Downstairs, Chatok’s main hall was now carpeted with the bodies of sleeping Fey. Ellysetta tiptoed through their midst, navigating the maze of booted feet and tousled heads, her robes hiked up sothe trailing cloth would not brush against the sleeping warriors and wake them. A few stirred as she passed, but most continued to sleep soundly.
She started down the corridor that led to the bailey. Halfway to the massive doors guarding the keep, a strange whisper of awareness brushed across her senses. She was not alone. She stopped and turned to look down the long, shadowy corridor, illuminated by the flickering glow of candlelit sconces burning dimly every tairen length. She couldn’t see anyone, not even with the added help of Fey vision.
But she could feel them. Both of them.
“Gaelen, Bel, I know you’re there. Show yourselves.”
A moment later, a lavender glow lit the darkness, and her two bloodsworn champions shimmered into sight.
“How did you detect us?” Gaelen asked. “It was vel Jelani, wasn’t it? His weave wasn’t tight enough.”
Bel stiffened, his cobalt eyes narrowing. “I spun my weave exactly as you showed me,” he objected. “If any imperfection existed—which I doubt—the fault lies in your instruction, not my execution.”
“It wasn’t the weave,” Ellysetta said. “And how did you manage to hide yourselves even from Fey eyes? That was what you did, wasn’t it?”
Gaelen shrugged. “A little trick thedahl’reisenhave learned over the years. Many Eld weave Spirit too, so we’ve had to learn to mask the signature of our magic even from those to whom the flows would normally be visible.”
“A useful talent.”
The corner of his mouth curved up. “Most useful,” he agreed. “It’s saved my life on at least half a dozen occasions.”
Ellysetta immediately thought of the men who would be leaving the Fading Lands in the morning, the ones heading north to defend the borders against the Eld. “Is this something you could teach the other warriors—the ones who are leaving for Celieria?”
“I could teach the strongest Spirit masters among them,aiyah, if there were time,” Gaelen said. “And if they were willing to learn from one who was oncedahl’reisen.”
“How much time would you need?”
“I taught vel Jelani in just a few bells, but he was very skilled to begin with.” Bel looked surprised by the compliment, then quite pleased. “The others might require more practice.”
“I doubt delaying their departure a day or two will do much harm on the borders, but it seems to me that having Fey warriors trained to hide their presence even from the eyes of a Mage could save many lives.”
“There is still the matter of Fey pride,” Gaelen reminded her. “I wasdahl’reisen. Even though you restored my soul, my honor remains tainted. Achatokshould be above reproach.”
“Gaelen, you have knowledge and skills the Fey need. Kieran, Kiel, and Bel were willing to learn from you. Why should the rest of the Fey be any different?”
“They served as your quintet,kem’falla. Their loyalty was to you. But if you recall, even they would not accept instruction from me until you ordered them to do so.”
Bel interrupted, his cobalt gazed fixed upon Ellysetta. “At the moment, I am more interested in knowing what you are doing wandering the halls of Chatok alone in the small bells of the night. Where is Rain?”
Ellie blushed. This was not the first time Bel had caught her sneaking out of her bedchamber at night. “I couldn’t sleep.” Despite her best effort, she couldn’t keep the defensiveness out of her voice. “You know I’ve always liked to walk in the night when I’m restless. And you told me yourself it would be safe to do so in the Fading Lands.”
“It’s not the walking that concerns me this time,kem’falla. It’s the destination.”
She bit her lip. Rain wasn’t the only one getting to know her too well. “You will not stop me. I have to do this.”
“Ellysetta, did Rain not already forbid you to touch therasa?”
“He warned me they would feel shame if they hurt me; but, Bel, you wererasa, and I healed you without a twinge of pain.”
“The glamour that hid your abilities must also have buffered your empathic senses. And you had built hundreds of Spirit weaves on top of that, which provided further protection. But both that barrier and those Spirit weaves are gone now. You will feel the warriors’ pain almost as strongly as you felt Gaelen’s when you laid hands upon him. We cannot let you do this.”
“You’re assuming that without any proof that it’s true.”
“I was there the night you restored Gaelen’s soul,” he reminded her. “I saw what happened to you, and I remember the way you could hear everyone’s thoughts and feel their emotions so strongly after Marissya unraveled your Spirit weaves.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m going to do this, Bel. With or without your approval. Ineedto do this.”
“You’re asking me—us,” he corrected with a quick glance at Gaelen, “to betray our bloodsworn oaths to protect you from all harm. Tell her, Gaelen. We cannot let her do this.”
