Thieves World 7 – The Dead of Winter by Asprin, Robert

only Askelon bred in Meridian, his panoply agleam as it came within orb of all

her magic.

So she had to shut down her wards and go outside to greet him, leaving Randal

half unbound with only the snakes to guard him.

Still, it was sweeter than she’d thought it could be, when anger had consumed

her-ecstasy just to see him.

He’d shaved. His boyish face was smiling. He rode up to her and slipped off his

horse, cavalry style, and slapped its rump. “Go home, horse, to your stable,” he

told it, then told her, “I won’t need him here, I’m sure.”

Here. Then he was staying. He understood. But he’d not done anything she’d

asked.

So she said, “And Janni? What of the soul of your poor partner? How can you

leave him with Ischade-that whore of darkness? How can you-“

“How can you torture Randal?” Niko said levelly, taking a step closer to Roxane,

hands empty and out stretched. “It makes it so hard for me to do this. Can’t

you-for my sake, won’t you let him go? Unharmed. Unensorceled. Free of even the

taint of hostile magic.”

As he spoke, he pulled her against him gently until she pushed back, fearful of

the burns his armor could inflict. “If you’ll get rid of that-gear,” she

bargained, trying to keep her hackles from rising. He should know better than to

come to her armored with protections forged by the entelechy of dream. Stupid

boy. He was beautiful but dumb, pure, but too innocent to be as canny as his

smile portended.

She waved a hand behind her. “Done.” And as she spoke, a howl of rage and

triumph issued from inside and something, with a crash, came bursting out the