“Don’t patronize me! You’re the one who was telling me to trust my instincts, and now you say my instincts can’t be trusted, because they’re telling me something you don’t want to believe?”

“Because it’s childish and silly.” Kris snorted.

Talia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Kris, I don’t agree with you, but let’s not fight about it.”

Kris bit back what he wanted to say. At least she wasn’t going to force him to stay on the defensive. “If you want.”

‟It—it isn’t what I want. What I want is for you to believe and trust in my judgment. If I can’t have that—well, I just don’t want to fight about it.”

“My uncle,” he said carefully, trying to be absolutely fair to both sides, “is very fond of power. He doesn’t like giving it up. That in itself is probably the reason he’s been displaying antagonism toward Heralds and you in particular. Just be firm and cool and don’t give an inch when you know you’re in the right. He’ll settle down and resign himself; as you said, he’s not stupid. He knows better than to fight when he can’t win. You’ll never be friends, but I doubt that you need to fear him. He may be fond of power, but he has always had the best interests of the Kingdom at the forefront of his concerns.”

“I wish I could feel as confident about that as you do.” She sighed, then shifted in her saddle, as if trying to ease an uncomfortable position.

Kris began to make a retort, then thought better of it, and grinned. At this point a change of subject was called for. “Why don’t you worry about something else—Dirk, for instance?”

“Beast.” She smiled when she saw he was laughing at her.

“So I am. I’m sure he’ll tell me the same. Oh, well, the best thing you can do for that little trouble is to let affairs take their natural course. Soon or late, he’ll come to the point—if I have to push him myself!”

“Callous, too.” She pouted mischievously at him.

“Believe it,” he replied agreeably. “I’m going to enjoy teasing the life out of both of you.”

Talia schooled herself to remain calm. As she had told Skif, there was nothing to be done right now. There were other things she wanted to find out before she took that Council seat in the morning, too—like whether the rumors that she had “misused” her Gift to manipulate others were still active. And who was keeping them active, if they were. At this point, it was a bit too late to try and find out who had originated them.