War raged across all of their faces, and Elade took another moment to examine each of them in turn—both the rebels, and Jason’s group of allies. They were a motley collection of folk, to put it mildly, and she had a feeling that no matter what Tevek said, this debate wasn’t going to end here.
“There’s another problem we should talk about,” Sarina said after a moment. “I’ve been thinking the way you described how you were ambushed. I’m starting to think that it’s not the local Crell we should be worried about—it’s the Green Coats.”
Tevek glanced back over his shoulder to face her. “Why do you say that?”
“When they attacked us outside the tomb—and later when the Shadow came after us in Taig—they went to great lengths to avoid alerting the local garrison. They could have summoned the entire city watch to block us in, but they didn’t. They wanted to keep it quiet.”
“And now the same thing happened with the two of you,” Jason reasoned, nodding. “You get ambushed in the streets, but only by a small force. Maybe the Zarul was behind the whole thing—maybe Sovereign Verrator doesn’t even know what’s going on here.”
Elade frowned. “Are you saying the Zarul are using demons now?”
“That part I can’t explain,” Sarina said. “I feel like we’re standing in the eye of a storm here. There’s almost too much going on to keep track of.”
“If the Crell are busy fighting each other, then that’s a good thing for us,” Adar replied, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “But I’m not sure it changes anything right now.”
“Probably not,” Tevek agreed.
Elade glanced down to him. Perhaps this will buy the rebels some time.
Maybe, he replied neutrally. I’m more worried about them turning on each other. These people are desperate, and Jason is dangling a way out right in front of them.
She tried not to let the confusion of a mental conversation show on her face. I thought you trusted these people.
I do, but desperation can make even noble people do stupid things.
“For the moment, I think we could all use a bit of time to relax,” Tevek continued, standing. “The Citadel will send reinforcements as quickly as possible, and in the meantime Elade and I can try and figure out exactly where these demons are coming from. The rest of you should probably lie low for a few days at least.”
Ria looked like she might protest, but the woman stopped herself mid-word and left the room instead. Adar forced a tight smile and stood.
“It’s been a long day. I’m sure we could all stand to think on everything for a bit.”
“The ‘Coats will come after the cube again,” Sarina whispered. “We need to be prepared.”
“We have two paladins, a druid, a chagari, an Asgardian huntress, and most importantly, me,” Tam said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You really think anyone would be crazy enough to attack us here?”
Her green eyes blazed as she tilted to glare at him. “The ‘Coats don’t think that way. They prefer a scalpel to a club. They’ll send a Shadow or two to try to steal the cube before we use it.”
“Normally I would agree,” Tevek said, “but I think in this case Tam is right. Shadows thrive on stealing the thoughts of common citizens and weak-minded Bound. They won’t have much success with all of us here in the same place.”
Sarina bit her lip. “Even if they don’t send in a Shadow to attack us directly, they can still use them to figure out where we’re hiding. We have some good people on the streets, but if a Shadow found them he could take everything they know and disappear without them being the wiser.”
“That’s always been a risk, but we’ve managed just fine so far,” Adar told her. “Our people are already on alert, but I’ll warn them about it. I also think everyone needs to stay as close by as possible. Otherwise, we’re not going to be able to defend anyplace better than right here.”
He turned to face Tevek. “I’m sure the two of you are exhausted. There are baths and showers downstairs for you, and I’ll get some dinner sent up for everyone.”
“We would appreciate that,” Tevek replied with an approving nod.
“I’ll get someone to help you with everything,” Adar said, standing. For a moment his nervousness seemed to fade and he grasped the Highlord’s healthy shoulder. “It really is good to have you with us again, old friend.” He glanced up to Elade as an afterthought. “Both of you.”
Tevek stood and smiled. “In some ways, it feels like returning to an old home.”
Elade took another opportunity to size everyone up before they parted and cleaned up. She and Tevek were going to have a lot to talk about later, but the Asgadian had been right: they were standing in the eye of a storm. And if they couldn’t figure out how everything was connected…
Well, Elade had no doubt that sooner or later they would all come to regret it.
Chapter Nineteen
“Though our lives may keep us apart, know that I shall never care for another as I do for you. I cannot often be there for you, and I would not fault you for finding solace in the arms of another. But know that when this world has had its fill of me, your loving eyes will be the last thing I see.”
—Tevek Dracian in a letter to Selvhara Narhesti, dated 1984 AG
Soft beams of pale moonlight trickled in through the room’s only window, drawing long silhouettes on the far wall. Selvhara hadn’t turned on the glow-lamps posted by either bunk bed; she sat silently in the shadowy darkness, legs crossed, pondering what to say to her old friend when he emerged from his bath. They hadn’t seen each other for almost five years. Even to her, that suddenly felt like a lifetime.
Their last meeting had been in Ashenfel not long after she had finally forsaken Ethan and his increasingly desperate decisions. Tevek had wanted to go after his old friend to convince him to abandon his lost cause, but Selvhara had held him back. She hadn’t wanted to watch the two men she loved battle with other each…and her hesitation might have cost dozens of lives at Tibel years later when Ethan had led his most strident followers to their deaths.
Selvhara closed her eyes. Tevek’s arrival had opened up deep well of memories she had long thought buried. Some were good, such as the time they had spent together…but just as many were bad, such as all the confrontations between he and Ethan, both about the war and about her. She had loved them both, and they had both loved her. But unfortunately, humans seemed unable to handle complex relationships, and in the end she had ended up hurting both men in ways she had never intended.
“Are you all right?”
Selvhara tilted her eyes up. Tevek was standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on his face. He was cleaned up and dressed; she must have been more distracted than she realized if she hadn’t heard him.
“I’m fine,” she lied, smiling. “I was hoping we could arrange some time together.”
“So was I,” he said. He slid down onto the bed next to her. They were inside one of the numerous “bunk” rooms the rebels had sectioned off, and while the accommodations weren’t exactly luxurious, they were at least relatively private. “I made sure to glare at Adar’s people and make sure we were left alone.”
“Good,” she whispered, swinging her leg over him and straddling his lap. “I suspect they’ll listen to a mighty paladin.”
Tevek grunted and kissed her gently. He held their embrace for a long moment before finally pulling back and running a hand through her silver hair. “I have to admit, I was a little surprised when I heard you were traveling with Jason again,” he commented. “I was happy, of course, just…surprised.”
“He’s a good man, Tevek, in every way his father never was. He’s kind-hearted and gentle, and he always tries to do the right thing.”
“I’ve always known that. I just assumed that after Tibel you might finally go home.”
Her smile faded. “You know I can’t.”
“It’s been over thirty years,” Tevek pointed out “Even for your people that’s a long time. I
’m sure they’ve forgiven you by now.”
“No, they haven’t,” Selvhara whispered. “I’ve killed hundreds of people here—maybe even thousands. I’ve used my powers to fight in foreign wars and to take lives when it wasn’t necessary. Honestly, I’m more than a little surprised that Anvira herself hasn’t abandoned me yet.”
“You have saved far more lives than you’ve taken,” he reminded her. “You even saved wounded Crell whenever you could. Surely that has to count for something.”
“It’s not enough. I’m not sure anything will ever be enough after what I’ve done.” She took in a deep breath. “Besides, I can’t leave Jason. Not now, not when he still needs me.”
“I know you think of him as your son, but he’s not your responsibility.”
“He is my son in every way that matters,” Selvhara said a bit more harshly than she had intended. “I belong here. Galvia is my home as much as Sorthaal ever was. Torsia is my home as much as Calhara ever was.”
Tevek smiled and brushed at her hair again. Time had taken its toll on him since their last meeting, but behind his soft brown eyes she could still see the young man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. It was the curse of all those with Immortal blood, faeyn and vaeyn alike, to watch friends wither and die before you. Her people distanced themselves from human societies for precisely that reason.
“You’re just as beautiful as ever, you know,” he whispered into her ear. “Not a single new wrinkle, not a hair out of place. I only wish I could say the same for myself.”
Selvhara touched the ever-growing patch of gray in his beard. “I think you look better than ever.”
“You were never a very good liar,” Tevek grunted.
“And you were never good at taking compliments,” she countered with a wry grin. “How is your shoulder feeling?”
He stretched out his arm. “I think you patched up the worst of it. In a few days it should be as limber as ever.”
Selvhara set to unclasping the buttons of his tunic. Once the front was open, she slid her fingers over the wound and reached out to the Aether. Its power coursed through her, and she focused it into yet another healing spell, this one designed to accelerate his body’s natural healing processes. A practiced channeler could heal almost any wound, but that didn’t mean all the damage could be undone instantly. Past a certain point, the body still had to take over the bulk of the work.
“Sometimes I forget that I’m not much of a healer after all,” Tevek murmured, his eyes closed as her magic washed over him.
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” she soothed. “You tend to spend your time sticking your sword into people. I’m the one who has to worry about pulling them out.”
He grunted. “Maybe when I’m truly old I’ll retire to the Citadel and play nursemaid. But only if you promise to come and take care of me.”
“It’s a deal,” Selvhara said, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck. “So here we are again.”
“Just like old times,” he breathed, placing his strong hands around her slender hips. “You, Jason, Kyle, Ria, Aidan…it’s almost like we never left. If only Ethan were still around.”
She could tell he regretted saying the name the moment it left his lips. His entire body tensed, and she closed her eyes.
“I couldn’t help but think of him as well,” Selvhara whispered. “And the choices we all made.”
“Or didn’t make,” Tevek muttered. “I should have gone after him. I could have stopped Tibel from happening.”
“I wouldn’t have let you. I was ready to walk away from him, but I wasn’t willing to betray him. Not yet.”
Tevek pursed his lips, and Selvhara once again struggled to bury the old memories. Before she had finally left him, Ethan had made a series of more and more desperate choices. The war had long been over at that point, but he refused to let it go. He had rallied the surviving Hands of Whitestone one last time, and he planned to start a new insurrection in Tibel. She had pleaded with him to let it go, but of course he never would. He had allowed the war to define him, and in the process it had destroyed him.
A part of her had yearned to physically prevent him from making another huge mistake, but of course she hadn’t. Selvhara had forced Ethan to choose between his ongoing rebellion and her…and he had done just that. He had stormed out of their safe house in Ashenfel…and a few months later, he was dead.
“Enough regrets,” she whispered. “What matters is now, and Kyle has rebuilt almost everything here. Maybe this time they have a real chance to turn the tide.”
Tevek let out a deep breath. “You think they should use the cube?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m still trying to accept that we found a legitimate divine spark. But what else would we do with it? Give it to the Alliance? To the Dawn?”
“It would certainly be a safer alternative,” he pointed out. “The Alliance in particular could use it now more than ever. Areekan is weak—far weaker than is commonly known. He is already planning a Rite of Ascension this winter, but if the Crell learned about it, they could launch an all-out attack and win the war before it even began.”
Selvhara sank back onto her haunches. “I had no idea things were so bad.”
Tevek nodded. “With this spark, presumably they could create a new Ascendant and bolster their forces before Areekan called for the Rite.”
“Assuming the political infighting didn’t destroy them first.”
“There is that,” he conceded. “But infighting will be a problem regardless of what you decide to do with it. The moment you suggest removing the spark from the base, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the rebels turn against you and try to take it by force. We have to be very careful here. If power corrupts, then this thing could easily destroy us all.”
Selvhara nodded gravely. “Kyle knows this might be their only real chance to drive out the Crell. He was being polite earlier, but I could see the truth in his eyes. He won’t let the cube go without a fight—none of them will.”
“No,” Tevek agreed. “But whatever you and Jason decide, Elade and I will stand with you.”
“I never doubted that for a moment,” she told him, smiling again. “Solaria is the most obvious choice. Even if the rebels did create their own Ascendant—even if he or she was strong enough to create Bound—they would still need Solarian help to fight off the Crell.”
“Do you think Jason will agree with you?”
Selvhara sighed. “I don’t know. He’s never been as resentful towards the Alliance as his father, but he’s also not blind to their faults. Honestly, he would probably prefer to give it to you and the Last Dawn.”
“We could certainly protect it,” Tevek said. “It’s probably the safest choice, but I can’t help but think we’d be squandering a tremendous opportunity. My people would just bury it at the bottom of the Citadel…but maybe that would be for the best.”
“Hopefully no one tries to take it from Jason before we make a decision.”
“I sent Elade to watch over him and his friends. She will keep them safe.”
Selvhara shook her head. “A vaeyn paladin…I can scarcely believe the Conclave ever allowed it to happen.”
“They took some convincing,” Tevek said with a snort. “But the bottom line is that she is courageous, loyal, and as resilient as anyone I’ve ever met.”
“That’s hefty praise from the Highlord.”
“It’s the truth,” he said with a shrug. “Elade also happens to be the best swordsmen I’ve ever seen, male or female, human or otherwise.”
Selvhara cocked an eyebrow. “Even better than you?”
“When I was twenty-five, I might have been able to compete with her for a few minutes. Now she’d knock me out of the ring in a heartbeat.”
“I bet that only made your friends distrust her more. Especially that Alric fellow.”
“Gabriel isn’t the most tolerant man I know, but he does what he thinks is best for the Dawn,” Tevek told her.
“I think what he hates most about her is how fast she’s picked up our techniques…and how enamored several of the young squires are with her.”
“A bunch of fresh-faced young men infatuated with an exotic, attractive woman who can use a sword?” Selvhara rolled her eyes. “Perish the thought.”
“Surprising, I know. She also has a tendency to…buck against tradition and authority at times, which annoys the others beyond reason.”
“But it doesn’t bother you?”
He shrugged. “Elade typically has good reasons. Other races bring us different perspectives and different moralities; we need to embrace them if we really want to take an ethical high ground. Gabriel sometimes doesn’t understand that.”
“I was just wondering if it was something else,” Selvhara suggested coyly as she pulled open the rest of his tunic. “I know how you enjoy the company of older women.”
He chuckled and brushed a hand against her cheek. “She’s an infant compared to you.”
“I’ll try not to be insulted by that.”
He smiled as he opened up her robe and gently pushed it back off her shoulders. It fell to the ground behind her in a clump. “You know I’ve never been with anyone else since I met you.”
“And you know I’ve told you that you are free to love whomever you wish,” Selvhara whispered as his fingers gently traced down between her bare breasts and stomach. “With our obligations, we can’t expect to be together.”
“Maybe not often,” he replied softly, “but even if it’s only once in a great while it’s worth it.”
She smiled up at him as she finished removing his shirt and started in on his trousers. “That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Not at all,” Tevek assured her, helping her along. Once his belt hit the floor, he pulled her back up into his lap. “Just touch me, and that’s enough.”
“I plan on doing much more than that.”
She pulled his head down and brought their lips together. Their bodies weren’t far behind.
***
The Godswar Saga (Omnibus) Page 33