Page 124 of Sword & Shadow
“The Calders are working with me,” Deckard said at last, attempting to believe the best of his brother.
Thom nodded dismissively. “Yeah, I know,” he murmured. “I just—” He broke off then, glancing toward the camp.
Deckard followed his gaze, finding that it landed on Evylin. Instinctively, he tensed.
“If it’s none of my business, you can tell me,” Thom said, turning back to Deckard. “But as your brother...I feel I should ask. Is everything all right? Between you and Evylin, I mean.”
A muscle in Deckard’s jaw twitched. His baser instincts wanted to tell Thom that, no, it wasn’t his business. He chose to take the higher moral road. “It will be,” he said hopefully. “The last several weeks haven’t been kind to either of us, but we’re managing.”
Thom nodded again, the movement tighter this time. He stared at the dirt, scuffing his boot against the root of a tree. “Jonn...” He paused as his voice betrayed his tension. Then he lifted his gaze, gray-blue stare wary. “Do you love her?”
Deckard’s heart squeezed, and his jaw spasmed. The question drew forth the irritation within him once more. Of course, he loved Evylin. Little could be clearer given his actions. How his brother or anyone else could fail to see that was incomprehensible. And after watching Thom grow more and more possessive of Evylin over the course of their relationship, Deckard couldn’t shake the indignation that rankled within him.
“She’s my wife, Thom,” he said sharply. “It’s my job to love her, and I take that very seriously.”
Head dipped, Thom muttered, “Right,” then drew in a sharp breath through his nose. He met Deckard’s stare once more, a glimmer of annoyance within his gaze. “Glad to hear it,” he said and turned away to join the others.
Deckard stared after Thom, skeptical of the short conversation’s purpose. What had Thom intended? Why had he asked after Deckard and Evylin’s relationship? Was the fragmentation between them obvious to everyone?
Forcing himself to forget the confusing exchange, Deckard worked to settle his mind. The troop was ready to go. They had a short walk to the Keep’s entrance, then they would enter and face another battle for a Relic. Magic required total focus of thought. If he was going to tap into Day at the appropriate time, he couldn’t let his roiling emotions distract him.
Under Deckard’s command, the troop made its way out of camp toward the coastline. They’d tied the horses within the copse of trees close to the Keep to make their exit from Sutterlund Reach as smooth as possible. Though they were secure in their sweep of the area and no Wind Mages were loitering in the shadows to ambush them, they couldn’t remain within the Reach once they retrieved the Relic. After their trek through the Keep was complete, they would hurry back to the camp, mount their horses, and ride until they passed back through the Reach’s gates and into Wauld proper.
The amber sunset peered from behind the gray-brown clouds. On the cliffs surrounding the beach, only the faintest wash of slate ocean could be seen in the distance. They followed Ilain’s lead down a steep incline before facing a narrow opening in the deep brown stone. Ethenn went first, bow at the ready. Then the rest of them filed into the Wind Keep’s antechamber, prepared for whatever the next few hours would bring.
Like all the rest, a hallway of arched windows stretched out before them, smooth stone walls and columns granting the space a sacred air, almost like the kirks of Ephria. Ashy light poured from the windows, swirling patterns in their wrought iron frames. An iron door waited at the end, the same scrollwork etched in its face.
Rafferty stepped forward, Relics in hand. “Fire for the highlady,” he said, handing the ruby necklace to Ilain, then the yellow topaz to Auden. “Day for the highlord. And...” He paused, proffering the amethyst. “Who gets Night? Colonel? Evie?”
Auden spoke, giving Deckard a guarded look. “You shouldn’t carry it.“
“I agree,” Deckard said.
They all turned to Evylin.
She took a step back, staring at the Relic like it was a viper prepared to strike. Deckard couldn’t tell if her hesitation was due to her previous experience with the Day Relic or if it had to do with her recent experience with Night—his—magic.
Evylin drew in a bolstering breath and took the Relic from Rafferty’s upturned palm. A spike of energy leaped through the air. Bright purple light beamed off the Night sword, now gripped firmly in her grasp.
Deckard drew his sword and stepped under the domed ceiling of the hall. This was no time for his sorrow or guilt. He was a soldier with an assignment. He would fight using sword anddagger, and if he had to, he’d tap into his newly discovered magic to get the job done.
Auden lifted his hand to the iron door. For the first time, Deckard was entering a Keep with the knowledge of his magic.Will it be different?he wondered.Will I feel and sense the same power as the Calders?
As the door rumbled open, Ilain stepped up to her brother’s side. The passage cleared, revealing the Keep beyond them. Silver-gray mist and dove-gray clouds drifted lazily, a fog denser than any in Wauld as far as the eye could see. Only a narrow stone path, covered in the same swirling pattern as the door and windows, stretched ahead of them. It hung suspended with nothing but thin air on all sides.
At Deckard’s side, Thom grimaced. “That looks welcoming,” he said.
Ilain sent him a wink. “Don’t worry, dearest. I may be a Fire Mage, but Wind and I have a special relationship. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”
Auden ignored his sister’s casual attitude. “Everyone, walk carefully,” he instructed. “The Shades will be infused with Wind, and I suspect they’ll be able to fly.”
While the Calders stepped out onto the path, the Ephrians froze in the hall.
“Fly?” Rafferty’s face contorted in disbelief. He looked up at Deckard. “I’ve decided,” he said weakly, “I’d like to resign from my post, sir.”
Drawing in a stilted breath, Deckard forced his feet forward. “I’ll join you.”
They followed the Calders into the Keep.
