Page 74 of Pretense

He brushed hair from her face. “I am sorry, but you need to wake up.”

Essie rubbed at her face, her voice still slurred with sleep. “What’s going on?”

“I do not know.” Farrendel left her side and grabbed his travel bag from a hook. He shoved several shirts, tunics, trousers, and stockings into it. “Weylind sent a guard to wake us with orders to pack our bags.”

Essie rolled out of bed, her eyes widening. Like him, she must know how bad this was if Weylind had given this order. “I’ll wake my mother.”

Within a few minutes, Farrendel, Essie, and Macha were dressed and packed. They piled into the lift, and Farrendel turned the crank to lower them to the roof of his workshop.

Essie gripped a tin of soda crackers and munched on one as they descended.

The sound of her munching grated against Farrendel’s spiking anxiety, but he forced himself to take several deep, calming breaths. It would be worse if Essie did not eat and started vomiting over the side of the lift.

As the lift rested on the roof of the workshop, he sensed Weylind crossing his magical alert. But Weylind was not alone as Farrendel had expected. He felt the brush of several more elves, including Rheva, Ryfon, and Brina. Even more surprising was the cool taste of Rharreth’s magic and his troll guards, along with Melantha. What was going on that Weylind had awakened the entire family?

Farrendel led the way down the stairs winding around the outside of his workshop. He let bolts of his magic dance around his fingertips, lighting their way, while his swords were a comfortable weight against his back.

He reached the forest floor as Iyrinder, Captain Merrick, and Miss Merrick approached out of the dark night, each of them carrying a bag. While Captain Merrick took up a guard position, Iyrinder nodded to Farrendel. “Weylind Daresheni ordered us to meet you here.”

“He is on his way here. He crossed the boundary moments ago.” Farrendel faced the direction from which Weylind would arrive. His magic gave off a faint blue light deep in the black forest, but it was not enough for Farrendel to see anyone coming.

“Farrendel, shashon.” Weylind’s voice called out a moment before he stepped from the forest, followed by Rheva, then Rharreth and Melantha. Both elf and troll guards fanned out, forming a protective half circle in front of the workshop as Ryfon and Brina stepped into the blue light from the magic Farrendel held in his hand.

Weylind halted in front of Farrendel, and unlike most of the others, he was not carrying a bag. “We received word from Escarland that Mongavarian spies infiltrated Winstead Palace and stole an assassination plan that Escarland had created back when it was feared our kingdoms would go to war.”

“My kingdom had an assassination plan?” Essie wrapped her arms over her stomach.

Farrendel reached behind him with his free hand, and Essie took it, squeezing tightly.

Weylind rolled his shoulders in a faint shrug. “It was created long before the treaty last year. Your marriage saved both Escarland and Tarenhiel from implementing such plans.”

Essie stepped closer to Farrendel and pressed her face against the back of his shoulder.

He would have pulled her into his arms, but his magic provided their only light. Nor did he want to relax his wary stance. “I am the target.”

“We think we all are.” Instead of the anger Farrendel would have expected at the news, Weylind’s shoulders sagged, his face lined in weariness. “I am sending all of you to Lethorel. Since it is remote, it will be more defensible, and there is a chance the spies do not know its location.”

Behind Weylind, Rheva put an arm around Brina’s shoulders, holding her close. Rharreth’s mouth pressed into a hard line while Melantha stood tall at his side, gripping her quarterstaff.

“Are you not coming?” Farrendel glanced around at their gathered family. “And Machasheni Leyleira?”

“Machasheni refused to come.” Weylind scowled, the grooves around his mouth deepening. “I am not going either. I need to remain to run the kingdom, and I will attempt to keep up the appearance that nothing is wrong. Right now, we know the basics of the original plan. I do not want to push them into improvising. It will make them that much harder to catch before they hurt anyone.”

Farrendel nodded, his chest so tight he could barely breathe at the conflicting duties tearing through him.

He needed to keep Essie and their child safe, especially since she did not dare use his magic right now.

But to leave with Essie would mean abandoning his brother.

Rheva released Brina and stepped to Weylind’s side. She touched his arm, a gentle fire simmering in her eyes. “Then I am staying with you.”

“No, dear heart.” Weylind turned to cradle Rheva’s face. It was a more affectionate gesture than Farrendel had ever seen them share in public. “Our children need you.”

Farrendel looked away from the discussion that should be private, but that only brought Rharreth and Melantha into focus. They, too, were standing close and whispering to each other.

“Our children need me, but so do you.” Rheva glanced from Weylind to Ryfon and Brina. “If something were to happen, you will need a healer. And you will need help to keep up the appearance of normality.”

Farrendel’s nephew and niece were shifting, looking even more uncomfortable than Farrendel felt.

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