“Soldiers, yes, but not Wraith Lords. I'm going to assign some of you to—”
“Corrupter duty?” Kel broke in. “Eww. That's the worst kind of dooty!”
Laughter circled the room.
I looked over my shoulder as I filled my plate. The General was not pleased by the interruption. Beside me, Xae snickered and winked at me.
“Shut it!” Ranor snarled. “What the fuck did I just say? Is anyone fucking listening to me? You are Wraith Lords, not children. Why must I keep reminding you of this? The Corrupter could be concocting an enchantment with those bodies. He could be preparing to attack the Emperor!”
That shut them up. Not Ranor telling them to shut up but his mention of the Emperor. The Wraith Lords were nothing if not loyal to the Emperor of Varr.
The Emperor whose name I didn't know. How did I know the Corrupter's name and not the Emperor's? That seemed backward. Then Ranor's words sank in.
“Fuck,” I whispered. “Death Magic. It makes sense to use the dead to fuel it.”
“Have some bread, love,” Xae said and smacked a small loaf on top of my chicken.
“Uh, thanks.” I stopped by the dessert table, grabbed a parfait so I wouldn't have to go back for it, and then started for Nex's table. But then I remembered that it was also Jath's table, and I came to a stop.
“What's wrong?” Xae stepped up beside me.
“Nothing.”
Xae frowned. “Uh-huh.”
Rath went past us and sat down beside Nex.
Fuck.
I followed and sat down beside Rath, leaving Xae to take the spot on the end. At least I was a couple of feet down and across the table from Jath.
Shit, why was I so concerned about this guy? He didn't like me and for good reason. So what? Get over it, Ember. The rest of the Wraith Lords liked me. Some of themreallyliked me. Speaking of which . . .
“You feeling better, sweet stuff?” Keltyr asked as he sat down across from me. He set down three mugs and slid them across to us.
“Yeah. I'm good, thanks. And thanks for the wine.” I took a mug and drank deeply. Then I remembered what else Keltyr had done. “Oh, fuck. Thank you for the flowers too, Kel. You don't know how much that means to me.”
“Yes, thank you, Keltyr,” Rath said and claimed a mug.
Xae just grunted.
“No problem,” Kel said. “I planted them closer to the headstones so that they won't be disturbed when we return your parents' bodies to their graves.”
My chest tightened, then released. A muscle relaxes more after it has flexed, and my heart had just relaxed a little. Opened a little more. Kel. He joked a lot, but he was a good guy. A really good guy. When it came down to it, he was there for me.
“That was really thoughtful,” I said. “They were my mother's favorite flower.”
“They were just pushed up, not damaged. They should be fine.”
“That's good to hear.” Then I made a snorting sound of self-scorn. “It's silly, really. All the effort we put into adorning a grave. Our loved ones don't care.”
“Graves aren't for them,” Kel said. “They're for us. For our memories and pain. Tending a grave helps us heal. I'm glad I was able to give you a little healing tonight when you needed it most.”
“Holy fuck,” Nex said, gaping at Kel. “That was . . .”
“Insightful,” Rath said. “And kind. Well said, Keltyr.”
Kel nodded at Rath but kept his sympathetic stare on me. I mustered a smile for him.
