Tears of War (33 page)

Mckale smiled back but there was light of warning in his eyes and Maleena sensed some irritation in him. “Actually, Maleena came back from Haraban with a little news of her own. So yes, I was distracted from thoughts of the meeting last night.”

All eyes turned to Maleena. She concentrated on cutting a bite of ham, her face feeling redder. She hated being the center of attention.

“Well?” Grandme said. “It must be fairly big news if it trumps the meeting with the Council. Has something happened in the west that we should be aware of?”

Mckale shook his head. “No, all is as well as can be expected in the west. The news affects Maleena, myself, and this family.”

Maleena glanced around the table. Would they be upset since she and Mckale hadn’t participated in the Spring Dance yet? Not that it really mattered one way or another, but she really didn’t want any bad feelings between Mckale and his family. Sonja looked at her with worry in her eyes.

Barden leaned back in his chair. “What will affect this family?”

Mckale looked at his father and Maleena felt nothing but happiness rolling off her bondmate. “It’s going to get bigger.”

Grandme let out a whoop that made everyone at the table jump. “I knew it.” She smacked a wrinkled palm against the table. “I’ve had my suspicions since the morning after you arrived.”

Kaden frown at her. “What are you talking about?”

Sonja’s smile spread across her face. “Don’t you see, Kaden? We are going to be an aunt and an uncle.”

Kaden stared first at Mckale then Maleena. “Fates be damned! Congratulations.” He clapped Mckale firmly on the shoulder.

Barden rubbed his hands over his face and smiled across the table at Mckale. “I feel old.” There was moisture in the older man’s eyes and Maleena sensed his pleasure.

Grandme slapped his arm. “Now you know how I felt when you and Nia started producing these three.”

“As you can guess,” Mckale said. “That news blew the Council right out of my mind. However, we can discuss it after we’ve eaten.”

K
ellinar paced the room waiting for Anevay, Bardeck, and Gideon to finish testing Loki for any permanent brain damage. Loki needed to be well and whole so Kellinar could strangle him. The past couple of days had done nothing to dampen his anger.

Anevay glanced at him, worry in her eyes. He knew she felt his anger through the bond but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He wasn’t a Silver, he couldn’t wall the others in the bond away from his thoughts and feelings. Kellinar tried to rein in his emotions. The only good thing in this whole mess was the time spent with Anevay. He had missed her and knew that Taela did too. It surprised him how much he’d missed Galdrilene as well.

Gideon and Bardeck stood and pushed the wooden chairs they’d sat in against the wall. Gideon looked down at the boy. “You are incredibly fortunate that you not only had a skilled healer to work on you but one with the amplified powers of a dragon bond. I would never have been able to heal that.”

Kellinar stopped and looked at the three of them. “So is he going to be alright?”

Bardeck nodded. “There is no sign of any lasting damage. Anevay did a good job.” He looked back at the boy. “You could have died or ended up severely impaired.”

Anevay smoothed the blankets across Loki’s lap. “I know you wish to speak with him, Kellinar. We will leave you two alone.”

Kellinar waited until they left and closed the door behind them before resuming his pacing. He glanced at Loki and saw the boy’s eyes tracking him from where he lay propped up against the pillows. Kellinar waited as he tried to gain better control of his anger. After several minutes, he decided partial control was the best he could achieve.

He looked at Loki again though he didn’t stop pacing. “What were you thinking?” he managed. It sounded reasonable. Nothing like the threat to throttle him that he’d thought was going to come out.

Loki looked down. “I don’t know. I remember leaving Galdrilene. Merru and I just wanted to do something different.”

“No, you mean you wanted to do something different and you somehow talked Merru into it,” Kellinar said, glaring.

“I guess it was something like that.” Loki fidgeted with the covers. “I just thought it would be fun to fly over Ardien and then be back home by the next morning. I don’t know what happened though. All I remember is flying down the valley holding a light-bending weave and then waking up here.”

“You flew into one of the worst storms I’ve ever seen is what happened. You crashed into the middle of Ardien. Emallya has spent the last two days doing damage control there. Only the king and the heads of the leading houses knew about Galdrilene. They had the same weave laid on them as anyone else that knew about Galdrilene.” He stopped and crossed his arms. “It was done for the protection of Galdrilene and the protection of budding mages in the Boromar. Now everyone there has seen not only you and your dragon but Anevay, Bardeck and Latia as well.”

Loki twisted the edge of the blanket around. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Kellinar scowled as his voice rose to a shout. “Loki, you endangered yourself, you nearly killed Merru, you endangered Bardeck and Latia, and put my bondmate in danger trying to save you. And all you can say is you are sorry? Fates be damned, this goes way beyond flaming sorry!”

“What do you want me to say?”

Kellinar shook his head and started pacing again. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know that you can say anything. I know you are young to be a Dragon Rider, Loki. I know you have struggled with the requirements of Galdrilene, but burn it all, it is time to grow up! Fates, Loki,” he was shouting again but couldn’t help it. “You nearly died! You scared the flaming life out of me.”

He stopped and sank into one of the chairs. Propping his elbows on his knees he buried his face in his hands and let out a deep sigh. The silence stretched out. Finally, Kellinar dropped his hands and sat up, leaning his head against the wall behind the chair. He stared at the smooth rock ceiling of the sleeping chamber. “When Shryden and I arrived,” he said quietly, “Latia was barely holding against the wind and Anevay was injured from a huge branch flung through the air. I saw you and Merru after I had control of the storm.”

Kellinar closed his eyes, trying to shut out the memory of their broken bodies against the wet paving stones. The awkward way Loki had hung from the saddle. Merru’s wings wrenched to an odd angle. “I thought you were both dead,” he whispered. He looked over at the half-grown boy. “Don’t ever do that to me again. I may have a dragon and bondmates now, but that doesn’t mean I have ceased to love you like a little brother.”

Loki stared at him, his blue eyes serious. “I promise, Kellinar.”

Kellinar nodded and felt the tension in his shoulders relax. Like himself, Loki always kept his word.

Loki glanced around the room. “Where are Taela and Serena?”

“Still in Haraban.”

“Oh.” Loki’s face fell. “I guess that means you won’t be staying.”

Kellinar shook his head. “I wish I could. I never imagined I would miss Galdrilene like I do. But I can’t stay. We have to leave Haraban and go to Trilene.”

“How do you think it will go in Trilene?”

Kellinar rubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t know.”

Loki was silent for a long moment before he spoke again. “Will Anevay go with you when you leave this time?”

“I want her to and I don’t want her to.” Kellinar laughed. “It isn’t like I have a choice now that Latia can Slide reliably. Anevay will go where she chooses though I know she is trying to work on that weave of hers. So in my long, rambling, round-about way, I’m saying I have no idea.”

Kalila held the weave of air, funneling the smoke from the fire through a series of twists and turns while holding a small ball up with another weave. Sweat beaded on her brow from the effort but she was proud of the ability to hold two weaves, simple though they were.

“Good,” said Katian, the senior mage overseeing her training that day. “You are doing very well and progressing nicely.”

Kalila smiled but kept her concentration on the weaves. This was her life now and she was determined to give it her all. Another hour of training left and then it would be time to help with tower chores.

Dhovara came sweeping into the room. “Drop the weaves. I need to speak with you.”

Kalila glanced at Katian. Had she done something wrong? She let the weaves unravel as Katian grabbed the ball and put out the fire. Kalila took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from her brow. “What is it, Mage Councilor?”

Dhovara glanced at Katian. “I will speak with her alone, if you will excuse us please.”

A nervous knot started in Kalila’s gut as she searched Dhovara’s dark face for some sign of what was wrong. When the door clicked shut, Dhovara motioned her to the chairs at the side of the room. “Sit, we have a matter of importance to discuss.”

Kalila moved to a chair and sat as the Mage Councilor took the one across from her. “What is this about? Have I done something wrong?”

“What?” Dhovara looked startled. “No, child, you have done nothing wrong. In fact, you are a model junior mage and your training is coming along nicely.”

Confused, Kalila’s brow furrowed. “Then, what?”

Dhovara frowned though there was compassion in her eyes. “We just received word that your father has died.”

Kalila’s breath left her in a rush as a fist tightened around her heart. Her father was dead. He hadn’t been the father he should have been to Sadira, but Kalila’s childhood was filled with happy memories of him. Now she would never to see him again. He would never know that she was alive and safe and happy.

Dhovara leaned forward and placed a hand on hers. “I would give you more time to absorb this and grieve, but there is more.”

A tear trailed down Kalila’s cheek as she focused on the older woman. “What else?”

“Apparently he died a month ago but we just now received word. Your brother assumed the throne as was intended; however, he doesn’t seem to be doing very well in his new position. The high-ranking nobles are pushing him around and Markene has become quite a mess.” Dhovara folded her hands in her lap. “Normally this would be none of our concern except another egg has begun to sing and Emallya has tracked it to your brother.”

Kalila stared at her dumbfounded. “You mean…Toren is going to be a Dragon Rider? That’s wonderful, isn’t it?”

“It would be if there was someone to take his place in Markene. The man your older sister Larna was supposed to marry is trying to take things over. Your mother is useless; she has barely made a sound since your father passed. Drisa is also gone. Your other sisters are too young.”