Jean Lorrah - Dragonlord of the Savage Empire

He stared at it and then looked at Aradia. "Did you-"

"No," she said with her wolflike grin. "I was Reading, so I couldn't help." She hugged him. "That was wonderful. And you see? You didn't deplete yourself."

He was trembling, and his knees were weak, but it was more from his astonishment at what he had done than from physical depletion. He tried to Read and for a moment felt a stir of terror, for his power was gone again.

Even as he stood there, though, his Reading cleared. As if a fog had drawn back, he could Read Aradia, then the room, then the house, the city"Aradia, for a moment my Reading was gone again. Now it's returning."

She nodded. "When I was using my Adept powers in battle, I found I could not Read at all. We have much to learn, Lenardo, but we'll learn it together."

He started to put on the wolf-stone, but Aradia stayed his hand.

"No, Lenardo, you are my sworn man no longer. You have well repaid me for the lands I granted you by saving my life and Wulfston's and Lilith's as well. In fact, I should not be telling you what to do with the lands of those whom you destroyed for attacking your people. You could keep them all if you desired."

"I won't," he replied, and laid the wolf-stone back on the chest. "I would not want to, and even if I did, I could not rule so much land."

"Oh, you could," said Aradia. "We could."

"I thought you had given up wanting to rule the world," Lenardo said lightly, hoping to turn it off as a joke.

"We must rule," she said firmly, refusing to be distracted. "Our alliance of four lasted hardly a season before you and I betrayed one another. And we love each other. Wulfston refuses to be my sworn man any longer and defies me to take his lands."

"But he helped you."

"Of course. He is my brother." She gave Lenardo a sad smile. "Wulfston sees me more clearly than you do, not only because we were children together but because his love for me is family love. He see what he considers to be my faults and loves me in spite of them."

"But Wulfston will not hear of forming an empire, nor will Lilith."

"By our laws, those with power rule those with lesser or no powers. They have no choice, for only you and I have both Adept and Reading powers."

Sick at heart, Lenardo said flatly, "I will not do it. I don't want to fight you, Aradia. I want to marry you and live the rest of my life with you. But I will not help you subject Wulfston, Lilith, Julia, Torio-"

"Not subjects, allies. But you and I will make the final decisions if there is a dispute."

"Semantics," he said. "Calling it something else doesn!t change it. We'll see what Wulfston and Lilith have to say."

They left it at that and went to breakfast, their second meal of the day. Julia and Torio were at the table. Lenardo's daughter leaped up to hug him, but Torio gave only polite responses and otherwise remained silent and withdrawn. Lenardo found no trouble doing justice a second time to Cook's efforts.

When they had eaten, Torio asked, "Master Lenardo, may I speak with you?"

"Of course. Come into my room. I've heard nothing but glowing praise about how you helped after the battle. You saved many lives, Torio, by helping the healers."

"Yes," replied Torio, "I am fit for that. But Master Lenardo, one of your servants brought me clothes to wear for some kind of ceremony tomorrow, the robes of a Magister Reader. I can't wear them"

That was quick work. Lenardo had issued the order at dawn, hardly two hours since. "Why can't you wear them?"

"I have not achieved magister rank. I was denied testing. I was failed."

"You did not fail, Torio. I have tested you and found you worthy."

"You?"

Lenardo sat. behind his desk, guiding Torio into the chair opposite. "Do you deny my right to test you?"

"You are a Master Reader," Torio said uncertainly. "But the Council of Masters-"

"Never had the opportunity to examine you. When a Reader proves himself in an emergency, any Master can elevate him, as Master Clement elevated me. The ancient tradition of the Academies is still honored, Torio. We have carried it beyond the pale. I am the only Master Reader here..Do you challenge my authority?"

The boy gasped. "Oh, no, Master."

"Then accept what you are. You have passed every test for the rank of magister except age, and you will find that in the world you have entered, you will be judged by your accomplishments, not your years."

Torio sat silently for a few moments. "Yes, Master," he said at last.

"Something else is disturbing you," Lenardo observed.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," the boy replied. "I ran from Portia and her plans to harm you and me. Master Clement told me to go. I trust him. I trust you. But what did I run to?"

"A whole new world," said Lenardo. "A world where no one will attempt to limit your powers. You will learn Adept powers, too, Torio."

"That frightens me. What you did-I was Reading. I still can't believe it."

Torio was dressed like Lenardo, in a gray ankle-length tunic with a shorter gray tunic over it, ash-colored garments appropriate to a savage funeral. Without moving from his chair behind the desk, Lenardo concentrated on the belt tied loosely around the boy's slim waist and tugged. Torio jumped as if stung. Lenardo smiled grimly and said, "Believe it."

It was easier each time. He breathed a bit hard from the effort, and that was all, except that he had blanked out his Reading again.

Torio lifted his face, as if "looking" at Lenardo as he concentrated, undoubtedly trying to Read him. Lenardo noticed that the boy's eyes were no longer milky but a clear bluish green. Then his Reading returned as it had that morning, spreading outward from himself, and Torio relaxed with a shiver.

"I'm becoming accustomed to the Adepts doing such things. But you-"

"You'll learn to do them yourself. What happened to your eyes?"

"Fila, I think. She must have thought the cataracts were the cause of my blindness, so while my shoulder was healing, she had them dissolve away. I didn't even notice until Julia did."

"We must find Fila and reward her at the ceremony tomorrow. She did save your life, although she will probably be disappointed that she did not restore your sight."

"But many people are blind because of cataracts," said Torio. "Do you think… could I learn to heal? The way the Adepts do?"

"We're all going to learn and teach the Adepts to Read. We'll build an Academy here, Torio, where Readers and Adepts will work together. Will you help me do that?"

"Yes, Master," the boy said eagerly.

"My lord," Lenardo corrected. "That is my title here."

Torio frowned. "People keep calling me 'my lord,' too."

"A title you deserve by virtue of your powers. Torio, we have not settled the details, but there are lands won in the battle just past that will be set aside for you to rule as soon as you come into your full powers."

"To rule? I can't."

"Yes, you can. You must. All your life, you have been taught to fear power. So long as you fear it, it will control you. Master your fears and you will master your powers. Master your powers and you will master your fears."

It was time for the funeral, after which Lenardo would meet with Aradia, Wulfston, and Lilith to decide the future. He dreaded the meeting. It could end with the four of us enemies if Aradia persists in her plan to rule us all.

The mass funeral was sad and solemn, but this time Lenardo spoke for Galen. "He was never evil, he was only weak. Let us build a world in which bright and clever young people like Galen need not fear being forced to do the will of those who have power. A world in which power is used for good."

Torio also spoke for Galen, whom he had once known well. "He was wrong… for the right reasons. I hope… that I will do right for the right reasons."