by Lisa Cassidy
Dashan burst into laughter at that, his chest rumbling under her hands. Seeing him laugh so freely, her shyness vanished and she grinned back at him. When he had control of himself, he flipped them over so that he was covering her with his body, and his hands began to wander again.
“You’re not half bad yourself, Egalion,” he murmured in her ear before kissing her. Alyx’s reply was swallowed up by his mouth on hers, and very soon his touch meant that she had no room for coherent thought.
“Did you feel it?” she asked him a little while later, as they lay facing each other, hands entwined between them.
“Yeah,” he said, dark eyes intense. “It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”
Alyx smiled softly in agreement. She’d known the moment she’d absorbed his Taliath abilities; in coming together it had been impossible for her mind and magic to remain apart from him, and she hadn’t wanted to. Their experience had been truly shared, in every way, and every part of her still rang gently with joy.
“So now I’m invulnerable.”
“You’re not having doubts?”
“No.” She closed her eyes and curled her body around his. “It was amazing, Dash. I love you.”
“Me too,” he murmured, pulling her closer.
She lay there a while longer, eyes roving the room before finally falling on Cario’s staff leaning against the wall near the door. Tears welled as grief ached in her chest, matched by rising anger.
“After I thought you’d died, I swore to hunt him down and destroy him. And then my father and Cario…I have to try harder, Dash. I want him dead. I want this over. I want a life.”
His arms tightened around her, his voice soft in her ear. “I’ll be standing at your side every step of the way, Alyx Egalion.”
She soaked up his warmth and comfort for a moment before gently pushing him away and sitting up, the blanket falling away from her body. “We have to get back.”
He eyed her. “I thought you were staying a couple of days.”
“I can’t,” she said, her new resolve leaving her unable to sit still. Cayr had been right. Dashan was what she’d needed to calm the roiling emotions that Cario’s death had caused, and now she had clarity back. She was wounded, but she could pick herself up and keep going. It was what Cario would want. “Shakar needs to die.”
“Does it have to be right now?” he complained.
She glanced at the window—the sun was alarmingly high on the horizon. How long had they slept? “It’s almost midday!”
He groaned and rolled away from her, rising from the bed in one smooth movement. Alyx sat there, admiring his muscular body and broad shoulders as he dressed, until he caught her looking.
“Oh no, mage-girl, both of us have to get out of bed.” He leaned over and yanked off the blanket. Alyx hissed as the cool air hit her bare skin.
“No fair,” she cried, scrambling for her own clothes.
“You were ogling me. I feel objectified.” He winked. “Admit it, all you were after all these years was my body.”
“That’s easy.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “And now that I find my curiosity is satisfied, I can move on.”
“Satisfied?” Dashan vaulted onto the bed in one smooth movement and pinned her against the lumpy mattress. Then he leaned down and kissed her. In moments they were both breathless.
“Satisfied, huh?” He pulled back slightly, a teasing gleam in his eyes.
“Oh, shut up,” she murmured, and pulled his mouth back to hers.
“What happened to Kingsbrother?” Finally up and dressed, they were preparing to leave. She pointed to his sword resting near the door. It looked serviceable, but nothing like the magnificent Taliath sword he’d worn before his death.
“Lost that night in Sandira,” he said, shadows flickering in his eyes. “I think the council probably destroyed it in case it triggered my memories somehow.”
“I thought so,” she murmured, lifting her eyes to his. “I’m sorry, Dash.”
“It’s fine.” He shrugged it off.
“No, it’s not,” she said pointedly, reminding him that she knew him as well as he knew her.
He huffed a breath, shot her a scowl. “Whatever. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
A little smile crept over her face. “I forgot to mention last night, but I brought you a present.”
“You did?” His eyebrows lifted.
Alyx went to where she’d left Cario’s staff and a heavy bag she’d carried on her back from Alistriem, concealed from sight under her mage cloak. Kneeling, she unbuckled the clasps on the bag and drew out a long object wrapped in velvet. He watched her curiously as she walked over to place it in his outstretched hands.
“He’d have wanted you to have it.”
Slowly, reverently, Dashan unwrapped the velvet cloth, revealing Garan Egalion’s Taliath sword gleaming in the sunlight through the window. Heartfire.
“Alyx, I couldn’t.” His voice caught.
“You can and you will. The sword deserves a new owner, and you’re the only choice,” she told him. “Ladan already has Mageson.”
Dashan’s hand slipped around Heartfire’s hilt and he lifted it, swinging the blade deftly through the air. “I will wear it with honour.”
Tears flooded her eyes. “It suits you.”
Chapter 40
It was late afternoon when Alyx and Dashan arrived back in Alistriem. She had contacted Dawn telepathically as they approached the city so that everyone would know they were safe and not far away.
Although most of the palace staff and residents knew of Alyx and her magic, it still caused quite the stir when two people literally dropped out of the sky and into the main courtyard.
“Wait a second.” Dashan caught at her arm as Alyx moved to climb the front steps. “What’s our strategy here?”
“Strategy?”
“We hiding this? I mean, I know Finn and Tarrick seemed okay with it that night, but they were pretty drunk at the time.”
“I’m going to be honest.” She paused. “But let me do the talking.”
Dashan grinned. “So we’ve got about an hour to live? Okay. Good. I’m prepared.”
“Don’t joke,” Alyx said dryly. “You could be right.”
“So negative,” he said as they began walking up the steps. “Well, I can totally take your brother…I think. You’ll just have to handle all the mages.”
“You’re hilarious.”
“I know. That’s why you agreed to marry me.”
She stopped and stared at him. “I did nothing of the sort.”
“But you will. Eventually.” He grinned. “Speaking of which, how soon do you think it will be before we get some time alone?”
“Could be a while.” Alyx sniffed. Marry him! “Maybe a few days.”
“I hope you enjoy public displays then, because I certainly won’t be able to wait that long.”
“I remember you once promising to ravish me until I couldn’t remember my own name,” she retorted.
“All right.” Dashan ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s change the topic.”
Alyx gave him an amused smile. “Why?”
“You know why.”
She had to glance away at the look in his eyes. Any longer and there would have been a very public display which she was sure Cayr wouldn’t appreciate inside his palace. She switched her thoughts to Dawn, using a touch of magic to lead them through to the lord-mage offices, where her friends were waiting.
Dawn was hovering at the door and enveloped Alyx in a hug the minute she stepped inside. “You’re back faster than we thought.”
“It was time.” She returned the hug warmly.
“Dash!” Ladan slapped the Taliath on the back and they grinned at each other.
“Everyone is okay?” Alyx ran her eyes over the room. Tarrick, Brynn, Ladan, and Finn were all seated in the room looking tired but well. An air of sadness hung over them, though, and her heart ached. Finn had heavy shadows
under his eyes. Dawn glanced frequently in her twin’s direction, as if to reassure herself he was all right.
“We’re fine,” Ladan answered for them.
Alyx grabbed a chair and pulled it over to sit in front of Finn. “It’s not your fault. Cario chose to give his life for me, Finn. There was nothing you could have done.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then he gave a sharp nod. She reached out to take his hand and give it a squeeze. He squeezed back. She smiled at him—the edges of his mouth curled up. Her smile grew wider.
“What about the summit?” Dashan asked. “Good news or bad?”
Brynn made a face. “A bit of both. The emperor wouldn’t agree to a full military alliance. He’s worried about the Shiven push north, however, and so he offered to send his army south into Tregaya, to help Mastaran hold the northern half of the country.”
Alyx sighed, rubbing at the sudden ache in her temples.
“All that’s going to do is stall the invasion north an extra year or two.” Dashan sounded as indignant as she felt.
“It might give us more time, though, especially if the Shiven are forced to put more of their resources into Tregaya,” Ladan pointed out.
“Enough.” Alyx shot to her feet. “I’m not giving Shakar another year or two. He has us right where he wants us, and we’ve been that way all along.”
“For good reason,” Dawn pointed out. “You needed to build the mage order the right way, to make it strong enough to fight him. And we had to learn more.”
Finn shifted beside her. Alyx glanced at him, eyebrows raised—he gave her a little shrug. He was wearing the focused look he had when he was turning something over in his mind. She looked over at Dashan and found his gaze on her, slightly questioning. With a start, she remembered what they’d originally come here to do.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed back her chair and stood up, facing the room. “I’m invulnerable,” she blurted out.
Silence fell. Dashan stepped up behind her shoulder protectively. Brynn grinned. Ladan looked horrified at the implication of his sister’s sleeping arrangements being announced in front of him.
She risked a glance at Finn and Tarrick. The Zandian looked confused. “I thought you already were?”
“I…”
“Like weeks ago when Dashan was still here,” Finn added.
Alyx flushed, the heat in her cheeks deepening as Dawn laughed in delight.
“I don’t know why you felt the need to just announce it like that,” Tarrick continued, scowling. “The topic makes me intensely uncomfortable, and I really don’t need to know who you’re sharing a bed with.”
Alyx laughed out of sheer relief. “Oh, sorry. Are you sure you’re all okay with this?”
Ladan scowled as he moved to stand in front of Dashan. “You hurt her and I kill you. Clear?”
“Perfectly,” Dashan said just as soberly.
A tense moment followed before Ladan’s face broke into a sudden smile, and he clapped Dashan on the back. “Good news, my friend.”
“It certainly is.” Dashan reached out to take Alyx’s hand and tug her towards him.
Ladan glanced at their joined hands, sighed, and returned to his seat.
Brynn lifted a hand. “Is this why you’re all, ‘let’s get Shakar now’? You think you can match him with your invulnerability.”
“No. I’m not foolish enough to think invulnerability gives me anything other than the ability to last a bit longer in a direct fight with him.” Alyx glanced at Finn again. He was staring at his hands where they twisted in his lap.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Tarrick was looking at her steadily, no trace of fear or doubt on his face. “After what you did to that Hunter…you could be as strong as him, Alyx. And now invulnerable too.”
She shook her head. “He’s been dominating my magic for years with ease. I won’t underestimate that. Still, I want to end this soon, not wait for him to force us into a corner.”
“Finn, will you please spit out whatever it is that’s bothering you so much,” Dawn said in irritation. Her gaze hadn’t left her twin for several moments.
He blinked, seeming surprised to look up and see them all staring at him. Then he gave a little shake of his head. “I think we should keep news of Alyx’s invulnerability secret for now.”
Momentary silence filled the room, all of them taken aback. “Why?” she asked.
“We can’t afford to lose mages, and some of them still hold council attitudes.”
“Finn, I’ve been very clear about my views on the Taliath. Every mage who has joined me has known that and still agreed to be loyal. We’ve tested them all telepathically,” she said.
“We don’t do ongoing testing, and peoples’ opinions change over time. Agreeing to the idea of working with Taliath is different to being faced with a Magor-lier who has become invulnerable.”
“You’re over-thinking this,” Dawn said gently. “And we’d be just like the council if Alyx started forcing her mages to have their minds invaded on a regular basis.”
“I agree with Finn,” Tarrick said, and Alyx’s gaze shot to him in surprise. “You don’t understand mage culture like I do. The smartest thing you ever did was make Cario your second—he was pureblood mage elite, the grandson of a council member. To those who weren’t entirely comfortable with you, he gave them comfort and familiarity. Now that he’s gone, there’s nobody to fill that void, to ease the tension. They see the twins and me as outsiders and too biased in your favour.”
“What about Adahn? He’s pureblood mage elite, and extremely well-liked. More than that, I trust him,” Alyx said. “What if I make him my second, even though you would be my choice, Tarrick?”
“I recommend Rothai, not Adahn,” Dawn disagreed. “He commands their respect, is pureblood and is the strongest mage you have.”
“I won’t make Rothai my second,” Alyx said sharply. “Not after everything he’s done. And I won’t lie to my mages, either, that makes me just like the council.” She sighed. “But if it makes you feel better, Finn, I won’t make a huge announcement either.”
“The mages have no choice apart from Alyx,” Brynn pointed out. “It’s not like they can leave her for another leader. She’s their only hope to defeat Shakar.”
Ladan rose to his feet, abruptly ending the discussion. “I think we all need some proper rest. We will resume the discussion of what comes next tomorrow.”
Dawn rose to join him, lifting an eyebrow at the others. “Come and join us for dinner?”
“In!” Brynn leapt to his feet with alacrity. “I can’t get enough of your wine cellar.”
They crowded out together, Tarrick following, chatting happily. Alyx waved Dashan after them and lingered to pull up a chair in front of Finn.
“You had your thinking face on earlier when Brynn filled us in on the summit,” she said. “Out with it.”
He sat forward, the worry on his face clearing and eagerness replacing it. “What Ladan said—that Zandian help might force Shivasa to put more resources into Tregaya and give us some breathing space? It could go the opposite way, you know.”
“Right.” Alyx sat in the chair beside his again, thinking. “He pushed so hard into Tregaya because he wanted the council. Now, he’d be smarter to take Rionn before trying to expand further into Tregaya.”
“And if he decides to do that, we have a very small window of time before the opportunity we’ve been waiting for is gone.”
“You think it’s time?”
His green eyes met hers, bright with anticipation. “You said you didn’t want to wait one or two years until he has us in a corner, and you were right. And if we don’t move now, we risk losing the opportunity altogether.”
She rose to her feet. “Let’s go and eat. First thing tomorrow I’ll call a meeting and we’ll see what they think.”
Eagerness flashed over his face. “Finally, we might be able to end this.”
“So about this marriage thing?” Das
han murmured later that night, as she lay draped over his naked body, drawing patterns on his chest with her fingers.
Alyx chuckled. “I still haven’t agreed to anything of the sort, and don’t for a second think I’m going to marry you without you asking properly.”
He tucked a hand under her chin to bring her gaze up to meet his. “I’m not going to ask until after Shakar is dead.”
“As long as you understand we might not…”
“We will,” he said fiercely. “I have faith in you and me.”
She smiled at him. “Suits me. Waiting longer means a bigger, more elaborate wedding. Just what I’ve always dreamed about.”
Dashan groaned and she laughed. “What?”
“No more than ten people.”
“You forget who I am, penniless Taliath. There is no way there will be only ten people at our wedding.”
He gaped at her. “Penniless Taliath?”
“That’s right.”
Dashan moved suddenly, rolling them so that she lay under him. “I think I’d best teach you a lesson in manners, your royal ladyship.”
“I love you.” She leaned up and kissed him hard. “I love you so much.”
Chapter 41
“It’s time to move forward,” Alyx announced. As per her promise to Finn, she’d gathered them all together in the mage offices. Cayr and Jenna sat together at the head of the table, curiosity written all over the king’s face. Ladan had the seat at Cayr’s other side, with Dawn beside him. Brynn, Tarrick, and Finn were there too. Dashan was at Alyx’s right.
She’d looked for Adahn earlier, thinking to include him and address Finn and Tarrick’s concerns about the mages, but nobody had known where he was. It didn’t seem like her invulnerability was common knowledge yet, but she’d made no secret of Dashan sleeping at her home the night before. “Before I start—Dawn, we’re alone here?”
The telepath’s eyes slid closed momentarily. “The halls outside, plus the garden, are all empty. There’s nobody within hearing distance.”