Solace

by Bethany Adams

  There was something wretched about the person below—and they would have to find out what.

  Although Aris and Kezari were missing from dinner, the table was as full as usual when Lynia and Lial entered—not quite late, but nearly. That meant, of course, that their arrival was unmistakably noted by everyone. And though they’d both bathed, dressed, and straightened their hair, it was clear from the stifled grins and raised brows that they weren’t fooling anyone.

  Lynia smiled serenely and took her usual seat, nodding at Maddy who sat to her left while Lial took the open place at her right. Fen sat beside Maddy, then Anna after him. But that realization dampened some of the glow her time with Lial had brought. Last she’d heard, Fen had gone out with Aris and Kezari to hunt Caeleth’s attacker. Had Korel been caught? Had something happened?

  A point Lial made almost immediately.

  “I’m surprised to see you here, Fen,” Lial said. “Without the others on your mission.”

  Fen shrugged. “They shifted to Oria, and apparently there’s some etiquette involved since I’m not a guest there.”

  “That’s true,” Lynia offered, her worry easing. His return hadn’t been caused by another problem, then. “It would have taken far too much time to introduce you to Morenial, and it would be rude to send a foreign prince to his lands otherwise.”

  That drew a wince from Fen and a chuckle from Maddy. “Don’t remind me.”

  Lynia relaxed as the focus shifted from her and Lial to the search for Korel. They could very well make it through this dinner unscathed by jokes and teasing if everyone remained preoccupied. Letting out a relieved sigh, she accepted the basket of bread from Lial, and the look he gave her when their hands brushed had heat searing through her.

  “So,” Fen said, an alarmingly casual tone to his voice. “What did you do this evening, Lial? It’s been a while since Maddy returned from helping with Caeleth.”

  She could swear she heard a low growl from Lial, but his expression was neutral when he glanced at Fen. “I was unaware you were so concerned with my activities. Very thoughtful of you.”

  Fen smirked. “I’m known as a thoughtful guy.”

  “Right,” Maddy drawled, laughter dancing in her eyes.

  Then she gave Lynia a quick, conspiratorial wink.

  It seemed the young woman wouldn’t tease them openly. Unfortunately, she was in the minority. On the other end of the table, Arlyn leaned toward her, ducking in front of Kai so she had a clear view.

  “I stopped by the library to see if you needed help with research, but no one was there.” Arlyn grinned. “I suppose you were working with Lial.”

  Beside Kai, Selia nodded. “Anna and I went by, too, with the same result. Very curious.”

  Poor Anna turned red, an interesting contrast to her blond hair, especially with the blue tinge near the roots. “Umm. Yes.”

  Lial had Iren and Eri to his right, a buffer from Cora, Ralan, and Meli. Probably a good thing with Lial’s sharp tongue. He couldn’t see Ralan’s satisfied expression, one akin to Kezari’s after she’d eaten the last slice of daeri, and chide the seer for his probable interference. But even if Ralan had been manipulating them in this direction, Lynia couldn’t be angry at him.

  Not after such pleasant results.

  Though she’d been initially embarrassed by the pointed comments, Lynia decided she was too old to let it bother her. She was hardly in her first century of life. She’d had her share of lovers before meeting Telien, and if she and Lial didn’t stay together, perhaps she would have plenty more. No shame in that. Besides, there was a certain delight in watching her son pretend not to notice the undercurrents of the conversation.

  Especially when Meli spoke just after Lyr had taken a sip of wine. “I believe one of the books I helped Lynia find had an extensive section on anatomy. Perhaps that’s what they were studying in the healing tower. Relevant, I imagine.”

  Lyr made a sound between a choke and a sputter, almost spitting out his wine before gaining control—at great cost, if the subsequent coughing was anything to go by. The others laughed, except the children, who looked up from their own conversation with befuddled expressions, and Lial, who lowered his head to rub circles around his temples. But Lynia couldn’t help it—she joined the laughter.

  Lial gave her a droll look, but his lips curved up slightly. “I’m glad one of us is immune to teasing,” he sent.

  A shiver went through her at his mental voice and the emotion that rang through it, a tender counterpoint to his wry expression. “We’re both old enough to handle it, although you’ve been quieter than I expected.”

  “Honestly?” Lial lifted his glass, hiding his wicked smirk from everyone but her. “I’m too relaxed to formulate a properly scathing reply.”

  Her heart pounding in her ears, Lynia cast her gaze down to her plate and focused on spearing a nesel before the heat of his words were reflected on her face. She might have found amusement in the teasing, but that didn’t mean she wanted to encourage more of it. Her poor son deserved a break, if nothing else.

  “Lady Lynia, I hope you remember what I told you about getting your work done,” Eri said suddenly, catching Lynia’s immediate attention.

  At first, she thought the little girl had somehow joined the others in their joking despite her age, but there was nothing but earnest resolve on the child’s face. Aside from Arlyn’s quickly stifled cough and Selia’s twitching lips, the comment drew little reaction—not even from Ralan, who stared thoughtfully down at his plate. That didn’t mean there wasn’t more to her words than it seemed, however.

  Lynia clearly hadn’t studied enough today.

  “I do, Eri,” Lynia said. “Thank you.”

  Eri frowned. “I’m not sure what exactly you’re supposed to do. You need to take books to the healing tower with Maddy and her mates, but my sight is blocked after you step through the door. I don’t even see the same sleeping image. I…”

  The little girl’s words trailed off, and her pupils went wide and eerily fathomless. Her odd comment had finally drawn attention, but the blank shock on her face had Cora reaching for the child’s arm. Not Ralan, though—he bore a more contained version of Eri’s expression.

  “Eri?” Cora asked.

  The girl didn’t move, not even when Iren patted her other shoulder. Lynia peered at Lial to gauge his reaction, but his expression as he watched Eri was more thoughtful than concerned. Likely not a physical ailment, then. She must be having another vision.

  Suddenly, Ralan’s hand slammed down on the table. “Fuck!”

  “Isn’t that usually my line?” Fen muttered beneath his breath before Maddy jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

  Ralan didn’t appear to notice. His focus went straight to Lyr. “Close down Braelyn and Oria. No one in or out. You’ll have to send someone to Oria to retrieve Korel, though I’m not sure if it’ll be dead or alive.”

  Lyr nodded, already standing. “I take it the futures shifted?”

  “We should have sent Selia with Aris,” Ralan said tightly.

  Even Lynia heard Selia’s gasp. “Aris?”

  “He will be fine.” Ralan slid around Cora’s seat to stand behind Eri. As he settled a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, he glanced at Lial. “Summon Tynan immediately. Then whatever you’re going to do with the blood Fen brought, complete it in the next couple of marks. Eri couldn’t see that, but I did, since it involves the plague. You’ll be needed at Oria after that.”

  “I should go with him,” Kai said.

  Ralan shook his head. “You are not prepared for what is to be found there.”

  “What is to be—”

  “Later,” Ralan snapped. “Megelien placed Eri in a trance when that wave hit. Once she wakes, I’ll take her to our rooms and return to advise. The futures may shift further.”

  So that was why the child’s face had gone so blank. Lynia might have relaxed, but in this case, knowledge did not bring solace. Not at all. If the goddess had
stifled Eri’s vision, there must have been an abrupt and terrible shift she wouldn’t be able to handle. That was not good news.

  As it was, poor Iren had heard more than he should have. Pale as the moons, he looked between Eri and his mother with wide eyes. “I could…I could sit with her. If that’s okay, Onaiala? Then she wouldn’t be alone while the adults handle…whatever is happening.”

  Though visibly shaken, Selia nodded. “Thank you, Iren. That is thoughtful.”

  Iren was eleven, five years older than Eri, and his growing maturity showed as he stared up at Ralan. “What can I tell her? I suppose I shouldn’t mention a…a plague. Even though elves don’t…”

  “Tell her we’re chasing the assassin, which is also true.” Ralan hesitated. “I understand you bear some of your father’s life magic. If you sense something off about any of us, prevent our entry. Including myself or Cora.”

  Lynia’s chest tightened at the barely leashed panic on the boy’s face as he gave his assent. He was far too young to bear such a command, but he would follow through. He’d used fire magic to defend Arlyn not long after he’d moved to Braelyn. As dearly as he cared for Eri, he would do no less for her.

  Eri began to blink, and a confused whimper slipped through her lips. Ralan swept her up into his arms at once. “Hush, love. I’ll take you to our rooms.”

  “Onaiala, too?” Eri mumbled.

  Cora pushed away from the table with a questioning look, but Ralan shook his head. “I believe she is needed here. Iren wants to play, though.”

  “Oh,” Eri whispered. “Good.”

  Without another word, Ralan strode from the room, Iren trotting behind.

  Lyr speared his hands through his hair and sighed, the tired, resigned sound twisting Lynia’s insides. “Meli, Arlyn, and Kai, you should join me.”

  “What about the rest of us?” Selia asked.

  “To be honest, I’m not sure,” Lyr answered. “Ralan didn’t tell us what was about to happen, precisely. I would advise waiting here for his return while we close down the estate. Except for those helping Lial and my mother, of course.”

  As Lyr helped Meli to her feet, Lynia stood and did her best to shrug aside her shock. She’d sensed they were running out of time, and apparently, she’d been right. Now, she needed to gather her books and finish the research to the best of her ability.

  At least they’d all had a brief moment of happiness.

  Chapter 26

  Aris cursed when word came back from Delbin—a mental scan hadn’t revealed anyone where Aris had indicated, and the scouts who’d observed the clearing reported it empty. Yet despite that, the person’s twisted lifeforce—a sickening blight—remained unchanged to Aris’s magic. If it wasn’t Korel, it was someone else keeping themselves hidden from view. They would have to be confronted.

  And since Aris was the only one who could sense them, he would have to do it—an unfortunate necessity.

  “I hope you can land both quietly and close,” Aris sent to Kezari, his mental voice trembling like his hands. Every moment spent near that perversion of nature strained his control until it threatened to snap. “I need to finish this before their presence drives me mad.”

  Kezari hummed her assent. “Send me an image of what you see.”

  Forming as clear a picture as he could, Aris pushed the visual into Kezari’s mind, and she let out a hiss at the wretched, black and red throb of energy pulsating below. Sick and unnatural. He hadn’t felt anything so wrong since—not since Perim, his potential soulbonded, had forced her presence on him. His whole body shuddered as pain sliced through him at the remembrance. His hands twitched on the saddle, the urge to press his palms against his temples and squeeze all thoughts of her from his brain almost overwhelming him.

  But he resisted—at least he wasn’t that far gone.

  Kezari tightened her circles until they glided above the clearing, but it was so far down that the trees were specks dotting the landscape. If not for his magic, he wouldn’t know where anyone was located—provided he could’ve sensed anything beyond the unholy beacon of madness that suffused his senses now.

  “Hold on.”

  Aris obeyed the command out of instinct, and he was immediately glad he did. It was his only warning as Kezari rolled into a sharp dive. The wind screamed around him as she plunged toward the ground as though hunting a daeri, something he’d only made the mistake of being present for once. Aside from the blood, there was the awful shock when she slowed her descent.

  No different this time.

  Kezari’s wings snapped wide, and she tilted to extend her back legs. Aris’s already tender stomach lurched with the motion until he had to swallow bile. He wanted to ask what she was doing, but that would be a dangerous distraction during the tricky maneuver.

  This was not how she typically landed.

  They plunged between the trees without a sound, so fast he barely had time to process the sight. Aris’s grip tightened on the saddle a heartbeat before they hit. The crunch-splat-yelp sound of impact echoed through the clearing and resounded against his darkest memories of torture, sending him abruptly to the edge of sanity.

  A person, broken and bleeding.

  “What have you done?” he gasped into Kezari’s mind.

  She curved her head around to look at him. “I finished quickly. Enemy captured.”

  “Or dead.”

  Anger welled up, though it wasn’t entirely the dragon’s fault. He should have anticipated that she would take him literally and act to help him. But this… Aris took several deep breaths through his nose, reminding himself that this was not the same.

  Then the tinny scent of blood reached him, and he gagged.

  Not mine. Not mine. I’m not injured, he repeated to himself, over and over until he could beat back the panic.

  His body was whole. He wasn’t hurt. No one was abusing him.

  No one would dare with Kezari ready to eat them.

  Eventually, Aris gained enough control over himself to slide down Kezari’s back. Though still shaky, he drew his sword in a blaze of green light as soon as his feet touched the ground. The glow danced over the macabre sight of the person crushed into a broken heap beneath Kezari’s talon. Oh, gods. His stomach lurched, and he sent out a desperate call to Delbin and more than one prayer to any deity who would listen.

  I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.

  The hilt of his sword bit into his palm as he eased closer to the person on the ground. Life magic flowed through him from the blade and blended with his own power, a steadying force. Until he scanned the man to see if he was alive. He was, if barely. That wasn’t the problem. The sick, rancid energy pooling around him along with his blood?

  Not good.

  His magic rebelled at the tainted stuff, and he pulled his power back. That didn’t stop him from vomiting in the grass. Pure perversion. Unnatural. Deadly. Even the thought of touching that blood emptied his stomach again.

  “Get away from him, Kezari,” he whispered.

  The others from their group appeared in that moment, the first three unfamiliar to Aris by sight. But not by magic, their essences the same as those he’d scanned before. Unfortunately, Kezari didn’t have that advantage. Instead of moving away from their captive, she mantled her wings and whipped her head around to hiss at the newcomers.

  The motion shifted her weight, and a terrible squelching sound had Aris turning his body away despite the danger. “They’re friends. Allies,” he told Kezari. “Stand down.”

  Only when Delbin and Inona shifted forward did Kezari lower her wings. “Capture achieved,” she broadcast to all.

  “Holy hell,” Delbin murmured, his gaze on the one spot Aris didn’t dare to look.

  Aris focused his eyes on Kezari’s face. “Step back. Now.”

  She blinked at him. “It is not wise to release one’s prey until they are fully secured.”

  “He’s not in any condition to escape,” Aris said. “And no one should to
uch him.”

  Slowly, Kezari eased her body away, and the gasps and blanched expressions of the others told him he didn’t want to see what had been revealed.

  “That’s Korel,” a man said, worry and anger lacing his tone. If Aris wasn’t mistaken, it was Koranel, the former captain of the guard. “I was supposed to get information from him before he… Miaran. We need to know the extent of his plan. Hard to find out if he’s dead.”

  “He isn’t,” Aris rasped. “Yet.”

  A man with long blond hair and features similar to Kai’s stepped forward. “I am Lord Morenial, the Dorn of Oria. Our healer is excellent, and she might be able to save him if we can get him there quickly.”

  A shudder trembled through Aris, shaking him to the bone, and his head spun. He brought his hand to his forehead, a useless attempt at calming the dizzy sensation. At this point, he had no clue if the nasty energy or the scene itself was to blame. Either way, he had to overcome. They didn’t need the distraction of an out-of-control life mage. He couldn’t be responsible for losing the information they needed by delaying Korel’s treatment.

  He forced his eyes to meet Morenial’s. “Can you transport Korel without touching him?”

  “I can fly him there,” Kezari said.

  Aris’s heart pounded as he considered what that would mean—soaring through the sky with the smell of blood blown around them on the wind, the man’s horrid energy wafting with it. Every moment would chip away at Aris’s control, over himself and his magic. Rogue life energy could do terrible things, even alter people and animals, if not contained or immediately mitigated, and Kezari might be too occupied balancing her delicate cargo to properly shield him if he faltered.

  Lord Morenial would have to go with Kezari.

  There were so many things Aris didn’t like about that, not least of which was being left alone. But it would be best. Already, his magic welled within him in counter to the perversion he could sense, and his hold on it could slip at any moment. He might be able to regain control by the time Kezari returned, provided they removed Korel from the area soon.