“No. He’s not.”
“Be warned, my boy. You have my allegiance but there may be others with the gift of sight who will be able to put the pieces together.”
“It’s already happening.” I thought of everything that had happened up to this point. “That’s why the entity masking as my sister is here. It knows Elariya is my tracker. As for my uncle…I’m not sure what part he played yet.”
“Then let us pray to the Gods you maintain the element of secrecy.”
I nodded. “I need all the help I can get.”
“Well, you have me.”
“Thank you.” I dipped my head. “You have my deepest gratitude.”
A tight-lipped smile slid across his face. “So, now that we’ve talked, do you think I’m ready to hear about Morgäven yet?”
I was beginning to see he was so much more trustworthy than I'd realized.
“There was an attack,” I began, voice hoarse from the memory. “And that’s where I ended up with a sword wedged in my heart.”
Kaem studied my face with a hardened expression. “Who? Who could have gotten to you in such a way?”
I smirked without humor. “That part… that’s the part that’s still grating on my nerves.”
“Tell me.”
I told him about Thayden. And when I was done, I told him about everything else.
Kaem stood frozen, his knuckles white against the railing. The color had drained from his weathered face, and his mouth parted slightly as if words had abandoned him entirely.
He blinked slowly, as though trying to process the nightmare I'd just laid bare.
"Gods above and below," he finally whispered, his voice roughened by shock. “Things are worse than I thought.”
“They are.”
“Your father would never have wanted any of this for you or Alaric. Gods be good—a kingdom on the brink of war and insurgency from the inside out.”
“It’s up to me to fix it. The days of me training dragons are long gone. Now I must save my people. But to do that, I have to save myself first.”
Kaem’s eyes crinkled at the corners, and a lock of his graying her fell over his eye as he nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
I didn’t have to think for too long. “I need someone on the outside. Someone to investigate in the mortal lands. I want to know who helped Thayden. Mark my word, he had more help than mere Scabbards.”
“Indeed.”
“See what you can find out.”
“Leave it with me.” He glanced at the cabin door as though he could see through the wood. “As for you…your mage…she’s thekey.”
I drew in a sharp breath. “She’s more than that to me.”
“We Galaythians, we keep keys close to our hearts.” He rested a steady hand on my shoulder.
His words settled over me like a prophecy I wasn't ready to fulfill. He wasn’t telling me to give Elariya up, and he wasn’t telling me to keep her, either.
Yes, we did keep our keys close to our hearts.
But what didclosemean for me?
