Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

46: Dax - Witchery

Dax hesitated in the doorway of the witch's room after Katerine entered, without knocking. Paget Aithne sat in one of the armchairs by the fire. She smiled at Katerine and arched a finely shaped eyebrow at Dax.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

Her green eyes drilled into his head. She motioned for him to sit opposite her, her eyes following him while he dumped his bag and coat on the floor beside the other armchair.

As Katerine watched from the bed, Dax gave a brief version of the failed tryst with Taniel, trying to hide his nervousness. When he had stopped speaking, the silence hung for a long moment.

Dax ate the tart he had brought with him. He licked jam from his fingers and brushed pastry from his whiskers, grateful to have something to do to avoid looking at the two women. He wiped his sweating palms on his thighs, pretending to brush away more crumbs.

He spoke first. "I don't understand. If the girl changed her mind, then why did she come up to me? She should have expected I would think she had taken the potion." He eyed Katerine. "She looked like she had it."

"I do not understand why she didn't respond to you," Katerine said. "The potion was working before she even left the kitchen with your tray. It never fails."

"Oh, she responded all bloody right, but like I said, next thing she was off out the door and I couldn't stop her." He shook his head in remembered disbelief.

"That doesn't make sense," Katerine said.

"None of this ever made sense," Dax said.

Katerine flung up her hands. "I don't know why we have to go through this charade. We should have made a bargain with her. Eighalh would be none the wiser. They wouldn't even know she was with us." She scowled at the floor. "We wouldn't need this unplanned meeting nonsense."

Paget sighed. "We couldn't risk that. Someone would find out she was at Stakkr, sooner or later. The trouble would be horrendous."

"What are you two talking about?" Dax asked. "Unplanned meeting?"

Katerine ignored him.

"We should have had her at Stakkr by now," Katerine said to Dax. "That little sneak, your brother didn't bring her home."

"What has my brother got to do with this?" Dax demanded, jumping to his feet.

"During the interception, Jarryd gave Taniel his clan- ring. I saw it. Did you not wonder why your mother got you to put him away?"

"Me?" Dax's mouth fell open. He glanced from one woman to the other recalling he had aided Wizard Ritter with a spell, a few days ago. And, he had thought Jarryd's interception took place across the country. "But..."

"But..." His voice choked.

Paget sat thinking, tapping a manicured fingernail against her teeth.

  "Oh, grow up Dax."  Katerine giggled. "You really should stop believing Olivia's bullshit. Did you really think Taniel asked to be kept from Eighalh by having a wizard get her with child? "

Dax opened his mouth. He closed it.

Paget turned her troubled gaze on Katerine. "Have you finished work?"

"I better go down and check with Hanrey," she said. "Better try and get my wages, too."

Dax's mind reeled. He kept his silence until Katerine had slid from the bed and left.

"It's my lucky day," he sighed. "I didn't touch her." Dax sat heavily, putting his face in his hands, cursing under his breath, feeling all sorts of a fool. He felt relief, too, as he had not wanted to marry, despite the girl having a lot to offer him. She was worth far more to Jarryd. His brother had a chance to regain his lost magic. Dax did not want to hinder that.