Chapter 22
22
KAEL
“Absolutely not. No.”
Lyra’s calmness was a trait I’d always admired about her. In all the years I’d known her, not once had I seen her lose her temper. So it wasn’t a surprise that her response to me was a serene smile.
“You are being unreasonable.”
The path had widened allowing Lyra to ride beside us. Although I hadn’t spoken to Rowan all day, not as we rode or when we had stopped, that did not seem to bother him as he sat ahead of us, watching and waiting. Apparently, he was still intent on staying with us.
“Zephros is a border town, and in case you’ve forgotten, our borders have been in conflict for a long time.”
“The last battle here was more than five years ago,” Rowan added from in front of us, slowing as we had. “And if rumor is true, you prevented it from escalating. You may be surprised at your reception here.”
I was about to tell Rowan his opinion on the matter was not welcome, but held my tongue instead. Earlier, as we’d begun to circle the village, Lyra had suggested our party take refuge in the border town. Built on gently rolling hills, its moss and vine-covered stone houses having stood for centuries, Zephros was known for being a refuge for Aetherian sages and scholars looking to further study the mysteries of the air.
The thought of laying my head on Aetherian soil did not appeal to me, though the one of sharing a bed with Mev did. I was not trained to make decisions in such a manner, however.
“She will be safe here,” Lyra said quietly.
Rowan watched me, the human knight saying nothing. I could see him measuring my reaction, no doubt wondering where my true loyalties lay. I’d run each and every member of the former Council through my mind many times.
I did not believe either Caelum or Nerys of Thalassaria would be a threat to Mev. Both fiercely loyal to their clan, they prioritized Thalassaria’s sovereignty above all else and both welcomed the Gate.
Lord Valdric, however, was likely tracking us as well. As my father’s chief advisor with a deep mistrust of outsiders and belief in Gyoria’s isolationist policies, Valdric would not hesitate to take Mev to my father. When we were young, my brother and I called him uncle.
And then there was Eirion of Aetheria. He would be the least worrisome in terms of a threat to Mev. A seasoned warrior and former general of the Aetherian forces, Eirion was the Council’s enforcer, ensuring that any threats to the portal were dealt with swiftly and decisively. Most importantly, he was a friend and mentor to the king and therefore an ally to Mev.
Of course, word would have spread beyond the Council members. Like Rowan, others would know by now of Mev’s presence in Elydor, and it would not be long before her true identity was also known by all. Including my brother and father.
My pride held little value compared to Mev’s safety.
“Very well. Though you may be confident they can keep our secret, I am not. She needs a cloak,” I said of Mev, reaching down into my saddlebag.
“Keep yours,” Rowan said. “You will want to use it to hide yourself.” He dismounted, removed his own hooded cloak and lifted it toward us. I took it. The damned man grinned when I reached for it, as if my taking it symbolized my acceptance of him.
It didn’t.
I simply wished to keep Mev safe, and speaking my mind to Rowan would upset her. So I kept my opinions of the human to myself as we set off in the direction of the village.
“I’ve never seen anything so pretty,” Mev said as we headed toward Zephros. “I mean, except for everything else in Elydor. Kael,” she said suddenly, “do you have poverty here?”
“Not as you do. Even those with only a basic mastery of their abilities in Gyoria can summon plants and grow food. Thalassari can easily catch fish as Aetherians can harness their air magic to manipulate air currents for crops or control airflow to reduce spoilage.”
“And the humans?”
It was the hope in her voice that crushed me.
Hope that her people escaped the same fate as their counterparts on Earth who lacked resources. I was about to shatter Mev’s vision of Elydor as a utopia, as it was anything but. Border towns experienced many hardships, especially in these last thirty years. Though we’d avoided all-out war, one was coming, and all of Elydor knew it.
“They are not insulated from the kind of poverty you know on Earth. Tradition has kept them a feudal society, and though some benefit from an alliance with Aetheria, and to a lesser extent, an uneasy peace with Thalassaria, others do suffer for lack of resources.”
“That is… shameful.”
I was spared having to respond when two riders approached. I couldn’t hear what Lyra said to them, but almost immediately they both looked our way. Mev and I had pulled up the hoods on our cloaks, and the simple disguise appeared to work as the riders did not look twice at us. By the time we caught up with them, the riders had turned back toward the village, and we followed.
“The air,” Mev said. “It feels lighter here. Or something.”
She was Aetherian, for certain. Not that I doubted it, given her emerging abilities. For further confirmation, each passing day Mev’s hair lightened, its white color almost as if it was woven from the stars themselves.
“You’ll notice, Mev”—Lyra had hung back and rode beside us now—“the buildings here are designed to be in harmony with the natural flow of air. The open courtyards, wind chimes and terraces catch the breeze. This is a special place even Gyorians rarely touch, despite the fact that it sits along the border.”
“It sounds almost religious.”
“Of sorts,” Lyra replied. “We have temples, to our gods and goddesses, as do the other clans. This place is different, though.”
“What did they say?” I asked Lyra of the riders.
“That we are welcome. We’ll head directly to Wind Haven Inn where I will secure rooms. Thankfully, it lies on the outskirts of the village.”
I liked it not. If we’d remained on the road, Mev and I would not be forced to hide ourselves. On the other hand, if Lord Valdric was looking for us, he would not likely enter Zephros.
“I will scout the area tomorrow before we leave,” Rowan said, as if he were reading my thoughts. If he were one of my men, I’d have praised his foresight.
I kept my head down as we approached the outer edge of the village. Mev tightened her grip around my waist, but said nothing, I reached for her hand and squeezed it.
She would be safe here.
I repeated the phrase, shrugging off my discomfort. I’d spent many years surrounded by Aetherians, especially when travelers through the Gate were more common. As the years wore on and humans without psychic abilities died attempting to pass through, news of their deaths spread. Less made the attempt, allowing me to return to Gyoria for more extended periods.
“The letters on that sign. Are they Elydorian?”
“They are,” I said, as our party slowed to a stop. Dismounting, careful to keep my head down, I reached a hand up for Mev. She was swimming under Rowan’s cloak.
“I will stable the horses,” Rowan said as Mev dismounted. “Stay scarce until Lyra secures rooms.”
“Thank you,” Mev said from beneath his cloak. As Rowan walked away, she elbowed me and nodded to the human. I mumbled my thanks and moved toward the side of the inn with Mev in tow to wait for Lyra’s return.
“Be nice,” she said.
In response, with Mev’s back against the stone wall of the inn, I lowered my head and claimed her lips, giving into that particular temptation which had been growing inside me since our first kiss.
A dangerous temptation with many reasons to resist. Pulling back, I conjured my brother, Adren, my men… all those who counted on me to keep them safe.
“I should not have done that.” Not the words I’d planned, but I could not take them back.
“Should you not? You’ll notice I did not stop you.”
“But perhaps you should have.”
“Given you literally kidnapped me and have admitted we are still enemies? Aye, I should have. But sometimes our heart tells us to do things our head advises against.”
When I said nothing to that, Mev reached up and touched her fingertips to my cheek. That simple touch almost had me considering her words might be true.
“I do have a question.” The sudden shyness in her tone as she pulled her hand back piqued my curiosity.
“What is it?”
“So,” she hedged. “What does birth control look like in Elydor?”
“I sometimes forget you are an Uninitiated.”
“That my backside nearly constantly hurts from riding and my million questions aren’t clues?”
I refrained from commenting on her backside and took her hand instead. Moving us to the front corner of the inn, I bid her to watch as the residents of Zephros walked past.
“What do you see? Or not see, I should say.”
Keeping to the shadows, we stood hand in hand, watching.
“There are no children,” she said, picking up on the fact more quickly than I’d have expected. “Wait. Why are there no children?”
“It has always been the way of things. Babies are rare in Elydor. When they are conceived, it is cause for great celebration.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Elydor has always sought balance. It is the reason your human technology is not welcome. Why those who come through the Gate are unable to bring anything with them which would threaten that natural balance. Too many children in a world of immortals would soon see our land overpopulated.”
“You can be killed, though.”
“True. But imagine if as many babies were born here as in your world.”
“Hmm. So birth control is not necessary?”
“Nor desired.”
“Lyra has secured our rooms.” Rowan came from nowhere. I did not like how easily he approached without my sensing it. When we were alone in the woods, it was easy enough to feel the land’s vibrations. But here, with so much activity, individual vibrations were more difficult to detect.
“There is a back entrance,” he said, pointing in the direction from which Mev and I had just come. “This way.”
I let go of Mev’s hand as she followed Rowan. It seemed the human was intent on keeping her safe, and though I was grateful for it, I also wondered at the reason. Was it only because he hoped she would be the key to reopening the Gate? Some humans had been particularly distraught when it had closed, never having intended to remain here permanently. My father had, essentially, trapped many in a world they’d thought they’d be visiting temporarily.
I’d have asked him that very question if all hell hadn’t suddenly broken loose.