“DiSebourne’s death can be arranged.” Gaelen tossed out the offer in a flat voice. Silence fell as unease rippled around the circle.
“As tempting as the idea may be, Gaelen,” Rain replied, “honorable Fey do not murder innocent mortals.”
“DiSebourne is no innocent. He has refused to free a woman who bears no love for him, and by that willful choice he destroys not one but two lives. Three if Rowan must be the one to end his brother’s life.”
Ellysetta saw the flicker of remorse cross Rain’s face. Adrial was going to die. They all knew that. Though Talisa’s soul could never have called Adrial’s if her heart were bound elsewhere, duty and honor kept her tied to her mortal husband. As long as she did not consider herself free to accept Adrial, there was little hope she could summon the unequivocal love and trust necessary to complete theshei’tanitsabond. The madness of an unfulfilled matebond would ultimately send Adrial to his death—either an honor death executed by his own hand or a merciful end on the point of his brother’s red Fey’cha.
“Even so,” Rain said, “diSebourne’s choice is no crime. He may be acting selfishly, but by his country’s customs, he has every right to do so.”
“Then his country’s customs are wrong.”
“We cannot simply slaughter mortals because we don’t like their decisions. If Talisa leaves her husband, every Fey warrior in Celieria will defend her. But while she chooses to stay with him, we will not interfere. The Fey will not kill diSebourne so Adrial can have his wife.” His gaze hardened to cold command. “And neither will yourdahl’reisenfriends.”
After a brief visual skirmish, Gaelen bowed his head. “La ve shalah,Feyreisen.” As you command.
Rain pinned him with a penetrating gaze before nodding curtly. “Kabei. Then it is settled. We carry the news to Dorian. He will react however he will react. That doesn’t change what we must do. We face the Eld and champion the Light, as we always have.”
“We need more allies,” Bel said. “Even before the Mage Wars, we could not have hoped to face the Army of Darkness with only Celieria at our side. We need the Elves.”
Rain grimaced. “You heard the same report as I did when Loris returned from Elvia. Hawksheart and his Elves will not join this fight.”
“He also told Loris he wanted to see you and Ellysetta.”
“He wants to probe Ellysetta’s mind because she calls a Song in their Dance.” The Dance was an ancient Elvish prophecy said to reveal all the secrets of the world, past, present, and future. “Well, to the Seven Hells with what he wants. The pointy-earedrultshartknows we’re facing the greatest threat to the world since the Mage Wars—possibly even since the dawn of the First Age—and still he will not help. Yet he thinks we will take weeks away from preparations for war to come running when he calls?Nei, we will go to Dorian, and then to the Danae.”
Gil’s brows rose. “The Danae? They care even less about the world beyond their borders than the Elves.”
“They came to Johr’s aid in the Mage Wars. With what we now know, surely they will come to ours.”
“The Elves fought in the Mage Wars, too,” Bel reminded him. “It makes no sense that they would refuse us now.”
Tajik coughed a curse word into his fist and spat on the ground. “Best for all of us, if you ask me. Elves care for nothing except that gods-cursed Dance of theirs.”
Bel arched a brow. “That’s a harsh remark, coming from you, Tajik. I seem to recall some mention of an Elf or two in your family line.”
“Which is why you should believe me when I say we’re better off without them.” The red-haired general tore the remaining leg from the spitted rabbit and warmed it with a Fire-red glow in the palm of his hand. The silence that ensued made him glance up, and he scowled when he found Rain, Ellysetta, and the rest of the quintet looking at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” Rain answered for them. “It’s late. We should all get some sleep.”
A few chimes later, the remains of their dinner vanished in a flash of Earth and Fire. As Rain spun a cushioned pallet from the wheat chaff and covered it with a scarlet Fey travel cloak, Ellysetta felt eyes upon her, and she glanced up to see Gaelen watching her. He didn’t say anything, but then he hadn’t said anything all day either. He was waiting, patiently, for her to do the right thing.
“Come,shei’tani.” Rain grasped her shoulders and bent to press a kiss on the side of her neck. “Your bower awaits.” He smiled and led her to the camp bed.
When she glanced back over her shoulder, Gaelen was busy working with the quintet to spin a five-fold weave around Rain and Ellysetta. His eyes met hers once more, briefly, before he turned away.
“What is it?”
She looked at Rain and forced a smile. “I’m just a little tired.”
“The weaves should protect you from Mage dreams, and thelu’tanwill alert us at the first hint of danger.”
She covered his hands with hers. “I know.” Stretching up, she pressed her lips to his and let him bear her back into the soft comfort of their bed. He pulled her close against him, his body spooned against hers, wrapping her in a cocoon of warm protection.
The quintet stretched out in the wheat straw nearby. Each warrior slept with one hand on the hilt of a red Fey’cha. Around the camp, all thelu’tannot standing first watch did the same, and their bodies formed ring after concentric ring around theshei’dalinthey’d bloodsworn their souls to protect.
Thatshei’dalinlay awake long after the warriors had gone to sleep, worried not half so much about what dangers lurked outside thelu’tan’spowerful protective shields as the ones that lurked within. The dangers that lived inside her.
Eld ~ Boura Fell
