“Yes.”
“Is he old enough to wield that sort of power?”
“You were not much older when you chose your path.”
“I had the benefit of a Draska education…and I still chose wrong.”
Nian stared at me and I felt a gentle probing. “No, Elainya, you chose the only option you had. You may find that you are comfortable with shadow magic. While you slept, even the Draska came to see that it had merit.”
I shook my head but did not reply. Here in the noonday sun, it was hard to think of Darkness. The sun glinted off a fine gold filament woven into a bolt of delicate sapphire cloth.
The weaver noticed my attentions and flashed a toothless smile at me. “Oh, such a pretty girl. You like my pretty fabrics?”
I tried to smile, afraid to ask how much she’d want for such finery. “They’re lovely. Do you wea
