Alliance (13 page)

Ryneq lay back across the bottom of the bed and stretched his arms up above his head, working out the kinks in his shoulders. “He tried to escape when Nysad went to collect him from the cells. Somehow, his hands were unbound.” He turned his head to meet Nykin’s gaze.

“Another spy?”

“Appears that way,” Ryneq gritted out. “Danek managed to relieve one of the guards of his sword and tried to escape. He died in the fight.”

“Did we get any information from him?”

“Not much. He’d not been very forthcoming with information while we were away, but the elves had a way to make him talk. Not that it matters now.”

They lapsed into comfortable silence, but Ryneq’s mind was far too busy to let him relax. Someone had untied Danek’s hands, and when Ryneq found out who, they’d be wishing they’d died with him.

“How’s the barrier holding up?” Nykin poked Ryneq in the side with his toe.

Ryneq reached out, grabbed Nykin’s foot through the covers, and pinned it in place. He rubbed it slowly with his thumb, the repetitive motion helping to quell his anger. “Good so far. According to Glaevahl, the witch has been feeling out the magic but hasn’t tried to breach it yet.”

“And it’ll withstand three attempts, yes?”

Ryneq nodded. “So I understand.” A gust of chill air found its way under Ryneq’s shirt, making him shiver a little. He glanced over to the door and frowned when he saw it still slightly ajar. “Anyway, how are you feeling now?” he asked, getting off the bed and then heading over to push the door fully closed. “How’s your leg?”

Nykin smiled at him when Ryneq settled on the bed beside him this time and leaned in for a kiss. “It’s good.” He pulled the sheet back a little, revealing the top part of his thigh. Nykin’s skin was bare now, the wrappings gone, leaving a neat line of stitching marking where the spell had struck him.

“So I see.” The wound had healed more than Ryneq had expected. In fact, Nykin seemed a lot better—his skin no longer pale and clammy, but now flushed with health. He met Nykin’s gaze and raised his eyebrow.

Nykin’s smile grew a little wider. “Djilak came by a while ago. He thinks my body retained some of Fimor’s healing magic from when we helped Faelon in Alel. He’s not sure how long it’ll last, though.”

Ryneq reached for Nykin’s hand and entwined their fingers. “You better not get injured again, then.” Nykin huffed out a laugh, and Ryneq relaxed back against the pillows. Their fight a few days ago seemed all but forgotten in the wake of what had happened. But Ryneq couldn’t dispel the feeling that his words had been partly to blame for Nykin’s injury. No matter how indirect. “I’m sorry about before.” He felt Nykin’s body tense. “I spoke without thinking then, and I would take every one of those words back if I could.” He glanced down at Nykin’s leg again, still lying uncovered, and when he looked up, Nykin was glaring at him.

“It wasn’t in any way your fault.” He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, and when he looked at Ryneq again, his expression had softened considerably. “This”—he waved his hand at his injured leg—“was because the witch cast a spell and we weren’t quick enough to get out of its way. Fimor and I were just doing what we were supposed to—protecting our people. It would have happened regardless.”

“I know but—”

“Ryneq.” Nykin shifted a little so he was now facing him and placed his hands on either side of Ryneq’s jaw. “I know you didn’t mean what you said. I was just angry and hurt before. But believe me when I say I didn’t get injured because I was trying to prove myself. If anything we were trying to get away.”

Ryneq felt a little of the tension ease from his shoulders, and he leaned closer and rested his forehead against Nykin’s. “Good.” He let his eyes fall shut and tried to block everything else out and focus on the two of them. “But promise me you’ll try harder next time.”

“I promise.”

T
HE
NEXT
couple of days passed incredibly slowly. Although Seran moved half his army to the flatlands beyond Torsere’s north wall, he and his witch appeared to be content to sit and wait for the time being. It set everyone in the castle on edge. Nykin hadn’t been alone in expecting them to attack or at least attempt to break through the barrier, but as yet there had been nothing but the odd tickle of magic.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ryneq stopped his pacing and glared at Nykin.

Nykin ignored him and continued to pull his uniform pants over his thighs. “I thought I’d report in for duty, now that I’m fully healed. I’m sure Eldin needs all his riders to be ready.” It had been a bone of contention between them for the last day and a half. As far as Nykin was concerned, his leg had fully healed, and he itched to get back up in the sky.

Ryneq bit his lip as he continued to glare, the effort of holding his tongue clear on his face. Nykin would laugh, if it wasn’t so infuriating. “My leg’s fully healed. I don’t see th—”

“I know.” Ryneq walked over and stood in front of where Nykin sat on the edge of the bed, one hand buried in his hair as he pulled at it. “I know you should be with the others, but damn it, Nykin, I don’t want you out of my sight with that witch still out there.”

Nykin sighed, letting the instinctive surge of anger fade. He knew Ryneq worried for his safety, and he wasn’t the only one. The thought of going anywhere near the witch filled Nykin with a cold dread, but he couldn’t just hide in his royal quarters and let his fellow riders face the danger without him. Ryneq knew this too. Even though his words said otherwise, the resignation was clear on his face.

He stood up slowly and reached up to cup Ryneq’s face. Ryneq closed his eyes, the tension easing in his shoulders as Nykin leaned in and kissed him. “I won’t lie to you, I’m scared.” He smiled as he felt Ryneq’s hands around his waist, holding him close. “But so is everyone else. I need to be in the Eyrie with the others.”

Ryneq nodded, his grip on Nykin getting tighter for a moment. “Be careful,” he whispered and stepped back, not letting go until he had to.

Nykin straightened his uniform and managed a wry smile. “Well, as I understand it, all dragons and riders are grounded for the time being, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I haven’t grounded the dragons, and you know it. As if I could tell them what to do. But until we know more about what the witch wants with them, it’s safer for them to remain on the mountain. Or at the very least to keep away from any land beyond the north wall.”

“I agree, and so does Fimor,” Nykin replied, smirking at the skeptical look on Ryneq’s face. “Despite them moaning about being cooped up like animals.”

Ryneq openly scoffed. “I know they still fly out over the sea, Nykin.”

Nykin waved his comment away with his hand. “But none of them have been anywhere near the north side of the palace since the attack.”

“Fine, you’ve made your point. I’ll see you later, then?” Ryneq said as he walked Nykin to the door. “I have a meeting soon with Eldin and the elves. Will you join us for dinner afterward?”

“Of course.” Nykin smiled back over his shoulder, doing his best to sound calm and confident. His nerves were still a little frayed after his encounter, but he was trying to put it out of his mind.

Nykin’s footsteps were loud in the stone passageway, and he greeted a couple of palace workers as they bustled past with their arms full of clean bedding. He frowned as he reached the outer doors leading to the Eyrie steps. They hadn’t seen Kalis that morning. She usually came in with breakfast, but one of the others had brought it instead. Nykin hoped she was feeling all right. He’d noticed her looking a little pale lately and made a mental note to check up on her later. Ryneq had known Kalis for a long time, and Nykin knew he was particularly fond of her.

The wind hit him as soon as Nykin stepped outside, the cold biting at any exposed skin and making him shiver. Ever since they’d returned to Torsere, the weather had been unpredictable, and Nykin wondered just how much of it was due to the witch’s presence. He pulled up the collar of his jacket to shield his neck and hurried up the steps.

The entry to the Eyrie was the busiest Nykin had ever seen it. With none of them able to fly, they had little to do but wait. Nykin suspected if he went down to the storeroom, he’d find it almost as busy. The dragon harnesses had probably never been so well cared for.

“Nykin.” Eldin walked over to him, a smile on his face. “Good to see you back up here.” He clasped Nykin’s arm in greeting. “I trust you are fully recovered?”

“Yes, thank you.” Nykin already knew from Fimor that Vashek had healed, but he still felt as though he needed to ask. “And Vashek?”

“He’s fine now. It took a while to clear up. The aftereffects of the witch’s magic lingered like a curse. I don’t know how she came by such dark spells, but we need to be more prepared next time.”

Next time.
Nykin shuddered at the thought. He’d been lucky. The spell that hit him hadn’t had any magical effects, and his leg had healed relatively quickly. That might not be the case if it happened again, though. “I was hoping to see Fimor today. It’s been too long.”

Eldin glanced over to the side of the entrance where a few riders were gathered. “I thought you might. Since there need to be enough dragons on the mountain to maintain their protection spell, we’ve come up with a roster. You and Fimor should be down for today—go and check.”

Nykin grinned, eager to see Fimor in the flesh.

“But remember,” Eldin called back over his shoulder as he headed for the Eyrie steps. “No flying. I’ll see you later, Nykin.”

Nykin didn’t have a chance to reply as Eldin had already disappeared from view, so he quickly walked over to check for his name on the roster Eldin had mentioned. Names and days of the week were crudely etched onto a large sheet of parchment, and then the whole thing tacked onto the wooden board that lay propped against the wall. It usually held patrol rotations and information about who was out riding at any given time. Eldin liked to know the whereabouts of all his riders.

Selene spotted him as soon as she turned around, her face lighting up immediately. “There you are.” She grinned and stepped toward him. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s only been a few days.” He looked around at the other riders. “Where’s Jaken?”

“At home. His mother’s taken in some of the villagers from Miresh, so Jaken’s helping her get them settled.”

The mention of the village had Nykin thinking back to the witch, and he didn’t particularly want to dwell on that. “How’s Lerran?” he asked, smiling at the light blush on her cheeks.

“Busy.” She frowned, and Nykin decided not to pursue that line of conversation.

He gestured to the wall. “Are you seeing Kalesh today?” Her face fell again, and Nykin guessed that was his answer. “Sorry.”

She sighed heavily. “I know it’s not safe for us to be up in the sky at the moment, but….” She shook her head, and tried for a lighter tone when she spoke again. “Look, it’s fine, really. Just frustrating. But hey, your name’s down for today.”

Nykin’s heart rate picked up at the thought, but he paused before leaving to go to the landing caves. “Do you want to come with me?” he asked as the idea struck him. “I know it’s not the same as seeing Kalesh, but there’s not much else to do, is there?”

Selene barely let him get the words out before she was smiling again and clutching his arm. “Are you sure you don’t mind? Because, yes, I would love to come and see Fimor with you. There are only so many times you can polish a harness.”

Nykin laughed at the sudden change in her demeanor. The resigned look had disappeared from her face, replaced with her usual sparkle. “Come on, then.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze before leading the way toward the caves.

“Fimor?”

“Good Morning, Nykin.”
Fimor’s voice sent a wave of contentment through Nykin, and he shivered a little.
“How are you feeling today?”

“Good. We’re on our way to the caves now. It’s my day on the roster. Can you come down?”

“I’m on my way.”
There was a slight pause.
“We? Who do you have with you?”

“Selene. Is that all right? She can’t see Kalesh today, and I
—
”

Fimor snorted.
“Nykin, you need not explain. I have no objections. I understand how difficult it is for all the riders. While the king’s orders are wise, it does not mean they are easy to follow. It will be my pleasure to ease some of the lovely Selene’s anxiety.”

Nykin smirked and glanced sideways, only to catch Selene looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “Fimor’s looking forward to seeing you.”

“Oh.” She smiled, looking a little surprised. “Of course he is.” She elbowed Nykin in the ribs when he laughed at her.

The caves were virtually empty when they reached them, only the first one occupied by one of the other riders and his dragon. They rounded the corner and ducked inside the next one along.