by D. E. Morris
Jaryn nodded, handing her back the reports. “Clearer than ours was at the games, apparently.”
“We have also received word that High King Tasarin and Misuzu are on their way.”
This news drew a look of confusion from Jaryn and he turned to Killian in question. “Why?”
The older man lifted a brow. “I assume it has something to do with the messenger Her Majesty sent to Caedia yesterday.”
Despite everything, Jaryn's thoughts immediately went to the purge. It was the only logical reason for Tasarin to leave Luella and his new baby for a kingdom that was proving itself unstable at best. Suddenly, Jaryn felt sick and panicky all at once. He wanted to sit and think it over, to see if there was another way and rehash it all as he'd done so many times, but there was no room for that today. “Where is Ashlynn now?”
“She was with Rowan and Cavalon when I left her,” Cailin volunteered. “They've both made a full recovery.”
“Good,” he replied, distracted. “That's good.”
Cailin and Killian shared a look of uncertainly before Cailin asked, “Do you want me to tell her you want her?”
“No.” Jaryn shook his head and waved his hand, then sighed. “Yes. Tell her...yes. Send her to my office up here. I'll be there dealing with all of this.”
The two friends glanced at each other one more time before Cailin headed off down the hall. Killian fixed Jaryn with a level gaze and asked, “Your Majesty, is there anything I can do for you?”
Jaryn pressed a hand to his forehead and exhaled. “Yes, actually. I need someone to look into the deed on the family land that has been left behind. We need to figure out who this child now belongs to and where to send her before anyone else gets too attached.” With a nod as decisive as Cailin's the older man left to carry out his given task and Jaryn turned for the solitude of his office. He hadn't even had breakfast yet and already things were off at full tilt. More people were sick – more than sick. He'd seen what the Rabia powder did and knew how terrifying its effects. Most of the people who had encountered it last night likely were dealing with it for the first time, and were innocents in all of it.
He left his doors open; his office being at the end of the hallway meant anyone coming that close was coming specifically to see him and he needed more of a warning than an announcement today. He was having trouble keeping up with it all and was doing his best to shake himself out of his stupor, but it was clinging to him like brambles in a wool cloak. All of the shutters were pulled back and each window was opened to allow fresh air to blow through. There was still the scent of blood everywhere. It would likely be weeks before it was gone, though he figured residents of the castle would get used to it quickly.
It was deceptive how lovely the morning was. Mist still hugged the tops of the surrounding mountains and the sun shone bright before him. He could hear children laughing somewhere, the musical lilt bouncing off the stone and fragmenting, making it sound like it was coming from every direction all at once. It was such a small thing, but it eased some of the tension in Jaryn's stomach. Little normalities reminded him that even in the middle of chaos, not everything was upside down and out of control.
“Giver,” he whispered, closing his eyes so he could turn his face to the sun that was already drawing sweat to his skin, “help me today. I need You. I don't know what I'm doing, and I need You to guide me. You put me here for a reason. I have never doubted that, but today I am at a loss. Help me.”
A great, deep bark resounded behind him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. When he turned to find three black and white Great Danes entering the office with Ashlynn, he couldn't help but grin and tilt his head. “What have you done?”
“Lord Fischbach and I were speaking this morning and he suggested them for Lochlainn. You know how he hates being followed by guards everywhere. He might feel differently about dogs.”
Jaryn held out his hands as the three beasts invaded his office, nosing around everywhere before coming to investigate him. “Yes,” he laughed, petting their wiry coats, “but they're all bigger than he is.”
“Exactly. And you know how their breed is. Once they understand that he is their master, they will be by his side and protect him at all times. I know it sounds foolish, Jaryn, just let me have this.”
He looked at her, hearing the exasperation in her voice, and rose to his feet. Holding out his hand, he gave her a smile of understanding and pulled her in for a hug. One of the dogs became sandwiched between their legs but was hardly bothered by his situation. “Sorry,” Ashlynn muttered into Jaryn's shoulder. “I'm exhausted and that's a terrible excuse, but it's my excuse anyway.”
“How long have you been awake?”
She shook her head and looked down at the dog. It looked up at her with dopey affection as she pulled back from Jaryn and gave the animal a scratch behind his ears. “I don't know that I ever really went to sleep.” Looking up at her husband, she worked a smile onto her lips and gave a playful tug to his beard. “And I didn't wake up to a kiss from you.”
“Ah, yes.” The dog's club of a tail was whacking against his leg and he pushed it away so he could wrap his arms around Ashlynn's waist. “That must by why my morning started so poorly as well. That settles it. We can never start the day like this again. Clearly it leads to the world going mad.” He bent his head and took her lips with his own, staying close to her and drawing comfort from the familiar feel of the way her body fit against his. “Dogs,” he muttered when she tucked her head under his chin, eliciting a quiet laugh from her. “And not just one, no, let's start with three miniature horses.”
“Stop it,” she giggled. “They're beautiful. I don't think this one's the brightest.” It was the same one who had little interest in exploring and only wanted attention. “He's very sweet, though, and only ten months old. The other two are a little older, but they're all siblings and I have been assured come from good stock. He said Lochlainn can name them, train them how he likes. They'll be good for him.”
“I can't say no to that now, can I?”
Once more, Ashlynn extracted herself with a look of regret. “Have you heard the latest?”
The brief moment of levity faded and Jaryn nodded, crossing his arms. “Cailin and Killian filled me in first thing. Any new developments?”
“Not so far as I've heard, which is a good thing, I think. Kenayde is nervous about Badru leaving with the group for Cieria, but he's confident that she knows what she's doing.”
Jaryn lifted a brow. “Are they leaving already?”
“It doesn't make sense to wait. Things are only going to get worse. If this woman and her people are our enemies, those we send down there will likely be safer there than they will be here.”
He grimaced. “You have a point.”
“Rowan isn't happy they're going.”
“Well at least she's feeling well enough to be unhappy.”
Ashlynn gave a thin smile, but quickly grew serious and fixed her husband with an inquisitive gaze. “She told me something this morning that I wonder if you know about.”
Curiosity piqued, Jaryn leaned back against his desk. “Oh?”
“I knew she had to have been drinking quite a bit more than she should have to be as sick as she was last night, so I asked her this morning what made her consume so much wine. It took some coaxing, but apparently when she was sitting with Lilia and Mairead as they were getting ready for their journey, Mairead told them that Niam came to visit her.” Jaryn's head fell forward onto his chest in a dramatic roll. “So you do know,” Ashlynn surmised.
“He has taken an interest in Mairead.”
“Normally I would be thrilled, but Rowan is heartbroken and he went to Mairead's room.”
Jaryn lifted his face. “I already spoke with him about it.” He frowned. “Niam is much too old for Rowan anyway.”
Ashlynn tilted her head. “There are only thirteen years between them, There are quite a few more than that between Elas and Kenayde. Goodness, think
about how many years there are between Cailin and my father or Tasarin and Luella. Let's not even mention Lilia and Connor where...” She trailed off, looking around with a scandalized expression. “..the woman is five years older than the man in that relationship.”
“You minx,” Jaryn laughed. “They're all adults and none of them is my foster daughter. Rowan will find someone else her own age or she can wait until she's older and find someone not her own age, so long as I don't have to see it. Killian may be her da, but I can be just as protective.”
“It's very sweet,” assured Ashlynn. “Anyway, do you think it's a good match, Niam and Mairead – something we should encourage?”
He shook his head. “I don't think we should encourage much of anything right now. Let's just get through these next few weeks and see where we stand.”
“All right.”
She called to the dogs and all of them came running, ready to follow her wherever she went, but Jaryn said her name and halted her departure before she could even make it to the door. “Tasarin and Misuzu are on their way.”
Her nod of acknowledgment was slow. “I meant to tell you yesterday that I had sent them a message but with everything that happened, impossible as it sounds, it slipped my mind. Are you upset with me?”
“Of course not.” He held her uncertain gaze and shrugged with his palms up. “It just makes this so much more real. Like I said last night, I'm scared of the whole thing. I still support you, but I'm doing my best not to shake in my shoes over it all.”
Ashlynn's brow wrinkled. “Last night? I don't remember you saying anything at all to me about being afraid.”
He lifted a brow and chuckled. “You really must have been exhausted if you're forgetting an entire conversation.”
With a slow inhale, she massaged her temples. “I really was, and still am so I suppose anything is possible. Sleeping in between two boys that do nothing but toss and turn all night does not a peaceful evening make.”
It was Jaryn's turn for confusion. “What?”
“I know. Usually Lucien's presence is enough to calm anyone but even he was restless last night. Lochlainn kept dreaming about Cirilla and every time he made so much as a peep, Lucien would wake, then he'd wake me. It was just a never-ending cycle of all of us waking each other up all night.”
“When did you go to Lochlainn's room?”
She gave half a shrug. “I don't know. It was late, a few hours after they'd been tucked in, at least. That was why I never came to bed. I sent a servant up to tell you I'd be with the boys, but she must have gotten distracted along the way. Not that I can blame her, what with everything going on.”
Jaryn felt the blood drain from his face. He knew for a fact Ashlynn had come to bed last night, could recall intimate details of the hours they had spent together. “And you were there the whole night?”
“Yes.” She eyed him. “I may be stealthy but I am not so skilled that you wouldn't have heard me come in and out in the middle of the night, and you're not that heavy a sleeper. Jaryn, are you all right? You've gone white as a sheet.”
“There you are!” The dogs started barking as someone new approached. Lilia drew up short and Ashlynn turned around in a surprised rush.
“Stop it!” she commanded. “Sit down and be quiet, all of you.”
“This is new,” the winged woman hedged.
“They're for Lochlainn.”
“Oh. Well then, they're lovely. We're getting ready to leave.” She glanced past Ashlynn with a friendly smile for Jaryn, but flinched upon seeing his withdrawn state. “Are you all right?”
“Fine,” he croaked. He could hear the two women discussing how terrible he looked, but couldn't focus on their words. All he could think about were the implications of what he understood about last night: he had spent the night with his wife, while she told him she had spent the night with their son.
“Have you eaten yet?” Ashlynn asked. “Maybe you should have breakfast. I can see the group off myself.”
“Yes...yes, that's a good idea.” He forced himself to raise his head and to meet Lilia's questioning gaze. “Be safe, Lilia. We will all be praying for you.”
“We will be doing the same for you.”
Ashlynn cast one last look over her shoulder at him before escorting Lilia down the hallway with the three dogs following behind.
As soon as they were gone, Jaryn shut the doors and locked them, feeling everything and nothing all at once. Was it possible that he had dreamed the entire thing? He could ask Elas if they'd had a conversation with Ashlynn. That would help clear up some of the mystery, but then how would he explain why he was asking such a question? He didn't need to look too deep to know it had been real, every moment of it, and it both sickened and frightened him.
~*~*~*~
Mairead's mottled ruby scales reflected the sunlight as over-sized saddlebags were being attached to her withers and stuffed with supplies. Killian was giving Connor and Lilia some last-minute instructions to pass on to the Keeper Lilia had met, and Ashlynn stood with Badru as he carefully placed vials of the Rabia antidote into the bags. “Are you certain that Kenayde is well enough on her own?” Ashlynn asked, squinting into the still rising sun. “What if something else happens? What if there is some other kind of biological attack?”
“Your sister is quite skilled,” assured Badru, “as are the rest of your physicians. Do not underestimate her. There were times last night when she was the teacher and I was the student.”
Ashlynn sighed. “It's going to feel like there is a vulnerability in our armor without you here.”
The old man laughed and pat her shoulder. “You pay me a compliment I am not so certain I deserve. Much has happened while I was here, do not forget.”
“Will you be all right on such little sleep?”
“There is a reason why I am not flying myself and am only a passenger today. I can take a nap on the flight down.” He glanced at Connor. “The wind will be too loud for the young prince to be able to talk my ear off, I should think. Depending on how long Mairead needs to rest in between, I may be able to sneak away and find a good place to sleep for an hour or two before we reach Cieria.”
“Just take care of yourself. Promise me that.”
He smiled at her in a fatherly manner, pressing one of her hands between both of his. “Only if you do the same. Do not do anything rash while I am away. We will return as swiftly as possible, and then we will discuss what happens next with your boy.”
“Tasarin and Misuzu are already on their way. I will discuss the details of the actual purge, of who will be where and with whom while you're gone. I know everyone will want to be present, but we still don't know what will happen when all six Elementals are together, if anything will even happen at all. I don't want to risk finding out the night Lochlainn receives my powers and shock his little body even more. He's already going to have to handle so much.”
Badru squeezed her hand, his expression growing serious. “Promise me that you will wait, Ashlynn.”
She held his gaze for a long moment before expelling a breath. “I can only promise you that I will try.”
Her answer made him frown, but he gave a slow nod. “I suppose that I can accept that.”
Vala and Rowan came out with bundles of food for the travelers' midday meal and packed it into one of Mairead's empty bags. “There's extra figs and dried meats in there for you,” Rowan told the dragon. “You need more protein for such a long flight so don't let my greedy brother eat all of this, and I know figs are your favorite.”
Thank you, Rowan.
Rowan's brows came together and she flung her arms wide, encircling Mairead's neck as best as she could. I don't want you to go.
The dragon's head swung in a slow arc, encircling Rowan in a sort of embrace. I know. Most of me does not want to go either, but if this is what I must do to keep you safe, to keep us all safe, then it is what must be done. We will all return before you know it. She released her hold on Rowan, he
r eyes catching sight of Vala still standing there, a hand wrapped around her other arm in a shy manner. Tell Vala she may approach. I will not speak to her. I know telepathy frightens her.
Rowan relayed the words and the smaller girl took a few hesitant steps forward. She placed a hand on the dragon's neck, soft wonder lighting her face as she felt the heat radiating under her palm. “I always knew fire dragons were warmer than others,” she breathed, an innocent, girlish smile on her lips. “I never thought I would touch one. I never wanted to ask.” Mairead's eyes twinkled mirth, creasing at the edges as though she were in her human form. “Be safe, Mairead. The stories Lilia and Rowan told us...” She trailed off with a shudder. Someone by one of the entrances inside caught her eye and she paused, a slow grin making her look mischievous. “We will be sure to keep an eye on Niam for you.”
Vala.
She jerked her hand back with a shriek, nearly falling backward when she squeezed her eyes shut and stumbled away. Rowan wrapped her arms around her stomach, doubling over in laughter. Everyone else only looked at the girls with varying levels of curiosity on their faces. Mairead turned to the castle where she saw Niam standing in watch. He wore a lopsided grin as well, having had to have guessed at what had happened just from observing. When he realized Mairead was looking in his direction, he lifted a hand in acknowledgment, his grin turning into a sad smile. She gave him a slow blink in return, but her attention was overtaken by scrambling feet climbing up her haunches and over her back.
Already shifted, Lilia took off into the air, and Ashlynn pulled Vala and Rowan to her side to keep them out of the way as Mairead pumped her wings. Rowan hardly flinched as the wind stirred up dirt and debris, lifting her face to the sky with pride as though she were soaring alongside her sister Gael. Vala hid behind her hands until the dragon was high enough that the residual current was little more than a breeze.
Ashlynn's arms settled around the girls' waists and hugged them to her sides, taking in their expressions. It was easy to see concern in both of their faces, and she couldn't help but feel warmed by the bond her ladies shared. “I know you are both worried for Mairead and Lilia. Rowan, I know you worry for your brother and for Badru as well. I would be lying if I said I didn't have my own reservations about any of this, but it must be done. In the meantime, we pray and we take what action we need to here. With two of my ladies gone, I will be relying on the both of you even more. Do you think you are up to the task?”