“Agreed. We’re going to be here late. Without Learen, this takes some time.”
“I’ll be here as long as you need me,” Trevan promised, forcing his eyes to stay open.
“There’s coffee.” Dave pointed with his quill without looking up.
He didn’t need to be told twice. He was up and pouring himself a cup in seconds. He made one for Dave as well, putting it out of the way but where the human could see it.
It was quiet, good company. He and Dave had the ability to sit in silence but feel less alone, two strangers in a world they loved but didn’t fit in. Even as the candles began to burn out around them, they made no move to end the easy silence.
The door creaked, and Trevan was on his feet, hand on the hilt of his morok. He stiffened but relaxed immediately when Learen poked his head in.
“Oh, you are still working! Good. I was hoping to catch you before you went home. I was feeling better and got a nap in. I didn’t like sitting on my hands, though, so I wanted to help out. You know, got to feel a little useful every day.”
“Ah, Learen!” Dave smiled. “Come in, come in. Get out of the cold. If you really are feeling better, you can help with this end of day stuff.”
“Sure! I also brought a gift.” Learen produced a bottle, placing it on the table. “Because you let me have most of the day off, and you’ve been really kind to me about my limitations.”
“Thank you,” Dave whispered, taking the bottle. “This means a lot to me.”
Trevan relaxed back into his seat. He watched them work until the candles were completely gone, and the fire was fighting to survive as well.
“It’s time for everyone to head home,” he ordered. “It’s dark, and I don’t like flying at night.”
“I’ll finish this at home then. Learen, you were a great help. Thank you.”
“I can take some of it. People are whispering, and this could look suspicious if you take it…” Learen frowned at the papers Dave was putting into a stack.
“They can whisper. I’m the one making sure they eat every day. If they have a problem, they can take it up with Luykas. Or Alchan when he gets back. He’s the one who gave me the job.” Dave didn’t seem worried at all.
Trevan escorted him out and pointed at Vahn, who was still tied to his post.
“We’re flying,” he said, not allowing Dave to argue.
Mounting, Trevan secured them both, a little trick with a rope when it was windy. Vahn could handle any wind. His riders? Not as much.
When they landed, Trevan was hit with a wave of exhaustion.
“Have you slept at all recently?” Dave asked, sounding worried.
“Not really, but I never have much,” Trevan reminded him. “Stress makes me more tired, and the cold? Terrible.”
“Want to have a drink before bed?” Dave asked, lifting the bottle that Learen had given him.
Trevan chuckled. “Sure, why not?”
They went inside. Dave poured glasses for both of them while Trevan threw wood on the fire that nearly died while they were gone. It was an art to keep a fire going all the time as the Andinna could. Trevan was only just getting the hang of it.
Sitting next to it, Dave held out a drink.
They went back to that companionable silence and drank together. When Trevan was done, he yawned.
“Thank you. That was nice. Compliments to Learen on his choice. Now, I really do need to get some sleep.”
“All right,” Dave said, chuckling. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
Trevan went into his room, stripped off his leather armor as quickly as he could. Before giving in to his state, he turned and locked his door, a new feature that Luykas had installed. Dave also had a lock on his private bedroom now. With that secure, he felt safe to fall into the pile of things people here liked to call a bed. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion and alcohol take him away.
Someone knocked on his door, but he mumbled for them to go away, rolling around in his furs and blankets. Some of those furs were now ones he caught, and he intended to enjoy them until it was time to leave. Dave knew what to say to get him up.
Another knock, this one louder.
“Get the fuck up, Trevan!” Luykas roared on the other side.
Trevan was up, his eyes wide.
What? I just laid down.
He didn’t bother getting dressed. He flung his door open and glared at Luykas.
“What happened?” he demanded. His stomach growled.
“How long have you been in there?” Luykas asked, his eyes narrow.
“Um…I just went to sleep?” Trevan was incredibly confused. Luykas grabbed his arm and pulled him through a strangely crowded main room to his front door. The front door was flung open, and it was bright outside, and there was fresh snow.
Trevan felt his chest go tight.
“How long?” he asked softly. He turned to Luykas, feeling dread. “What’s going on?”
“It’s midmorning. Yesterday, we left you and Dave in the war room working. We came here to get you. Been trying to wake you up for what feels like forever. Dave is nowhere to be found. The snow was unbroken when we got here, meaning wherever he went or was taken happened before the snow right before dawn. He…You were asleep and didn’t hear anything, did you?”
“We…” Trevan tried to remember. He’d been so tired, and there was… “We worked late in the war room. Learen stopped by and said he was feeling better. He also brought a gift to Dave for letting him take most of the day off. When Dave and I got home, I was so fucking tired, but Dave asked if I wanted to have a drink. We sat by the fire, and when I was done, I went to bed. Dave knows how to wake me up. We have a signal. One for just every day and another for emergencies.”
“I know, but Dave is missing, and we don’t know where he is.” Luykas pulled Trevan back inside. “Get dressed. You’re going to move in with me at my old place until we figure this out.”
“I can’t get to your private home. It’s…up a cliff.”
“Exactly. If anyone comes after you, we’ll know it’s Andinna.”
“And if I’m the spy, I’m locked away in a tower,” Trevan whispered, understanding but still hurt.
“Yes,” Luykas said softly. “There’s one more thing, Trevan. It’s the only saving grace you have.”
“What?”
“Get dressed,” the Andinna ordered. Trevan looked around the room. Nevyn and Varon were there. Senri was there. Seanev. Learen.
Dave is missing.
He went into his room and dressed quickly, trying to move past the shock and just get to work. When he came back out, Luykas led him outside and down the steps. They went to the stable, and Luykas pointed.
Trevan only saw a mound of snow, and that in and of itself was a problem. He walked closer and moved some of it.
“Oh no,” he whispered.
Vahn was dead.
Dave was missing, and Vahn was dead.
“We think someone gave him a poisoned little snack. He wasn’t old enough or ill enough to die in his sleep,” Luykas said softly. “And…I don’t think you would ever kill your gryphon. Actually, I know you wouldn’t.”
Trevan began to shake.
“I think the only reason you’re alive is because you locked your door. Dave’s door is open, and there are no signs of a struggle. He either forgot or…”
“We were drugged?”
“Or he just wandered off and hasn’t made it back. I don’t know,” Luykas said. “But it doesn’t look good.”
Trevan got off his knees, leaving his poor gryphon—his trusty mount and the best gift he had ever received—where he died. It wasn’t as if he would carry the poor thing inside and try to warm him up like a child might with a bird.
“What do you need me to do?” Trevan asked quietly, turning back to Luykas. “Because I’ll do anything to get this son of a bitch. Just tell me what to do.”
“Let’s go,” Luykas ordered.
They m
oved back inside and packed up Trevan’s things. The others were there to help, and everyone was quiet.
“We need to be looking for Dave,” Trevan said, frustrated. “Not dealing with this.”
“I put the entire village on high alert once we realized something was wrong. My guards are all on it. They’re going over every inch of the valley and beyond to see where he might have gone,” Senri snapped. “We need to secure you.”
They had half his things outside when a guard landed in the snow.
“It’s bad,” the male whispered, his face pale. “I’m sorry.”
Trevan’s stomach dropped.
Luykas grabbed him and pulled him to his chest.
“Show us,” the general demanded.
The guard jumped up, with Luykas following, holding Trevan. Trevan had never been flown by an Andinna, and it terrified him. It was much different from riding a gryphon.
They went out of the village and landed in deep woods just beyond the border of the valley. The guard pointed out a secluded and small cavern. Luykas didn’t have to drag Trevan anywhere. He ran for it.
“Dave!” he called out.
“Trevan! Wait!” Luykas was following him, but he could outrun the Andinna.
I should have made sure he got to bed.
He pushed aside other Andinna in his way and fell to his knees when he saw.
I should have protected you from this.
He reached out and touched the burned cheek of his human friend.
“I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”
Dave had been tortured to death.
Trevan screamed and screamed in fury and grief.
It sounded oddly like an Andinna, which is what he thought it was until Luykas began to drag him away.
36
Mave
The road was long and cold, but they continued without complaint. Mave’s mind was focused on her goal. Since her last dream of Kristanya, she had not seen the goddess. Was there a reason? She had no idea, but it was the way of things—not a single peep out of Kristanya for over a month. Winter hit them in full force as they traveled, and Mave found herself alone in her dreams.
“We’re here! Right on time,” Alchan called out from the front. Mave was pretty sure she had never seen him drive a horse-drawn wagon before, but that’s what he was doing up there, with Rain and Lilliana on the back, tucked in and covered to protect them from the wind. Mave and Emerian were the only two on horses, but they often traded with Mat, Bryn, and Zayden, so everyone had a chance to get out of the cold.
She pushed the horse to catch up and looked at what he was talking about. They were in a large field, technically a massive valley, and had been for two days, with mountains in all directions. An old road from before the end of the War was their guide, and now, there was a split in it.
“The crossroads,” she said, looking at him. “Does this mean it’s time to split up?”
“We’ll camp for the night, but yeah, tomorrow we head in different directions. You’ll continue straight north while I turn to the northwest.” Alchan directed his horses to the side of the road onto the long-dead grass of the field. Mave followed him, waving Mat to bring their cart. Once everyone stopped, Mave tied her horse to the wagon next to Emerian’s.
Without talking, they worked to build their camp. Alchan, Rain, and Lilliana were sharing one of those special multiple room tents, which was really a tent with a divider, so the little ahren had some privacy. Mave and her males used one big tent. Emerian had a small one for himself, made for one Andinna.
They had grown proficient over the trip, building and breaking down camp every day. As Mave and her males put up their tent, Alchan and Rain handled the other. Lilliana was helpful, starting the fire for everyone and prepping dinner. She did it faster than Mave or her males ever could, a hidden skill.
By the time everyone was finished setting up sleeping spots, the food was cooking.
“Another road stew?” Mave asked, trying to be kind to the only other female on their journey.
“Yes,” the little noble female answered, not that she acted much like a noble.
“Thank you. These always warm me up.” Mave smiled and was happy to see a smile in return. Now that she was accustomed to her reaction to the ahren, she controlled it with masterful skill. There was no reason to behave that way, and Mave wouldn’t tolerate it from herself or anyone else.
“Let’s sit down,” Mat said softly, touching her back. Poor Mat. Mave knew he would follow her on this mission and would never say anything to her otherwise, but she knew it scared him. It scared all of her husbands. It scared her.
She nestled in next to him on the ground, and Zayden took her other side. Across the fire, Alchan and Rain sat down. Rain forced Lilliana to sit on his free side once she backed away from the fire, so the stew could cook undisturbed. Mave watched intently as Lilliana looked around Rain and blushed deeply, then tried to cover the lower half of her face with a scarf. Emerian sat by himself, watching the fire. He did every night, and she didn’t know how to reconnect with him.
There’s so much to say to him, and I…don’t yet know how to say them. I don’t want to do it with everyone around, either. It would be unfair to him.
“We had a message earlier today, but I didn’t read it yet,” Bryn announced, sitting closer to the fire. She knew he needed the light. He gave them updates whenever they came, but they weren’t frequent. Mave and Alchan both knew Luykas didn’t want to send bad news.
“I wonder what weird news he has for us this time,” the king said with a chuckle. “What was it last time?”
“Hogs escaping into the single male barracks or something, which I don’t believe,” Mave answered, rolling her eyes. “Bryn?”
Bryn was still reading, his eyes going wider and wider.
“Bryn?” Zayden asked.
Bryn looked up at her, then back down to the little blood magic book they sent messages in.
“We’ve had another casualty to the Elvasi forces embedded in the village…”
The story Bryn painted for them was a terrible one. Two friends, working late, another coming to help, and bringing a gift. One friend went to bed early. The other, no one would ever know.
He had been taken and killed.
Not just killed. Some sick monster tortured him until his body gave out.
Mave didn’t know she was crying until Mat reached out and wiped her tears.
“Dave wasn’t the only casualty,” Bryn said softly, reading in the light. “Vahn, the gryphon Trevan used as his mount, also met his end. Currently, the theory is the intruder who took Dave poisoned the beast with a snack. The gryphon died in its sleep.”
“Oh, no,” Zayden groaned. “Fuck. We should be there.”
Mave purposefully chose to ignore Zayden’s words. She didn’t need to acknowledge them. Her guilt was already threatening to consume her.
“I should have been better to him,” she whispered.
“You were wonderful to him,” Mat said, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s okay. Luykas is going to find out who did this.”
Mave shook her head.
“I’m the one who should feel guilty,” Bryn said, slamming the book closed. He tossed it to Alchan, who caught it. “I had a feeling there was a spy, and I didn’t say anything because I…didn’t trust my own instincts. I should have. I should have said something the moment I suspected.”
“We can’t change the past,” Alchan snapped. “Don’t beat yourself up. Who would be the spy? Hm? Do you have any new thoughts? We live in a village of freed slaves and Andinna warriors who lost their freedom. Who would hate us in that village so much, they would do this to our people? Let’s be honest here. If we were going to have a spy, Dave and Trevan would be the most likely suspects. Dave is obviously out, and Trevan would never kill that gryphon. It was a gift from Mave.” Alchan ran a hand through his hair as he handed the book to Rain. “Luykas knows my thoughts. It had to be another Andinna,
but what’s the motivation? Shadra’s intentions are very clear—no Andinna will ever be more than a slave in her Empire.”
“Personal?” Mat said, shrugging.
Mave felt a pause in the camp.
“Rain,” Alchan whispered. “Tell Luykas to look at Learen closer.” Rain jumped up and went into their tent.
“No,” Zayden said, shaking his head. “He’s…It all happened centuries ago, and he has a wife to take care of.”
“We already looked at him, just like we looked at Kenav and all the others, but…I want a second look. Luykas will know how to dig deeper than any of us. He might already be thinking about it but didn’t trust himself to write it down. Learen isn’t the only good option, but he fits.”
“Which is why you already looked at him,” Mave said, nodding. “Makes sense.”
Lilliana got up as slowly as she could and checked the stew.
“It should be ready,” she told them in a small voice. “Just needed to heat it up.”
Mave looked around, wondering if anyone had much of an appetite. No one moved.
“Eat,” Alchan ordered in a growl. “She made you dinner, and it won’t go to waste.”
That had Mave on her feet. He wanted them to respect Lilliana, and Mave was okay with that, but there was a defensiveness Mave only heard in her husbands when someone tried to hurt her. Mave filed that away with other interesting things she had noticed on the road. It was easier to think about that than avenging a human friend who she was weeks away from.
I hadn’t been there for him, and I should have been. Stupid. I should have brought him, but the village needed him.
Mave knew she couldn’t be everywhere at once. She had to do this insane mission, facing Kristanya to ask for power to defeat the Empire. It was their only hope. She got to her feet, needing to move, bowl of soup in her hands.
“Mave?” Mat asked up at her, the worry very real.
“I’ll be okay. I just need a minute. I…wish I had been there for him and what happened to him…” She sighed, blinking to try to stop tears. They would freeze on her face if she let herself really cry. That was why Mat wiped them away.
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