Seven Dreams (44 page)

‘
Aysun, it’s not as bad as-’

‘
It’s
an
orting
?’

‘
Yes-’

‘
Summoned?’

‘
No.
Wild.’

Mamma drew her
husband away and lowered her voice, and the conversation passed
beyond Llandry’s hearing. She sensed her father’s anger, feeling
his eyes on her as her mother spoke. She sat down next to Sigwide’s
box, confused and a little afraid. Her parents’ voices grew louder,
and she overheard snippets of conversation.

‘
...as
stubborn as your father.’ That was Mamma.

‘
...nothing like my father!’ Papa sounded quite upset, and
Llandry began to feel sick.

‘
The
similarity is obvious. You take an idea, no matter how irrational,
and refuse to be moved.’

‘
Because my father couldn’t accept you, you persist in
assuming-’

‘
This
isn’t about me! This creature is harmless and it will be good for
Llan to have a companion. Why can’t you see that?’

‘
If
she wants a companion we will get her a pet. Something
safer.’

Mamma snorted at
that and walked away a few steps. When she turned back to Pa, she
spoke too quietly for Llandry to hear any more. Llandry could only
sit near Sigwide’s box, crouched and miserable, and
wait.

At length her
parents’ conversation was over. Papa approached and knelt down
before her with a sigh.

‘
Llandry. Your mother’s already received a promise from you,
but I need you to promise me as well. If you ever see anything like
that again, you must keep away from it. Understand?’

He was stern but
no longer furious. Llandry was so relieved she would have promised
anything at all. She nodded her head solemnly.

‘
I
need you to understand why, Llandry. It’s dangerous. You could be
drawn away from us, and you wouldn’t be able to come back very
easily. We might not be able to find you. And the creatures you
would meet there are not all as harmless as this one.’ He frowned
at the tiny grey body curled up in the box. Llandry bit her
trembling lip, suddenly anxious.

‘
Papa!
I may keep him, mayn’t I?’

‘
I
would rather you didn’t, but yes. He must be trained, though. I’ll
get a summoner to come to the house tomorrow.’

Llandry beamed,
expressing her gratitude with an enveloping hug. He patted her head
a little awkwardly, then swung her up onto his wingless
back.

‘
Let
the little beast sleep.’

***

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Also
by Charlotte E. English

The
Draykon Series

Draykon

Lokant

Orlind

The
Lokant Libraries

Seven
Dreams

The
Malykant Mysteries

The Rostikov
Legacy

The Ivanov
Diamond

Myrrolen's Ghost
Circus

Ghostspeaker

The
Drifting Isle Chronicles

Black
Mercury

Tales
of Aylfenhame

Miss Landon and
Aubranael

Miss Ellerby and
the Ferryman