Page 90 of Sword & Shadow
Thom snorted. “Idiot. Every man knows that’s thelastthing you tell a woman unless you’re sure she loves you back.”
Ilain raised a coppery eyebrow at him. “I didn’t realize you were an expert in romance.”
“Not an expert, no.” He propped his arms on his knees. “But I’ve learned a thing or two over the years.”
“Spare me the details,” she said with a grimace.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said teasingly. “You might find them enlightening.”
“I’ve no interest in hearing about your illicit affairs.”
“Illicit?” He scoffed. “My love affairs have all been aboveboard, I promise you.”
Ilain eyed him. “How many women have you dallied with?”
He smirked. “Notthatmany. But enough to be well informed.”
“Mm. I’ll take your word for it.” Ilain returned to her Fireplay, the flames glittering in the gem-encrusted rings she wore.
Thom gestured to them. “What are all those?” he asked.
She looked at her hands. “My rings?”
“Yes.”
“They represent the elements.” She spread her fingers, the varied gemstones casting a subtle sheen in the dim light of night. She pointed to each gold ring as she explained. “Ruby for Fire, sapphire for Water, diamond for Wind,” she switched, pointing to her left hand, “and emerald for Terrae. I’ve spent the last thirty years imbuing each gemstone with extra stores of the resources, allowing me to access each one more easily. Though I never touch them. I’m saving their power for something...special.”
“Oh.” He pressed his lips together in consideration. “They actually have a purpose. I always thought they were simply ostentatious.”
Her smile turned sly. “They are ostentatious. That’s the point.”
“I thought the point was making you a better Mage,” he replied dryly.
She flipped a hand through the air. “That’s a byproduct. But I could wear them as a necklace or something far less showy. I chose the rings because they make people think I’m flippant and garish. They underestimate me because of it, and that’s how I like it.”
“Youwantto be underestimated?”
“Of course. When they think I’m a foolish young woman, they don’t expect me to be so strong and cunning. It gives me the upper hand in practically every situation.”
Thom could see the merit in the idea but not the appeal. “Don’t people treat you as a lesser that way? If they think you’re a fool, they won’t respect you.”
“Respect is like sex,” she said bluntly. “Nice if you can get it, but not necessary for personal survival.”
Thom stared at her, baffled to hear a woman say something so crass. In Ephria, no woman of good repute would dare say something that suggestive. “Are all Waulden women as lewd as you?” he asked in a tone somewhere between good-humored and perplexed.
Ilain’s jade eyes sparkled like her gemstones. “When you’re forty-two and have only just begun to experience real life, you realize there’s very little use in holding back for the sake of propriety.”
With a shake of his head, Thom marveled at the oddity of Ilain Calder. Mages were a strange breed.
The thought made Thom frown, reminding him that his brother was a Mage now. He’d done his best to ignore the fact, to forget that Deckard had yet again surpassed him. But it seemed a truth he couldn’t escape.
Clearing his throat, Thom stared out into the night. “Do all Mages, uh...never grow old?” he asked.
Ilain’s light laugh rankled. “If you’re worried about watching your brother grow old, don’t be,” she said. “You’ll be dead long before he is.”
Thom’s head whipped toward her.
She met his stare steadily. “Mages live for centuries,” she said, then paused. “Well, most of us do. The more powerful we are, the longer we live. The weakest have perhaps a century and a half, while the rest can go on for at least two to three.”
