By Fire and Flood, page 21
“I wasn’t expecting an escort until I reached Sel’veren,” Trey said evenly. The man’s full lips parted to reveal bright white teeth as he turned back toward Tryamon and inclined his head.
“The House of Makani felt that, given the nature of your arrangement with them, an earlier escort may be fitting. I am Lord Elrand Waera of the East Wing. I was sent to collect you. Would you care to introduce your companions?” The man’s voice was pleasant and smooth as it slid over them, and Nissa felt her body relax in spite of itself. Despite the easing tension of her body, her mind swirled. Their attackers had known who she was, and it had put them in danger.
“Guards from my House, Tanyl and Baloriel. Both of Domogién.” Trey waved a hand to indicate each of the men who accompanied them. He flicked his eyes toward Nissa, and she saw a flash of nervousness before it vanished. He dropped a mask of formality in its place as he turned to face Waera.
“Elyssa Broffet, Lord Waera,” Nissa introduced smoothly, stepping forward and extending a hand. The man grasped it, bringing it to his full lips as he pressed a greeting kiss there, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline in surprise. His eyes sharpened with interest as they met hers.
“We were expecting only Lord Tryamon. How did we come to enjoy the pleasure of your company, my lady?” he asked without missing a beat. Could he sense the lie? She held his gaze unflinchingly.
“We came across Miss Broffet shortly before we crossed your border,” Trey interceded on her behalf, and Nissa felt a flutter of gratitude. “I offered her my realm’s protection until we reached Sel’veren.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Broffet. I am happy to continue the offer of Lord Tryamon’s protection.” Waera’s smile was genuine as he dipped his head to her politely. Nissa nodded in response.
“Call me Elyssa, please,” she murmured, casting her eyes downward to give herself the opportunity to think. Traveling under the supervision of Air Realm guards hadn’t been part of the plan, nor had being associated with Trey once they reached Sel’veren. This was supposed to be her fresh start, an untraceable beginning to her new life. If the Air Guard could link her back to Tryamon, they could link her back to her old life, and the thought of that link hardened in her stomach as she raised her eyes to Waera’s kind smile again. She returned it with a wavering smile of her own, and she had to resist the urge to slump with relief when the tall man finally shifted his eyes to their companions. At least they don’t know the truth. She thanked the heavens that she had followed her instincts to use the false name when they had joined the trip.
“Well, then. Shall we continue? We’re less than a day’s ride from Sel’veren. If we ride now, we may make it before nightfall,” Waera posed the questions to her male companions, and Trey nodded assertively. Nissa’s head was spinning; she would reach a new city at nightfall and have no time to accrue resources or lodging before the darkness enveloped the city. It was a less than ideal situation. Some of her concern must have shown on her face, because Waera smiled kindly at her again.
“I’m certain the Makani family will welcome you into the city. Their good favor can earn you a lot in Sel’veren.” Nissa barely resisted the urge to flinch at the unspoken threat in his words. However kindly meant, the meaning was clear. Their displeasure would have consequences. Tryamon stiffened again and turned away from Waera to busy himself with adjusting the saddle on his horse, but Nissa noticed the way that his eyes flashed as his expression darkened. He clearly had not missed Waera’s meaning either. The men made small talk with each other as they mounted their horses, with Nissa swinging into the saddle in front of Trey. For all of her earlier complaints and continued discomfort, she was growing accustomed to tandem riding, and the motion was natural as she wrapped her hands around the saddle’s horn and she settled in front of him. Waera watched them with lifted brows before he swung into his own saddle, and Nissa frowned as she lifted a hand and patted Hagan’s mottled hair absently. Waera’s eyes were shrewd as they surveyed the pair, and Nissa could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. Still, the Air Lord didn’t speak as he nudged his own mount with his calves, spurring the creature into a trot as he tugged the reins to face Sel’veren.
The Air Guard kept a steady pace once they hit the open road, and Nissa felt Trey shift in the saddle behind her as he urged Hagan into a canter. The space between their bodies was warm, and although the air turned drier as they drew closer to Sel’veren, she could feel sweat beading along her spine where their bodies brushed.
“What do you think he’s up to?” Trey’s low voice tickled her ear as he leaned forward, and she twitched in the saddle.
“Who, Waera?” she breathed in response. They were out of earshot from the others, but Nissa kept her voice low.
“Or his friends,” Tryamon offered. She repressed a shiver at his closeness, at the breath in her ear again, resisting the urge to wriggle forward.
“No idea,” she muttered back, “but I don’t trust him.” Those eyes that saw too much unnerved her. Trey gave a noncommittal grunt as he settled back into the saddle, and despite the warmth of the day, the space where he had been pressed against her felt cool in the absence of his body. Nissa tried not to focus on that fact and instead focused her attention on Waera and his trio of guards, none of whom had so much as glanced her way since they had begun their ride.
They stopped only to water the horses and themselves, and Nissa took advantage of the opportunity to stretch her legs, twisting and bending to ease the tension in her muscles. Trey did not stray too far from her side whenever they stopped, and when he did, Nissa noticed quickly that either Tanyl or Baloriel stepped in with a watchful eye. Their arrangement did not escape Waera’s notice either, if the knowing glint and unreadable smile on his face were anything to judge by. Nissa felt a prickle of discomfort each time his dark eyes rested on her; it felt as though he could see her every thought, and she did not like feeling so exposed.
It was with a mix of foreboding and relief that Nissa caught sight of the distant walls of the Air Realm’s ancient capital city. Sel’veren predated the separation of the realms. The weathered, sandstone blocks that encircled the city stuck out against the intermingled stone and grass of the moor. Nissa knew from her studies as a child that the stone had been harvested from the center of Galarmos centuries before, and that— while the city had changed with time— the walls had remained stoically the same. Her breath caught in her throat as their horses thundered closer, revealing the true size and scope of the ancient city. She felt Trey lean in slightly, and she allowed her back to press against his chest as she took another breath to gather herself. The city was within their sights, and that meant that it was nearly time for them to go their separate ways. And there’s not time or the space for a proper goodbye. Nissa frowned, wishing that she had expressed her gratitude to him when they had been alone. Trey had taken a chance on her, freeing her from her brother at the Singed Keep, and then another by meeting with her to make sure she could defend herself. Nobody else—let alone a stranger from a rival realm— had ever given her that kind of consideration, and now, they were going to continue their respective journeys alone, and in all likelihood, she would never see him again. The thought caught in her chest, and she swallowed roughly, surprised at the raw emptiness that swelled the space around it. Sometimes, the price of freedom is loneliness.
37
The city gate was bound in iron, dark against the sandy brightness of the wall. Nissa thought privately that it looked like a yawning mouth, ready to devour anyone who dared to enter the city. Lord Waera turned, a glint in his eyes as he gestured for Trey to step forward with him, and Nissa felt the breeze of his movement as he complied. Her mouth twitched as she swallowed; the emptiness beside her felt like a void after the days of closeness on the road. As though sensing her discomfort, Tanyl stepped forward to fill the space, and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye to see his eyes fixed mildly on the gate, even as his hand rested on the hilt of the sword on his hip.
“Stay close to us,” he said softly. Nissa shifted her feet as she nodded her reply, her eyes locked back on Waera and Trey ahead. She focused on the door ahead of them, at the iron that threatened to swallow them whole, and she repressed a tremor as Waera stepped to the left side of the door and knocked on a barely-visible panel there. The sound echoed in Nissa’s ears as the panel slid open a sliver.
“State your business,” a thin, reedy sort of voice ordered.
“Vaughn, you know that it’s me,” Waera said impatiently. “I’ve returned with Lord Tryamon and his companions.” The panel snapped shut, and Waera stepped back as the gate creaked open. He turned, flashing a wide smile as he motioned for them to follow him. Nissa glanced at Tanyl uncertainly before she fixed her eyes again upon Tryamon’s back. His shoulders had tightened, and he held his head high as he followed Waera without looking back, the ends of his dark hair twisting in a cross breeze. Something in Nissa’s chest pitched slightly as he disappeared through the gate, and she took a deep breath as she followed, Tanyl matching her steps as they moved into the shadow of the gate. The iron gate clanged shut behind them.
A small, wiry sort of young man met them on the other side. Nissa blinked at him; he was clearly younger than she was, and his youth was even more evident as he flashed a sheepish smile at Waera, clasping his hands behind him as he inclined his head. As though compelled to do so, the two nameless guards who had accompanied Waera turned on their heel and strode away. Nissa’s eyes followed them until they rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.
“I’m glad to see you’re taking your new duties seriously,” Waera’s voice was laden with amusement, and relief flashed across the guard’s face.
“I apologize, Lord Elrand,” Vaughn inclined his head again, and the older man laughed as he clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“No apologies needed,” he said with a chuckle, dropping his hand as he led his horse forward. “Send word to the House of Makani that we’ve arrived. And find someone to take care of our horses; we can continue on foot,” he ordered more seriously. Nissa’s eyes roved the streets in front of them. Towering structures of that same sandy stone rose above them, the layers of age evident where they had been added to over the centuries.
“Yes sir,” the youth bobbed again and turned, disappearing through a door beside the gate, presumably to follow the order. Nissa’s eyes found Trey again. He had turned to survey the city streets, his jaw tight. Still, he did not look at her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she looked out at the streets that twisted behind the towering structures, wondering what secrets lurked behind them.
“Thank you, for the escort to Sel’veren, Lord Tryamon,” Nissa ventured, stepping forward. His eyes snapped to meet hers, hard against the planes of his face, and she narrowed her eyes in concern.
“I’m pleased we could assist you, Elyssa,” he replied distantly. Waera glanced between the two, his brows drawing close as he considered them.
“You may accompany us to the center of the city, Miss Broffet,” he offered in a tone that told her it wasn’t really an offer at all, but an order. She blinked at him in surprise, and he raised his eyebrows as though daring her to respond with anything other than agreement.
“I—I thank you for your consideration,” Nissa lifted her chin to meet his dark eyes. A muscle in Trey’s cheek began to twitch. She did not know what Waera’s offer meant, but a swell of foreboding crashed against her stomach, twisting it in knots. Was Sel’veren so dangerous that their protection extended into the city’s limits as well? Nissa knew that the ancient city was large, that much was obvious from the expanse of wall they had seen outside of the gate, but she didn’t know what that meant for her. As Waera turned away, she stared hard at Tryamon again, but his face had descended into that impenetrable mask, and there was no reaching him.
“It won’t take us long to reach our destination,” Waera said more conversationally, nodding toward where the sun had begun to descend toward the horizon. “We should reach it by sundown.” Nissa did not reply, but a glance toward Tanyl yielded a wary expression that was a mirror of her own feelings. The realization did nothing to ease the knot in her stomach; they hadn’t expected this either. She flinched as Baloriel stepped forward to flank her other side.
“Stay calm,” he breathed, and she replied with the slightest nod.
“I take it this isn’t a good sign?” she whispered. From the corner of her eye, Nissa saw his mouth tightened.
“It’s an unexpected one.” She huffed; she had already gathered that.
“It could be exactly what it seems,” Tanyl said from her other side.
“It could be.” Baloriel didn’t sound convinced. The conversation ceased as a pack of boys approached, clad in the now-familiar blue and yellow colors of the city.
“We are here to collect your horses, my lord.” The boy who spoke was clearly the oldest, and his voice crackled with the changes of puberty as he dipped his head to Waera. The older man nodded, his eyes softening as he met the brown-skinned boy’s surprisingly light eyes.
“We thank you.” Nissa glanced at him in surprise; the gratitude seemed out of character for him. Clearly, the boy did not think so; his eyes lit up as he smiled and inclined his head again. They yielded their horses to them, and Waera turned to them again.
“After me, then.” He turned without waiting for a response and stepped toward one of the twisting streets, Trey matching pace beside him.
Sel’veren was a maze. The streets intertwined and crossed over each other with no sense of rhyme or reason—at least, not one that Nissa could figure out, and she wondered at the ease and confidence with which Waera led them through the tangled web. She understood quickly why they had left the horses behind; the streets were cluttered with foot traffic, and they were narrow enough that the bodies clogged their path frequently, although most parted when Waera cut through the crowd. The sight of the crowds yielding before him did nothing to abate the looming sense of dread that clouded over her; this was a man with influence, who knew that she was in the city. Where could she go within Sel’veren that wouldn’t be under his watchful eye, now that he knew that she had traveled with Trey? She frowned at the thought; for all of their efforts, she was in the same situation she had been hiding from in Domogién, although admittedly without the threat of Cyril looming over her.
As large as the structures lining the city streets were, the Makani house—if one could even call the structure a house— shadowed over them all. Nissa sucked in a breath, her eyes widening as she craned her neck to see the top of the towers that rose over the city. Openings arched against the smooth stone that had seamlessly melded across time as columns rose to support the balconies that peppered the different levels. A great dome shone bronze as the sunset streaked across the sky, bridging between the towers that spiraled from each of the corners. This was no house; this was a palace. She cleared her throat as they approached the gate that barred them from the interior. Waera lurched to a stop, turning to survey her with one eyebrow arched in question. She cleared her throat again.
“I thank you for the escort,” she began again. “The house is a thing of beauty.” Waera smiled at her without showing his teeth.
“I’m glad that you appreciate it,” he replied, teeth flashing white against his skin as he spoke. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she took an instinctive step back.
“I can take my leave of you. I should find lodging before night falls. Lord Tryamon,” she directed her voice at Trey again, and his eyes shot up to meet hers, the hardness in them softening only slightly as she addressed him. “Thank you again for your protection,” she managed. He nodded once, holding her eyes for a moment before that same, impenetrable mask rose over his eyes once more. Waera studied their exchange with a widening smile. She turned to face the streets behind them, and she lifted her foot to take her first steps toward freedom when a strong, warm hand locked on her upper arm, pulling her back.
“Don’t put yourself out, Elyssa.” His voice was soft as he emphasized the name she had given him. “The Makanis welcome you as their guest.” Nissa twisted, trying to break his grip as behind him, naked panic flashed across Trey’s face. Tanyl and Baloriel stepped forward, reaching with twin grasps toward their swords. They froze as guards stepped to the gate, their own weapons drawn.
“That’s kind of them, but I would hate to impose,” Nissa said, not faking the quiver in her voice. She had been close, so close to that taste of freedom. The false promise of it soured on her tongue.
“You don’t say no to the House of Makani,” Waera replied, an edge to his voice now. “Open the gate,” his voice rose to an order that those behind the gate leaped to obey. Without taking his hand from her arm, Waera shoved her through the opening as it appeared, with Trey, Baloriel, and Tanyl snapping at his heels.
38
The only thing that rivaled the outrage threatening to split open Trey’s chest was the fear that speared through him. Nissa flashed terrified eyes at him before she was led away, down one of the twisting hallways of the house. There were any number of rooms that they might have taken her to; he was thankful that the hallway that they had disappeared through did not lead to the dungeons. Beside him, Waera stood with an impassable expression. He rounded on the taller man, who studied him with steady eyes.
“It was foolish to bring her here,” he said, the condemnation rumbling in his voice.
“I was just her escort to the city, Waera. She doesn’t have to be here,” Trey snapped, gesturing wildly to the room around them. He didn’t think he was imagining the flash of petty that brightened in Waera’s eyes, but it was gone too quickly for him to know for sure.
