Solace

by Bethany Adams

  Though Lyr had long ago begun to hope they would stop avoiding their feelings, it was still a shock to see Lial there. In his mother’s bed. Sleeping. Right there. “Ah…”

  Lynia shooed him back, but Meli had to grab his wrist and tug him out of the way before his mother could slip from the room and close the door behind her. Still, he could only stare at his mother’s increasingly annoyed face. He was happy for them. Truly. He just…hadn’t been as prepared for the reality as he’d thought.

  “We were only talking,” Lynia said. “No need to look so appalled.”

  Lyr cleared his throat. “It is none of my business. Only unexpected.”

  She and Meli shared disbelieving grins. “We all know you make everything your business whether it should be or not. For your information, I haven’t decided about a relationship with Lial, but I did work through some things last night. And I needn’t have shared his presence at all, but I want him to sleep as much as possible. Whatever happened in the Seelie realm, Lial returned incredibly drained.”

  Now that Lyr’s shock had cleared, he recalled Kai saying that Lial had needed to help someone and would report later. Apparently, that someone had been Lynia. Lyr frowned. Why wouldn’t Kai have told him his mother was upset? He hated the thought of her being in pain without him realizing.

  “I do hope you aren’t about to say something foolish,” Lynia said, probably misinterpreting his frown.

  “As do I,” Lyr replied. “Though I doubt it’s the foolishness you’re expecting either way. I am worried that I neglected you last night. If you were upset and needed me, I am sorry.”

  The annoyance faded from her expression. “I was consulting Eradisel after a bad dream, and Lial happened to find me. Don’t stress yourself about it, especially not before a mission like this. Besides, it gave Lial and I a chance to talk. There is no reason for you to feel bad.”

  “Very well.” Lyr pulled his mother into a quick hug and then stepped back. “I’ll leave you to guard the healer’s beauty rest.”

  Lynia nudged him. “Go. And stay safe.”

  He did his best to push the unusual encounter to the back of his mind as he and Meli descended the steps. It would do no good to become distracted, though he would no doubt spend a fair time in thought later. Instead, he focused on Kera, who waited in the entryway with Errin, Meli’s primary bodyguard. Other guards had already been stationed along the route they would take to the outer barracks in addition to the usual sonal.

  Kera tapped her fist to her chest twice and inclined her head. “We are ready, Myern.”

  “Meli?” Lyr asked his bonded.

  Her hands trembled slightly, but Meli smiled at him as she unfurled the cloak draped over her arm and slung it around her shoulders. However, this was no simple bit of fabric. Selia had modified this one, a match for the invisibility cloak she’d crafted for Lyr. Sure enough, as soon as Meli lifted the hood, she disappeared from sight. Lyr only knew she was there because of their bond.

  He wore his own cloak, but he kept the hood down so the invisibility spell would remain inactive. That way, it would be easier to communicate with Kera and the others. Not that he imagined he would have cause to raise it. As Myern, all that happened here was his responsibility, and he would not hide in the shadows to confront a betrayer. After the last few months, he had no qualms about killing a traitor if they were foolish enough to resist capture.

  “Uncanny magic,” Kera said as Meli winked out of sight. “But useful.”

  “And dangerous,” Lyr replied.

  He should know. He’d almost died once after he’d been hidden, wounded, beneath one. But these, at least, were made by Selia, not a foreign mage. He could circumvent its power if he needed to.

  “I have the trail,” Meli said into his mind. “Still the outer barracks.”

  Lyr answered aloud for Kera’s benefit. “Then to the outer barracks we go.”

  Kera led the way out the door, Lyr and Meli following with Errin behind them. Just outside, he helped Meli attach spikes to her shoes—an awkward task since he couldn’t see her—and did the same to his own boots. There was a lull in the pelting sleet, but their breaths streamed around them in the frigid air, including a ghostly wisp from his bonded’s direction. Lyr tucked a scarf around his mouth and nose, then waited for the others to do the same.

  Such a miserable night to creep through the woods.

  As they stepped carefully toward the forest at the edge of the clearing, the night enveloped them, obscuring sight. Kera crept ahead of them, her dark skin, hair, and blue-black night armor blending so thoroughly that she could have had her own invisibility cloak. But she kept pace with them, and he was unlikely to get lost on his own lands, in any case.

  He was far more uneasy about the way Meli was obscured. If the magic consumed her, it wouldn’t be immediately obvious. He couldn’t see her facial cues or body language to judge the state of her control. But they were bound, their spirits linked. He could feel her presence despite being unable to see her.

  Even if she loses herself to the runes, I can find her. I can stop her.

  “This is as simple as helping your mother with a book,” Meli sent. “I’m fine.”

  Her words were reassuring, but Lyr didn’t relax. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as they followed the iced-over stream around the far edge of the property. Finally, they crossed a bridge and took the path toward the barracks. The warriors stationed here were still in training, many in the early stages. He wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that their traitor was housed amongst the beginners rather than the seasoned warriors.

  Lyr expected to enter the barracks proper and wander through the bunks until Meli’s runes directed her to the proper one, so when Meli circumvented the main entrance to walk around the outside of the building, his grip on his sword hilt tightened. Kera snapped a soft order to the woman standing guard at the front door, and the warrior turned her head away from their small group as they passed.

  “Not inside?” he asked Meli.

  “I get a clear image of a man at the back exit. Another guard?”

  “Likely.”

  Lyr frowned into the darkness. Usually those already out of training were tasked with standing guard over the barracks, so their traitor was no new recruit. Had they chosen to be stationed here to avoid detection? It would certainly be easier to slip away from a group of beginners in order to cause trouble.

  As they neared the back corner of the building, Lyr directed the group to fall into the shadows along the nearby tree line. A quick search of the estate key revealed the usual sonal in the trees above, along with the guards assigned by Kera—and one person at the back entrance.

  Fenere, one of the guards who’d failed to protect Arlyn from an attack after she’d first arrived.

  Fury welled up, but he tamped it down. He’d believed Fenere innocent of anything except inexperience, but he would not underestimate the drec again. Lyr sent Errin a mental command to station himself against the wall at the back corner to be near Meli as they approached. Lyr would need her confirmation that Fenere was the proper target, but he would do his best to minimize her risk.

  If her cover was broken for any reason, her bodyguard would be prepared to act.

  Careful to advance slowly to keep the ice from cracking beneath the spikes on his shoes, Lyr eased forward beside Meli, their bond allowing him to sense her presence. Then they paused at the corner of the building and merged more deeply until they could see through each other’s eyes. He had to blink against the surge of light, the glowing trail that had guided her steps, but it didn’t go away. Once his sight adjusted, he crept forward, Meli remaining behind.

  The trail appeared to end in darkness not far from where he walked, or so he believed. It was always possible that he wasn’t interpreting her magic correctly.

  “You’re almost there,” she sent, confirming his assumption.

  Her words came at the same time the person standing beside the door gre
w clear to Lyr’s normal sight. Rage pounded through him like a pulse to see with his eyes what the estate key had confirmed—it was Fenere. Of the three guards who’d failed to protect Arlyn, only Korel had been dismissed for insubordination after he’d made foul statements about Arlyn’s human blood, but Fenere and Leral hadn’t appeared to be part of that betrayal. An error, it seemed. There must be more to the man’s behavior than being assigned a too-difficult task.

  Lyr connected with Kera. “What happened to Leral after his ill-fated stint as a bodyguard?”

  “He decided to apprentice with the Elite as you suggested, Myern.”

  “Have him brought to my study under full guard,” Lyr ordered. “The assassin is Fenere. Leral may yet be innocent, but care must be taken until that is proved.”

  Though he sensed her surprise, Kera asked no questions as she ended their mental link to relay his orders. Lyr continued his advance on Fenere. He didn’t bother to cloak himself with the invisibility spell. The man could have detected all of them except Meli with a sweep of his magic, but he didn’t appear to be completing that basic task frequently. His lack of skill as a guard apparently hadn’t been feigned.

  Lyr drew his sword as he neared—Fenere would not have the chance to hurt another.

  The soft hiss of metal sliding against sheath finally caught the man’s attention. Fenere started to draw his own blade, but once his gaze met Lyr’s, he froze. “Myern?”

  There was no mistaking the nervous lilt to the man’s tone. While Lyr might have dismissed it as normal under the circumstances, the way Fenere sidled carefully away from him told another tale. Was he attempting to escape? Any guard would be surprised to be confronted by their superior in the middle of the night like this, but an innocent one wouldn’t consider fleeing.

  He sent a quick order to Kera to advance on the man’s other side and then separated his inner sight from Meli’s. No need for her to experience the fight if things went wrong.

  “You know why I’m here,” Lyr said levelly, “Or you wouldn’t be backing away.”

  “Of… Of course not, Myern.”

  Lyr took a step forward, settling the tip of his blade at the hollow of Fenere’s throat. “You will come with me without a fight, or you’ll be dragged to my study bleeding.”

  Fenere glanced around the area as though plotting his escape or hoping for a rescue, and Lyr’s grip tightened on the hilt of his sword in preparation. But with no rescue forthcoming, cowardice appeared to win against brashness. Fenere held his hands outward, his fingers splayed wide. As Kera melted from the darkness behind the traitor to twist his arms behind his back, Lyr disarmed him.

  Only when Fenere was bound with both rope and magic did Lyr brush his thoughts against Meli’s. “Any others?”

  After a brief pause, she answered. “Not here. There’s…something toward the village, I think. It’s… No. I was wrong. The magic caught on Caeleth and the rockslide, but there’s no thread to anything new.”

  “Let’s haul our friend to the estate,” Lyr said to Kera in a low voice. “I’m afraid we’ll need to find someone else to stand guard tonight.”

  “I will see it done,” Kera replied.

  By the time they’d marched Fenere to the edge of the clearing, another warrior had emerged from the back door to watch the scene with wide eyes. It was going to be a long walk back, but at least Meli had saved them days of interrogating each person in the barracks. Unfortunately, though, her runes couldn’t make the man talk.

  And Lyr had a feeling that would be the most difficult task of all.

  A gentle nudge woke Lial at once, but it took him longer than usual to process the sight that met his eyes. The ceiling above him was wood, not stone, and carved to resemble drifting clouds. What…? Then memory rushed through him of the night before. He was in Lynia’s bed—just not the way he’d typically dreamed of.

  Lial turned his head to find Lynia standing beside the bed, her brows drawn together as she stared at him. “You wake quickly. I’m surprised Lyr’s knock didn’t disturb you when he came to tell me he was leaving.”

  “Me, too,” Lial said, sitting up and sweeping his fingers through his tangled hair. What a tempting sight I must be, he thought sardonically. “I confess I haven’t been that drained in some time. Thank you for letting me rest here.”

  A hint of pink tinged her cheeks. “It was pleasant. And I would have let you sleep longer, but Lyr needs your help.”

  “Miaran,” Lial muttered. “How badly is he hurt?”

  Lynia’s lips pursed, and one eyebrow lifted. “Do you honestly believe I would be waking you calmly if my son was injured? As far as I know, no one was hurt. I think he wants to intimidate the assassin into talking, and you’re particularly skilled at gaining cooperation from the recalcitrant.”

  Lial swung his legs over the side of the bed as he pondered her words. It wasn’t a typical request. Perhaps an excuse to get him out of Lynia’s room? “Lyr knows very well I wouldn’t torture someone. Intentionally, at least.”

  “The assassin might not realize that,” Lynia said, shrugging and then catching the edge of her robe when it nearly slid from her shoulder.

  Lial focused on donning his boots, a much less pleasurable task than what he would rather do—kiss the tender spot where Lynia’s pulse fluttered at the edge of her sleeping gown. He loved the graceful curve of her neck and the delicate ridge of her collarbone. He could spend marks exploring each rise and indention with his lips and fingers and tongue.

  “Are you paying any attention?”

  He glanced up to find Lynia glaring down at him, but he could only grin in return. “Forgive me. My mind wandered.”

  “At a time like this?” she demanded, her fist settling against her hip. “Stand up and tend to your hair while I get the wrinkles out of your clothes.”

  There was no way he was going to tell her where his mind had gone. She might have softened enough to share comfort with him the night before, but that didn’t mean she had any interest in a romantic relationship. So he averted his gaze to get his body under control before rising from the bed. Lynia hovered her hands over his chest and used magic to ease the wrinkles from the fabric.

  At her nearness, Lial squeezed his eyes closed and tried to imagine all manner of disagreeable things. Otherwise, his control would slip, and she would have no doubt what he’d been thinking. He pulled the cord from his tousled hair and untangled the knots by touch before retying the mass behind his head. Only when her magic faded did he open his eyes once more.

  Lynia studied him curiously. “Are you always this strange in the morning?”

  He let out a rough, choked laugh. “Under certain circumstances. Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

  “Hmm. Perhaps I’ll discover the reason someday,” she said, a teasing, almost flirtatious lilt to her voice and a glint in her eyes. “But not now. Lyr is no doubt growing impatient.”

  Part of Lial wanted to ask if the hint of innuendo in her words was intentional or his imagination, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice the question. He’d put his feelings out there too often to risk that now. If she changed her mind about a relationship, she would have to tell him. He wouldn’t pressure her.

  “I’ll have to return to the healing tower after this,” Lial said. “I have sensed no distress from Caeleth, but his next healing session is long overdue. After that, I’ll look at the books you left for me.”

  Lynia nodded. “I’m going to the library to resume work. Although…did you discover anything while healing Naomh that might help?”

  “I’m not sure, but I will give it some thought.”

  If he had the right, Lial would have kissed her goodbye. But he didn’t. Stifling frustration, he bid her farewell and started for the study. It would do no good to linger on what he couldn’t have, even if the past night had only strengthened his longing. He should contact Dria later to enquire about a position there. The sooner he broke this cycle of hope and despair, the better. He�
�d experienced that tumult more than enough his first couple of centuries.

  Chapter 19

  Lial connected with Lyr as he neared the study. “Are you honestly expecting me to help you question someone? You know very well I will not—”

  “Relax, Lial. I might throttle the drec, but I won’t torture him,” Lyr sent, his exasperation clear. “I want your report before I seek my rest, but I have this matter to settle first. You don’t have to do anything. Though I admit an angry healer might serve to give Fenere pause.”

  “I thought you might be trying to get me out of your mother’s bed.”

  “My mother needs neither my protection nor my consent,” Lyr replied sharply. “You are both more than old enough to figure this out for yourselves. But you needn’t share details once you do. Please.”

  Lial chuckled aloud, drawing a strange look from the guard stationed beside the study door. “Noted.”

  Lial forced a more serious expression to his face as he entered the large, oval room made small by the number of people currently inside. Lyr and Meli stood in front of the desk on the dais. On the floor to the right, four warriors kept watch over Leral, who had his arms secured behind him, and on the left, Kera and Errin held Fenere, also bound. Belore Koranel, the captain of the guard, waited in the center, and the way he straightened from a bow revealed that he hadn’t been there much longer than Lial.

  “Ah, Lial,” Lyr said, as though they hadn’t been speaking mentally a moment ago. “Thank you for joining us. I fear I may have need of your aid in the near future.”

  Lial barely managed not to snort. “As you require, Myern.”

  “I suppose we shall see.” Lyr gestured toward his right. “If you’ll wait over there in case your help is needed?”

  It took little effort to scowl as he marched to his spot beside the window—all he had to do was make a quick catalogue of all the frustrations awaiting him after this meeting. A plague to stop, a Seelie lord who might be the harbinger of said plague, and a patient still in danger of death. As Lial turned to face the room, he caught sight of Fenere, the supposed assassin, and his annoyance solidified into anger. He wouldn’t have an injured mage to deal with if not for that attack.