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because… Because she was Sacha and her sole purpose in this life was to annoy him to no end; driving him crazy was just a side benefit. Derek groaned.
    “Well I suggest that next time, you wake me up instead of disappearing like that. Where were you anyway?”
    The young woman snorted and started toward the barn . Derek followed, putting the plate aside.
    “I wanted to thank the farmer and his wife for their hospitality and I asked where we can find a proper library.”
    “A library?”
    She was demented. Too little sleep and too much ale had finally pushed her over the edge. He was taking her back to her father. Now. Period.
    Sacha was looking at him as if he w ere slow, her impatience barely contained.
    “Yes, Derek , a library: you must have heard about it. It is a place stocked with books and charts. Scholars use them for knowledge.”
    She ignored his growl and went on:
    “ You may not know where Caer Lon is, but I will find out.”
    The way she hammered the first word, she could have poked at him in the chest with her finger. It felt like it.
    “ Sacha …”
    He barely recognized his voice in the low defeated tone. She picked up her saddle but waddled under the load. It was too heavy for her to even think about reaching the back of her horse but she clenched her teeth and tried anyway. She never gave up and that he admired, even if her stubbornness irritated him senseless . Derek took the saddle off her hands to put it into place effortlessly before he tended to his own stallion. Sacha continued her explanation with only a short nod to acknowledge his gallantry.
    “We have to go to Lann Stefan. The farmer told me the monks at Saint Stephen monastery are known for their sc h olars .”
    She kept including him in her nonsense. Where we can find… We have to go… She was assuming they were together in this, but she refused to listen to him if his words were not to her liking; as always…
    Derek took a deep breath and reviewed his options quickly. One : he could go with her and try to convince her it was a wild goose chase. Two : he could go the right direction and worry about her safety all the way. Three : he could go back to Haven and explain to her father he had let her on her own. Four : he could grab her , tie her up across his saddle, and take her home.
    Sacha had climbed on her horse and was looking at him, visibly waiting. He sighed.
    “Fine. But next time, you will wake me up.” He too could use words to make someone feel small. “I am serious Sacha ; other places will not be as safe as this one.”
    She smiled beautifully. Derek couldn’t help but return it. Lann Stefan was e ast, after all. Sacha pursed her lips , satisfied she had won this battle .
    “You snore…”
    “I do not!”
    The little witch had already kicked her mount into a trot . Derek gritted his teeth and followed, forgetting about breakfast. Option four had its appeal; definitely.
     

Chapter 6
     
     
    The servant put the tray on the table, eyes glued to the floor, before he retreated as quickly as he could into a corner.
    This one would be gone in a week, he thought ; ten days at most. Twice as clumsy as the slaves he bought in Londin i um, and just as worthless. Those puppets were pitiful. His cup was only half full, and yet it was a miracle the wine had not spilled on the food. The man snapped his fingers and the boy yelped in terror, jumping forward to fill his goblet before he fled back to his corner. Their submission was disgusting.
    He glanced at the boy’s reflection in the cup and played with it, back and forth, making the image move sideways. A hiccup echoed behind him, nearly a sob, as the meagre body followed the impossible movements the sorcerer gave to its image on the cup, twisting at impossible angles. Finally tired of his game, the man crushed the goblet i n his massive hand. A gasp of pain , followed by the muffled sound of boneless members hitting the ground answered the man’s impatient grimace. Pitiful