eyes and she found she had to look away immediately.
“For many hundreds of generations, the Mancers have guarded and guided the Shang Sorceress from