Her eyes were not Elven black, but violet.
And she had a birthmark—a silvery eight-pointed star in the hollow of her throat.
“By the Good Goddess!” Vestakia gasped. “It’s Idalia!”
The baby gurgled with laughter, waving her tiny fists. Jermayan reached out a hand, and she grabbed his finger, clutching strongly.
No wonder Ancaladar sounded so … smug, Kellen thought.
“But…” he said.
Jermayan looked up, met his eyes, and smiled.
“I can wait,” he said serenely. “I have centuries—what is a mere eighteen years to that? I think—should I begin to grow impatient—that Ancaladar and I shall go in search of other dragons, to tell them that their need to hide from the world has passed. That is a task of years that will keep me from too much impatience. But when I return …”
He looked meaningfully at Ashaniel, who simply smiled.
“It will not be the first time a child has been betrothed in her cradle, Jermayan. And I can see already how stubborn she is. Not for all the treasure of the Nine Cities—or a dragon’s magic—would I do anything to keep the two of you apart.”
“So she is not dead,” Vestakia said joyfully.
“No,” Kellen said, still stunned by what he was seeing. Nor would Idalia’s greatest fear—that Jermayan would be forced to live out long centuries of his life without her—ever come to pass. Not now. For as a last gift of the Wild Magic, in payment for her ultimate sacrifice, Idalia had been reborn among the Elves, possessed, now, of the gift of their long years.
Suddenly Vestakia put her arms around him. He hugged her back without thinking—and as he did, he realized that it was almost summer.
His bond with Shalkan—a bond of chastity and celibacy—had been formed in early spring, to run for a year and a day.
That time was over now. Well over.
He was free.
He could look at Vestakia now. He could think about Vestakia now.
“I—” he said, suddenly feeling terribly awkward.
“I always knew,” she said gravely. Suddenly she smiled, and an irrepressible dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth. “Kellen, you worked so hard to avoid me!”
Kellen laughed with sheer relief. It was true.
But no longer.
THERE were formalities, of course. He had to speak to Tyrvin, and formally relieve him of his duties at the Fortress, something Jermayan had not been able to do. With that, the preparations for leave-taking could at last begin.
Once they were underway, Kellen and Vestakia went back down the causeway, this time walking hand-in-hand. For the first time in nearly a year, the children of the Elves were out in the fresh air once more, laughing and playing in the meadow among the watchful unicorns. He saw Sandalon among them, running in circles among the meadow flowers for sheer joy at being able to do so.
Where was Shalkan?
He’d said he wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.
Kellen located him at last, at the edge of the ring of unicorns that was watching the children. He was standing next to another unicorn, rubbing his neck against hers. Kellen recognized her at once—Calmeren, the only survivor from the first Crowned Horns convoy.
As he started to approach, Shalkan raised his head. His nostrils flared warningly. Kellen stopped.
Still celibate. But no longer chaste, I guess.
“I suppose this is goodbye, then,” Kellen said.
“You knew the time would come,” Shalkan said, sounding more than a little cross at having been interrupted. “Some of it was fun. All of it was necessary. But now it’s time for you to get on with your own life and let others tend to theirs. Goodbye, Kellen.”
“Goodbye, Shalkan.” Kellen turned away.
“And one last piece of advice,” Shalkan called after him.
Kellen stopped and turned back. “What is it?”
“Kiss the girl.”
Kellen grinned in spite of himself. Trust Shalkan to get in the last word.
Kellen turned to Vestakia. “Shalkan’s advice is usually pretty good,” he said.
“I think we should follow it,” she agreed.
And so they did.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS: THE OBSIDIAN TRILOGY, BOOK 3
Copyright © 2006 by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lackey, Mercedes.
When darkness falls / Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.—1st ed.
p. cm.—(The Obsidian trilogy ; bk. 3)
“A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
ISBN 0-765-30221-7 (acid-free paper)
EAN 978-0-765-30221-2
I. Mallory, James. II. Title.
PS3562.A246W46 2006
813’.54—dc22 2005034506
First Edition: July 2006
Printed in the United States of America
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
When Darkness Falls Page 65
