Blood of the Guardian (46 page)

Mikayla started, her eyes growing wide. “Rayen? Is here?” She whipped her head to her husband, eyes pleading.

“Of course you may see her,” the duke said with a warm smile.

Alec awkwardly offered his arm, and she took it. Excitement and nervousness pulsed from her in waves. Ragnall watched them depart, heading toward a grouping of Talasians. Rayen and Mikayla embraced, and a sad smile touched the old duke’s face.

“Duke Ragnall,” Nolan said. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve been sensing your wife’s emotions. She’s unhappy with her life here in Adamah.”

Duke Ragnall sighed. “I know. Alcandor offered her to me years ago—and who in their right mind could turn down Alcandor? Besides, marrying her kept the poor girl off the streets. If I had let her go, she most likely would’ve joined the gypsies or gone into prostitution. So I did what I could and allowed her to stay with me.”

Nolan stared. He hadn’t expected such a response from Ragnall.

“You could … let her go now,” Nolan suggested. “Let her return to Talasi to be with her people. Her father was the one who banished her, and he’s gone.”

Duke Ragnall nodded, his emotions reflective. “She’s too young and beautiful for me anyway. I’ll ask her what she would like to do. She could never keep her eyes from wandering elsewhere.”

Strangely enough, the duke’s emotions weren’t sad. “I honestly couldn’t blame the girl if she’d like to go.” He rubbed his stomach, and a smile broke on his face. “There were far more younger and handsomer prospects for her than me.” His smile faded as he turned to Kael. “Speaking of … General, what happened to your brother, Nolan?”

Nolan inhaled a breath. So the duke
had
noticed Mikayla’s interest in him? He’d chosen to look the other way. Nolan’s heart warmed. He’d always known Ragnall was a good man, but he didn’t realize how much until now.

“I heard some outlandish stories,” Ragnall continued. “Even to the extent that Nolan gained all the powers and defeated Alcandor.”

Kael fixed his eyes on Nolan before turning back to Ragnall. “He did do all that. And then he used his Healing to bring me back to life.”

Ragnall’s jaw dropped, pain emanating from him. “Oh … Oh, my … Well, that’s a shame. He was a good boy. I’m so sorry to hear.”

Kat appeared with her Speed and grabbed Nolan’s arm. “Nolan! Emery and Megan are out. Everything seems well.”

Nolan searched the platform where the couple emerged. Their emotions were glowing. Happy. And by the way they gazed at each other, their conversation had gone well.

Nolan turned back to his conversation with Ragnall, who now gaped at him, his eyes as wide as the plates set out for the following feast.

“Come on, Nolan.” Kat pulled on his arm. “I saved you a seat.”

Nolan nodded at the duke and smiled. “Good to see you again, Duke Ragnall.” And then he left him, stunned and speechless, to watch the wedding of his friends.

***

The ceremony was brief, yet beautiful. Typically, the dukes and nobles officiated the weddings for those in their cities. Since the marriage of a king hadn’t been performed for centuries, Greer presided over the celebration. He flared his light around the couple, casting an amazing glow. After the ceremony was finished, the crowd erupted in cheers and threw flower petals into the air. The ceremonies Nolan had to record as a scribe in Alton manor never compared to the grandeur of this.

Megan and Emery descended the stairs, hand in hand. A small musical ensemble started playing a tune. When Megan saw Flann, she broke away from her husband and ran into her brother’s arms. He twirled her around and laughed before setting her down.

“Megan,” Flann said, “you’re beautiful.”

“Thanks.” She beamed. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Flann turned to the approaching Emery and held out a hand. “Take care of her. Would hate to have to kill you now that we’re family.”

Emery threw back his head and laughed. “I will, brother.”

The musicians played a folk song while the mass of people drifted toward the practice field. Tables were arranged with white cloth, loaded with enough food to feed almost the entire country.

Flann motioned toward the musicians. “I brought my lute.”

Megan grinned. “Did you?”

“How about we show them a thing or two?”

She laughed and grabbed her brother’s hand. He nabbed his instrument from the nearby chair, and they darted up the platform together. After a minute of transition, Flann began to play a haunting tune, and Megan opened her mouth and sang. Nolan was transfixed; he’d never heard something so beautiful.

Emery stared at his wife, a smile on his lips.

After they finished the song, the crowd erupted in polite claps and cheers. Megan and Flann started playing again.

Emery sighed. “It’s been a while since she sang. It’s good to see her happy again.”

“So your talk went well?”

Emery dropped his head, still smiling. “It was good. We still have things to work on, but I’m optimistic.” He turned from watching Megan, his expression growing more serious. “Now that Jezebelle is gone, and the Talasian threat is subdued, will you try to spread the light again?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had any new visions from Brim. And I’m feeling a bit discouraged. Most of the places I visited resisted me.”

“Well,” Emery said, “now that the gypsies have gained powers, the townspeople might be more likely to believe.”

“Maybe. But I’m also starting to wonder if it’s a good idea.”

“Why so?”

“When the gypsies gained power, it was a disaster.”

Emery rubbed his beard. “Do we have a right to withhold something that is rightfully theirs? Isn’t everyone entitled to have their Shay? If I take away people’s freedom to choose, how is my rule any different than Alcandor’s?”

Nolan sighed. Emery had a good point.

“There will be more crime, yes,” Emery said. “But the good people will also gain strength to resist. There will be crime always, Shay empowered or not. I believe that, in the end, all things will work for the best.”

Nolan nodded, then another revelation, a more terrible one, came to him. “Emery, if I spread the light, it will only give Alcandor more access to gain Shay powers.”
More victims. More Dor’Jan.
Nolan shuddered at the thought.

The smile on Emery’s face faltered. “True. It might be best to wait until we’ve recaptured Alcandor.”

“If
we recapture him.”

Emery didn’t respond.

A hand touched Nolan’s. He turned to the smiling face of Kat.

“Are you busy?” she asked.

“No, he’s not busy,” Emery answered with a smug grin.

And before Nolan could say anything, she pulled him away.

He followed, laughing. “Where are you taking me?”

“Shh,” she replied. “Too many Rol’dan.”

A group of Rol’dan soldiers stared at them … all girls. They wore different colored tunics, representing the different sects of the army. A Perception Rol’dan, a girl with light blond hair, watched them with orange light glowing from her eyes. The others had knowing grins plastered on their faces.

“Kat? What’s going on?”

She shushed him again.

Nolan clamped his mouth closed but couldn’t help smiling. He allowed her to drag him into the castle, and he still obediently kept his mouth closed as she led him up the stairs. As they headed for a bedroom wing, his heart beat a warning of nervousness and excitement.

She chose a room, dragging him with her. After she closed the door, she turned and placed a finger to the side of her head.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him with a glare.

She pointed to her head again, and then Nolan finally understood. Summoning his Guardian Empathy, he dipped into her mind.

“Can you do a noise barrier? The one the gypsy did?”
she asked.

Nolan shrugged. He tried a few combinations, but the voices drifting in through the window confirmed his failure. At last, he summoned Perception and Empathy together, and the noise abruptly choked to silence.

Kat released a long sigh. “Finally! Those girls won’t leave me alone.”

“Leave you alone?”

“They know about us and want
details.
”

“What kind of details?”

She leveled a gaze at him, smiling.

His face warmed. “Oh.
Those
details.”

“I didn’t tell them anything,” Kat said. “They assumed, and it made them incredibly jealous.”

He’d never considered himself as someone to be jealous over.

She walked toward him, her eyes predatory. Nolan stepped back, hitting his legs on the bed, which made him sit on the soft mattress. Kat grabbed the front of his tunic and crushed his lips to hers. She nudged him back and fell atop him.

After some time, Nolan broke away, his breath labored. The musicians outside were playing a dance tune. Energetic and …
crows.

“Kat?”

“Yes?” she breathed in his ear.

“I don’t think I can hold a sound shield at the same time.”

She giggled. “Well then. Guess the girls have something to talk about.”

It wasn’t as if they were doing anything serious, but if someone was listening, they’d be rewarded with a lot of heavy breathing.

Nolan snapped the shield back into place while he calmed the beating of his heart. It wasn’t easy, as she continued to trace circles on his neck with her fingertip.

He grabbed her hand.

“Don’t worry. I remember. We won’t go too far.”

He loosened his hold.

She leaned into his ear and whispered, “I’ve missed you.” Her breath sent a shiver down his back.

With the Talasian ship still at the dock, and all the extra staff preparing for the wedding, they hadn’t had much time to themselves. He’d missed her too.

They lay next to each other and snuggled on top of the covers. Slowly, their breathing relaxed, and their hearts slowed to a normal thrum. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as he dared, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Nolan?” she finally said. “I know with Alcandor roaming the land, everyone expects you to capture him and protect Faylinn. And at the same time, you’re supposed to be fearless and share the light with the whole land. It’s a lot to expect of one man.”

Nolan exhaled a trembling breath. “But I’m not a man.”

“Nolan Trividar. You stop that. You’re better than any man I’ve known.”

Nolan smiled. The sentiment was nice, even if it wasn’t true.

Kat propped up on her arm. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

He shrugged.

She grabbed his face, pulling it to her. “Listen to me. Being human and being a man are two separate things. Anyone can take up space and be a human. It takes someone special to be a man. You’re incredibly brave and selfless. You’d give up your primal instincts to protect me, even when I’m throwing myself all over you. A real man controls himself, putting others before his own desires and urges—like you do. Just because you’re only half-human doesn’t take away from the truth that you’re more of a man than any I’ve ever known.”

Nolan blinked, stunned.

“And just so you know, even though I’m nothing—no multiple powers, not even that great of a fighter—I’m here for you. I’ll follow you wherever you need to fight and be by your side whenever you need me. You don’t have to face the whole world on your own.”

His heart swelled. Who was this girl? He’d never met anyone like her. So passionate. So alive. Instead of speaking words he couldn’t form, he grabbed her face and kissed her. Their lips melded into one.

The kiss was different this time; the heat was still there, but something else lingered on the edges. He withdrew and stared into her mischievous hazel eyes. “Kat Connelly,” he said, his voice rough, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

She grinned, and her eyes twinkled. “It’s about time.”

Postlude

ALCANDOR STEPPED AWAY from the body of Captain Ekon. He closed his eyes as delicious Strength seeped inside him, filling the void. It was a full Shay; no half power. A small step to his resurgence, but a step nonetheless. He glanced over at the Rol’dan girl and the half-breed, wondering what they had to offer him as well.

“I’ll take care of him, Father. Go and become strong.”

Stupid girl
. Did she think he actually cared for her? It was interesting to think he was a father—he remembered the night she spoke of. He just hadn’t considered that the whore or her baby would live.

“I will meet with you soon,” Alcandor said, turning toward the stairs. She was useful; he was too helpless to fight the Emissary on his own. The boy was talented; more than likely, she wouldn’t make it out of the dungeon alive.

He climbed the stairs, the excitement of freedom spilling from his empty soul. The sunlight. The air. He needed out. As the door creaked open, he stopped. He felt the combined Shays. The power. It was
him.