Page 32 of Elemental Hope
“Evrain is strong. They need him in one piece, remember? I’m not going to tell you not to worry. If I were in your position I’d be feeling exactly the same. But you also have to save your strength for whatever rescue attempt Gregory and Nathaniel cook up. Evrain will need you.”
“I want him back, Coryn. Every arrogant, controlling, dominant inch of him.”
“I do understand. You’re two halves of a whole now, just like Gregory and I. I think it’s likely Nathaniel and Damon will be the same, don’t you?”
Dominic nodded. “Seems probable. They already have strong feelings for each other, don’t they?”
“It happens that way. The connections we have are powerful.”
Dominic couldn’t disagree. Even after a short time together, he couldn’t imagine life without Evrain. He hoped he wouldn’t have to find out what it might be like.
He and Coryn sat in companionable silence while Nathaniel and Gregory talked in low but urgent voices. Dominic itched to do something, anything. He hated sitting around while Evrain was suffering.
“Stop thinking about it,” Coryn said.
“About what?”
“About what Symeon might be doing to him. It doesn’t do you, or him, any good.”
“I can’t help it. Symeon hates Evrain’s guts.”
“Symeon hates everyone…apart from himself.”
“I wish…” Dominic didn’t finish. He didn’t want to verbalize what he was thinking. He didn’t like himself very much for thinking it.
“You wish Gregory and Evrain had ended him when they had the chance?”
Dominic nodded. “And I’m ashamed for thinking it.”
“Don’t be. Symeon Malus has incited those feelings in all of us at one time or another. Doesn’t mean we stoop to his level and act on them. You wouldn’t really want Evrain to use his gift to kill, would you?”
“No.” Dominic shook his head. “That would hurt him. Inside, you know?”
“I do. Hey, looks like we’re being invited back to the big kids’ table.”
Dominic peered over his shoulder to see Gregory gesturing in their direction. “Finally! I’d better check the pan first.” He relocated Shadow back to the rug amid a few loud protests before walking across to the stove. The agrimony had steeped well so he turned the burner off and put the pan to one side. Content with the potion, he joined the others at the table.
“So, do we have a plan?” He looked eagerly from Nathaniel to Gregory. They both had serious expressions and Dominic’s heart fell. “You haven’t worked anything out?”
“We have.” Gregory steepled his fingers. “It’s not ideal but it’s the only thing we can think of that has a hope in hell of working. We’ve decided that it will be less obvious if we leave in the morning. Not first thing. I want Symeon to have plenty of opportunity to get into a position.”
“It makes sense,” Nathaniel added, “because he’d expect us to try to move you under cover of darkness and I want to avoid doing anything he expects. It should throw him off balance and he’ll be less suspicious. He’ll also have to wait out there all night.”
“You’ll let him take me then?” The room felt suddenly cold.
“Yes, we will.” Gregory nodded. “But there’s more. Coryn, could you strain the agrimony please?”
“Sure.”
Dominic watched as Coryn poured the contents through a muslin cloth into a jar. The liquid in the jar was green with a hint of gold. He carried it over, placing it on the table.
“Evrain isn’t going to like this when he finds out about it.” Gregory stated the obvious. He looked at Nathaniel, who stared back at him implacably. “But what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”
“What exactly is it you need to do?” Dominic was beginning to feel anxious.
“Are you going to tell him or shall I?” Nathaniel asked.
“You’re the empathetic one, you can tell him.” Gregory smiled.
