A war… another war… but this one would be far harder, far bloodier, far more terrible. And for what? A stolen trinket?
“WHAT?!” Elasha’s voice rose up.
Rhalyf snapped his fingers and her voice died. She lifted her hands to her throat and stared at his best friend with aggrievement.
“Can’t have you screaming down here, dear,” Rhalyf explained unrepentantly.
Aquilan stared at Finley. “You have put it quite succinctly.”
Finley hadn’t hesitated when he’d said it. He was acting as if this was a normal thing to think. That he understood Vex. And maybe he did. From not thinking of the Kindreth to suddenly considering… what? That Vex would know what they were doing was a leap he hadn’t expected to make that day or any day. And yet, here he was.
“I’m not saying Vex wants a war,” Finley qualified. “But I think it would be most unwise to give him an excuse for one.”
“But Vex is far away! Deep in the Under Dark. Nowhere near Illithor,” Elasha’s voice was back so long as she didn’t scream. “I realize you say he will know, but that’s very vague and it’s based on dwarven superstition–”
“Superstition is it, girl?” Helgrom’s bushy eyebrows drew together. “I will have you know that the reason we stayed on the Kindreth’s good side for as long as we did was because we understood Vex. While others fell because they underestimated him or failed to appreciate his belief system, we remained an ally. That is a fact. Not a belief. Not a superstition. And you’d do well to understand that history before you speak about it.”
Elasha lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Helgrom. I meant no offense! It just seems mad that we went from Darcassan taking a sword or two from an abandoned city to a war with the Kindreth!”
It was true. It should have sounded crazier to consider. But it wasn’t. Maybe it was the darkness. Maybe it was the knowledge that Illithor was so close as a simple step through a rift.
“No one has ever trespassed in Illithor before either. Especially not an Aravae prince,” Helgrom reminded her.
“But they haven’t been seen in millennia! Why would they care if we took something from that moldering ruin?” Elasha’s hands flew up into the air.
“Brother steal. Vex mad,” Snaglak said simply as he patted Glom’s side. Not all of the fangs were gobbled up yet.
How many Leviathan were here when Declan entered this hallway? Aquilan’s mind treacherously asked.
“All right! Fine! Vex doesn’t like being stolen from. Who does? But even if we do get to Illithor, the Kindreth might as well be on another plane, they are so deep in the Under Dark in comparison to where we will be,” Elasha cried.
She was right. Or, at least, she would have been if he didn’t know of the Kindreth that made their way to the Lieran plane. Almost to the doorstep of his parents’ palace.
Finley looked meaningfully at Rhalyf as he carefully said, “We have reason to believe that a very powerful Kindreth has been on Earth recently. Right, Rhalyf?”
Aquilan’s head snapped towards his best friend. More Kindreth? On Earth? And Rhalyf hadn’t told him? Why? How? Rhalyf’s usually tanned appearance looked pasty in the darkness. He swallowed hard and didn’t seem to be able to meet Aquilan’s gaze.
Guilty! He feels guilty for not telling me right away? That must be it, but…
“Two Aravae were killed by where you found Finley and me. I cannot be certain who killed them, but I know Kindreth magic was used and it was someone powerful who wove it,” Rhalyf explained carefully. His voice was clipped, having none of its usual richness.
“Why did you not say something immediately, Rhalyf? My people were murdered by a Kindreth on Aravae land?” Aquilan’s voice was rising now.
Why did he not tell me this? He knew Darcassan was missing!
Rhalyf gave a jerky nod so unlike his usual movements. “I should have.”
“YES!” He nearly roared, pulling back at the last moment.
Declan touched his arm. He was trembling. He breathed. This was Rhalyf. His best friend had a reason–undoubtedly, a good reason–for not telling him. It was this place that had him on edge. The thought of two survivors being so close to death and destruction and–
Declan does not seem unnerved at all by this place. He seems…
“I know! I know.” Rhalyf scrubbed his face with his hands. “But in the excitement and confusion hearing about Darcassan… I intended to tell you. After I had a chance to get my own head around it. As I said, I am still just guessing, educated guessing, but guessing nonetheless, but–”
“But you feel it is so,” Declan summed up for him.
“Yes. But to say that there is a Kindreth–a powerful Kindreth–on Earth without more proof…” Rhalyf’s lower lip trembled for a moment. “I didn’t want to believe it. That’s the truth of it. I don’t want to believe it.”
