His frown only deepened. “You would have had to release two eggs for—”
Lynia pressed her fingers against his mouth. “Just enjoy the irony, love.”
His expression softened, and he lowered his mouth for another kiss. But it wasn’t long before the sharp crack of ice against the window drew them apart. Lynia glared at the glass, but it did nothing to change the weather.
“You should stay here,” Lial said. “I don’t want to risk you walking on the ice. This will be difficult enough on your back without a fall.”
“Lial?” At his quirked brow, she smiled. “Shut up.”
In the end, he helped her pack.
Though the ice was nearly as thick as his hand, Lial lowered himself to the ground behind the healing tower. There were fewer injuries now that the season was settling in, and he’d ordered Tynan to keep watch while he slipped out to check on the camahr. With their bowls filled, there was nothing for him to do but wait and see if any of them emerged.
It was difficult to credit the accounts he’d heard of being guarded by a camahr kit, but no one had reason to lie. Lynia certainly wouldn’t. But if one of the creatures had chosen him as a companion, why had it left? Had it only been drawn to the impure magic used in the virus? They did use their tails to check for tainted food. Why not bad energy?
Gods, he hoped he didn’t have to untangle the full mystery of the virus. He would much rather produce the counter potion and allow others to track down Meren and his tangled plot. A few decades ago, the challenge might have interested him, but not now. He would not risk further injury. If he got himself hurt before their wedding, Lynia would kill him.
Not to mention impending fatherhood. He could still barely fathom the weight of it. And though he’d delivered many babies over the centuries, the thought of doing so with his own had ice layering his gut like the ground beneath him. He knew all too well the things that could go wrong.
Best not to dwell on those.
At least he had an idea to help handle the virus and any potion distribution, provided he could…ease Tynan into the role. It would be a risk, since the plan involved Kezari, and Tynan was nothing if not distracted around her. Nevertheless, it was something to discuss with Lyr. Their immediate outbreak might be over, but there would no doubt be trouble in other realms.
He had plenty to occupy his thoughts here. Alerielle had inquired about his willingness to help with Kai’s mother, and that was a mess he couldn’t ignore. It was bad enough that Naomh’s stab wound wasn’t mending even though the potion had eliminated the virus. Those two things would take a great deal of energy to solve on their own.
Of course, he apparently had a crystal full of his own energy in a sealed chest in his room, so there was that. It was too rare to be used casually, but it could prove vital if the virus resurged or shifted. His cousin had done something useful after all, despite his failure to read the futures clearly. Though Ralan had been guilt-ridden enough to promise him an elaborate family suite in the healer’s enclave.
Which he would need. Gods.
Movement at the base of the tower caught his eye. A snout. One of the kits peeked out at him. Then its mother appeared, nudging the kit fully from the hole with a grumbled rrowl. Slowly, the young camahr approached, its silvery fur gleaming in the afternoon light.
He blinked, and the kit jumped in his lap.
Emowa, he heard.
The kit’s name?
“Oh, good,” a cheerful voice called from the tree line. “You didn’t give up.”
Lial almost winced, but he caught himself in time. He would not hurt the child’s feelings again, especially since her warning had been a boon. All of her warnings were, no matter how little one wanted to hear them.
“Thank you, Eri,” he simply said.
“I’m glad you didn’t give up on Lynia, either. I was hoping.”
With a grin and a wave, the little girl darted away, somehow managing to fly across the ice despite the spikes attached to her shoes. He kept his eye on her until she was out of sight, but she showed no sign of slipping. A trick of youth or the foresight of a seer? He was happy not to know.
“Are you coming with me, Emowa?” he whispered, feeling more than a little foolish.
At least until the camahr climbed down from his lap and stared at him in expectation.
Apparently so.
His new companion followed him around the base of the tower and through the door, where it found a spot beneath his workbench to curl up. He would have to commission bedding, but the kit seemed content enough at the moment. Unlike Tynan, who frowned in disapproval.
Too bad.
Lial headed for the stairs where Lynia waited above.
Now, the last thing he had to worry about was being alone.
Other Books in Series
Thank you for reading Solace! If you are looking for the Character list and dictionary, turn the page. And if you missed the previous books, you can get them here:
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Book 1: Soulbound
Book 2: Sundered
Book 3: Exiled (Novella)
Book 4: Seared
Book 5: Abyss
Book 6: Awakening
Book 7: Ascent
For updates on new releases and sales delivered straight to your email, you can sign up for my newsletter on my home page HERE.
* * *
Want to be among the first to see snippets, cover reveals, and other fun? Join my Facebook group, The Worlds of Bethany Adams, and come chat whenever you like.
Character List and Dictionary
Characters
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Allafon – Previous Lord of Oria, an estate under Lyr’s command. He betrayed Lyr and was eventually brought to justice after Arlyn’s arrival.
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Anna – Mate to Maddy and Fen. Anna once believed herself to be human, but after the barrier fell, allowing magic to return to Earth, her fae blood began to awaken. Ann is a descendant of the Gwragedd Annwn, Welsh fae.
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Aralee – Lial’s previous beloved
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Aris – Selia’s husband and Iren’s father. Aris is a life mage who can connect with the essence of living things and manipulate them. Once presumed dead, he returned to his family after the dragon Kezari rescued him and was instrumental in destroying the barrier.
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Arlyn – Half-blood daughter of Lyr and his potential soulbonded, Aimee, who he met on Earth. Arlyn traveled to Moranaia after her mother’s death to confront her elven father and quickly bonded with Kai. After helping Lyr and Kai defeat Allafon, Arlyn decided to stay on Moranaia and train as her father’s heir.
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Caolte – Brother of Naomh and Meren. Caolte was born of an affair between his father and an Unseelie woman, making it difficult for him to fit in with either faction. Caolte is sworn to protect his brother, Naomh.
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Cora – Ralan’s soulbonded. Originally from Galare, Cora fled to Earth after a failed betrothal put her in danger. To pull power from an environment, Cora must bond with that particular place. When Ralan was almost killed defeating Kien, Cora saved him by linking to Moranaia.
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Delbin – A young elf exiled to Earth one hundred years prior in order to escape Allafon’s machinations. Now that Allafon is dead, Delbin is able to return to Moranaia. He is often sent on missions requiring knowledge of modern Earth.
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Dria – Youngest child of King Alianar and Enielle. Dria was sent early to the Citadel, the place where the highest-ranking mages train for battle. At 317, Dria is one of the youngest to complete her training and take her place within a mage troop.
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Elan – A lower-level healer who acts as Lial’s assistant.
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Eri – Daughter of Prince Ralan and a human woman. After nearly dying from energy poisoning, her father brought her to Moranaia from Earth to be healed.
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Fen – Mate to Anna and Maddy. Son of Ara and a human man. Fen was abandoned on Earth, where he got involved with Kien’s group of outcasts. To atone for working with Kien, Fen helps repair the damage he’d once contributed to creating.
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Fenere – One of three bodyguards assigned by the previous captain, Norin, to protect Arlyn after she first arrived.
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Inona – A Moranaian scout most frequently assigned to check on exiles banished to Earth. After finding Delbin, she is often sent on missions to Earth with him.
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Kezari – A dragon from the distant Isle of Dragons on Moranaia. Kezari rescued Aris from captivity and returned with him to Braelyn to fix a problem she detected with Earth’s energy.
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Kien – Son of King Alianar and Enielle. Power-hungry and determined to someday claim the throne, Kien plotted to kill his brother Ralan, a seer, first. When he was ultimately discovered, Kien was banished to a distant planet but managed to escape to Earth. He finally made his way back to Moranaia and was killed by the king.
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Koranel – Current captain of Lyr’s army, next in command after Lyr
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Korel – One of three bodyguards assigned by the previous captain, Norin, to protect Arlyn after she first arrived. Of the three, he was the only one banished by Lyr for failing to stop an attempt on Arlyn’s life.
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Leral – One of three bodyguards assigned by the previous captain, Norin, to protect Arlyn after she first arrived.
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Lial – The primary healer at Braelyn, Lyr’s estate. Lial is renowned for being both highly skilled and easily annoyed.
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Lynia – Lyr’s mother. A researcher whose magic lies in books and knowledge. Lynia was almost killed during Allafon’s attempted coup, but Lial saved her.
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Lyr – Lord of Braelyn. Son of Lynia and soulbonded of Meli. Forced to leave his first potential soulbonded on Earth to find his father’s murderer, Lyr expected neither a future mate nor children. But after Arlyn’s arrival and the subsequent upheaval, Lyr has learned to stop expecting anything—unless it is unusual. Now he lives with his daughter, Arlyn, his new bonded, Meli, and an odd assortment of people he never thought could coexist on a single estate.
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Maddy – Mate to Fen and Anna. Maddy lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is currently buying her friend Cora’s shop, The Magic Touch, after Cora moved to Moranaia. Maddy is half Seelie Sidhe and half human. Maddy helps any fae who need to integrate with humans.
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Meli – Lyr’s soulbonded. One of the rare Ljósálfar (Norse elves), Meli guided her king’s ambassador to Moranaia to ask for help with the energy poisoning affecting their realm. She ultimately bonds with Lyr and remains on Moranaia.
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Meren – Brother of Naomh and Caolte. Meren is the oldest of the brothers but diverges sharply in ideology. Believing that the Seelie Sidhe should leave their underground realms and reclaim the surface, Meren will do whatever he deems necessary to achieve his goals.
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Naomh – Brother of Meren and Caolte. Kai’s father. Naomh once worked with Kien in a misguided attempt to keep his people from returning to the surface. Now, he tries to stop Meren from causing further trouble.
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Norin – Previous captain of Lyr’s army who secretly worked for Allafon. He attempted to capture Lynia and was killed in the process.
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Ralan – Son of King Alianar and Enielle. Eri’s father. Soulbonded to Cora. Now that Kien has been defeated, Ralan is helping establish a secondary palace to monitor the new gate Aris and Kezari created to Earth.
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Telien – Lynia’s soulbonded and Lyr’s father. Killed by Norin at the command of Allafon.
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Tynan – Mind healer and priest of Bera. He temporarily traveled to Braelyn to help Aris with his trauma.
Common Terms and Places
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Bera – Goddess of the afterlife, protection, and healing
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Braelyn – Lyr’s estate
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camahr – An animal on Moranaia that is somewhat between a fox and cat in shape and disposition. It can use the tip of its tail to detect impurities.
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clechtan – A Moranaian curse word similar to ‘damn’
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cofol – A type of wolfdog used in hunting
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daeri – deer
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drec – A Moranaian insult. Someone who defiles nature or the natural order.
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elnaia – Moranaian word for grandmother
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Eradisel – One of the nine sacred trees, symbol of Dorenal
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Felshreh – Unseelie word for blood elf
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Gwragedd Annwn – Welsh water fae, said to inhabit lakes.
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inai – DNA / builders of life
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laial – More formal Moranaian word for father
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laiala – More formal Moranaian word for mother
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Meyanen – God of love and relationships
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mialn – Beloved (used for mate or lover)
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miaran – Iron (literal). Used commonly as an expletive
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miaran de fe onai – Expletive phrase meaning “iron in the heart”
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onaial – Moranaian word for Dad
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onaiala – Moranaian word for Mom
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onraiee – Author / writer / creator
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peresten – Elvensteel
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ruya – Seelie curse word meaning corrupted / to corrupt
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tieln – Beloved (used with a child, sibling, or parent)
Solace Page 46