“Very well.” Vor grinned.
“Truly?” Lena leaned forward, eyes wide.
“Yes, truly. But they will be of my choosing.”
Lena nodded. “Of course. It doesn't matter who you free, just that you show that you're willing to be merciful.”
“Do you think that will make them inclined to be merciful in return?”
“Yes, I do. At least, I'm hoping it will.”
“All right, Lena. Eat your breakfast. I have some things to do today, so I won't be able to escort you.”
“Could someone else escort me? Maybe to the wall?”
“The wall?” Vor narrowed his eyes at her.
“Vor, what if I talked to them? I could tell them how well you've been treating me, and that this is your only way to seek peace. I'll tell them about the prisoner release.”
“I don't think so, Lena.”
“Why not? Even if I jumped from the wall, I couldn't get through the ward.”
“If you jumped from the wall, you'd die!”
Lena held up her hands. “I don't want to die. I was just saying that I can't escape.” She paused, watching him. “It would help if I showed myself. They only have your word that I'm still alive.”
“Very well, but I will escort you.”
“You said you had things to do.”
“They can wait. Now eat.”
Lena grinned, setting Vor's heart racing, and then ate her breakfast with gusto.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lena
Lena trembled as she followed Vor up the stairs to the wall walk that ran along the top of the fortress wall. The soldiers stationed there inclined their heads to their commander. Vor carried a voice amplifier. Lena stared at it as she went over her speech in her head. She had to be convincing enough to encourage peace.
Vor stopped right above the fortress gate. Just a few feet beyond the wall, the ward shimmered, transparent but with a sliding sheen like water on glass. Lena stepped up beside Vor and looked down on the Paradefense camp. There were large metal walls propped up several yards away from the ward to form a barrier between the fortress and the camp. Soldiers stood behind those walls on guard duty. They were already pointing up at her and shouting. An Aethari man ran to one of the larger tents. Then Lena saw her sister, and she smiled.
“Liria!” Lena waved as she shouted and leaned over the thick stone wall.
“Be careful!” Vor grabbed her upper arm. “Don't lean too far.”
Lena glanced at Vor and grinned, finding only concern in his face. “I'm fine.” She turned back to Liria, who had come beyond the barriers and as close to the ward as possible to wave up to her.
“Lena!” Liria shouted as Thaxvarien joined her. “Are you all right?”
Vor handed Lena the amplifier and clicked it on for her. “Speak here.” He pointed at the small end.
“Thank you.” Lena took the amplifier and held it up. “I'm fine.” She frowned and flinched when her voice echoed out. Lowering her voice, she tried again. “They’ve treated me like a guest. I'm fine.”
“Lena!” Her father came running up to stand beside Liria. “Lena, sweetheart, have they hurt you?”
“Daddy!” she cried. “Don't worry. They haven't hurt me. The Nethren want peace. All they want is the freedom to come to the surface. They're not monsters, and they don't kill magic. It's all a lie! I've seen them work with converged devices with no problems. The Nethren used to be Medeans. They just have a little more tech in them. They're still people. Every living thing has the right to stand in the sun.”
