Page 27 of Silverbow
“Norvallen will take him?”
“I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you, Renley.”
Her father lied to her, and now, he was lying to Liam, packing him off while he whisked her away. Rage hotter than the Testing rod built beneath her skin.
“We should leave sooner,” Marwar protested.
“We can wait a few days.” Enya couldn’t hear Marwar’s muttered objection, but her father snapped, “We’ll never keep her heading east if she thinks he’s in danger here.”
That at least was true.
“Will you buy us time? Keep the house until summer?”
There were murmured assents, including one from just behind the door.
“What do you want done with the herd?” Del asked.
The rage guttered. They were going to abandon the house.The herd.All of it, because of her. They would have to, if she sought sanctuary in the Vale, all because she had a talent with a bow. She cursed Mosphaera and Sakaala for their gift as she sagged against the wall.
“They’re yours Del. Disperse them, take the gold for you and Liam. Get yourself off this blasted continent if you can.”
No.They were dismantling her life brick by brick like it was nothing at all.
Griff murmured something inaudible through the door.
“I have gold for you,” her father said. “Enough to see you set up Durelli and then some.”
Alys sniffed disdainfully. “Enya will need your gold, son.”
“We have eno-”
“Besides, I’m not sure I fancy Durelli.”
“What’s our heading, wife?”
“The Summer Isles.”
“The Summer Isles are run by pirates.”
“It’s the only sensible place left with a queen,” she sniffed.
”Apiratequeen, Alys.”
“And yet, I reckon it’s better than Pallas bloody Davolier.”
Enya bit her lip. Another time, she might have laughed out loud at the idea that stout, proper Mistress Alys wanted to cavort with pirates. Now, she fought to keep a tight rein on her frantic emotions. She considered bursting in and telling them they couldn’t choose this for her, but by the quiet resolve that came from the study, it would be like trying to sway stone.
She could make her own choices, and running off to seek sanctuary while her family fled was not the choice she would make. What was the point of sanctuary if the cost was everything else?
“It’s settled then. Week’s end.”
Perhaps Liam would consider it rash, but she could see only one way to salvage this mess if they were set on packing her off. She would have to throw herself at the mercy of Pallas Davolier.
eight
Liam
