“I’m up early rather than late. It is less than two marks until the dawn. Had I remained in here all night, I fear my soulbonded would have hunted me down.” His expression softened at the mention of Lady Meli, but only for a moment. “In any case, I must contact Dria anyway about another matter. You should seek your rest, and I will update you tomorrow.”
Well, then. If ever there was a polite dismissal, that was it. “Thank you for your help.”
“It is no trouble.”
Maddy refastened her cloak and stood. After exchanging a polite farewell with the Myern, she retraced their earlier steps through the hallway and out the front door. She shivered against the increasing cold and hurried along the path as quickly as she could with the patches of ice beginning to form. If nothing else, at least she had one thing settled.
Dria had just twined herself around Vek when her mirror chimed. Clechtan. She dropped her forehead on her mate’s shoulder and groaned. “Remind me why I accepted the leadership of this outpost.”
“Your annoying brother?” Vek asked, his soft chuckle vibrating between them.
“Never mind,” Dria muttered. “Don’t remind me.”
It was too late, of course, but she tried not to think about her brother all the same. Though they’d reconciled, she was still aggrieved at him for dropping this task on her. But it was hers now, for good or ill. With a sigh, Dria shoved away from Vek as the mirror rang again, and his humor disappeared at the loss of contact.
She wasn’t exactly amused herself.
Who was trying to reach her at this hour? Fen would have texted the phone shoved in the pocket of her robe, and Dria’s relatives would have calculated the time difference before calling. Concern began to replace irritation as she hurried toward the mirror. With a quick surge of magic, she activated the link.
Dria tried very hard not to wince when Lyr’s image filled the mirror, but she could tell she failed by the wry twist of his lips. She didn’t bother to explain that it wasn’t personal—he knew better than anyone how renowned he was becoming for being the unwitting harbinger of trouble.
“Good evening, Lord Lyr,” Dria said politely. “I admit I did not expect to hear from you at such a late hour. Is all well with your household?”
Lyr nodded, but his expression turned serious. “For once, my household is perfectly fine. However, two matters of import have converged, and I thought it best to go ahead and contact you.”
“Two matters of immediate concern?” Dria asked.
“If you’re wondering about an invasion, then no,” Lyr answered, but despite his calm tone, her stomach dropped. “The most pressing is certain to be unpleasant, however. Queen Lera contacted me to demand information about the outpost. I informed her that I have no authority over such, and she insisted I pass her request for communication to you.”
Dria felt the warmth of Vek’s chest against her back as he stepped close behind her. “I thought the Seelie had too many problems in their own court to worry about us,” he said.
A shock of pleasure filled Dria at how easily her mate said “us,” almost as though he’d been a Moranaian born. Not that she would show it. “I will speak with her as soon as I can, although she may want to send an emissary. Since I do not wish for outsiders to see the portal, it seems I must create a formal receiving area near the upper entrance. Will you be able to accommodate extra requests for furnishings?”
“I believe so.” Lyr’s lips quirked slightly upward. “And if not, I’ll foist the task onto Ralan. It would be a pleasure.”
Dria let out a soft laugh. If she hadn’t known the two men were friends, she might have worried. Who didn’t want to give her brother a little grief after all his prophesies? Besides, he was technically in charge of the entire expedition to Earth and should have a more active role.
“Dare I ask about the other matter?” Dria finally ventured.
That brought a frown back to the Myern’s face. “It doesn’t appear to be serious. Maddy has set her return time at approximately one Moranaian day from now.”
Dria might have glossed over his words, but the way he delivered the news bothered her. “Doesn’t appear?”
“Her choice was made after a pointed suggestion from your niece.”
Vek tensed against her back. “A prophecy?” he grumbled.
“Not officially, but be on your guard for anything out of the ordinary.” Lyr sighed. “I would like to think Eri is being subtle because she has learned her lesson, but I also wouldn’t count on it.”
“We’ll do what we can.”
Fabulous. An imperious demand from the Seelie queen, a sick part-fae woman, an enemy after Fen, and a child seer acting out of the ordinary. Their two weeks of calm were at an end.
Chapter 19
To say that the drive to Anthony’s house was awkward would be an understatement. Fortunately, Fen was mostly able to ignore his uncle in the seat beside him. Traffic was heavy, and Anna kept Vek engaged in something resembling polite conversation. She knew how worried Fen was about all of this. If Vek brought up Fen’s decision to go out on his own, there would definitely be a fight.
“How often have you been to the Seelie court?” Anna asked.
“Perhaps twice,” Vek answered. “Our two peoples have never gotten along, but it has been a long time since we’ve had a war. I worked with Queen Tatianella to smooth over a couple of larger squabbles before they could become such.”
Anna leaned forward, and the curiosity on her face pulled Fen’s eyes to the rearview mirror until he forced himself to look away. “Maddy told me a month or two ago that her father was concerned about the lack of word on the queen’s health. But apparently some fae put themselves into a deep sleep sometimes? Do the Unseelie do that?”
Vek snorted. “We would not reveal it if we did. But I suppose it is a sound method for dealing with boredom. After a couple of centuries away, you’d have a whole new world.”
According to rumor, Naomh had been placed into such a sleep after Meren attacked him, but Fen hadn’t been present for any of that. As far as he was concerned, it would have to be one hell of a deep sleep. Who would want to spend that long reliving awful dreams? Though granted, it might work fine for those who didn’t have nightmares of their dead and bloody parent or other terrible moments in life.
“What do you do for your work here, Anna?” Vek asked.
“My passion is writing, but…” Anna hesitated, and a quick glance in the mirror showed her abashed expression. “Right now, I work in a restaurant waiting tables. I suppose you would think of me as a servant.”
Oh, hell. Maddy might have laughed and told Vek to take a flying leap, but Anna seriously looked worried about gaining his uncle’s approval. If Vek said something assholish to Anna, Fen would throttle him. He would drop him through a hole in the ground and seal the damned thing. He would tell Dria. Anything to get retribution.
Fen pulled into an empty parking spot in the visitor section of the apartment complex and slammed the gearshift into park. But before he could interject, Vek responded.
“I’ve never been inclined to think poorly of those who do service work. Each task in life must be completed by someone, and it sounds like you provide great value to your society. I do hope they compensate you accordingly.” Vek shot Fen a challenging glance. “I can’t imagine anyone would believe I would feel otherwise. I’ve paid my own steward enough gold to buy a home among the nobles.”
“Lucky,” Anna muttered from the back seat.
Fen had to agree.
“I bet you pay your artists well, too,” Anna said. “I haven’t decided if I should bother to publish the book I’m writing once I’m done. There’s so much competition.”
Vek turned in his seat at that. “You write, Anna? Perhaps you should consider releasing your tales amongst the fae now that you know of us. We do indeed pay for artistic labor.”
“I don’t even want to think about how brutal the critics must be,” Anna said with a laugh.
>
For a moment, Fen let himself imagine what that kind of life would be like. Anna could set up an office upstairs in his new place and write while Maddy was at the shop. Maybe he could have a table in the corner where he shaped some of the raw stones he found in the area. And then…
He sighed. He honestly wasn’t sure what else he might do. Sell rocks? He hadn’t decided if he would accept his place in the Unseelie court, and he had no idea what would be required of him if he did. It might be hard to mesh his duties as a prince with the life of an artisan.
“As much as I dread this, we should go inside,” Vek said, interrupting Fen’s thoughts.
He glanced at his uncle in surprise. Vek was actually nervous? “Should I be worried? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you mention dread like this.”
Vek’s smile held a decidedly self-mocking edge. “Uncertainty happens to us all. I wager you wouldn’t be comfortable attempting to use a new magic you haven’t mastered on a stranger.”
That was true enough. “Why didn’t Aris come?”
“Exposure to an illness would mean he couldn’t return to Selia and Iren until he was cleared,” Vek replied. “He was away from them for long enough during his captivity, so I bid him and Kezari to return to Moranaia.”
It sucked, but the decision made sense. With a nod, Fen opened his car door and exited, prompting the others to do the same.
“Let me help,” he suggested as the three of them converged on the sidewalk. “Kien created the spell, but I helped connect it to Earth and was the only one who could contain it when the enspelled crystals started to fail.”
“And I can try to see if there’s a connection to water,” Anna offered. “I wouldn’t know what to do about it, but it’s something.”
Vek studied them, his gaze flicking from Fen to Anna and back again. “I am not hesitant because of your skill. I would not see you reinfected, Fen, nor would I want Anna to sicken.”
“I understand.” Fen met his uncle’s eyes. “But that isn’t your decision. You are no less valuable than we are. The risk doesn’t have to be yours alone.”
After a deep sigh, Vek relented. “Very well. Let’s go do what we can.”
Satisfaction filled Fen at the victory. Yes, standing up for himself had been the right decision. The argument, the rush to find a new home, the energy expended to shield both his new house and Anna’s and Maddy’s condo—all had been worth it. He’d thought it necessary to convince Vek of his worthiness, but it turned out that Fen had needed the prompting himself.
Now it was time to make use of his growing confidence.
Maddy couldn’t decide if her timing had been awesome or terrible. The potential ice storm had roared into reality a couple of hours after she’d finally gone to sleep, and injuries had started to trickle in not long after. It had to be some kind of cosmic payback for something she’d done, though when or what she couldn’t say. But as an almost viciously good-humored Lial had pounded on her door a couple of hours after dawn, she’d become convinced her past actions must have been terrible.
Despite her exhaustion, though, the storm had given her more than enough opportunities to watch a trained healer in action. So far, she had assisted Lial as he’d healed a deep gash made by an icicle, three twisted ankles, frostbitten toes, and a concussion inflicted by a falling branch in the wilder area of the forest.
But she hadn’t done any healing herself.
They’d just finished a hasty lunch of meat, cheese, and bread at the battered table in the corner of Lial’s bedroom when Maddy heard the door slam below. A man called out Lial’s name, and the healer let out a sigh. His moment of cheer while waking her had long since dissipated, leaving exhausted resignation in its wake.
“Do you ever get a lull in work? For more than a few hours, I mean.”
“Sometimes, but thankfully not often.” At her raised brow, Lial smiled slightly. “I haven’t minded as much lately. The work keeps me from lingering on my own unhappy thoughts.”
He didn’t say more, and Maddy didn’t ask. She didn’t know him well enough to pry, and in any case, she could guess. He was in love with the Myern’s mother, who according to rumor had lost her soulbonded. A terrible blow, and one that made it likely she wouldn’t want another relationship for a long time. If ever.
Saddened by the conversation, Maddy followed Lial down the spiral staircase. The healer helped a woman in leather armor to sit on the bed against the wall. Another guard of some kind, presumably the man who had called out, lingered anxiously to the side.
“What happened?” Lial asked.
The woman took a shaky breath and gestured toward her left arm. Even that small movement had her wincing. “I think I tore something in my shoulder. My foot slipped while I was climbing down from the tree, and all my weight ended up being supported by my left side.”
Lial said nothing, but a sheen of blue light covered her shoulder as he ran his hand just above her armor. After a moment, he nodded. “Several strained muscles, a couple of torn ligaments, and a partial dislocation. I’ll block the pain.”
“It isn’t too bad,” the guard said, receiving a snort from Lial in reply.
Maddy studied the woman. That level of damage to the shoulder had to hurt, but she hadn’t done more than wince. No exclamations of pain or muttered curses. But the look of pure relief on her face as the healer’s magic hit was a revelation. Lial glanced up, and whatever he saw on Maddy’s face made him smile.
As he had a few times that morning, the healer established a communication link with her. “The scouts often sustain injuries out in the field, though rarely serious. They are accustomed enough to discomfort and pain that you can’t assume they aren’t hurting more deeply than they appear or even claim. I imagine warriors on Earth are similar.”
“Good to know.”
“Come,” Lial said. “I will heal the worst of the damage, and then I would like to see you try.”
“Me?”
Lial quirked a brow. “Is there some other reason you are here?”
Maddy’s cheeks heated, but she didn’t comment. They both knew her question had been foolish, and Lial was not inclined to coddle her fears. Not that he’d been dismissive. Instead, he seemed to sense that she needed someone to kick her ass into gear.
As he began his portion of the healing, Maddy sidled closer. She knew from their earlier work together that he wouldn’t be bothered by her own scan, so she sent her own magic out to examine the soldier’s injuries and Lial’s method of healing them. His work was phenomenal. There was no part of any wound his magic missed, not that she could tell. As she watched, he knit the torn ligament back together with ease.
When he stopped, only the strained muscles were left untreated. “Do you mind if my student completes the final portion of your healing? With my supervision, of course.”
The scout eyed Maddy for a moment before nodding. “If you trust her work, then I will do the same.”
Maddy took a deep breath, surprised by the depth of the excitement blending with her nerves. This was it. She could discover once and for all if she could be taught how to use her recalcitrant gift. If she was a lost cause, Lial would let her know—and he wouldn’t let her hurt anyone in the process.
She crossed the short distance to the healer’s side and extended her hand over the guard’s shoulder. Maddy sent her power out in a soft flicker of light green, less steady and certain than Lial’s. But it was hers, and she was going to let herself use it. She had to trust that Lial would watch her actions carefully.
Maddy’s eyes slipped closed as she yielded to her inner sight. She couldn’t name the muscles or their general function, but she could see the damage done near the shoulder blade and up higher near the top. What was the best method to deal with it? Lial had told her that she would either need to know the anatomy of the injury minutely or be able to force the repair with her will.
The second choice was her only option with this one.
After gathering her
power, Maddy commanded her magic to correct any tears or strains. The scout’s body jerked as energy poured in faster than it should have, and Maddy struggled to pull her magic back before it did harm. Dammit, dammit, dammit. She was going to screw this up. Already, one of the strained muscles had stretched further instead of rebounded.
Then Lial’s magic surrounded hers. “Stop. Your fear of failure causes you to make mistakes. How can you direct your will when your will is claiming you’ve already lost?”
“But—”
“You are not using your full power. When you do, it will not be this pale shadow of green but a true light.”
Her forehead furrowed. He wanted to talk about her magic’s color? “That doesn’t seem relevant.”
“Think on it,” he snapped. “In the meantime, follow.”
For a second, she didn’t understand what he meant, but then she noticed how his magic formed around hers, providing a path for her to trace. Painstakingly, he guided her to each tiny tear in the muscle, directing her on how to heal them. Alone, he would have been finished long ago, but she sensed no impatience with the delay despite his grumpy demeanor.
By the time they finished, Maddy wanted to cry with both relief and despair, but she couldn’t. She had to observe with apparent calm while Lial removed the pain block on the scout’s shoulder and tested her range of motion. She had to pretend like she hadn’t almost hurt the poor woman.
How could she not claim she’d already lost?
Her patient paused to thank her before leaving, but Maddy could only wince. “You’re welcome, though I need to apologize for my clumsiness at the task.”
Shrugging her newly healed shoulder, the scout smiled. “I’m the one who slipped climbing down the tree I’ve been stationed at for several years, am I not? I’ve trained for centuries, and yet accidents still happen. The only thing that matters is that my shoulder is well.”
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