“At least for a few hours,” Cass confirmed.“Which is why I came to find you, though you distracted me for a few minutes.”
Connor raised his eyebrow at her, wondering what she wanted to discuss unheard.
“When you chased down that lieutenant at the fortress, Daya was connected to the hawks and to Veda.Nothing condemning was said, but Veda’s reactions were interesting.Takes a while to learn to mind speak without verbalizing, and I believe that was probably her first experience.”
Zevat.He could he deny what she’d witnessed third hand but chose not to argue the revelation.“Did anyone else notice?”
“No.I had Sev keep the other children’s attention elsewhere.”
Connor breathed out a sigh of relief.He’d been worrying about Celina’s response to knowing he’d let Devryn go.She’d come around to his reasoning eventually, but it would not be an easy conversation.
“You didn’t say anything.”
“No, I did not.I’m sure the reason for your decision was to save lives.But if you think Celina will react strongly, it won’t compare to Rodric’s response.She, at least, understands military protocol.”
“I’d rather they not find out at all.Or at least until they’re home and completely safe.Not sure I can claim it was a military decision when I don’t plan on telling them either.”
“I couldn't care less what you tell the military.What I’m more immediately concerned about are the repercussions of freeing him.Are we safe?Do we need to take extra measures when we get home?With or without them knowing?I don’t like surprises, Connor.It’s one reason why I watch everything that goes on so closely.”
“Figured you just liked having one up on us all the time.”Connor joked with her like he would one of his teammates in a stressful situation.
“Well… I’ll admit that’s an added benefit,” Cass admitted with a smirk.“But mostly I prefer to know what’s coming at me.Like a potentially violent, escaped mercenary for instance.”
He shook his head, lips twitching.An offer of help and protection was not what he had expected when she’d initiated this line of conversation.
What did he need?He considered her questions seriously.There wouldn’t be any blowback from Devryn.But from the traitor?It was possible.It would be foolish to attack the Blackwood family directly, being who they were in Calderre.But the refugee children?His remaining teammates?There was danger, certainly.He would need to be very careful how he handled the situation.
“Not from him, but from others at home, possibly.”
“If you need my help, ask.Don’t do anything crazy on your own in the name of vengeance.”
“Wouldn’t that be your style for handling a traitor?”he asked bluntly.
“Depending on the situation, yes.But you’re not me.You have a lot more to lose, Connor.”
Just then, the shadows parted like mist to his magic sight, and one such thing barreled into the circle of velentha trees.He stepped out of the shadow to intercept Opal as she raced toward him.
The little girl stumbled and gave a squeak of surprise when he and Cass both appeared suddenly but recovered quickly.
“Con!”Opal ran at him, expecting him to catch her mid-jump.
He did, laughing and tossing her higher before settling her on his hip.She felt heavier, thank the stars.She was getting faster and stronger as the days wore on, though he still had trouble getting her to eat enough.
“What is it, little mite?”he asked.
“The horses are good, except Dahlia had a stone in her back hoof, but I got it out.”Opal reported on her assigned daily magic practice—checking in magically with the horses.“And Rogue’s knee hurts, so I told Celina so that she and Rodric could use their healing magic to help him feel better.Zora is kind of cranky tonight and said that boss mares don’t need to be tethered.But they’re all ready for bed.”
“Very good.Thank you for remembering to do that,” he said seriously.
Opal giggled, wrinkling her nose as she grinned at him.“And no little mites besides me.”
“You’re all they need.”Connor chuckled and tickled her lightly.“How about you?Are you ready for bed yet?”
“Mmm, no, not yet.Will you come tell us a story?Sev said his voice is tired because we made him tell three last night, so it’s your turn.”
“Is that so?”
She nodded decisively, a hopeful look on her face.They’d been taking turns storytelling, and Sev was the favorite because he knew all the myths and legends.Not just from Eldridge, but from all over the world.His surprising talent for storytelling had proven incredibly helpful with the children.
