He sighed, shaking his head. “I suppose I should be gladdened that you have finally taken an interest in a female.”
My hand paused in the cleaning of my sword.
“I have taken interest in females before.”
“For mating,lysi. This…this is different.”
His words made me uncomfortable. I stood from the ground, sheathing my sword.
“You seem calmer,” he noted. I braced myself for his next question. “Have you had any...occurrences?”
Not since beforeDothik. Not since her. I wondered if her power had anything to do with that.
“Tell me,pujerak,” I said, changing the subject, “what you think of war with the Ghertun? Now that I have told you all that happened inDothik?”
He let his question slide. Crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes raked over the encampment. Our horde had grown since the cold season. Three more children had been born and I’d granted the requests of four new families to join us out on the wild lands, two families fromDothikand two families from an outpost who had grown tired of settled life. The urge to roam would always be in a Dakkari’s blood.
“I think the Ghertun will keep pushing their boundaries until we give them reason not to,” Hedna said quietly. “They have terrorized the Killup, the Nrunteng, and thevekkiri. And last year, there were reports of missing Dakkari in the outposts. Given that we now know they keep slaves under the Dead Mountain, I wonder if they were responsible for that.”
Entirely possible.
“Thekallesis our best plan. Forget the heartstone, Drokka. You might never find it.”
And yet, even Hedna did not know that Lokkaru had been born because of that heartstone. I had kept her secret these long years because it was not mine to tell.
“We need to use her,” mypujerakmurmured, keeping his voice low.
I thought of the warmth in her gaze last night as she sat in my lap by the fire. I thought of the way her breath shuddered from her when I kissed her, the way her hands clutched me close, though she perhaps didn’t realize it.
Unease coiled in my belly.
“She needs to believe that she will get the heartstone,” I told him. “That is the only way she will ever trust us.”
“And in the meantime?”
I had been thinking about that. TheVorakkarin me told Hedna, “We learn everything we can about the Dead Mountain and its king. Then we send her back. Use her as a distraction, make Lozza think he will get everything he wants, and use that to our advantage.”
“Then we go to battle,” Hedna finished. “A quick attack when they are unprepared.”
Lysi.
So why did the thought of sending theleikaviback to the Dead Mountain fill me with apprehension when it would soon be under siege?
“Then what are you doing out here withme?” Hedna asked, thumping my back as he passed. “Go learn more about our most interesting guest. Seduce her with your infamouscharmand make her tell you all.”
My brow rose and I gave him a dry look.
“And try not to scare her too badly,” Hedna added.
My lips curled.
* * *
When I reachedLokkaru’svolikiand ducked inside, it was well after dark and the home was quiet.
My chest gave an uncomfortable squeeze when I saw Vienne, perched on the floor next to Lokkaru’s bed of furs. The elder female was sleeping. Theleikavihad been watching her.
Trays from their evening meal were laid out on the low table, all empty. Both goblets of wine were empty as well and when I regarded her carefully, her cheeks were a little flushed from the alcohol’s warmth.
