Page 171 of Blood of the Stars

Orra nodded when Aeliana approached but said nothing. At first it made Aeliana even more anxious, but soon the rhythm of the waves against the cliffs and the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves lulled her to a state of calm. It was almost as if Orra knew and waited for that moment.

“It's never easy to say goodbye to someone you love,” she said.

For some reason, Aeliana pictured Gaeren hearing this obvious statement and rolling his eyes. It made the corners of her mouth twinge, and she rested her hand on the dagger, running her thumb over the daisy on its pommel.

As much as she missed Felk, if she was honest, it was Baljekk, the dead winex, who occupied her thoughts more. She’d killed someone. Maybe not a human, but a creature capable of reasoning with her, of speaking. It didn’t sit well with her, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Which made it far easier to talk about Felk.

“You never seemed to disapprove of Felk, but you never spoke to him either,” Aeliana said. “What do you think about the winex?”

Orra took so long to reply that Aeliana wondered if she would get an answer. “I think there’s far more to them than most mortals realize.”

It was another evasive answer, but Aeliana got hung up on the word “mortals.” She’d always been fascinated by the fact that winex were immortal in a sense. But in some ways, it sounded as if Orra was excluding herself when referring to mortals.

“Have you ever befriended a winex? Or known someone who has?”

Orra smiled. “No. As far as I know, you are the first.”

That news should have been disheartening, because it meant the winex had been mistreated for thousands of years. Instead, it left her warm, knowing she had encouraged change to take place. That she was looking out for those in need and her actions were making a difference.

She kept watching for Felk, but her mind felt more free, able to look ahead instead of only behind.

Jasperus and Holm guided them away from the water through a narrow crevice to the south, and they winded their way into a small canyon. Leaving the open water had been good progress, but riding single file while hedged in between two walls twice their height left Aeliana on edge. Their long trek was coming to an end, but what waited for them? A madwoman who had trapped Aeliana’s mother? A massive army they could never defeat?

Summer Solstice was only a handful of days away, and she still didn’t feel prepared.

When they broke for the midday meal, Velden rode out ahead of the others. If there were any troops left from the dragon’s attack on Islara, they would know by tonight. She sent up a prayer to the Stars that there might be at least one or two factions to instill hope in them again.

Cyrus took himself to a spot in the shade where he lay prostrate on the canyon floor, sending up prayers, though Aeliana couldn’t help wondering whom he prayed to. Even Lukai and Kendalyhn tipped their faces to the Sun as if calling upon it for assistance.

Sylmar frowned down at his food, admonishing them between bites. “You all need to eat. We need our strength for tonight and the days to come.”

Everyone else continued picking at their food. When they rode out again, no one spoke. Everyone’s gaze remained on the canyon’s rise, watching for Velden’s return. As the Sun sank lower in the sky, the hesitant quiet turned to thick sobriety. Darkness came quick as the canyon walls hid the Sun’s light. Shadows loomed like dark spirits, making even the horses a bit skittish. Every rock that fell out of place echoed off the walls, distorting their ability to stay alert for enemies. Aeliana found herself longing for the open sea and sandy desert that she had grown tired of the past few weeks.

Velden should have returned by now if there was nothing to find. But he also should have returned if there was exciting news to share.

“Should anyone else ride ahead to check on him?” Aeliana asked.

Sylmar grunted in response, but the lack of answer implied he was debating the same thing.

After another hour, when the darkness became a hindrance, Sylmar signaled for them all to stop. “Holm, take Jasperus southeast around that peak and see if you can catch sight of Velden. If we don’t see him, we’ll stay the night here.”

The others exchanged glances.

“Is this the end of the canyon?” Aeliana asked.

“This is as far south as it goes.” Sylmar scratched at his beard before dismounting. “It continues west through parts of the desert we passed. If we travel a day’s ride east, we’ll reach the edge of the Myndren Mountains. Mayvus lives on the southeast side, so she should still be another day’s ride beyond that. Just south of here, we’ll reach the slope of the Valley of Krahn. That’s where our troops were meant to gather.”

“So close to her home?” Aeliana asked.

“The valley is a safe enough place. Her guards don’t often trek beyond the southern edge of the mountains. The population north of the Myndren Mountains isn’t large enough to concern Mayvus, which is why we wanted our troops to take the long way through and come around from the north side. It’s possible she’d eventually learn of people gathering there, but it’s a common location for large groups to set up festivals. Some of our allies typically hold a Summer Solstice celebration there, so she shouldn’t grow suspicious. Especially if our numbers have dwindled.” His frown deepened.

Holm and Jasperus made their way toward a thin path weaving up the canyon wall. With all of the switchbacks to make the steep incline less severe, it was likely they wouldn’t return before the Sun’s sleep, but as Aeliana watched them rise, another figure emerged at the top of the canyon.

Sighs of relief went through the others even though he was too far away to make out details. Then, the man they assumed to be Velden began rhythmically pumping his arms.

“What is he doing?” Cyrus asked as Velden added spurts of water like a fountain to the waves, confirming his identity.

Sylmar made a choking noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "He’s giving me the count of soldiers. And he’s celebrating."

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