Page 91 of House of Ashes
Both for him, and for Loralei. And for myself.
Tyria sighed, looking over at Jaien, who remained among his brothers, his face in his hands. The sadness in her eyes…she knew how broken he would be, half his soul cut away.
“We cannot back you yet,” she said heavily. “I would for Jaien and Loralei, if nothing else, but we all stand on a knife’s edge now. My House cannot take the risk. Bring the Shadowed Stars into your Court—if you can convince Chantrelle to join you, or even Undying Light, we will pledge ourselves as well. I know it’s not what you came to hear, Rhylan, but we’re spread too thin. I will not give Yura a reason to attack Sylvaene before more alliances are solidified.” Tyria shook her head, and the stones studding her braids tinkled musically, at odds with the words that felt like stones dropping into my gut.
But Rhylan seemed to wake up from the depths of a dream, giving her a look that was so cold, so outside his usual good humor, that it seemed for a moment he wasn’t himself at all.
“That’s not what I was assured of last month, when we were making these plans around his deathbed,” he said sharply. “There was no discussion of binding the Shadowed Stars to our Court before you’d commit to an alliance.”
“Make it worth Chantrelle’s while,” she advised us. “Yura will be doing the same, I guarantee it. But I cannot afford to jump right into your Court—she will bring fire across the territories, and I’ve got my hands full with the Raging Tempests and Iron Shards gnawing at our southern border. For now…I must bring my sons home, before they try to move in further. Do send Kirana when you have news. Cai has been rather put out since he returned from the Training Grounds.”
I remembered Kirana telling me that she could not stand the idea of having a dragon in her head.
But the way she glanced at Cai, as though her eyes kept betraying her and returning to him against her will, told a much different story.
And I was sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was because of Jaien and Loralei.
If I’d seen someone shatter from a broken mate bond…I can’t say I would feel any different than she did. To make the bond was to understand that if you lost your other half, you lost much of yourself.
Tyria took Jaien’s hand and walked him up the footbridge towards the shore. His brothers followed, taking flight above them, an honor guard in emerald scales.
We were finally alone. I didn’t know what to say; every word that came to mind got stuck in my throat.
Why didn’t you tell me? That was a question I could answer for myself. Who would want to speak of one of the worst pains they’d ever feel? Or…when did it happen?
I thought I could guess at that. Kirana had told me she’d left the Training Grounds rather suddenly, which meant Loralei had died shortly after my exile.
No—she had been murdered. ‘Died’ made it sound so…blameless.
But the question that gnawed at me most of all…how did they know Tidas was to blame?
That, I did need to have answered.
But not now. Not when Rhylan was still so pale, while Kirana’s hands were shaking and her head bowed. Not while their wounds were ripped open anew and showing the fresh, raw underbelly of their pain.
Rhylan took a deep breath, his gaze still fixed on the horizon. He let it out, hands flexing, finally clenching at his sides.
Then they loosened.
“We gained one House in our Court,” he said. “Good. That’s good. We’re still evenly matched.”
“Not if Yura manages to bring the Wildlands Hordes to her side,” Kirana said, her voice bitter. “All the Houses of southern Akalla will be at risk if she pulls it off. That’s why Tyria won’t commit to us now—not until she knows if Yura will be able to attack her from the south.”
“Kirana…I don’t want to ask now, but…” Rhylan ran a hand through his hair, turning to his sister.
Kirana nodded, her eyes red-rimmed. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go. I’ll visit Undying Light and head south afterwards. Our aunt and uncle bring their Horde to Kel Tazra every three months; I know they’ll listen to us. If they can’t help…Father had plenty of friends there. Someone will come.”
I reached out and gripped her hand. Kirana enfolded mine in a death grip, her fingers clammy.
“I didn’t know how to say it,” she said miserably.
“I don’t blame you.” I squeezed her fingers, trying to push my own warmth into them. “I don’t blame you at all.”
Because some things simply couldn’t be said. Some things had to be buried deep, where thinking about them wouldn’t fracture your mind.
“Be careful in the Wildlands,” I told her. I couldn’t talk her out of going, because I needed her to do this. What I couldn’t do, she would have to do in my place for this to work. “As for Undying Light—for my aunt and uncle…a gentle touch would work best. They have no familial love for me. I think they’re more likely to be swayed by the benefits to them, rather than any sense of obligation to their nieces.”
Rhylan slipped a hand around my waist, and I leaned into it, although no one was around and we didn’t need to pretend.