Twin smiles beamed bright as the Great Sun. Clutching their kittens to their chests, the girls skipped out of their bedroom, out of the palace, and down the hillside as Tealah led the way to the Hall of Scrolls.
In their bedroom, the small jingle ball with its white stone came to rest out of sight beneath a large chest of drawers.
Celieria ~ Verlaine Forest
“We’re surrounded.” Farel delivered the news without a hint of emotion. They’d been on the run all night and into the morning. Several more Walls of Steel had stood—and perished—but the Mages and Mharog kept coming.
Rain’s arms tightened around Ellysetta. She’d sensed the opening of the Well half a bell ago, and Farel’s scouts had traced the sickly sweet odor of Azrahn back to four portals ringing their current position. “So we make our stand here,” Rain said.
“Nei.We’re only thirty miles from the forest’s edge. The reinforcements I sent for are attempting to flank the Eld blocking our path. Our best hope is to push forward.” His fingers closed around the hilts of hismeichain a tight grip.“Sieks’ta.I thought traveling through the Verlaine was the safest route, but it seems I’ve only endangered your lives by slowing our escape.”
“You owe us no apology,” Ellysetta said. “If not for you, we’d already either be dead or prisoners of the High Mage.”
“I spoke with the reinforcements I sent to the village. The Eld beat them there by half a bell, but the Brotherhood was able to rout them. The Mharog and a dozen Mages escaped—I expect they’ll join the others here shortly—but the rest perished. Thedahl’reisenhave already Fired the village and gone to escort the women and children safely to the Garreval.”
Something about Farel’s expression made her stomach clench with dread. “But everyone got out safely before the Eld arrived… didn’t they?”
“Almost everyone. A woman and her newborn son perished, along with ten of thedahl’reisenwho stayed behind to protect her while she gave birth. Sheyl was wounded.”
“Is she going to be all right?”
“Aiyah.The warriors found her unconscious and trapped beneath a fallen tree, but once they were able to free her and revive her, she was able to heal herself. She’s running with them now to catch the others up.”
Ellysetta watched him closely. “You don’t look happy at the news.”
“I’m happy she’s alive—especially as that gives me the chance to wring her neck when I see her again.” His lips compressed in a thin line, and a hint of anger lit his eyes. “She admitted to me she’d seen her death. The night you came to our village, she told me she’d had a vision of me escorting you both out of the Verlaine, but that was a lie. The only vision she saw was of her own death, and she sent me away with you because she didn’t want me to die trying to protect her from a death she knew couldn’t be stopped.”
“But she’s alive,” Ellysetta pointed out. “So clearly her vision was wrong.”
“Her visions are never wrong. She was supposed to die, just as she saw.” Farel straightened and met her gaze full on. “But you changed that. You gave her a gift—asorreisu’kiyrpendant. It stopped the arrow meant for her heart. You changed her fate, Feyreisa. You saved her life, in a way no one but the gods could have done, and for that I owe you a debt I can never repay.”
“I will not hear any more talk of debts owed,” Ellysetta said. “You saved our lives. Any possible debt has already been paid in kind.”
“Nei,we rescued you from Eld for Gaelen, for all the times he sacrificed for us. My debt to you still stands.” He shifted his gaze to Rain. “I have spoken with thedahl’reisenand told them how your mate saved Sheyl. Many of them have been thinking about Varian and the others. About how like Fey they looked when they left. They died with joy—and with more honor than adahl’reisenhas a right to expect.”
“They died with the honor of alu’tan,”Rain corrected. “No matter what Dark choices they may have made in the past, today they chosesheisan’dahlein.”
Farel’s fingers plucked one of his Fey’cha from its sheath, and he bent his head to polish a nonexistent spot on the gleaming steel. “We are also prepared to die for the Feyreisa today, but we want…” He broke off, cleared his throat, and rephrased. “That is to say, my brothers and I would humbly ask…”
Rain cut him off. “You wish to bloodswear yourselves to Ellysetta.”
Thedahl’reisenleader looked up, making a visible effort to meet and hold Rain’s gaze. “I know that you have no reason to offer us a salvation we do not deserve… and in all honesty, I must tell you we intend to weave Azrahn in her defense.”
“Aiyah.”
Farel continued in a rush. “Six-fold weaves are much more effective than five, and we could do more to defend her with them if we were free to weave Azrahn without fear of Mage Marks.”
“Aiyah.”
“Bloodsworn to ashei’dalinas bright as the Feyreisa, we might even—” Farel broke off, blinking in shock at Rain’s swift, unequivocal assent.“Aiyah?You mean… you agree?”
“Aiyah.”Rain covered Ellysetta’s hand with his and threaded his fingers through hers. “I agree it is the best solution.”
“I—” Farel’s mouth opened and closed. “Just like that?”
Rain gave a weary smile. “Just like that.”
The last few bells, with the torment of thedahl’reisenand the foul presence of the Mharog beating at Ellysetta, forcing her to divert more of her energy to shield herself, he’d begun to feel the effects of the bond madness more strongly. His thoughts were becoming cloudy and confused. Rage simmered just below the paper-thin surface of his control, and he knew that open battle with Mages and Mharog would quickly shred what semblance of sanity he still retained. When that happened, Ellysetta would need as many protectors as she could get—including ones willing and able to slay him.
