She covered half the distance to the table, halted sharply, and scanned all the faces of those present within the tent.
“Well, there’s two of them, at least.”
Lady Stonemantle made straight for her daughters, undaunted by the number of nonhumans in the room. After looking them both over, she gathered them in her arms for a swift embrace and then turned her attention back to the Crown Prince of the Phoenix, likely because he was the one person of authority on the side of the Elementals that she’d already met.
“I thank you for bringing two of my daughters back safely, but there seems to be one missing,” Lady Stonemantle said with a tilt of her head. Her sharp gaze warned the others in the room to speak only the truth, or risk a mother’s rage.
Silverblade was pleased that he was not in any way related to this matriarch. He had met Beatrice’s grandmother several times during his scouting mission, and Old Mother, while gruff, was also plainly spoken. There was no political intrigue or doubletalk to worry about.
No, he did not envy the Crown Prince of the Phoenix inheriting Lady Stonemantle as a second mother. But then again, perhaps Lady Stonemantle would seem pleasant compared to the prince’s own mother, Queen Talnarra of the Phoenix.
Ashayna Stonemantle looked less than happy and explained that Lamarra was still back in the Elemental city of Grey Spires, under the protection of another. When Lady Stonemantle’s eyes narrowed, Prince Sorntar jumped in to smooth things over as much as possible.
Silverblade wasn’t really listening any more. At least they both still had mothers. Pain lanced through his heart, fresh grief welling up within his soul, threatening to choke him. After a few deep breaths, he managed to master his emotions enough not to betray them outwardly. Even killing Acolyte Ironsmith had done little to dull the pain. He hadn’t expected that it would, but he’d still hoped.
He took some comfort in the fact that his own mother’s bravery and strength had allowed him to escape, to find Beatrice, and to warn the others of the danger the acolytes represented. In that way, he knew his mother’s sacrifice had saved many more lives.
A delicate hand intertwined with his, and Beatrice turned to him, bumping her shoulder into his side gently. “We did well. Success would not have been possible had your mother not gotten you free of the acolytes’ nets that first time, which in turn allowed you to find me. I fully believe it was her spirit which kept you going that day. Your body and Larnkin were very weak. By rights, you shouldn’t have survived long enough to reach me, but you did.”
She paused and tugged at his arm until he started to follow her. Together they snuck out the back of the tent, leaving the leaders to hammer out the treaty. She headed to the river. All signs of the battle had been erased. Other Elementals had been responsible for that bit of magic.
“I always thought it was the mage mark that saved us,” Beatrice continued when they were far enough away not to be overheard by anyone else. “But it never reacted like that again the other times we ran into acolytes. I think that first time was the result of your mother’s spirit protecting you, one last gift to her son.”
He ran a finger along the intricate mark, feeling the slow pound of his two phoenix hearts underneath. “I like that thought.”
“After this present drama is finished, we will discuss other personal things, attend to pack business, and together, teach the pack to sing your mother’s memory to the moons.”
Beatrice had already absorbed much knowledge of his people through her pack bond. “That would be a nice tribute. Once we free my father from Grey Spires, and I have shared with him everything about what happened to my mother, I will share what you said as well. I think my father will like your idea for a tribute. Thank you.”
*****
After many candlemarks of debating, the Elementals and the humans eventually worked out an agreement. They would forge another treaty with the people of River’s Divide—a marriage treaty where Ashayna and Sorntar would be wed in the way of human tradition. Silverblade thought it sounded like a sideshow to soothe the humans and explain why there were so many Elementals within River’s Divide. No one wanted the city’s populous to learn that the treaty was really the beginning of a strategic plan for war against the acolytes back across the ocean.
The Elementals had decided they could not risk allowing the festering infection that was the acolytes to grow stronger and General Stonemantle agreed. But that would be days of planning and first they needed to find out what had befallen Lamarra.
Silverblade didn’t think the others would like what they’d found. So far, fate or the gods had been tossing pairs of the Twelve together. If he followed that line of reasoning, it led to the fact that Lamarra was the Dead King’s match. And if he’d chosen a Dead Queen, they were likely already too late to save her. And were he the Dead King, Silverblade thought he’d understand if he would fight to keep his queen.
Looking down at Beatrice, he knew if anyone tried to separate them, he would hunt down those foolish enough to do so. He planned to keep Beatrice for the rest of his life.
Besides, she had another ninety-seven days of courtship to complete. And he was very much looking forward to each and every one of those days.
Beatrice started to laugh, clearly reading his mind again. Not that he ever tried to block her. He liked having her there—a part of his heart, mind, and soul.
“My beloved Silverblade. I would court you for a century if that was what it would take to earn your trust.” Beatrice stretched up on her toes and planted a kiss on his mage mark.
He lifted her higher and when her fingers found their way into his crest, he started to coo in the embarrassing habit phoenix had. He nuzzled her jaw, placing kisses there. “Hmmm, I’m pretty sure my weak-willed lupwyn soul will succumb in less than one hundred days. I’d never survive a century.”
“Good. Because a century of phoenix courtship likely would drive me to take up some kind of blood sport out of pure frustration.” She pressed another kiss to his cheek and then her expression turned serious once more. “I suppose I should start learning how to master my pack bonds soon. The other eleven Talismans are still lost out in the world somewhere and we need to find them before we can strike at the acolytes across the ocean.”
“Tomorrow. We can start your training tomorrow. Tonight, I have other plans.” Silverblade grinned and decided it looked to be a fine evening for courtship.
The End
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Other books
by
Lisa Blackwood
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City of Burning Water (Forthcoming Fall 2017)
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Vengeance (Forthcoming 2017)
ds
Maiden's Wolf (In Deception's Shadow Book 3) Page 24