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Back Priestess of the White
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. TRUDI CANAVAN
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. PART TWO
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. PART THREE
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. EPILOGUE
  58. GLOSSARY
  59. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  60. About the Author
  61. Other Books by Trudi Canavan
  62. About the Publisher

“He won’t come between—”

“He will. He already has. I saw it in his mind. You have broken the law against dream-linking. What next?”

“I’ve accepted Dreamweaver healing before, Juran. There is a similarly ridiculous law against that too. You’re not so foolish as to think this is a sign that I do not respect the laws in general.”

“You must appear to be lawful,” he replied. “Or you will lose the respect of the people. Just learning of your affair will damage your standing in their eyes.”

“Not as much as you think. Not all people dislike Dreamweavers.”

“The majority distrust them.” He paused, then sighed. “Auraya, I wish I did not have to ask this of you.” He grimaced. “I do not wish to cause you pain. But you must give up Leiard.”

Auraya shook her head. “I can’t, Juran.”

“You can,” he said firmly. “Eventually you will look back and see it was the right thing to do, even if it was painful at the time. You have to trust me on this.”

Trust? This has nothing to do with trust. Everything he’s said comes from fear. Fear that a Dreamweaver will have too much influence over me. Fear that if I offend just one prejudiced Circlian, the rest will stop respecting us all. Most of all, he fears change.

She managed a smile. “I do trust you, Juran. I expect you to trust me in return. I will not let Leiard come between me and the people. They will barely know he exists.”

She turned away and strode to the door flap.

“Auraya.”

Pausing in the entrance, she looked back.

“He can’t come back,” Juran told her. “I gave him an order, and I don’t think even he will disobey it.”

She smiled. “No. He wouldn’t. Doesn’t that tell you something, Juran? Doesn’t that tell you he isn’t someone to be afraid of?”

Turning away, she stepped outside and launched herself into the air.

40

Clouds were slowly creeping down from the north, blotting out the stars one by one. Bellin yawned, then turned his attention back to the gowts. Most had folded their long, spindly legs beneath themselves and were dozing. A few remained alert, their slender heads moving from side to side as they kept a watch for predators.

They were clever animals. They accepted him as an extra form of protection, and allowed him to milk them in return. Yet they never lost their natural wariness. Despite his presence, they took turns as lookouts throughout the night.

Which is just as well, he thought. I can’t help falling asleep or being distracted now and then.

He leaned back against the rock wall and drew some magic. Converting it to light, he sent a glow into the space before him, then he began to shape it.