Evenlight

by Krista Walsh

  Jeff reached for Brady’s arm. “Cassie.”

  Brady nodded. “We’ve found her.”

  “But where?” Jeff demanded, getting to his feet. He paced back and forth beside the bed, as if the steps he took would bring him closer to her. “Where was he flying? Where did he see her?”

  Brady’s eyes clouded over as he pushed himself to remember. “I can’t make it out. Forests, mountains, the village. It’s familiar, like somewhere I’ve been before, but I can’t place it.”

  Jeff pushed his fingers through his hair.

  “Deep breaths, Jeff,” said Jasmine. “This is a start. We know she’s alive and we know who she’s with. It may not be the best group of people, but she’s survived this long. Did she seem safe?”

  She directed the last words at Brady, and Jeff dropped to his knees at the side of the bed, as though about to pray to something he wasn’t sure he believed in.

  Brady’s eyes closed again. “She was sitting near a campfire, but she didn’t appear bound or in any kind of distress. I think she’s all right.”

  Jeff blew out a breath. “Then we just need to know where.”

  “I know,” said Maggie, appearing in the doorway. William stood on one side, Ariana on the other, both watching closely, braced to catch her if she fell. “I cast the spell. I went to her. They’re all camped out together at the base of the Kinnaeth Mountains.”

  Chapter Twenty

  It makes sense,” said Jayden.

  They had reconvened in Jasmine’s office, arrayed in front of the large Andvellian map on the wall. Jayden had his finger over the mountains, a three-day ride from the Keep. It was the same mountain where Raul had made his final stand, where dragon-Raul had been born and died, and still lay in his stony form as far as Jeff knew.

  “Where else would worshipers go, but to the shrine of their fallen idol,” Ariana agreed. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned in closer to the map. Jayden eyed her warily. “If this map is accurate—”

  “It is,” he assured her.

  Ariana pressed her lips together and pointed to a road that ran along the south side of the mountain. “In that case, we can make use of this road. We’d be covered by the forest on this side, the mountain on the other. It’s possible it would give us the advantage to sneak up on them. Take them unawares. We can send more men up this other road here, and then maybe even make a third push through the trees.”

  Jasmine and Jayden stared at her until she noticed and looked surprised by their surprise. “What? Do you think the limit of my role in court is to flounce around in pretty dresses?”

  Jasmine flashed her a warm smile, and Jeff knew these two would be fast friends, whether Jayden liked it or not.

  “Be that as it may,” said the warrior, leaning back against the wall. After years of writing his character, Jeff knew Jayden wanted to cross his arms, but, unable to do so, he grabbed onto the clasp of the green jacket at his throat. “Whatever compelled you to follow us to the Keep won’t continue into the danger of the battle. I feel I’ve risked my neck enough by letting you stay here. I’m surprised the whole of the queensguard hasn’t come to drag you home.”

  Ariana clenched her hands at her sides, brow furrowed. The princess behind the rebel came through in her stubbornness, and Jeff was amazed Jayden could hold his own in the face of it.

  “I beg your pardon, but as befitting my station, I am free to go where I please, when I please, with whom I please. No one, especially not my mother’s lackeys, are about to truss me up like a holiday goose and cart me back to the palace. She knows this much better than you do, Lord Feldall, so don’t dare to presume. If you feel I’m stepping on your toes by trying to come up with a feasible plan, be man enough to say so, but you can’t stop me from being involved.”

  Jeff felt his patience slip, and it took everything he had not to burst out and tell them to go to Jayden’s room and work out their tension so they could focus on priorities.

  Venn stepped closer to him, as if predicting what he would do if the situation didn’t change, and said, “Does it matter who goes? We know where they are, let’s just get in and find them. Brady, did Talfyr see how many of them were out there? How big of a group do we need?”

  Brady cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as the attention in the room moved to him. “Not many. A hundred, perhaps? And the animals.”

  Jeff groaned. “Of course the animals. Because nothing in this world would be complete without an army of demented creatures that make me feel like a horrible soulless person whenever I have to kill one.”

  “Adds to the challenge,” said Venn. “But what do we know about these people as fighters? They have magic on their side, which is exciting. Unpredictable.”

  Jeff’s imagination took a leap, an image of Venn jumping into the fray to be struck with a stray lightning bolt. Briefly, he wondered if there was any way he could convince her to stay behind where she would be safe. He discounted the idea quickly, knowing he would be castrated if he so much as suggested it to her.

  “I didn’t get any hint of that, I’m afraid,” Brady answered Venn’s question. “They were mostly milling about in the village. If I didn’t recognise the wolves and feel Talfyr’s rage, I don’t think I would have associated them with Raul at all.”

  “It’s probably how they remained hidden as long as they have,” said Jasmine.

  Maggie frowned. “But what about the people who lived in that village? Are we just accepting the coincidence that everyone who lived there decided it would be a great idea to follow Raul? Or is it possible….”

  She didn’t finish the thought, but Jeff’s concern for Cassie took another jump. If they had wiped out an entire village just to be more conveniently located to their idol statue, they wouldn’t have the least compunction about killing her.

  So why haven’t they? that nagging voice asked.

  He pushed the thought aside, knowing he wouldn’t be able to answer it.

  Jasmine went to Maggie and put her arm around her shoulder. “We would have heard about it if they had. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole town uprooted after the battle on the mountain. But no matter what happened to them, we’ll make sure these bastards meet justice.”

  “When?” asked Jeff. “What’s the timeline for this plan?”

  Jayden pointed to the area of the Keep. “We know we need to give ourselves at least three days to get there.”

  “I don’t suppose you can ride like a possessed man again?” Jeff asked Brady. Last time, they had made the trip in less than two days at a ridiculous pace Jeff still wasn’t sure how the horses had managed.

  “Not this time,” Brady apologised. “I don’t think I’ll be going with you.”

  “Yes, you will,” said Maggie. “So will I, and so will William.”

  Jasmine raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s the best idea? We wouldn’t be able to guarantee William’s safety. What would Conrad say?”

  Maggie squared her jaw. “My husband can say what he likes, but you guys are going up against spellcasters in this place. Who knows how many and how skilled. You could have the best army in the world, but we all know what Raul was able to do to the men who went up against him. These are his people. If even three of them have his lack of conscience you’ll be in over your head.”

  Jasmine took her hands and met her eye. “And what about Brady? He’s not well, Maggie. You saw him.”

  Maggie gave her hands a squeeze. “I know, honey, but we know he has magic in him. And he’s seen things about the village and these people we haven’t. It might be we’ll need him before the end.”

  Jasmine opened her mouth as if to argue, but Brady spoke first. “I’ll be all right, Jax. Promise.”

  Jasmine dropped Maggie’s hands. “You don’t know that. You can’t promise. How am I supposed to be okay with you risking your life when you’ve already done enough?”

  Brady approached and pulled her arms around his waist. “Because if we don’t risk
everything, we may not win. So we put on a brave face and do what needs to be done.”

  Jasmine’s green eyes filled with fear, tears glinting in the corners, and she buried her face in Brady’s neck.

  Jeff watched in surprise. Even after her lover, Corey, died, she had put her leadership hat on and led her people in a fight against an armoured bear that nearly killed her brother and Maggie. She’d weighed her priorities and set them in what had then seemed the right order.

  This time she had more at stake.

  She knew she had to do it. Jeff could tell by the way she wiped her eyes and pressed her mouth into a thin line.

  Taking a step away from her husband, she said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t be such a weakling. I’m just not ready to lose everything I’ve fought so hard to gain.”

  Brady kissed her forehead. Jeff looked away, feeling like he was intruding on a moment best kept from prying eyes. As his gaze scanned the room, he caught Venn with her stare on the ceiling, not wanting to witness the affectionate display.

  Ariana watched the couple with a smile that struck Jeff as nostalgic, and Jayden…. Jeff held back a grin. Jayden couldn’t keep his eyes off his wife.

  “No one’s fought harder, Jax,” Brady said. “It’s how I know you’re strong enough to face this. We all are.”

  Jasmine nodded. “Which we’ll do by riding out as soon as possible.” She looked to Jayden, snapping his attention away from Ariana, but not before the princess caught him staring. “Tell everyone to get ready. We’re going to crush Raul for the last time. Make sure he never rears his head again.”

  Beware the locusts, Jeff remembered the Sisters’ words. They swarm and bite and will devour us all.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  As preparations for the mission got underway, Jeff made it his personal task to stay out from underfoot. Jayden strode through the Keep barking orders with a brusqueness at odds with his laidback personality. Jeff witnessed the surprise on the servants’ faces, along with the occasional knowing smirk once the grumpy lord had turned his back on them. It seemed word had spread about the conflict between Jayden and his royal wife. No matter that the two of them were rarely in the same room, having them under the same roof was enough to cause a ripple in the temperaments of everyone around them.

  Jeff felt badly for Ariana. The princess knew how to keep a blank face, and on the surface she appeared confident, but he caught sight of her once in a while when she thought no one was looking, and he saw the pain underneath. Here she was, far from home, with strangers—and the man she’d had a passionate and rash affair with almost a decade ago—about to head off to battle giant holes in the world. Riches and titles couldn’t arm anyone against that sort of confusion. Jasmine did her best to include the princess in her planning, and Jeff watched them with interest, especially knowing how much it bothered Jayden.

  Maggie and William spent their time hiding in the Haunt, only the occasional burst of sound or smoke floating up the stairs to let Jeff know they were hard at work.

  Everyone had something to do except him. For two days he wore holes in the stone floor with his pacing.

  “We’ll ride out soon,” said Brady, once Jeff’s aimlessness brought him to the library.

  “Last time we did this, it took less than a day before they set out. Why is there less urgency this time?”

  Jeff heard his petulant tone and hated it, but couldn’t shake his impatience.

  Brady’s lips curled into an understanding smile. “On the contrary. You know what we’re up against, Jeff. You know what we’re waiting for.”

  Jeff sighed and threw himself into a chair. “I know.”

  Jasmine had sent letters to all the surrounding houses, requesting reinforcements. Ariana had signed them to give added weight.

  “The replies are expected anytime now. As soon as we know if Kariel’s men will wait at the other end of the road, we’re ready to start out. Be lucky Jay considers this a priority and the enemy not well-trained. Typically, a full campaign takes ages to prepare. As it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were ordered out this afternoon.”

  Brady’s words gave Jeff’s hopes a nudge, pulling him out of his grump just enough to notice the circles under the counsellor’s eyes, and the slow movements as he poured a glass of wine. Jeff felt guilty that he’d been too distracted to see it before.

  “Will you be up for it when we do?”

  Brady’s smile hardened. “I’ll manage, but I appreciate your concern.”

  Jeff frowned. “Brady, you’re my friend. You don’t need to wear a mask around me. I understand not wanting to worry Jasmine, she’s got a lot on her plate, but you need to have someone in the loop about how you’re doing. Someone who knows to have your back.”

  Brady’s shoulders drooped, and he sagged backwards into his chair. As if Jeff’s speech had broken an illusion spell, a haggard man now sat in front of him, looking years older.

  “I haven’t slept since the last vision,” Brady admitted. “A nap here or there, maybe, but whenever I doze off, I’m not in my own head anymore, and it jerks me awake. Even when I am awake, it feels like there’s a cumbersome beast lurking inside my mind.” He chuckled. “Which I suppose is exactly the case. But it makes thinking rather difficult. Like processing through mud.”

  “And the headaches?”

  Brady grimaced. “Constant, which doesn’t help anything. Corban’s remedies have stopped working. I feel Talfyr taking up more and more space in here.”

  He passed a hand over his mouth, leaned forward, and Jeff saw a glimmer of fear pass through his grey eyes. “I worry he’s tainting my memories, Jeff. I’ll be sitting here, my thoughts will wander, and instead of giving me pleasure like they used to, they feel insignificant. I refer to defining moments, life-altering events. But from Talfyr’s perspective, they mean nothing. Fleeting visions that hold no meaning. I get the sense he’s sifting through my mind. After one of my worst headaches yesterday, I suddenly remembered a day when I must have been three years old, and my older brother took me fishing by the creek. No context, nothing to have triggered the memory. It’s fascinating. If I could find a way to exert the same control over his thoughts as he clearly has over mine, I could have access to the most comprehensive Andvellian history ever to be recorded.”

  Brady’s worry had disappeared, replaced by a bright intensity Jeff had come to recognise. The last time the counsellor had been this excited about something, it had developed into an obsession that nearly killed him. Raul had done the rest.

  He must have seen the concern on Jeff’s face, because the light dimmed, and he leaned back again.

  “I promise not to do anything stupid. I love new knowledge, you know that all too well, but I have more to live for now. I’ll be careful.”

  “You’d better,” said Jeff. “I don’t want to have to start writing about you when I get home, make sure you stay in line.”

  Brady grinned, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. “As if that would make any difference.”

  Jeff raised an eyebrow. “One of these days we’ll test our theories. Prepare to be embarrassed.”

  Brady’s smile didn’t fade, but he left his reply to Jeff’s imagination.

  A shadow fell on them, and both men looked up to see Jasmine in the doorway. Jeff lurched to his feet. “Any news? Is it time?”

  Jasmine shook her head. “Sorry, but not yet. I just came to get Brady. Maggie wants to go over a few theories on how to avoid those vortices. Maybe close them as they start to open? I didn’t really understand what she was talking about.”

  She wavered on her feet, and both Jeff and Brady hurried to her side before she waved them away.

  “Don’t fuss. I don’t have time to be ill. If I ignore it, it will go away. Brady, are you ready?”

  He nodded, clearly not at ease about Jasmine, but not ready to face her wrath if he pushed the matter. Jeff had fewer hesitations, but she turned on her heel and strode down the corridor before he could form th
e words.

  “I can’t wait for this to be over,” Brady murmured as he passed Jeff, one arm cradling three heavy books as he struggled to pull his jacket on with the other. “We could all use a rest.”

  Jeff hoped Brady kept his word and let the Talfyr connection sort itself out. Keegan the archivist had been hopeful they would reach some sort of balance. When Jeff returned home with Cassie, he really wanted to leave a happy ending behind in Andvell.

  Once more left to his own devices, Jeff left the library and began to wander, guiding himself down corridors that had once been more labyrinthine to him than a complex hedge maze. Now they were as familiar as a childhood home, full of memories that hardly seemed real.

  He was so caught up in the stories of the tapestries on the walls, he didn’t see the servant backing out of one of the bedrooms until she bumped into him. Jeff reached out to catch her before she could fall or drop the bundle of bedding in her arms, and then jerked his hands off her waist when he realised it was Tanya. His palms tingled where they’d touched her, and his face grew warm with a blush. He’d spent far too many intimate hours with her in his mind before they’d met for him to be comfortable around her. And none of her behaviours towards him since had put him at ease.

  But today she didn’t appear her usual self. Instead of the suggestive smile, her full lips pressed into a thin line; her brown eyes, usually so warm and inviting, were dull and lifeless.

  “Everything all right?” he asked, unsure what prompted him. Unlike Brady, she was hardly a close friend.

  Damsel in distress. You’re such a cliché.

  “Hey, Jeff,” she greeted, the words coming out almost in a sigh. “Everything is great.”

  “You’re a terrible liar,” he said.

  What are you doing? Run away! Cassie wouldn’t be happy…

  She wouldn’t care, a second voice said. She knows how you are with women. She’d probably laugh. Be a man, help the lady.

  Jeff listened to the second voice as Tanya forced a smile. “Don’t let my superiors know. Part of my job is to keep my issues to myself.”