and slipped in beside him, careful not to jostle him awake. The sheets were cool on Ryneq’s side of the bed, and he inched closer to Nykin, the heat of his body making Ryneq relax. He closed his eyes and finally fell asleep with one hand resting possessively on Nykin’s hip.
R YNEQ MANAGED a good few hours’ sleep before being woken by a soft knock on the door. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and hurried to open it before it disturbed Nykin.
“Your breakfast, Sire,” Kalis whispered when Ryneq motioned for her to be quiet. She held a large tray with several covered plates on it, and the delicious smells coming from beneath the covers made Ryneq’s stomach growl.
“Thank you, Kalis.” He reached and took the tray from her. “I’ll be in the war room for the next few hours. I want you to check on Nykin while I’m gone and bring him something to eat when he wakes up.”
“Of course, Sire.” She smiled up at him and turned to go.
“Oh, and Kalis?” He waited for her to turn and face him. “Send for me immediately if you think something’s wrong.” She nodded once and then hurried off down the passageway. Ryneq closed the door quietly behind her and carried the food over to the dining table. He ate quickly, looking out the window at the beautiful day outside—a far cry from the harsh winds of the night before last.
Nykin hadn’t woken by the time Ryneq was ready to leave. Ryneq paused by the side of their bed and leaned down to brush his lips over Nykin’s forehead. Nykin’s skin still had a sickly sheen to it, despite gaining a bit of color back, and it went against all of Ryneq’s instincts to leave. But the others would be waiting for him.
He met Nysad in the passageway outside. Nysad looked exhausted, as though he hadn’t slept much at all in the past couple of days. “Gods, it’s good to have you back behind palace walls.” Ryneq clapped him on the shoulder and gripped his arm. “How was it?”
“Thankfully uneventful after the initial trouble with the witch. The villagers are settling in down in the lower town. Eldin and Nykin?”
“Both made it back. Nykin took a hit to the leg, and both dragons were injured, but none of them badly.”
A flash of relief passed over Nysad’s face before his expression turned grim. “The scouts just arrived back, Sire. There’s movement all along the border. The men are breaking camp. Seran is preparing to move his army.”
Ryneq cursed under his breath. He’d hoped they’d have more time to prepare. “Have you been to the war room yet?”
“Yes, Sire. Glaevahl, Lerran, Faelon, and Avelor are already there waiting for us,” Nysad replied as they marched down the passageway.
When they arrived, the elves inside were already seated around the table, poring over the map spread out permanently now. Glaevahl looked up when they entered and met Ryneq’s gaze.
“The witch has been feeling out the barrier with her magic, but she hasn’t attempted to break through yet,” Glaevahl began, not bothering with any pleasantries, which Ryneq greatly appreciated. He had neither the desire nor the time to bother with social niceties.
Ryneq took his seat at the head of the table, and Nysad pulled out the one to his right. “How can you tell?”
“I stationed the remaining elven guard who traveled with us along the wall. They’re watching for any visible changes in the magic.” He gestured to the silver cuff on his wrist, and Ryneq immediately recognized it. Nykin still had the one he’d been given in Alel. “They have been in constant contact, and we can also feel it.”
“What if she attacks?” Ryneq asked, remembering how it had taken both elven elders to knit the barrier back together again in Alel.
A look of pride crossed Glaevahl’s face. “All of them studied the old scrolls with me in Alel, and their magic is strong. They can hold the barrier together until we get there to help. But as I said before, we estimate it will only
R YNEQ MANAGED a good few hours’ sleep before being woken by a soft knock on the door. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and hurried to open it before it disturbed Nykin.
“Your breakfast, Sire,” Kalis whispered when Ryneq motioned for her to be quiet. She held a large tray with several covered plates on it, and the delicious smells coming from beneath the covers made Ryneq’s stomach growl.
“Thank you, Kalis.” He reached and took the tray from her. “I’ll be in the war room for the next few hours. I want you to check on Nykin while I’m gone and bring him something to eat when he wakes up.”
“Of course, Sire.” She smiled up at him and turned to go.
“Oh, and Kalis?” He waited for her to turn and face him. “Send for me immediately if you think something’s wrong.” She nodded once and then hurried off down the passageway. Ryneq closed the door quietly behind her and carried the food over to the dining table. He ate quickly, looking out the window at the beautiful day outside—a far cry from the harsh winds of the night before last.
Nykin hadn’t woken by the time Ryneq was ready to leave. Ryneq paused by the side of their bed and leaned down to brush his lips over Nykin’s forehead. Nykin’s skin still had a sickly sheen to it, despite gaining a bit of color back, and it went against all of Ryneq’s instincts to leave. But the others would be waiting for him.
He met Nysad in the passageway outside. Nysad looked exhausted, as though he hadn’t slept much at all in the past couple of days. “Gods, it’s good to have you back behind palace walls.” Ryneq clapped him on the shoulder and gripped his arm. “How was it?”
“Thankfully uneventful after the initial trouble with the witch. The villagers are settling in down in the lower town. Eldin and Nykin?”
“Both made it back. Nykin took a hit to the leg, and both dragons were injured, but none of them badly.”
A flash of relief passed over Nysad’s face before his expression turned grim. “The scouts just arrived back, Sire. There’s movement all along the border. The men are breaking camp. Seran is preparing to move his army.”
Ryneq cursed under his breath. He’d hoped they’d have more time to prepare. “Have you been to the war room yet?”
“Yes, Sire. Glaevahl, Lerran, Faelon, and Avelor are already there waiting for us,” Nysad replied as they marched down the passageway.
When they arrived, the elves inside were already seated around the table, poring over the map spread out permanently now. Glaevahl looked up when they entered and met Ryneq’s gaze.
“The witch has been feeling out the barrier with her magic, but she hasn’t attempted to break through yet,” Glaevahl began, not bothering with any pleasantries, which Ryneq greatly appreciated. He had neither the desire nor the time to bother with social niceties.
Ryneq took his seat at the head of the table, and Nysad pulled out the one to his right. “How can you tell?”
“I stationed the remaining elven guard who traveled with us along the wall. They’re watching for any visible changes in the magic.” He gestured to the silver cuff on his wrist, and Ryneq immediately recognized it. Nykin still had the one he’d been given in Alel. “They have been in constant contact, and we can also feel it.”
“What if she attacks?” Ryneq asked, remembering how it had taken both elven elders to knit the barrier back together again in Alel.
A look of pride crossed Glaevahl’s face. “All of them studied the old scrolls with me in Alel, and their magic is strong. They can hold the barrier together until we get there to help. But as I said before, we estimate it will only
Similar Books
