“How can I not?” Filip gestured to our group. “If the worst happens in our family, you have usandthem, Sian. Your cabal. I have only those who share our blood, and that will not be enough.”
He wanted support. Of course he did. Filip had been very vocal about wishing to be in my cabal, and I’d always told him that he was too young. Thantrel too.
Things needed to change.
“I can’t make promises of what will happen in the future, Filip, but I can offer you a place among us here and now.” My gaze went to Thantrel. “You too, brother. And Arie, I know youdream of the House of Wisdom, but Duran studies there, and he stands with us.”
No one in the cabal countered that they were too young. No one said anything, and the high ladies had gone suspiciously quiet by the fire.
“I’m in,” Filip and Thantrel answered in unison.
“Arie? We could use another sharp mind in the bunch.”
“Fates, could we,” Duran muttered.
The middle Riis brother cocked his head before nodding. “To my own surprise, I’m in too.”
I raised my horn. “To the expanded cabal.”
Filip waved a hand in the air. “Wait. There’s no ceremony? No secret handshake or password?”
Duran barked out a laugh. “You think far too much of our ragtag group, young Lord Balik.”
I shrugged. “We’re a simple bunch.”
“You do the right thing,” Filip countered. “That’s not always easy or simple, and that’s why I want to join. Why I’ve wanted to join since Sian told me about the cabal.”
Pride welled in me at the truth of his words. Standing with Isolde wasn’t the first time I’d gone against the king’s wishes. It was the most public occurrence, but I’d done so a hundred times with my cabal brothers at my side, righting wrongs done by King Magnus or others in power.
I lifted my horn again. “Don’t make me try this a third time and look like a fool, Filip. This is the ceremony you’re getting.”
“Savor the simplicity,” Caelo added. “Things are only going to get more complicated from today forward.”
“Can’t argue with that.” Thantrel lifted his horn to the middle. “To the cabal adding a stunningly attractive member, a brilliant one, and . . .” giggles came from the ladies as he looked at Filip, “a faerie who loves to play by the rules!”
Filip rolled his eyes as we toasted to the cabal and drank deeply.
Chapter 11
VALE
Aleksander’s sword struck mine as the skin-changer pressed forward.
Sweat dripped down my spinal column, but I smirked, hoping to goad my sparring opponent into doing something stupid. To test if his training was well-rounded.
“Tell me, do all fylgjarns neglect their sword training for an escape behind the eyes of their animal?”
He snarled, lurched a step forward and pushed into me again with surprising strength. The smell of his sweat washed over me. “As if I don’t feel your arm’s trembling, oh brawny one.”
A laugh tripped off my lips. After our first confrontation back at Valrun, I’d had little chance to get to know Aleksander, the most noticeable Hawk Seed among the rebels. Perhaps the only one. Given our time together, though, I was beginning to understand that my mate’s half-brother was cheekier than I’d imagined. His appearance favored Isolde, but his attitude was a bit more like Thyra’s.
I spun, the foreign steel sliding up and away. Before he could bring it back down,Skeldawas there again, metal on metal, andI shoved him to the right. Aleksander stumbled backwards and fell to the stone floor. My sword tip hovered over his neck.
“Yield.”
“Fates, fine! You win. As if everyone didn’t already predict that.”
I held out a hand. “Nice round. You should spar with Qildor next. He could teach you a thing or two.”
