Page 157 of Sword & Shadow
With a cold sniffle, Ilain scooted closer. “Auray and then the Time Keep,” she replied, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the men. “We’re roughly halfway. It should only take us another week or so.”
One week.
Evylin’s muddled thoughts betrayed her as she stared into the haze, which lightened to gray as the sun rose. Only one more week until she could return to Deckard. In eight days, she could sleep soundly once again.
Letting out a long, near-silent breath, Evylin pushed the thought away. It wouldn’t be the same when they reunited with the others. It couldn’t be. Not after the things she’d said or the choice she’d made.
“They’ll arrive before us, though,” Ilain continued, unaware of her inner turmoil. “If only by a day or two.”
Evylin didn’t care to think about Deckard’s travel. She didn’t want to consider if he was having as hard a time as she was. “And once we get the Time Relic,” she murmured, “we’ll head back to Ephria?”
“Yes.”
Evylin’s jaw tightened. Once they returned to Ephria, they’d travel to Estshire for the Terrae Relic and back to Loclight for the Space Relic. It would likely take another month or more for all that travel, but Deckard could annul the marriage the moment he found a magistrate, no matter the settlement. At which point, authority and her future care would fall back to her father. Once Lawton Glaas heard of the annulment, he’d undoubtedly recall her home. Would Deckard wait until the end of their mission for her sake? Or would he take his first opportunity to be free of her?
“I love you, Evylin.”
His deep voice, steady and refined, echoed in her memory.
No, Deckard wouldn’t annul the marriage until he was sure she could go where she wanted without fear of her father’s summons. She knew he would prolong it indefinitely, letting her go to live as she pleased without him if it would make her happy.
Finding herself tugging on her rings, Evylin jerked her hands apart.
Their small party departed an hour later. The day was mild and sunny, a rare gift. Kites and osprey sailed through the powder blue sky, heralding the arrival of spring.
Late in the afternoon, Ilain abruptly stood in her stirrups, raising a hand to shield her forehead.
“Do you see something?” Ethenn asked, alert as ever.
The woman ignored the question, scanning the hilltops. Then she let out a merry chortle of excitement. “Look,” she called to them, pointing across the moor.
Following her direction, Evylin, Ethenn, and Thom rode up next to her. There, at the top of a hill, they could see the shadow of a building and horses dotting the surrounding grass.
“What is that?” Thom asked.
“That,” Ilain said proudly, “is my childhood home.”
They all whirled toward her in surprise.
“I thought you grew up in...whatever the Fire Mage Reach is called,” Thom said lamely.
Ilain waved him off. “No, no, I moved to Doorstunds Reach when I was ten. I grew up here in Faurna before that. You can’t see much of the town from here, but it’s just over the ridge. My father breeds and trains horses, as you might be able to tell.”
“Your family still lives there?” Evylin asked.
Ilain’s curls glimmered in the sunset as she nodded. “My parents do. When Auden and I became Mages, we moved into the Reach, so we have no real home anymore. And our older brother, Vayden, works for the Alliance as well, so while he’s meant to take over for Da, he’s off Allore and Administration only knows where.”
With a final lingering glance, Ilain nudged her horse down the road, but the three Ephrians hesitated.
“Did you...?” Ethenn cleared his throat. “We could stop to see them if you wanted?” He glanced at Evylin as if for approval.
“Yes,” Evylin agreed, then considered the writ. “Only if it wouldn’t put them in trouble, though.”
Ilain didn’t stop, so the rest of them guided their horses to follow as she answered. “No, that isn’t necessary. I’d be delighted to see them, of course, but it’s best if they don’t know where we are. Blount will probably be keeping an eye on them in case we come calling.”
Understanding, Evylin returned to the previous conversation. “You said your brother works for the Alliance too. Are your parents also members?”
“Oh, yes. My parents joined decades ago. They’re quite influential, though they’re mostly retired these days.”
