"Maria V. Snyder - Yelena 02 - Magic Study" - читать интересную книгу автора (Snyder Maria V)

тАЬI believe I may have found your lost daughter,тАЭ she replied.

A rope ladder descended through the branches.

тАЬLetтАЩs go, girls,тАЭ Irys said. тАЬHere, Yelena, hold the bottom while we climb.тАЭ

A peevish thought about who would hold the ladder for me flashed through my mind. IrysтАЩs annoyed
voice admonished me in my own head. Yelena, you will have no trouble getting into the trees.
Perhaps I should have them raise the ladder when itтАЩs your turn to climb, as you might prefer to
use your grapple and rope.

She was right, of course. I had used the trees to hide from my enemies in Ixia without the convenience of
a ladder. And even now, IтАЩd enjoyed an occasional тАЬwalkтАЭ through the treetops to keep my skills honed.

Irys smiled at me. Perhaps itтАЩs in your blood.

My stomach filled with unease as I remembered Mogkan. He had said I was cursed with Zaltana blood.
IтАЩd no reason to trust the now dead southern magician, though, and IтАЩd been avoiding asking Irys
questions about the Zaltanas so I wouldnтАЩt get my hopes up about being a part of their family. Even while
dying, I knew Mogkan would have been capable of pulling one last spiteful trick.
Mogkan and General BrazellтАЩs son, Reyad, had kidnapped me along with over thirty other children from
Sitia. Averaging two children a year, they had brought the girls and boys north to BrazellтАЩs тАЬorphanageтАЭ
in the Territory of Ixia for use in their twisted plans. All of the children had the potential of becoming
magicians because they had been born to families with strong magic.

Irys had explained to me that magical powers were a gift, and only a handful of magicians came from
each clan. тАЬOf course, the more magicians in a family,тАЭ Irys had said, тАЬthe greater chance of having more
in the next generation. Mogkan took a risk kidnapping children so young; magical powers donтАЩt manifest
until a child reaches maturity.тАЭ

тАЬWhy were there more girls than boys?тАЭ I had asked.

тАЬOnly thirty percent of our magicians are males, and Bain Bloodgood is the only one to achieve master
level status.тАЭ

As I steadied the rope ladder that hung from the jungleтАЩs canopy, I now wondered how many Zaltanas
were magicians. Beside me, the three girls tucked the hems of their dresses into their belts. Irys helped
May start up the rope rungs, and then Gracena and Nickeely followed.

When we had crossed the border into Sitia, the girls hadnтАЩt hesitated to exchange their northern uniforms
for the bright multicolored, cotton dresses worn by some of the southern women. The boys switched
their uniforms for simple cotton pants and tunics. I, on the other hand, had kept my food tasterтАЩs uniform
on until the heat and humidity had driven me to purchase a pair of boyтАЩs cotton pants and a shirt.

After Irys disappeared into the green canopy, I set my boot on the bottom rung. My feet felt as if they
were swollen with water, weighing me down. Reluctance clung to my legs as I dragged them up the
ladder. In midair, I paused. What if these people didnтАЩt want me? What if they didnтАЩt believe I was their
lost daughter? What if I were too old to be bothered with?

All the children who had already found their homes had been immediately accepted. Between the ages of