Page 75 of Pretense

“Rheva…” Weylind’s voice lowered as he and Rheva whispered their conversation. Finally, Weylind sighed, shaking his head. “Farrendel and Essie need a healer with them.”

Melantha stepped forward. “I will go with them. Not only am I a healer, but I have some defensive training.” She glanced at Farrendel. “Besides, I owe them my protection.”

Farrendel held her gaze a moment before he nodded. He would be grateful to have a healer along, if only to keep an eye on Essie and the baby. Strangely, he did feel better knowing Melantha would be there helping to guard his back. She was not yet a warrior, but she would provide a last line of defense if it were needed.

Rharreth joined Melantha, resting a hand on her lower back even as he faced Weylind. “I will stay here, if you will accept my help, elf king. We trolls are an element that this Escarlish plan would not anticipate. We could tip the balance in your favor.”

Weylind held Rharreth’s gaze for a long moment. Then he tilted his head in a nod. “Linshi, troll king. I will accept your aid as a gesture of the growing peace between our peoples.”

“I’m glad you can see sense.” Rharreth gave a brief, savage smirk before he sobered and turned to Melantha. They spoke once again in lowered tones.

Weylind, Rheva, Ryfon, and Brina gathered in a group, exchanging embraces and tearful goodbyes.

Farrendel eased back a step and put an arm around Essie. Unlike his siblings, he did not have to say goodbye to a spouse or children. Instead, Weylind and Rheva were entrusting him with the lives of their children. Rharreth trusted him with Melantha’s safety. The weight of those lives on top of the lives of Essie and his child settled onto his shoulders.

Essie gave him a hug, then stepped back. “Is there anything you need from the workshop?”

“I should take my homework.” Farrendel grimaced. The last thing he wanted to do right now was homework. But he still had that paper to finish.

“I’ll grab it for you. It’s stacked on the workbench, right?”

“Yes.” Farrendel glanced over his shoulder at the workshop, searching it with his magical senses. It was empty. No lurking dangers.

Essie nodded and hurried toward the door. Her macha joined her, and together they disappeared inside. A single light turned on, brightening the space in front of the door.

Farrendel dropped the magic he had been holding in his hand, though he kept his magical alert boundary in place.

As Rheva clasped Ryfon and Brina in last hugs each, Weylind approached Farrendel.

“Stay safe, shashon.” Farrendel gestured toward the blue glow deep in the forest. “You have seen the alert I have set up. I think you could put something like that in place with your magic. It should be even easier for you, since you can embed it into the forest itself in a way I cannot.”

Farrendel had tried, when he first set it up. But his magic just killed the trees instead of lingering the way it did when he embedded it into stone.

“I will do that.” For the first time that night, a smile tugged on Weylind’s mouth. “It seems your study at the Escarlish university has already started to pay off.”

“Yes.” If things were not so dire, Farrendel might have felt more warmth at that.

He clasped Weylind’s shoulders in an elven hug. If this was the last time he saw his brother, Farrendel wanted to have no regrets. And he would regret not telling Weylind before they left. “Essie and I…” Farrendel swallowed. “I am going to be a father.”

For a moment, Weylind just stared at him. Then, he clasped his shoulders with a tight, almost frantic grip. “Then keep them safe, shashon. Keep both of our families safe. Burn the entire forest to the ground if that is what it takes.”

Farrendel’s stomach churned. That was not a light remark for an elf to make, especially not an elf with plant magic like Weylind. “I will.”

Farrendel had gone into battles so many times at Weylind’s side that it was strange to leave him behind to face this one alone. But Weylind was a great warrior in his own right. He could take care of himself. Surely a human spy-assassin would be no match for Weylind in his home palace, especially with Rharreth and several troll warriors at his side.

That did not make it easier to turn and walk away through the dark forest, leaving Weylind, Rheva, Leyleira, and Rharreth to face the coming danger.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jalissa rested her hands on Elidyr’s chest as he held her in his arms. When she tilted her face up, his green eyes were focused on her, his mouth only inches from hers.

She leaned into him, her heart pounding harder. Would he kiss her? Could he see how much she wanted him to kiss her?

He swayed closer to her, his breath brushing across her face.

She closed her eyes, waiting.

Then, he pulled away, releasing her.

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