Unguilded Read Online Free Page A

allowed it. All he cared about was his status—status he had because Kara was a potential Mage and the granddaughter of the Villa Mage Primus. But Grandfather died and Kara never found magic, so her use to her father vanished.
    She felt numb, both physically and emotionally, as she trudged along the road. Would the searchers carry lights? Would she be able to see them coming for her?
    If she were caught, Mage Guild would take her to Rillidi and pair her with someone with more magic than anyone in Larona had. She would have no choice in the matter—old men would decide who she bedded, who she lived with, how many children she gave birth to. She would never have her own place or anyone who cared about her . Except for any children she bore—children who might end up like her, with no magic, no choice, and no real place in the world.
    Kara stumbled on a rut in the road, remembering the way Mage Guild Secundus Valendi’s blue eyes had appraised her when they’d met. She would never be able to refuse such a powerful man if he decided to father children on her.
    She tightened her shawl around her shoulders and shivered, her eyes on the road, watching one foot shuffle forward, then the other, over and over and over. Her breath puffed out in a cloud, and she clutched at her shawl.
    Now that it was dawn she could see the road. The sun kissed the top of Villa Larona, and the white houses at the summit sparkled against the clear blue of the sky. She had hoped to make it as far as the fork where the Larona and Mountain roads met before dawn came, bringing the expected search party. But she was still hours away from safety.
    Searchers would assume she’d go to Rillidi. There was no other possibility for her—other villas were too small for her to hide or disappear in. Villa Merchant was the closest villa to Larona, and from there it was a short ferry ride to Rillidi. That was the route everyone would expect her to take—the route that would be most closely searched. So that was the route she didn’t dare travel.
    No, she would take the longer, more difficult road that wound through the Zaltara Mountains. It meant days, even weeks of travel, but eventually she’d get to Rillidi Port and find a ship that could take her away from Tregella. Her mother’s guilders and jewels would be enough for that, she hoped.
    Fear shuddered through her, and she stumbled and almost fell again. Stop it . She would not be afraid! She would turn her fear into anger—anger that she had no good choices in life, anger that the guild that should protect instead would use her. But it was harder to bury her fear with anger when she was tired, and her feet ached after a long night of walking, and Mage Guild would be pursuing her soon.
    It was now too light to risk being caught on the road. She looked left, up the mountain to a line of pine trees that traced a ridge not more than a mile away. If she could make it there she could find a place to hide—a small cave or crevasse, maybe even a thicket of brambles.
    Kara stepped off the road. Dew from the long grass dampened her skirt and her shoes. She trailed a hand along the plants, wiping cool, wet fingers over her dusty face.
    It was uphill, and the closer she got to the ridge, the steeper the incline became. Halfway up, the slope became rocky, and she had to scrabble, grabbing at the tough dry plants that clung to the hillside. Again and again she checked over her shoulder, praying that the valley road would remain empty of riders.
    It took her an hour to reach the top of the ridge. Her hands were covered in scratches, and the wool of her shawl had pulls and tears. Her tongue felt thick with dirt and dust and exhausted, she lay down in a pocket of tall grasses. Just a few minutes rest, and then she’d be on her way. Later she’d find some water, find one of the mountain springs or small streams that fed into the Dag, and search for something to eat.
    Something was tickling her nose. Kara turned her head.