Venick had to be careful not to raise his voice. “Did he at least give a name?”
“He didn’t, but…”
“But?”
“He says you owe him. Also, he wants his book back.”
TWELVE
They strode into the tearoom to find the visitor waiting in one of the elaborate-backed chairs. “Traegar.” Venick was surprised to see the elf. Surprised that he was glad. Traegar had helped him and Dourin out of a sticky situation back in Evov. And Traegar’s potion book—a gift that Venick was not, in fact, giving back—had assisted Venick in caring for Ellina on the tundra when she was at her sickest. The footman was right on that point, at least. Venick didowe him.
“I hear you take in refugees,” Traegar said as he stood from the chair. The elf’s unusually wavy hair had grown since Venick had last seen him, but his skin was still markedly tan, his eyes full of that same arched amusement.
“Only the useful ones,” Venick replied with a grin, clasping Traegar’s forearm in greeting.
“And you,” Traegar said, turning his gaze to Ellina. “Oh, have I been hearing stories about you.”
“We want to know what you know,” Venick said as he chose a seat at the round table. Ellina nodded as she came to perch on the chair next to his, cradling her bandaged hand against her thighs. “I want to hear everything.”
“Of course.” But Traegar’s attention lingered on the door. “I wonder.” A pause. “Are we missing our final member?”
Venick and Ellina exchanged a look.
Traegar’s expression wiped itself clean. “Do not…do not tell me…”
“Dourin’s alive,” Venick was quick to clarify.
You hope.
“He’s in Parith.”
You think.
“We separated about a month ago. It was meant to be temporary.”
The truth was that neither Ellina nor Venick had been able to contact Dourin, nor anyone else from the highland capitol. Venick suspected that the Elder was intercepting their messages in order to punish Venick. That wasn’t exactly surprising, seeing as Venick had conspired with the man’s daughter to steal his army. Venick didn’t think the Elder would go so far as to harm Dourin—not when he owed the elf his life price—but the situation was tenuous, especially since Dourin’s state of health was currently unknown.
Traegar sank into his seat. He understood what Venick was not saying. “Dourin is unwell?”
“He was injured,” Venick admitted. “A southerner attacked the Elder, but Dourin stepped between them. He took a knife to the stomach. We left him under the care of Parith’s healers.”
“I would have gone straight there…” Traegar toyed with one sleeve, then seemed to realize what he was doing and released the fabric. “That is to say, if I had known. If I thought he wanted me there.”
It was painful seeing Traegar’s uncertainty. More painful, because Venick knew that feeling well. Traegar and Dourin were bothgeleeshi,gifted with the ability to not only summon homing horses they’d raised from birth, but anyhoming horse. Dourin, especially, had a remarkable affinity for the craft; Venick had once seen him call an entire herd through the elflands’ northern foothills, assembling the creatures from leagues away. It was this shared skill that first brought Dourin and Traegar together…a relationship that had since been soured by jealousy and misunderstandings.
Venick thought of the war. He thought of his own broken relationships with his mother, his father, even Miria. What had been lost between them was lost forever. But Traegar and Dourin didn’t have to suffer the same fate. It wasn’t too late for them.
“Go to him.” Venick was suddenly fierce. “The road to Parith is clear. You could make it in a fortnight if you ride swiftly. Dourin…he would want that.”
Traegar’s mouth lifted slightly. “I suppose we will see.”
A maid entered the room with a food trolly. The cart rattled, one wheel spinning wildly. “Luncheon,” she said in a singsong voice, unaware that she was interrupting. “This is from the matron. She insisted on fresh berries, though where she expected us to find those this time of year, I haven’t a clue. The rest is all here though, gravy for your potatoes, the raisins go on the pudding, and you, dear,” she pinned Ellina with a look, “will be needing second servings, yes?” When Ellina said nothing, the woman kept going. “No need to answer—I know you can’t speak. But you do look like you could use a bit of extra nourishment, if you don’t mind my—”
“What do you mean, she cannot speak?” Traegar interrupted.
The maid’s cheeriness didn’t waver. “Heavens, you’re sitting right beside her. Haven’t you noticed? Her voice was taken. Scooped clean out, that’s what they say. I thought everyone knew, it’s all people can talk about.”
“But that is just a rumor.” Traegar looked at Ellina. His look became a stare. “Isn’t it?”
