The Hollow Crown (Kingfountain #4)(23)

Her magic gave her a definite advantage. It was like having eyes all around, able to sense him and his weaknesses all at once. She sensed the pain in his ear and the dull ache in his bowels from his earlier injuries. He would not be able to move as quickly now.

Before he could follow through on his intent to hit her again, Trynne gripped a seed pod in one hand, turned, and sent it winging at him. As soon as it struck him on the shoulder, she gathered up the others and rolled on the grass to put her tree in between them.

A pod zoomed at her and missed. “That was a lucky shot!” he taunted her.

Trynne felt her stomach become giddy with excitement. She quickly scrabbled to her feet, then threw another pod at him as he changed position. That one struck the tree instead. Suddenly he was charging her from around his side of the tree, scooping up several more pods and chucking them at her in rapid succession. They clattered against the bark, but Trynne didn’t stay put. She raced around the other side of the tree and hurled another one at him, catching his arm, and then raced to the safety of another magnolia. The branches were so low she had to duck, but they protected her as another pod sailed toward her. It clacked into the branches, sending down some petal wedges and more seed pods.

Although she still clutched three or four pods, she snatched another one up from the ground and flung it at him as he came charging. He dodged it, then pelted her with the ammunition he’d grabbed. She deflected one with her arm, but another hit her ribs, riling her further.

He was nearly to the tree, so she ducked beneath the branches again and ran. With his long legs, he could easily outrun her, so she dodged around the tree she’d originally crouched behind, using the forked branches as a partial shield, and sent the rest of the pods at him in a volley. Her heart was hammering with the excitement of the combat. She couldn’t hold back a smile, even though she knew it made her ugly. As he reached her tree, she feinted one way, then took off another, but her hair got snagged in a branch and yanked her back. She clawed at the branch and freed herself a moment later and tried to run.

“Caught you!” Fallon yelled triumphantly and grabbed her around the waist from behind to prevent her from fleeing. She was about to start beating him with her fists when he swung her around in a huge circle. He kept spinning them both around and her stomach gurgled with the motion as he went faster and faster.

“Stop! Fallon, stop!” she shrieked breathlessly, and he set her back down on the ground before staggering back a few steps in his own dizziness and falling down on the lawn. He was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe, and Trynne took the opportunity, dizzy as she was, to grab another seed pod and throw it at him.

“Truce! Truce, Cousin!” he said amidst his fit.

Gratified by his surrender, Trynne flopped down on her knees next to him to wait for the world to stop whirling. She had to dig her fingers into the grass to steady herself.

“You . . . are . . . terrible!” she panted. “Were you trying to make us both sick?”

“I hadn’t thought . . . much further than pegging you with the magnolia fruit,” he admitted, rubbing his forearm across his eyes. He was still laughing. “Reminds me of when we were children.” He tried to sit up and failed, which made her laugh. “I think you ate one of the seeds when I goaded you to.”

She looked at him, the world still spinning. “You goaded me to do it? I don’t remember that part.”

“Of course not. I was far too subtle back then. And you were three, I think. It was a long time ago. I used to climb up these trees to hide from you because you were always following me like a little nuisance. Things haven’t changed. You’re still following me.”

She punched him on the arm. “I didn’t know you were here!”

“Truce! Remember the truce!”

She fumed, but it was pleasant being with him. Alone. Well, except for Captain Staeli, who could see them from his vantage point. He did not look pleased—but then again, the man rarely did.

“Why did you come to the garden?” Trynne asked him.

“I was going to sneak away from my parents and claim sanctuary at Our Lady,” he said in a conspiratorial voice. “I was supposed to get on the ship for Edonburick, but part of me doesn’t want to leave.” He lifted himself up again, leaning back on his elbows, and gazed at her. “Wouldn’t it be fun, Trynne?” He wagged his eyebrows at her. “We could claim sanctuary together and join the thieves and miscreants!”

“You are already a miscreant, Fallon Llewellyn,” she chided.

“And you like to spoil all the fun, Tryneowy Kiskaddon. How did you know I was hiding there?”

“I heard you,” she said with a superior tone.

“I forgot about that,” he said with a grin. “You’re like your father. You can hear any noise out of place, no matter how small.” He cocked his head at her. “When do you go back to Ploemeur?”

She plucked up some strands of grass. “This evening. I’ll be home before you are.”

He pursed his lips. “Your mother’s powers are impressive. I mean, she’s a Wizr, like Myrddin. I’d love to be able to travel from place to place like she can. It’s so boring to travel by ship. Are you excited to begin studying with her? You’re of age now.”

Trynne looked down at her hands.

“Why the pout, Cousin? You aren’t excited to become a Wizr?”