“It could be rescinded by one person, but she would never do so,” Thade nodded. “I have told her enough about you to guarantee that she would never cause you such pain. Though I have to ask – are you certain this is what you want? If so, then I will have it sent by courier before dawn.”
“After the most recent news, I could not be more certain.” Following the flow of their hands, Leyna found an opportunity to take advantage of Thade’s obvious distraction by her request. His body was open. She kept her hand in contact with his while their motion drew nearer to his chest, her hand snapping effortlessly over to strike the flat of her palm into his abdomen. The flapping motion of the energy in her body caused him to puff out the air in his lungs, caught off guard by the impact. “I am also certain that I just won.”
The look of surprise on Thade’s features quickly faded into a smile. Their laughter rang through the trees, carefree. “You cheated,” he grinned, rubbing his stomach. Laughing even harder, Leyna shook her head, folding her arms across her chest.
“I did not. I simply distracted you, which worked to my benefit.”
Leyna enjoyed being in his company. They’d always been brought together by business. The casualness of their demeanors in that moment felt foreign to her, yet somehow comforting. It was as if they had known each other since they were kids, a deep kinship that was impossible for her to understand. And she didn’t want to waste the moment by thinking too deeply on it.
Their laughter was cut short by the sudden sound of footsteps approaching through the trees. In the darkness it echoed from all sides of the clearing, the location difficult to pinpoint. Protectively Thade stepped in front of Leyna, listening intently. “Show yourself!” he called out, the authority in his tone reminding Leyna of the war.
“Consul,” Feolan’s voice rang through the shadows, coming from the tree line near the house. “How long have you been out here? I only just realized you were gone and came looking when I heard voices. Who is with you?”
“Ah, Feolan,” Thade laughed, relaxing his guard. “It is Leyna. She was trying to seduce me.”
Leyna’s jaw fell open in shock, pushing him playfully away from her. “I was not!” she gasped. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks. Her only savior was the cover of the darkness, hiding her flushed face.
“It sounded better than admitting I lost,” he chortled. “All is well, Feolan. I was trying to give you and Lady Diah some privacy.”
Feolan’s grey eyes appeared through the trees, moving closer to them. “If Leyna is here, that would lead me to believe you went into town, like I asked you not to until we could go together. Tonight.”
“Of course, yes, Father, I forgot,” Thade drawled. “Really, Feolan. You never used to be like this. It is like living back at home with my governess all over again.”
“You are starting to sound like your brother.” Feolan’s words brought the clearing to silence. Crickets chirped faintly in the distance, their song falling on deaf ears.
Brother? He had never mentioned a brother. Come to think of it, he had never really mentioned his family at all. “Sir?” she started, gazing at him curiously through the shadows, the brightness of his eyes dimming at the sound of her voice.
Thade’s body stiffened. Any sign of his previous playful demeanor had dissipated, leaving him looking grim, moving away from Leyna toward the woods leading to his home. “Very well,” he said calmly, avoiding Leyna’s stare. “Leyna, I will have the letter you requested sent to Tanispa within the hour. Feolan – if it is not too much trouble, see that Leyna gets back to Zander’s safely. I will be in my study.”
Hanging his head, Feolan scolded himself quietly. “I am sorry, Leyna,” he sighed. “I have known the Consul for so long. We served in the military together in Tanispa almost thirty years ago. I am so used to him behaving like a seasoned veteran and politician that when he does something even somewhat rash, I forget how young he is. I tend to overreact.”
“Young?” Leyna asked. She found it hard to think of him being young after having known him for so many years. “How old is he?”
She’d asked Thade that question during the war, met only with his clever device of holding the answer over her head in exchange for her admitting her own age. It almost made her feel guilty for asking about it behind his back. Changing her mind, she opened her mouth to retract her question, her heart sinking at the sound of Feolan’s response, her words coming too late to prevent it.
“He will be forty-seven this year.”
“Forty-seven?” Something in that number didn’t add up. How could he have served in the military nearly thirty years if he was only forty-seven? “That cannot be possible,” she argued out loud. “That would have made him not even twenty when he joined the Tanispan military.”
“Let us get you back to Zander’s,” Feolan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I should not leave Lady Diah waiting too long, and I am sure the Consul will want to speak with me –”
“Feolan,” she cut in desperately. “Why do you avoid the subject?
“Because it is not my business to discuss,” he stated firmly. “And I suggest you not speak of it to him unless he volunteers the topic himself. Please. I must beg this of you.”
“I will not make you beg,” Leyna frowned, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. She wished he’d never answered her question. It only made her want to know more about him. But to ask would be out of line. While they were friends, he was still the Consul. To be so forward with him in regards to his own personal life could cause more trouble than she was willing to risk. She valued their friendship too much.
Climbing up on the horse, Feolan situated himself, offering his hand out to Leyna. She hesitated. It had felt so good to let go of everything for that brief time there in the clearing. The thought of returning to the mess she’d left behind at Zander’s house was crushing on her heart.
Finally giving in, she accepted his hand. With a firm tug, he helped her up onto the horse, inhaling deeply before digging his heels into its sides, clucking his tongue to signal it into motion. There would be plenty of time to enjoy the escape from her mission come the week’s end. Mialan held the painful memories of her past, but it also held an opportunity for her to remember who she was. Eleni did not exist there. And she couldn’t wait to leave her behind.
Chapter Twenty
Days and nights held a surreal quality to Leyna, sleeping and waking without fear of the people around her discovering her secrets, or threatening her life. She’d forgotten how far away the places of her childhood were. They bypassed the desert by traveling along the Tanispan border to Carpaen. It added at least two days to their trip, but it allowed the carriage drivers to continue moving through the night without becoming lost in the sands.
Circling the desert avoided the city itself where Leyna had spent so many years learning from Blaise at the academy. While she wanted to regret not seeing it again, she couldn’t help but feel relief. She wasn’t ready to face it. Mialan alone would be a test for her. Possibly the hardest one she would have to bear. Throughout her childhood she told herself she would never go back to that place. To never again be faced with the memory of that horrible night, the way her mother’s body looked lying there on the floor, covered in blood, broken, life stripped away from her bluing lips.
She shuddered to think about it. But it was hard to tell if it was the thought alone which sent the chill through her spine, or if it was the biting sea breeze blowing over her from the water crashing around the ship. Far off she could make out the image of land on the horizon. It was a welcome sight to her sickened stomach. The waves had tossed her around for days, leaving her green and uncomfortable.
It took them just under two weeks to reach the southwestern shore of Carpaen along the coastline. It was like another world to Leyna. She wondered how she and Reina had ever managed the journey when they were so young. Her memories were hazy from that part of her past. Vague images of riding in the backs of cara
vans, begging for help. She never wanted to experience such misery again.
Stars could still be seen, dotting the sky up above. The last remnants of the night she’d spent awake on the deck. Leaning over the rail, she took in a deep breath, feeling the spray of the water on her face.
“I am beginning to think you never sleep.” Thade’s voice cut through her thoughts. She wasn’t surprised by the sound. For the first time in years she had no need to flinch when someone came up on her unexpectedly. There was no reason to fear him, the way Kael had insisted she should. He was harmless. At least to her. She’d seen him fight enough to know he was dangerous to any who would cross blades with him.
“How could I possibly sleep when there is something so beautiful out here?”
His eyes lingered on Leyna, dimming briefly from the distance in them. Lost in thought. “Yes, I thought the same thing when I laid down last night.” He paused. Clearing his throat, he looked away, motioning out over the rail. “The sea – I have always found it relaxing. Peaceful. I rarely have opportunity to enjoy it.”
Oblivious to his awkwardness, Leyna nodded in agreement, taking in the scent of the saltwater. “I only recall seeing it once, though I know I must have crossed it at least twice. I do not recall the trip being quite so long.”
“It used to be somewhat shorter. Years back, they had to build a new port which changed the distance between the Mialan dock and Carpaen. You have been to Mialan before?”
Oh, why did he have to ask questions? Their trip had been so calm and comfortable until then. She had feared her past feelings for Thade would make it unbearable, but she had found it pleasant. They experienced few opportunities where they were alone together, making it easier to maintain a professional distance and conversation. Throughout the ride to the docks, they had shared the carriage with the alternating driver, giving them a place to rest in order to keep their pace without stop. Even when sleeping, the presence of the driver there had eased any tension she originally felt.
It all came back to her at that moment. Hearing his question. She should have known it would come up. And she couldn’t hide it from him now. She had already admitted her familiarity with the area. “Years ago,” she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “So, where does the ship dock at then?”
Moving to her side, Thade folded his arms over the wooden rail, following Leyna’s gaze into the horizon. “It still docks at the city of Avataio where it did before. It runs along the coastline there and pretty far inland. Originally, the docks were further south. There is a peninsula on the outskirts of town. When that neighborhood got to be too dangerous for the regular travelers, they changed the route, moving it closer to the Mialan palace.”
“Dangerous?” Leyna asked. Her senses tingled, uncomfortably aware of Thade’s presence beside her, their arms occasionally brushing against one another with the rocking of the boat. She felt silly, wanting to move away, yet strangely enjoying the closeness. The innocent touch of his skin. “Did something happen there? It seems odd that one portion of the city would get so bad.”
“It was already a poorer section of town. Crime tended to be more widespread, with everyone struggling to make ends meet,” he explained. “I was still a young man myself when things came to their height there, so I am a little sketchy on the details. All I know is they had some issues with the Ven’shal, and other criminals got a bit bolder in their own right. Robbing people when they got off the ships, stealing from merchants – King Osias decided to shut down their main source of crime by closing the docks and increased his guards at the city gates leading into that part of town. It is hard to say what the place is like now. Whenever I visit, I never venture beyond the palace courtyard.”
“You stay at the palace?”
“We both will,” Thade smiled, twisting his body slightly to look at her. “You are a member of Queen Nesperiti’s court. The Mialan’s treat their noble visitors with the utmost care and luxury. You will want for nothing while we are there.”
Such a funny way to word it. Want for nothing? She wanted answers to her questions. None of which could be given to her by the palace servants. To see for herself what had become of that little neighborhood she once called home. She wanted to know who she was. Nothing she wanted could be guaranteed by the Mialan hospitality. Most couldn’t be granted by anyone at all.
There was such gentleness in his eyes. He couldn’t possibly know the terrible things going through her head. If he knew, he wouldn’t look at her like that. She couldn’t bear to look at him herself. “I have no experience at court. I hope you will forgive me if I keep to my chambers throughout much of the visit. I would hate to embarrass myself, and even worse, you.”
“How do you plan to learn anything about the court if you hide from it?” Thade chuckled, cocking his head curiously to one side.
She glanced over to him, unable to resist. His face was enchanting. “I am not hiding from it,” she laughed quietly. “I am sparing you the humiliation. Besides – I do not exactly have the clothing to match the ladies at court. I will look like a pauper in comparison.”
“If dresses are your only concern, then you have no need to worry. I will request to have something made for you upon our arrival.”
“I cannot let you do that.”
“Why not? It could be a birthday present. When was the last time you received one of those?”
“The last time I celebrated my birthday,” she sighed. “And before you ask, it was much too long ago for me to remember, so do not pry.”
Thade was quiet. Thinking over what Leyna had said. He exhaled slowly, turning back to face out to the expanse of water surrounding them. “We have not had a chance to discuss much since we left. I am curious to know if Oksuva has become aware of her husband’s demise.”
Grateful for the change in subject, Leyna smiled, nodding to the empty air in front of her. “She was about as torn up about it as you would expect. She went out to celebrate with Gislan the night she heard the news.”
“Does Kael know where you are now?”
“I do not know,” she smirked. The thought amused her to no end. He would be absolutely livid if he knew, though she doubted Kyros would have included him in on the information. “Do you really think he would have allowed me to go away with you – alone – across three countries and a sea? By now I can only imagine he is worked up in a rage over where I have disappeared to.”
“Did you tell anyone where you were going?”
Leyna pondered his question. It was difficult to say whether or not Kyros would have told anyone of their plans. “Kyros knows I am with you, but he does not know where. I have maintained a conscious fear of them being able to spy on me through their magic after discovering from Kael that it was possible.”
“They would need to have an idea of where you are.” Thade was calm. Unfazed by the thought. “The spirits have to know where to look, and they can only go so far. Kael would not be able to find you in Mialan through those means, even if he knew where you were. A more powerful sorcerer might be able to, but I am not certain if this Kyros holds that kind of control. From what I have heard of Damir, he would be the only one I would fear.”
“What I do not understand then is – how did Kael know to look for me at your home that first night I snuck out to visit you? He was unaware of my friendship with you. As far as he knew, I had only ever spoken with you that one night when he introduced us.”
“He is a jealous man,” Thade shrugged. “He most likely went over in his mind the list of men that you might possibly be with in the area, and sent spirits to confirm his paranoia. He knows where I live. It would have been easy enough.”
“You know, he has been suspicious of you and I since that night the three of us met in the city? Even before he started dabbling with tainted energy.” She’d never thought about it before. In his sobriety Kael had still made it very clear that he didn’t trust her around other men. He had all but said that he considered Thade competition.
That evening had been a nightmare. Facing Thade and Feolan with her battered body. Thade wanted so much then for her to leave the mission and come work with him on the court. And she’d been so tempted. Tempted by the pleading look in his eyes while they sat there in the dancing flame of the candle, alone in his room, the bed so warm and welcoming to her tired limbs. She’d been swept up by his eyes, his lips – to the point that they had followed her back to her room with Kael. To think she had almost given herself to Kael that night, picturing Thade’s hands caressing her skin…
“Leyna, why do you blush so?”
Horrified, she brought her hands up to her face, covering her cheeks under her palms. “I should really get back to my room and start packing,” she breathed, turning away from Thade in embarrassment. How could she have let herself get lost in those thoughts again? She’d been doing so well. “The docks are getting closer. I suspect we will be to them within a few hours. I want to make sure I am ready to go when we get there.”
From the moment they reached the docks, there was no time for Leyna to think about her embarrassment from earlier on the ship. She had avoided Thade’s curious gaze throughout the ride to the palace. Once inside, they were whisked apart, taken to their chambers within the massive walls, bags carried along by several strapping young servants.
It was incredible to her. Never before had she experienced that kind of service, having always done everything for herself. She almost felt bad for accepting their help, but was comforted in knowing that unlike the slaves of Mikel’s home, these men and women were paid for their hard work. Compensation made it all much less barbaric than slavery.
Her chambers consisted of multiple rooms, decorated with the finest silk from the curtains draping the windows, down to the soft blankets outfitting the canopy bed. Everything she could have ever needed was at her disposal. A large vanity situated against the wall boasted a mirror reaching up several feet, reflecting the bright walls and furnishings. The closet looked bare with her minimal array of dresses hanging inside it, the cloth seeming dingy and poor in comparison to everything else in the room. And to think they had been considered some of Oksuva’s finest! There was no way Leyna would ever blend in amongst the Mialan ladies dressed in such outdated and drab clothing.
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 62
