King of Sword and Sky
Page 117
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"You and Marissya need to sleep first," Rain said. "We've waited for centuries to find the answer to this problem; we can wait a few more bells." He turned to the fierce white tairen. "Steli-chakai should lair in the Hall of Tairen."
«Agreed. Steli will sing to Shei'Kess,» the tairen growled. «Perhaps the Eye will reveal what secrets it still keeps.»
"I won't hold my breath," Rain muttered. In a louder voice, he said, "Beylah vo, Steli-chakai." Rain tore down the privacy weaves, and Steli leapt into the air, leaving the Fey to head for their own chambers.
Rain escorted Ellysetta back to their palace suite and spun shades against the brightening dawn so she could sleep for a few bells. As he slid beneath the cool silk of the bedsheets next to the warmth of her slender body, she turned and snuggled against him.
"Rain?"
"Mmm?" He nuzzled the soft spirals of her hair and breathed in her sweet scent.
"Do you think the Fey who bore me could still be alive in Eld?"
His body went still. "For their sakes, I hope not, shei'tani."
Her palm lay over his chest, the fingers stroking lightly across his skin. "Do you think they could have been captured during the Mage Wars?"
Her caught her hand and pressed a kiss in her palm. "I doubt it. Eld don't treat their prisoners kindly. A thousand years of torment would be too much for anyone to bear."
"You did," she whispered.
"Only because the tairen would not let me die." He drew a breath. "Nei, I'm sure the ones who bore you could not have been long in Mage hands."
He stroked her hair, half of him wishing now that he had not taken her to the Bay of Flames. "I'm sorry, shei'tani. I had hoped the Bay of Flames would bring you peace, not more worries. I wanted our last days before I left for Orest to be a joy." A time of memories that would last in the event war broke out before he could return. "I meant to take you to my shellabah, as I promised you in Celieria I would."
She tilted her head back, her eyes shining in the dim light filtering past his shade weaves. "But our bond isn't complete yet. You said you would take me to your shellabah on the first night of our union. Let's wait until then. So I'll have something to look forward to when you come back to me."
His lips found the soft skin of her neck, and he nuzzled the warm pulse point there, loving her scent, her taste, the feel of her satiny skin against his mouth. "Bas'ka," he agreed. "We will wait until then. It shall be my last courtship gift to you."
"I will be very cross if you disappoint me." Her arms slid around his neck, and she pressed her body to his. "Tell me you love me."
"I love you." He dragged his mouth down her neck and across her shoulder. His hands spanned her slender waist and slid up her ribs to cup her small br**sts. "More than I have words to express."
She caught his face and bent to take his lips with hers. "Then love me, Rain, for what time we have left."
The silky bed linens whispered against her skin as he bore her down among the soft cushions and coverlets. His skin gleamed lustrous silver and his eyes glowed with warmth and passion. "I will love you much longer than that, kem'reisa."
Despite the shei'dalins' best efforts over the next few days, their searching turned up no clues to long-lost weaves that might speed a child's birth from the Well of Souls, and the day of Rain's departure for Orest dawned without any sign of victory in the battle to save the kitlings.
As the warriors leaving the Fading Lands prepared for their departure, Rain walked alone to the king's armory.
There, in the silence of the chamber broken only by the melodic splashing of faerilas pouring into a private bathing pool, Rain undressed and set aside his leathers and steel and even his gleaming rainbow-lit Soul Quest crystal and the carved Tairen's Eye signet ring he'd worn since becoming Defender of the Fey.
Naked, he walked to the edge of the bathing pool and went down on one knee, his arms extended, palms up, as he softly sang the words of the ancient prayer all warriors invoked before battle. When he rose, he plunged into the falling stream of faerilas and gasped. This fountain—like all those in the palace—was fed directly from Dharsa's Source. The water was icy cold and rich with potent magic. It froze and seared him and set his magic afire inside his flesh.
He stood beneath its flow until his body shone with the purified force of his considerable power, and then stepped out of the pool and dried himself with a swift weave of Air. Six steps brought him to the altar niche, where thirteen fresh, unlit candles in various shades of earth and sky had been laid out in a pattern of divine power. He passed his hand over the candles, loosing a faint weave of Fire as he spoke the name of each god or goddess. One by one, the wicks burst into pale yellow-orange flame, and a heady mélange of fragrances filled the air.
Rain knelt before the altar and sang the invocation of the Feyreisen. "Light of the world, shine your grace upon this Fey. Grant me the wisdom to guide my brothers in battle, the strength to drive back the enemy, and, if it is your will, the courage to die bravely and with honor. Light be victorious."
Last, he sent up silent a plea of his own, If I fall, let my life be the sacrifice that frees Ellysetta from the Mages. If I fall, help her to lead our people with strength and wisdom so the Fading Lands may thrive once more. And the hardest wish for any Fey who wanted his shei'tani bound to him and him alone…"If I fall… let her live to find love and joy with another."
«Agreed. Steli will sing to Shei'Kess,» the tairen growled. «Perhaps the Eye will reveal what secrets it still keeps.»
"I won't hold my breath," Rain muttered. In a louder voice, he said, "Beylah vo, Steli-chakai." Rain tore down the privacy weaves, and Steli leapt into the air, leaving the Fey to head for their own chambers.
Rain escorted Ellysetta back to their palace suite and spun shades against the brightening dawn so she could sleep for a few bells. As he slid beneath the cool silk of the bedsheets next to the warmth of her slender body, she turned and snuggled against him.
"Rain?"
"Mmm?" He nuzzled the soft spirals of her hair and breathed in her sweet scent.
"Do you think the Fey who bore me could still be alive in Eld?"
His body went still. "For their sakes, I hope not, shei'tani."
Her palm lay over his chest, the fingers stroking lightly across his skin. "Do you think they could have been captured during the Mage Wars?"
Her caught her hand and pressed a kiss in her palm. "I doubt it. Eld don't treat their prisoners kindly. A thousand years of torment would be too much for anyone to bear."
"You did," she whispered.
"Only because the tairen would not let me die." He drew a breath. "Nei, I'm sure the ones who bore you could not have been long in Mage hands."
He stroked her hair, half of him wishing now that he had not taken her to the Bay of Flames. "I'm sorry, shei'tani. I had hoped the Bay of Flames would bring you peace, not more worries. I wanted our last days before I left for Orest to be a joy." A time of memories that would last in the event war broke out before he could return. "I meant to take you to my shellabah, as I promised you in Celieria I would."
She tilted her head back, her eyes shining in the dim light filtering past his shade weaves. "But our bond isn't complete yet. You said you would take me to your shellabah on the first night of our union. Let's wait until then. So I'll have something to look forward to when you come back to me."
His lips found the soft skin of her neck, and he nuzzled the warm pulse point there, loving her scent, her taste, the feel of her satiny skin against his mouth. "Bas'ka," he agreed. "We will wait until then. It shall be my last courtship gift to you."
"I will be very cross if you disappoint me." Her arms slid around his neck, and she pressed her body to his. "Tell me you love me."
"I love you." He dragged his mouth down her neck and across her shoulder. His hands spanned her slender waist and slid up her ribs to cup her small br**sts. "More than I have words to express."
She caught his face and bent to take his lips with hers. "Then love me, Rain, for what time we have left."
The silky bed linens whispered against her skin as he bore her down among the soft cushions and coverlets. His skin gleamed lustrous silver and his eyes glowed with warmth and passion. "I will love you much longer than that, kem'reisa."
Despite the shei'dalins' best efforts over the next few days, their searching turned up no clues to long-lost weaves that might speed a child's birth from the Well of Souls, and the day of Rain's departure for Orest dawned without any sign of victory in the battle to save the kitlings.
As the warriors leaving the Fading Lands prepared for their departure, Rain walked alone to the king's armory.
There, in the silence of the chamber broken only by the melodic splashing of faerilas pouring into a private bathing pool, Rain undressed and set aside his leathers and steel and even his gleaming rainbow-lit Soul Quest crystal and the carved Tairen's Eye signet ring he'd worn since becoming Defender of the Fey.
Naked, he walked to the edge of the bathing pool and went down on one knee, his arms extended, palms up, as he softly sang the words of the ancient prayer all warriors invoked before battle. When he rose, he plunged into the falling stream of faerilas and gasped. This fountain—like all those in the palace—was fed directly from Dharsa's Source. The water was icy cold and rich with potent magic. It froze and seared him and set his magic afire inside his flesh.
He stood beneath its flow until his body shone with the purified force of his considerable power, and then stepped out of the pool and dried himself with a swift weave of Air. Six steps brought him to the altar niche, where thirteen fresh, unlit candles in various shades of earth and sky had been laid out in a pattern of divine power. He passed his hand over the candles, loosing a faint weave of Fire as he spoke the name of each god or goddess. One by one, the wicks burst into pale yellow-orange flame, and a heady mélange of fragrances filled the air.
Rain knelt before the altar and sang the invocation of the Feyreisen. "Light of the world, shine your grace upon this Fey. Grant me the wisdom to guide my brothers in battle, the strength to drive back the enemy, and, if it is your will, the courage to die bravely and with honor. Light be victorious."
Last, he sent up silent a plea of his own, If I fall, let my life be the sacrifice that frees Ellysetta from the Mages. If I fall, help her to lead our people with strength and wisdom so the Fading Lands may thrive once more. And the hardest wish for any Fey who wanted his shei'tani bound to him and him alone…"If I fall… let her live to find love and joy with another."
