Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier Page A

up into this chamber? This is not a place where a young lady should be wandering all on her own
.”
    She found that a little annoying. He was not so old himself. Besides, look at the trouble he’d got into, with those bruises; it was hardly for him to give her advice as if she were a child. “I live here,” she told him. “This is my father’s land. I can wander where I like.”
    â€œHow did you get across to the island?”
    â€œBy boat.” Let him make what he wanted of that.
    â€œBest if you don’t stay. Best if you go home. Best if you never see me again.”
    Lily found a courage she had not known she had. “Nonsense!” she said briskly. “You’re hurt, you’re confused, you’re too weak to stand up. And you don’t seem to have any supplies here, not even water. I could turn my back and go away, but that would be irresponsible. Either let me fetch help, or let me bring you what you need. At least tell me where you came from, so I can send word to your family.”
    â€œNo! Please!”
    Already sickly pale, he turned still whiter, and Lily wondered if he might faint away. “You should eat,” she said, trying to be practical. What would she do if he expired right here in front of her? Whom could she tell? She had no idea who he was or where he came from. “I have bread and cheese; here.” She divided the small supply she had brought with her and handed him half. “And an apple for later.” Gods, how silly she sounded! What would he think of her? “Try some, please. It will make you feel better.”
    Ash nibbled at a corner of the bread. After a while he said, “You are a kind girl. Too kind for your own good.”
    â€œWhat do you mean by that?”
    He managed a smile; it made her heart skip a beat. “Truly, you would do better to leave me on my own. Forget you found me.”
    â€œWhy?”
    His gaze dropped. “Because you can’t help. I thank you for the food and water, and your kind words, and . . . and your goodness. You are a lamp in the dark; a fair flower in the shadows. But this is no place for you, and if you wish to find a friend, or more than a friend, you should search anywhere but here.” His eyes gave his words the lie; he could not stop looking at her. And her eyes returned that look a hundredfold. Something had happened between them; it was already too late to stop it.
    â€œMore than a friend,” echoed Lily, feeling strangely bold. “What are you suggesting?”
    â€œYou are the daughter of a nobleman,” said Ash, “if what you told me is true. You are of an age to be wed, if not now, then surely soon. I suggest nothing improper, Lily. Only that your father must be looking about for a husband for you. Perhaps you are already promised.”
    â€œPerhaps you are already promised,” she said, as quick as a flash.“In fact, I am not; my parents are not over-keen to see me leave home just yet.”
    â€œBut sometime soon?”
    She felt her cheeks flush. “Maybe.”
    â€œThen you should not be here with me, alone.”
    â€œI did not know you would be here when I climbed the tower,” Lily said, quite reasonably, she thought. “And how can I go away and leave you when I cannot be sure you can get home safely on your own? Given the choice, my father would surely want me to take good care of a stranger in difficulty rather than run away in order to preserve my reputation. Just tell me where you live, and I can at least get word to your family.”
    â€œNo!”
    His answer was too forceful, too full of terror for this to be a simple case of a young man who had taken more strong drink than was good for him, and been led astray. “You’re scared of something,” Lily said quietly. “Is that why you’re in here? Are you hiding?”
    â€œI can’t tell you.” Ash wrapped his arms around