FORBIDDEN TALENTS (42 page)

Several of the Elves frowned angrily, then the walls seemed to creak and shift. The Elves glanced upward, seemingly surprised, but Ragni couldn’t pay attention to that now.
Baldur’s Balls
. He had to salvage this parley somehow.
“
Perhaps—
”

“
You presume rather heavily on our hospitality, Lady Saeun,
”
Kaeron overrode him.
“
We owe you neither explanation nor justification of our choices. You are here in Alfheim as guests, and here in this Elvenholt at our sufferance.
”

“
And we are grateful that you aided us—
”
Ragni began.

“
The
gods
brought us here,
”
Tiva’ti interrupted.

“
The same gods who took your oath,
”
Saeun added.

“
We are not Oathbreakers. We promised not to harm mortals directly, and we will not. Indeed, over the years we have often saved you from suffering and untimely death. But our oath does not require us to war with our brothers.
”

“
The gods may not require it, but our honor does,
”
Valender said.

The Elves all looked at him. The air sizzled with tension.

“
We have been charged to share this land with the mortals,
”
he continued.
“
It cannot be right to stand by and watch our brothers violate their oaths and kill our mortal neighbors.
”

Kaeron’s cat-like eyes narrowed as Rien and Treskin nodded. His gaze went around the table, stopping at each of the Elves as though he were listening. His lips thinned as the silence grew longer.

“
So be it. We will offer what aid we can.
”
Kaeron looked at Saeun.
“
I must ask you to risk yourself again. If we are to intervene, you must show us where Edelstena means to open her portal to Muspell.
”

*

Saeun’s heart clenched and she glanced at Ragni. It was one thing for him to know she’d practiced unsanctioned magic, it was quite another for him to witness it. Now he would see with his own eyes that she was a law-breaker.

“
Risk yourself?
”
Ragni asked.
“
What does he mean?
”

Kaeron gestured and an Elf brought out the box of magical tools.

Saeun put the delicate green bowl on the table and poured the quicksilver into it. Kaeron passed her the leather pouch with Edelstena’s amulet.

“
Saeun? What risk?
”
Ragni demanded.

Saeun tried not to look at him. If she focused on her magic, she wouldn’t have to think about how much it would hurt when he turned from her in disgust.

“
We will ward her,
”
Valender said.

“
What risk
?
”

She couldn’t concentrate. Saeun forced herself to meet Ragni’s gaze.
“
It’s all right. I want to do this. I want to help.
”

“
I don’t want you endangering yourself!
”

She savored the look of love on Ragni’s face, knowing it wouldn’t be there long.
“
You all took a risk just leaving Quartzholm. This is something I can do to help our people.
”

“
I can’t lose you again,
”
he said softly.

She tried to smile, felt it waver.
“
You won’t.
”
No, he wouldn’t lose her. When he saw what she was about to do, he would cast her away with both hands.
“
Now be still and let me do this.
”

She closed her eyes and spoke the words her mother had taught her, twined with the changes she had discovered for herself. They needed to see further into the future than tomorrow. Thora had been frightened for her when she’d learned that Saeun had done this. Thora had been right. It
was
dangerous. But it was also necessary.

Saeun held the amulet in her hands over the quicksilver. She didn’t need to see to know where it was. She felt it like a cool draft pulling the warmth from her. The amulet grew heavy as she continued her chant. Muscles throughout her body trembled, then began to ache. The ache became screaming pain, but she couldn’t waver, couldn’t stop.

With a cold rush, she felt the vision come. Saeun threw her arms wide and looked into the bowl. She was dimly aware of the others leaning forward and watching, too.

A huge natural cavern swallowed the light from glow globes and torches. The uneven floor had been smoothed in one small section, and a small company of Elves gathered around Edelstena, fighting in unnatural silence to keep human and Elven warriors away from her.

In the still, shimmering surface of the quicksilver, Ragni and the Tewakwe Shaman stood to one side, a glow nearly obscuring them, their faces tight with the strain of exertion.

Saeun fell into the vision, no longer watching. She was there. Edelstena turned to look at her, then swung her staff with all her might at Saeun.

She couldn’t move. The staff glimmered in the uneven light as it arced toward her head. A powerful jolt knocked the breath out of her, then she knew nothing more.

“
MY LORDS?
”

Lord Thogarr, the Arms Master, stopped his report. Dahleven looked up from the bowl of stew he was wolfing down. It was the first food he’d had since the meat-roll he’d eaten on the run that morning. It was early evening now.
“
Yes?
”

The armsman winced.
“
Lord Dahleven, it’s Lady Angrim. She—
”

“
She’ll have to wait. I told her this morning, and you can tell her again that—
”

“
You can tell me yourself, Dahl, since I’m here.
”
Angrim walked up and stopped beside the Arms Master. Her gait was steady, not at all tentative. No one led her by the hand. She stood there, her blue eyes slightly wider than normal,
looking
at Dahleven. Her sight must be even better than he’d suspected.

He said the first thing that came to mind.
“
What are you doing out of your quarters? Where is your guard?
”

“
This
is
my guard,
”
she gestured at the armsman, who looked like he was awaiting his execution.
“
And I don’t recall being forbidden to leave my room.
”

Dahleven clenched his jaw. She was right. He hadn’t forbidden her to move about the castle.
That will change
.
“
I’m rather busy.
”
His voice was tight.
“
You may have heard we’re under siege? What do you want?
”

Angrim smiled.
“
Yes, I heard about that. That’s why I’m here. To offer my help.
”
She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Does she really think she can use that old flirtatious
…
He stopped.

She wasn’t flirting. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at the armsman and the Arms Master.

“
Excuse us for a moment, Thogarr,
”
Dahleven said to the Arms Master.
“
I’ll look you up when I’ve dealt with this problem.
”
Dahleven dismissed Angrim’s guard with a wave of his hand. As soon as they were alone, he asked,
“
What is it you want, Angrim?
”
His voice was as cold and forbidding as he could make it. He wasn’t going to put up with another attempt at extortion.

“
I told you. I want to help.
”
Angrim slid gracefully into the chair across from him.
“
I can see again, Dahl.
”
Her joy seemed undiminished by the scowl he gave her.
“
Not quite like before, but I can see.
”
She lowered her voice conspiratorially.
“
And I see
…
things. I think they’re Fey creatures. Nobody else notices, or they think it’s just a cat or some such. I can point them out to your men.
”

Dahleven looked at her eyes. Why didn’t they have the shimmer that his and Celia’s eyes held? Was she lying? Where was Ragni when he needed him?
Off getting his
own
ass Fey-marked
.

“
You’re Fey-marked?
”
he asked, doubt in his voice.

Angrim looked a little nervous.
“
Yes. Just like you.
”

“
And you don’t care you’ll be shunned when people find out?
”

“
Yes, I care. But that doesn’t matter.
”
Angrim looked frightened, but she straightened her shoulders.
“
I made a terrible mistake with Jorund. I can’t undo that. But I can do something to help save Quartzholm.
”

Baldur help him, he believed her. But then, he’d trusted her loyalties before, and look where that had got him. He ought to call a Truth Sayer, but all she’d have to do would be to say,
“
Dahleven is Fey-marked
,
”
and the Truth Sayer would confirm it.
At least that would bugger Wirmund, too
.
He almost smiled.

“
I did wrong before,
”
she continued.
“
But I’ve since sworn fealty to you. I’m not an Oathbreaker.
”
Her wide blue eyes were devoid of coyness.

He could lock her in her rooms, or he could trust her. And there
were
minions of the Dark Elves about, doing who knew what mischief.

“
All right. But there’s something you need to know before you go charging off to defend us. Not all of the Fey in Quartzholm are our enemies.
”

Angrim’s eyes widened.
“
Oh?
”

“
The Light Elves have
…
servants
…
living here. They have no love for the Dark Ones’ minions, so don’t kill them by mistake.
”

Angrim looked at him steadily for a moment.
“
I won’t ask how you know this. Only
…
how do I tell them apart?
”

Dahleven shook his head.
“
I don’t know. Ask if they are friends of Baruq. If the creature doesn’t respond well, then it’s probably Dark.
”
He still hadn’t been contacted by Baruq’s friends, but he hadn’t been back to his room since early morning, either.
“
I’ll let you know if I have any better ideas.
”

Angrim nodded.

“
I’ll assign three men to patrol with you, and get you a spear. And you’d better change those skirts for leggings.
”

“
A spear?
”

“
You may have to spit the things yourself if they’re fully invisible instead of just pretending to be a cat. A man can’t fight blind, directed by someone else, and hope to win. A spear doesn’t require much finesse, and will keep you at a distance.
”
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“
Getting cold feet?
”

She lifted her chin.
“
No.
”

He smiled.
“
Good. But if you see full-sized Dark Elves within the castle, don’t try to be a heroine. Let the men take them. Run for help.
”

“
You don’t think I could be as much a Valkyrie as Celia?
”

Oh, no. I will
not
get mired in that swamp
.
“
We’ll need the information more than another Valkyrie. If by mischance you’re all dead, you can’t tell anyone what you saw.
”