Page 95 of Pretense

Essie sank to the floor next to the window, staring down at Farrendel’s back as he strode alone into the clearing at the base of the tree. This was all too eerily like that day over nine months ago when she had huddled up here while Farrendel stood alone against the first wave of invading trolls.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and when Essie turned, she found Melantha standing there.

Melantha’s dark eyes were grave as she clutched her staff in her other hand. “You should come away from the window.”

Essie nodded, easing to the side so that she stood up next to the wall instead of in front of the window.

A dome of Farrendel’s crackling magic sprang up around Lethorel, filling the view through the windows with blue lightning.

Essie reached through the heart bond, then paused and glanced at Melantha. “Farrendel and I have been unsure if my use of his magic would harm the baby. Could you make sure everything is fine?”

Melantha nodded, then rested her hand on the back of Essie’s. Her cool, sharp healing magic flowed into her. “Actually, I think I can wrap a shield of my own around the baby. I protected Farrendel from the troll magic inside him. It should work the same way to protect the baby from Farrendel’s magic.”

Some of the tension in Essie’s shoulders eased. “Linshi, isciena.”

Melantha’s magic settled deep inside Essie, a strange feeling that Essie had to ignore to keep from squirming.

With Melantha protecting the baby, Essie could concentrate on protecting the rest of them, leaving Farrendel free to fight the battle ahead of him.

Again, Essie reached through the heart bond. This time, she took control of Farrendel’s magic from him. Since he had started the shield, the draw of magic was coming from him, even though she was now the one controlling it.

Essie tried to take slow steady breaths, squeezing her eyes shut as she concentrated on the magic she wielded.

Farrendel would be all right. He had to be all right. Surely he could take out one assassin.

If this assassin didn’t shoot Farrendel first.

What would happen if Essie had to try to keep Farrendel alive through the heart bond? Keeping him alive was more strain on her body than keeping her alive had been on his. Would doing that harm the baby? What if she had to choose between Farrendel and their child?

Chapter Thirty

Edmund pointed at the sketch of Ellonahshinel he had spread out on Illyna’s worktable in her back room. Jalissa’s eyebrows had risen as he’d sketched all the pathways of Ellonahshinel by memory.

Illyna, Fingol, Fingol’s wife, and many of Farrendel’s other friends crammed into Illyna’s shop. Edmund might not have access to his own network, but Farrendel’s friends and acquaintances were just as impressive of a group. They held great loyalty for their Laesornysh and his princess.

The pink light of dawn glowed through the one window behind him, casting shadows on the paper in front of him that were only partially dispelled by the elven lights glowing near the ceiling.

For the first time since leaving Aldon, Edmund was dressed simply as himself. Well, mostly. He still wore elven clothing, a blue shirt and black trousers he had borrowed from Fingol, since he didn’t have any human-style clothes along. But he no longer wore the blond wig over his brown curls nor any cosmetics or putty to change the shape of his face and give him an elven complexion.

Edmund pointed at the center of the sketch, casting a black shadow from his finger over the location of the dining room near the center of Ellonahshinel’s massive treetop palace. “The most logical time to attack would be during supper or right afterwards. It is the one time of the day when the elven royal family is guaranteed to be together at a predictable time.”

He didn’t say that it had been what he had suggested in his assassination plan. But across the table, Jalissa met his gaze and scowled. Even if no one else knew, she did.

“Would the king continue to keep such a rigid schedule, since he has been warned about the assassins?” Illyna glanced at Jalissa. Instead of the warm, friendly elf woman who ran a shampoo and conditioner shop, Illyna’s harder edges showed in the set of her mouth and sharpness to her eyes. Here was the elf who had fought for her kingdom and lost a hand in the war.

Jalissa stared at the map a moment before she sighed. “He likely will, hoping to lure the assassins into attacking at a predictable time. If he changes his routine, the assassins will also change their plan.”

They might anyway, since they likely knew Weylind had been warned and given the details of the assassination plan they had stolen. After all, if they hadn’t guessed, the wary guards at the train station and the front desk elf at the inn had probably given it away.

But that plan was a place to start.

“If that is the king’s strategy, then he will be well-guarded.” Fingol shrugged and leaned more heavily on the table, taking the weight off the bad leg that gave him a permanent limp. “I want to help, but I am not sure what we can do that the king’s guards cannot.”

Edmund met the gazes of each of them gathered around the table. “The spies are looking for the guards and can avoid them, thanks to their uniforms. But you are invisible to elven society, and you will be invisible to the spies. You might see something that the guards won’t.”

Fingol nodded, as did a few of the others.

“Thanks to Farrendel, many of you are recognizable faces around the palace.” Edmund tapped the sketch of Ellonahshinel. “If you can get into the palace on some pretext, then search the branches. You can divide up the palace among yourselves. Those of you who can’t get in, search the forest and trees in the vicinity of Ellonahshinel. The assassins have at least one sharpshooter among them. He was able to target both Essie and Farrendel from a distance, so pay special attention to anywhere that has a clear line of sight to a section of Ellonahshinel where King Weylind normally goes.”

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