muscled legs. The skin that looked touched by honey. The swaying hips that —
“Son of Adam!”
“Huh?” He turned guiltily to find a Faedin standing next to him. One that looked to be older than Julius — much older, in fact — with lines of age crisscrossing his face. Yet there was something about his eyes. Some playful twinkle of youth that had yet to be diminished. “Yes?”
“A word, please?” the Faedin asked, stretching his arm out toward a tent at the edge of the village that Cal hadn’t noticed before.
Cal nodded politely. “Of course.” He followed behind the Faedin and ducked inside the opening, squinting in the soft light of a single candle held upright in a brass holder.
“Please, sit.”
Cal sat cross-legged on the floor across from the Faedin.
The man bowed his head formally. “We have not yet met, son of Adam, but I am the Elder of the Faedin. A spiritual guide, if you will.”
“Nice to meet you. Please call me Cal.”
“Very well,” the Elder said with a smile. “As you may already be aware, Cal, the Faedin are very special beings.”
He nodded again, not sure what he was supposed to say.
“But they need your help.” The flickering flame cast strange shadows across the ancient face.
“My help?”
“As the world’s guardians, the Faedin have fulfilled their duty without fail for many, many years. In doing so, they have had to learn to become ruthless to stay alive.” He held up a finger. “But they need to know compassion to die.”
“To die? How can I help with that?”
“You will teach them.”
Cal shook his head adamantly. “I’m afraid you have the wrong person, Elder. The Faedin barely tolerate me as it is, and I doubt they would let me teach them anything.”
“You already are, Cal, but you must work faster. Evil stirs.”
The hair on the back of Cal’s neck stood up at the thought of the pit surrounding the Tree That Will Not Die. But Stassi had told him the serpent couldn’t get out without a human. A pure human, and according to her, he didn’t fit that bill any more.
“What can I do?”
“Unite the Faedin, Cal. In love and in war.”
CHAPTER 13
A Raid
C al arrived at the arena with Stassi, preoccupied with all he heard. He hadn’t said anything to her yet about his strange conversation with the Elder. Why worry her right before this final trial that meant so very much to her? As the self-proclaimed spiritual guide, the Elder surely had the ear of Julius. If there really was something to be concerned about, the chieftain would let the Faedin know.
With that, he put his worries aside and hoisted the small sack he carried up over his shoulder. Stassi eyed his burden suspiciously but didn’t ask.
The harsh pounding of Faedin drums started up, echoing through the night, accompanied by a loud chant. Snarling warriors stomped their feet in time to the beat and slammed fists to bare chests.
“Do they do this for all the raids?” he asked Stassi while directing her toward Abram and Leeah.
“Of course.”
“Nothing like telling the enemy you’re coming,” he muttered.
Confusion flashed in her eyes. “Of course, we would tell them. It is meant to instill fear in their hearts.”
“And give them a chance to hide even more? If they don’t know you’re coming, you can… oh, I don’t know… catch them off guard?”
Gilad appeared out of nowhere from behind them. “ Rupa thinks he knows more about fighting the Fallen than Faedin warriors.”
The warriors within hearing distance hooted their disapproval.
Cal snorted. “No, I just think you could have the upper hand if you used a little more stealth.”
Gilad grasped Cal’s arm and turned him so that they were facing each other. “Leave the fighting to the others on your team, coward.”
Cal met his gaze. “Don’t worry. I’ll fight when it’s time.”
“You should have accepted my challenge.”
“For what purpose?”
“To have Stassi all to yourself.”
“I already
“Son of Adam!”
“Huh?” He turned guiltily to find a Faedin standing next to him. One that looked to be older than Julius — much older, in fact — with lines of age crisscrossing his face. Yet there was something about his eyes. Some playful twinkle of youth that had yet to be diminished. “Yes?”
“A word, please?” the Faedin asked, stretching his arm out toward a tent at the edge of the village that Cal hadn’t noticed before.
Cal nodded politely. “Of course.” He followed behind the Faedin and ducked inside the opening, squinting in the soft light of a single candle held upright in a brass holder.
“Please, sit.”
Cal sat cross-legged on the floor across from the Faedin.
The man bowed his head formally. “We have not yet met, son of Adam, but I am the Elder of the Faedin. A spiritual guide, if you will.”
“Nice to meet you. Please call me Cal.”
“Very well,” the Elder said with a smile. “As you may already be aware, Cal, the Faedin are very special beings.”
He nodded again, not sure what he was supposed to say.
“But they need your help.” The flickering flame cast strange shadows across the ancient face.
“My help?”
“As the world’s guardians, the Faedin have fulfilled their duty without fail for many, many years. In doing so, they have had to learn to become ruthless to stay alive.” He held up a finger. “But they need to know compassion to die.”
“To die? How can I help with that?”
“You will teach them.”
Cal shook his head adamantly. “I’m afraid you have the wrong person, Elder. The Faedin barely tolerate me as it is, and I doubt they would let me teach them anything.”
“You already are, Cal, but you must work faster. Evil stirs.”
The hair on the back of Cal’s neck stood up at the thought of the pit surrounding the Tree That Will Not Die. But Stassi had told him the serpent couldn’t get out without a human. A pure human, and according to her, he didn’t fit that bill any more.
“What can I do?”
“Unite the Faedin, Cal. In love and in war.”
CHAPTER 13
A Raid
C al arrived at the arena with Stassi, preoccupied with all he heard. He hadn’t said anything to her yet about his strange conversation with the Elder. Why worry her right before this final trial that meant so very much to her? As the self-proclaimed spiritual guide, the Elder surely had the ear of Julius. If there really was something to be concerned about, the chieftain would let the Faedin know.
With that, he put his worries aside and hoisted the small sack he carried up over his shoulder. Stassi eyed his burden suspiciously but didn’t ask.
The harsh pounding of Faedin drums started up, echoing through the night, accompanied by a loud chant. Snarling warriors stomped their feet in time to the beat and slammed fists to bare chests.
“Do they do this for all the raids?” he asked Stassi while directing her toward Abram and Leeah.
“Of course.”
“Nothing like telling the enemy you’re coming,” he muttered.
Confusion flashed in her eyes. “Of course, we would tell them. It is meant to instill fear in their hearts.”
“And give them a chance to hide even more? If they don’t know you’re coming, you can… oh, I don’t know… catch them off guard?”
Gilad appeared out of nowhere from behind them. “ Rupa thinks he knows more about fighting the Fallen than Faedin warriors.”
The warriors within hearing distance hooted their disapproval.
Cal snorted. “No, I just think you could have the upper hand if you used a little more stealth.”
Gilad grasped Cal’s arm and turned him so that they were facing each other. “Leave the fighting to the others on your team, coward.”
Cal met his gaze. “Don’t worry. I’ll fight when it’s time.”
“You should have accepted my challenge.”
“For what purpose?”
“To have Stassi all to yourself.”
“I already
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