intimidate her into leaving, but a small demonstration of her Gifts had convinced them to leave her alone. The sharp-nosed girl across the road had attempted to befriend her, but Emerahl had turned her away. She was not going to be here long enough to need friends, and did not intend to share her customers or income with another.
A chill rain began to fall. Emerahl drew magic and shaped it into a barrier over her head. She noted how the dark twins huddled close under a window awning. One cupped her hands and red light began to spill from between her fingers. The other twin wrapped her hands around her sister’s.
Across the street, the sharp-nosed girl quickly became soaked, turning her from a young woman into a bedraggled child. To Emerahl’s amusement, the girl’s clinging wet clothes attracted a customer. She nodded to herself as the pair disappeared. Though she did not want the girl’s friendship, she had enough fellow-feeling for these street whores that seeing them courting illness bothered her.
The rain became heavier. Pedestrians grew fewer, and most barely spared the street girls a glance. Emerahl watched as a pair of young men swaggered down the opposite side of the road. One looked up at her, then nudged his companion with an elbow. The other began to look in her direction, but as he was about to see her something blocked their view.
Emerahl frowned at the covered platten that had pulled up in front of her. Then she saw the man looking at her from behind an opening in the cover. Middle-aged, she noted, but well dressed. She smiled. “Greetings,” she said. “Are you looking for something?”
His eyes narrowed and a wry smile curled his lips. “Indeed I am.”
She then sauntered up to the opening.
“Something I can help you with?” she murmured.
“Perhaps,” he said. “I was looking for a little company. Some stimulating conversation.”
“I can offer you stimulating
He laughed, then his eyes strayed to the magical shield above her.
“A useful Gift.”
“I have many useful Gifts,” she said slyly. “Some are useful to me, some may be useful to you.”
His eyes narrowed, though whether at the warning or invitation she wasn’t sure. “What is your name?”
“Emmea.”
The opening in the platten cover widened. “Get in, Emmea.”
“That will cost you at least—”
“Get in, and we’ll negotiate out of the rain.”
She hesitated, then shrugged and climbed inside. If the price was too low, or he proved to be troublesome, she could easily use her Gifts to break free. All she would risk was a walk in the rain and, as she settled onto the soft cushions piled upon the seat beside him and noted the gold rings that graced her customer’s fingers, she knew that was a risk worth taking.
The man called out and the platten jerked into motion. It travelled slowly. Emerahl eyed her customer. He stared back at her.
“Thirty ren,” he said. She felt her heart skip. Generous. Perhaps he could be pushed further. She feigned disdain.
“Fifty.”
He pursed his lips. She began undoing the ties on the front of her tunic. His eyes followed every movement of her fingers.
“Thirty-five,” he offered.
She snorted softly. “Forty-five.”
He smiled as she spread open the cloth of her tunic, revealing the length of her body. She lay back on the cushions and saw the desire in his eyes intensify as she ran her hands down her body, from her small breasts to the fine triangle of red hairs at her groin.
He breathed deeply, then met her eyes.
“Heybrin will not protect you from disease.”
So he had noticed the smell of the herb. She smiled thinly. “I know, but men don’t believe me when I tell them my Gifts can.”
The corner of his lip twitched. “I do. How does forty sound?”
“Forty it is, then,” she agreed, sliding across the seat and reaching for the fastening of his finely tailored pants.
He leaned forward and ran the tip of his tongue down her neck to her nipples, and his fingers slid down into her pubic hair, caressing. She smiled and pretended to be aroused by this, hoping he wasn’t thinking she would forgo the fee if he gave a little pleasure in return.
She turned her attention to his body, and soon he was more interested in his own pleasure. Once he was inside her, she let the instincts of her body keep time with his movements and focused her mind on his. Emotion, mostly lust, came to her like drifts of smoke. She was getting better at sensing it.
His movements became more urgent, then he sighed into a climax. Like most men, he drew away after only a moment’s pause. She sighed and relaxed against the cushions.
When she looked up at him, he was regarding her curiously.
“Why is a beautiful young woman like yourself working the streets, Emmea?”
She managed to stop herself looking at him as if he was an idiot.
“Money.”
“Yes, of course. But what of your parents?”
“They threw me out.”
His eyebrows rose. “What did you do?”
“You mean ‘Who?’ - ‘Who did I do?’ ” she said lightly. “Or who didn’t I do? I guess I was meant for this work.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
She regarded him coolly. Why all the questions? “Most of the time,” she lied.
He smiled. “How did you learn about heybrin?”
She considered the motion of the platten. It was still moving slowly. They couldn’t have gone far, but the more he talked the further they travelled from Main Street. Was he trying to intimidate her into forgoing her fee for the sake of escaping him? Well, it wasn’t going to work.
“I... my grandmother knew a lot about herbs and magic. She taught me. Mother said she shouldn’t have taught me how to stop babies until I was married, but...” Emerahl smiled wryly. “My grandi knew me better.”
“My grandmother used to say people will always have vices, so you may as well profit from them.” He frowned. “My father is the opposite. Very moral. He’d hate to see me now. He took our money out of her ‘immoral ventures’ and put it all into the eastern mountains. We’ve made a lot of money out of rare woods and mining.”
Suddenly she understood what was going on. He was the kind of customer who liked to talk. Well, he
“Sounds like he made the right decision, then,” she said.
He grimaced. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. The searches at the gates have slowed traffic and we’ve lost custom because of it. I don’t know why they bother. If a priest with mind-reading Gifts can’t find this sorceress, who can? Now there are rumors the White are going to ally with the Siyee, who want the land we own.”
“The White?”
“Yes. The Siyee sent ambassadors to the White Tower. Apparently one of the White has left to visit Si. The newest one. I guess it’s too much to hope that she’ll mess it up out of inexperience.”
Emerahl shook her head. “Who are the White?”
He turned to stare at her. “You don’t know? How can you not know?”
Something in his tone told her that she had revealed herself ignorant in a matter that every modern man and woman knew well. She shrugged. “My home is remote. We didn’t even have a priest.”
His eyebrows rose. “Well, then. No wonder you ran away.”
