“Or for you to keep me here.”
Vor smiled at Lena's spirit. “You know that's not true. I need you, Lena. The more I learn about you, the more I see why Source led me to you.”
Lena shook her head. “I think you're wrong. I think your Source led you to Liria. She's the strong one. She may have been able to help you and your people. She has the status and courage to fight the council. Not me. Liria was the one you needed. But you're too late. She loves Thaxvarien.”
“No, I never needed Liria. She would have torn me apart before feeling an ounce of kinship with me. But you saw the truth from the start. You listened despite the lies you've been fed. You see me, Lena.”
Her face twitched as she looked away. “I'm not a soldier.”
“But I am. I don't need you to fight. I need your compassion. Your ability to see past what you've been taught to the truth. You have a heart stronger and more beautiful than anyone on Para. It's compelling. Irresistible. I . . .” He lifted his hand to touch her and then remembered that he shouldn't. His hand fell away. “When I first saw visions of Liria, they angered me. The more I watched her, the more I wanted to fight her. She made me furious. I wanted to subdue her and use her to save my people. But within minutes of meeting you, all of that changed. I changed. I heard your voice, and I came alive. It felt like stepping into sunlight for the first time, but that brightness didn't fade. It only grew stronger. All thoughts of force and submission vanished from my mind. I knew I could never hurt you. You were born to be treasured, and I was born to protect you. I don't want your sister. I never did. I want you, Lena.”
As Lena gaped at him, Vor left.
Chapter Seventeen
Evellor
Evellor Nuransel could not believe what he was feeling. It had to be this terrible situation clouding his mind. A Nethren soldier had taken Lena Drask from Middle Ground. He was upset about Lena. That's all. He certainly was not attracted to a Nethren.
It was absolutely ridiculous. Or it would have been if not for the deadly implications. He had found the Nethren scout skulking about the camp during the raid and apprehended him. There were six Nethren captured and one killed by Thaxvarien in a display of power that still haunted Evellor. He knew both Sources had blessed Thaxvarien and that he could do amazing things, but Evellor hadn't known Thaxvarien could pull lightning from the sky. No one could do that—not Aethari, Medean, or Nethren.
Nor did he like the way Thaxvarien had killed the man without hesitation.
Evellor turned his gaze away from his prisoner and out of the tent's opening. But the activity outside couldn't hold his attention. Again and again, the man drew Evellor’s attention. Even worse, the Nethren seemed just as fascinated with Evellor.
Seated upon a folding camp chair, Evellor held the man's gaze. His eyes were blue but a much deeper shade than Evellor's. It was as if their homes had influenced their eyes. His were the color of a summer sky, while the Nethren's were of dark pools hidden underground. Evellor tried to focus on the Nethren's mechanical parts—the gears showing through his torn tunic. But that only made Evellor think about what the rest of the man's chest looked like.
Focus!Evellor chided himself.You are enemies!To reaffirm that, he snarled at the Nethren, “Is your heart made of metal too?”
The man glanced at his fellows, all of them chained together in a circle, facing outward on the ground. He sat directly in front of Evellor, his knees drawn up and his chained wrists braced on them.
“My heart is my business, bird-man.” The words were harsh, but the man's gaze was soft.
Evellor leaned forward. He was the only one in the tent with the captives. The Paradefense guards were outside. Not that it mattered. Fabric, no matter how thick, did little to dampen sound. The guards would hear them. Which reminded Evellor—he was supposed to be interrogating the prisoners.
With that in mind, Evellor snarled, “What were you looking for?”
“Nothing in particular.” The Nethren smirked. “Just whatever we could find.”
“And what did you find?”
“Just you, handsome.” The man's smirk turned wicked. “Or rather, you found me.”
The other Nethren looked at the man as if he'd gone insane.
Evellor stood up, his wings whooshing dramatically. The Nethren soldiers leaned back, their shocked expressions shifting to wariness. Evellor moved without conscious thought, going to the tent flap. He leaned out to speak with the guards. “I need the key.”
“Sir?” The Medean guard scowled.
He was Paradefense, so he didn't take orders from Evellor. But Thaxvarien had insisted that Evellor conduct the interrogations, and the general had allowed it.
Evellor lifted his chin. “The keys. I'm going to separate the prisoners to interrogate them individually. They're not giving anything up in front of each other.”
“Oh! Yes, sir.” The man handed over a ring with a single key on it. “The meeting tent is available if you'd like to use it.”
“Good. Thank you.” Evellor went back inside and crouched beside the attractive Nethren with the deep blue eyes.
He didn't look at the man as he undid the locks that connected the Nethren to his fellow soldiers—first the padlock on the right and then on the left.
