“IMPRESSIVE.” LUKAN let his gaze wander over the impossibly high walls of Queen Xe’lien’s castle. On their one-week travel to their destination, they had discussed trying to sneak close enough to execute a surprise attack, but Noran had patiently explained to them that surprise attacks on castles never worked and that the chances of Xe’lien not knowing about their approach were close to zero. Case in point, the catapults mounted on top of her walls. Daran sighed. “Impressive indeed.” He looked around at his fellow Echend’dim and Sic and Noran. Sic wouldn’t be of any help concerning strategies, so it was Noran Daran put his hopes in. “What do you think, Lord Noran?”
Noran shrugged. “The usual method would be to besiege the castle until the occupants are too weak to offer any resistance. Unfortunately, we don’t have that much time. We need to find another way in.”
“Why don’t we climb the walls?” Ellewinn’s tone suggested he couldn’t understand why Daran hadn’t thought of this before.
“Because even though we’re no ordinary humans anymore, we aren’t cats either. The only one who could climb those walls is you, and once they see you, they’re going to kill you. And even if you should make it to the top, you’d be alone.” Lukan shook his head. “We won’t do that.”
Ellewinn pouted but seemed to see reason. Daran stared at the walls, and an idea started forming in his mind. “If you climb those walls, would you do it as a human or a cat?”
Ellewinn shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I can do both.” He extended his hand and let his claws slip free. Lukan and the others gasped in shock. Even though Ellewinn was now part of the Eternal Guard and their brother-in-arms, there hadn’t been much time to really get to know him. The bond they shared with him was as strong as that with the other Echend’dim, but politeness had kept them from prying too much. Ellewinn had endured unspeakable things none of the others wanted to force him to relive just to sate their curiosity.
“I guess it makes no difference.” Daran contemplated first Ellewinn, then Lukan and the other Echend’dim. “I think this could work. We create a diversion at the western wall, some attempt at storming it to keep their attention away from the main gate. Ellewinn climbs the wall next to the guard tower closest to the main gate. He sneaks down and opens the gate for us. Before they can redirect their forces, we’re through the gate and start the bloodbath our god is asking for. We don’t even need a signal because we’re linked. As soon as Ellewinn reaches the gate to open it, we’ll know, which allows for a seamless operation. What do you think?” Daran looked around, stopped his gaze at Noran, whose lips slowly broadened to a bright smile.
“And you thought you can’t take a castle. It’s a solid plan, and even if they keep enough guards at the gate to make your entry difficult, Sic can fortify you with his power so you make it through.”
“Speaking of Sic.” Belnor nodded respectfully in the smith’s direction. “Why don’t you just level the whole castle with your power?” The question carried no challenge or mean undertone, just genuine interest why the most powerful weapon in their arsenal wouldn’t be used.
“Because Lord Canubis tasked his Echend’dim to destroy Xe’lien.” Daran smiled weakly. “Sic is only here as a courtesy, so to speak. He won’t always be, and we need to learn to act as a unit, on our own. I need to learn to give orders, to listen to counsel, to make decisions and live with the outcome. We all need to learn to rely on each other and the powers we’ve been given. Lord Canubis was right to send us here. We are the arm that wields his sword, so to speak, and we need to be firm and secure in our actions.”
Belnor raised his hands in a placating gesture. “All right, I get it. I was just asking.”
“And rightfully so. It’s always good to consider all your options, and if this weren’t a training, I would definitely give Sic a more prominent role.” Noran nodded toward Belnor, acknowledging his question as valid.
“Lord Noran is right. We always have to think of everything.” Daran smiled. “So let’s try to find the holes in my plan.”
They went through every possible scenario regarding Daran’s idea and finally decided to simply do it. Late in the afternoon, when the sun was already low on the horizon, making it more difficult to see, a group of Echend’dim started an attack on the western wall of the castle, sending burning arrows and small barrels with tar against the unyielding stone. As predicted, the guards on the wall sounded the alarm and congregated where the attack was happening.
From the shadows of the woods surrounding the castle, Daran watched the western wall looming in the flickering light of small and ineffective fires. He kept track of Ellewinn’s progress through their bond, knowing the elusi had already reached the top of the wall. There was a brief moment where Ellewinn was faced with four opponents, but a quick surge of power from Sic took care of them. Ellewinn went down on the inside of the wall, and as soon as he reached the mechanism to open the gate, Daran gave the signal. He and his men ran toward the gate, which opened so perfectly, they didn’t have to slow down for even a moment. The loud bang of the gate hitting the ground alerted the castle’s guards to this new threat, but it was already too late. They were inside the enemy’s territory now, swarming the palace ground and killing everybody in their sight. Ellewinn appeared next to Daran in his cat form, swiping his deadly claws right and left, protecting Daran’s flank. It was a strange sensation, being connected to the cat, the animal’s senses adding another surreal layer to Daran’s already distorted perception. In its entirety, it made him faster and sharper; nothing could get past him anymore. Sic’s power was flowing freely into him, strengthening the bond he had with his brethren, letting him know what was going on everywhere without breaking his concentration. They made their way through the palace, leaving behind nothing but blood and death, just like their god had asked them to do.
The traitorous queen tried to keep them out of the throne room, her most formidable warriors shielding her, but it was of no use. When they all lay slaughtered at Daran’s feet, Xe’lien tried to negotiate, then she begged, and in the end she lost her head in a swift movement of Daran’s sword. To his own surprise, Daran felt no pity or mercy for her. She had tried to betray his gods, his people, and she paid the price for her hubris. Her blood was nothing more than a stain on his clothes, one he would get rid of before they started their journey home to the Valley. Xe’lien’s head was put in a wooden box for transport, her castle ransacked and then burned to the ground.
Sic and Noran watched from the forest, witnessed the strength and unity of the Echend’dim. When it was time to ride, Daran guided his horse next to Sic’s. For some time, they just rode next to each other, not saying anything. Noran kept in the background, leaving the two friends to whatever they had to hash out.
You’re not happy. Daran spoke in Sic’s head, because saying those words aloud would have hurt too much. Do you hate me now?
Sic’s love for him washed over Daran before the words could reach him. No! Never! I do not hate you, nor do I hate what you did for our gods. I know it’s necessary, I know it’s inevitable, and I know she had it coming. I just think it’s such a waste of precious life. Do you understand?
I do. And I resent myself a bit for not feeling more strongly about her death. If anything, I see it as insignificant, and doesn’t that make me a bad person?
Another surge of warmth rushed through Daran, assuring him that he was still capable of emotion. No. I don’t think so. You have to protect yourself. We all have to. We live in a world where mercy has little room, and in order to protect the ones we love, we have to choose our path. The fact that neither of us is human anymore doesn’t make it easier.
What do we do, then? I hate to see you sad. You’ve had enough of that to last for more than a hundred lifetimes.
A smile appeared on Sic’s lips; it was still tentative, but it was there. “We protect our bond. We stay close and we stay brothers. We will be support and protection for each other.”
Daran felt a heavy weight sliding off his shoulders. This was a promise he would gladly give. “We will. Forever.”
“Forever.”
The two friends looked at each other, the severity of that one word no longer crushing them.
“CANUBIS, THEY’RE here!” Kalad was grinning from ear to ear when he announced the arrival of Renaldo and Casto, not caring that he had just ripped open the door to Canubis’s quarters to disturb him and Noemi during their lunch. Canubis was inclined to forgive him because he himself was hardly able to contain his giddiness. He’d felt his brother’s approach ever since they had made their way back from the Dark Forest, and once he had the Pack safely settled in the Valley, the connection to Renaldo had become clearer every day. His brother and Casto had killed somebody on their way home and then taken their sweet time, probably to enjoy each other a bit longer, because once they came back to the Valley, the mundane struggles of their daily lives and chores would start to interfere again. Canubis could relate, and since he knew they were on their way, he had no problem giving them that reprieve. His brother had earned it. For that reason, he rose from the table without chastising one of his oldest Emeris. With a broad smile, Noemi followed suit, she, too, eager to greet her brother-in-law and his capricious husband. As much as it galled Canubis to admit it, he had missed Casto, though he would never, ever say so out loud.
The three of them made their way to the entrance of the main building, where Aegid, Hulda, Wolfstan, Bantu, and Cornelia were already gathered. Canubis acknowledged Cornelia with a slight bow of his head, still a bit rattled by how close the Good Mother had been to killing everybody in the Valley while he was away. Knowing that from now on his people had another line of defense, the protection of ana regena raktol, the queen of nightmares, soothed the anger he felt about the attack from the Good Mother. Before he could delve deeper into how much he hated that stupid bitch, the clopping of hooves announced the arrival of his brother and Casto.
When the three horses appeared around the corner in the path, Canubis felt the air leave his lungs. He had expected to find the usual picture, his brother happy to have his heart back, Casto grumpy because he had again made a concession he hadn’t really wanted to give. Instead, he saw a unit, two flames that were finally burning in accordance, the power lying within it directed by two wills that acted as one. Not even he and Noemi were that close, and in a way it made sense. Everything his brother and Casto did was to the extreme; it was the nature of the fire, the nature of the beast inside Renaldo. After countless battles, after years of outright war with short ceasefires, the Angel of Death and the King of Ummana had finally found peace in each other. It was so beautiful in its lethality, Canubis wanted to weep tears of joy. Instead, he simply opened his arms and embraced them both once they got off their horses. “Welcome home, both of you. I’m so glad.”
“As am I, brother. As am I.” Renaldo hugged him back fiercely, conveying with his whole being how happy he was. Casto said nothing, but he did snuggle into Canubis’s arms, like an alley cat finally accepting touch. They stood there for a while, until Noemi broke into their circle, snatching Casto from Canubis. She slung her arms around Casto’s waist, laughing and crying at the same time. “I missed you so much! Life isn’t the same when you’re not there to glare at everything!”
“I missed you too. Though not your disgustingly positive outlook on life.” The laughter in Casto’s voice was like the sweet chime of bells. He was indeed like a cat, making people happy just by emitting a pleasing sound.
After they had all welcomed Renaldo and Casto, and three stable boys had taken the horses, they went back to Canubis’s quarters to talk about everything that had happened. With wine in hand, Canubis gave a short report on how the campaign had ended and that they were awaiting Daran’s return with the Echend’dim in roughly a week. Then Cornelia filled them in about the attack of the Good Mother and how it had all culminated in her taking her rightful place as the queen of the dream realm. She regarded Casto with a strange look in her eyes. “When I talked to Heljia, she told me she plays with Lys when she visits the Valley. She was sad that he wasn’t there when you were—away.”
Casto furrowed his brows, his eyes getting that faraway look when he was conversing with his ride. Suddenly a smile appeared on his lips. “He does, and he loves it. He just never told me about it because, apparently, I’m too boring to play properly and he loves having Heljia and Sic to himself. Something to do with Luksari power and chaos. I’m not sure if I should be offended.”
Renaldo leaned into Casto and gave him a loving kiss on his temple. “Let them have their fun. We have our own, my heart.”
Casto shrugged. “You’re right. We don’t need them.” He still pouted and then arched a brow when he saw everybody in the room staring at them. “What?”
“Renaldo just kissed you.” Kalad sounded awed, with just enough mischief strewn in to make clear he was teasing.
“And?”
“You never let him kiss you just like that. There’s always some eye rolling or huffing or hissing involved, usually all of it. Which makes me wonder who you are and what you have done to Casto.”
Casto narrowed his eyes while the others were snickering. He didn’t respond with one of his scathing comments, though. A thin thread of flame shot out from his index finger, reaching Kalad faster than anybody could react, and wrapped around his throat. It was obviously not hot enough to do any damage, for Kalad simply lifted a brow in Casto’s direction, but he had the assembled Emeris gasping in utter surprise. Renaldo sat next to Casto, his chest swelling in visible pride.
“You were saying?” Casto’s voice sounded deceptively sweet, a tone they all had come to associate with impending doom.
Kalad, always quick with his thinking, managed to hide his surprise. “Wow, I take it back. You’re still your lethal, insufferable, arrogant self. Sorry for assuming otherwise.”
“Ass.” The fire vanished, not having singed a hair on Kalad’s body.
“So you’ve finally managed to tame my brother’s fire.” Canubis smiled until he saw the look his brother and Casto shared. “What?”
“Well, I’ve had control over the fire since Daran was kidnapped. I just didn’t tell anybody. Tactics.”
Canubis opened his mouth to tell his wayward brother-in-law what exactly he thought of his so-called tactics when Renaldo chimed in. “I hate to admit it, but it was a wise move on his part. The Followers who tried to take him prisoner in Quell’renar believed the same, and they paid with their lives for their wrong assumption. To be honest, we have discussed keeping it a secret for longer, but we realized we probably wouldn’t be able to do it now that we’ve reached this new level of unity.”
“You were thinking of deceiving us? Of deceiving me?” Canubis couldn’t believe it.
Casto shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it deceiving. Think more of it along the lines of storing knowledge until it’s useful.”
“Semantics, and you know it.” Canubis felt anger welling inside him.
“He’s right, Canubis. It’s a clever move.” Hulda sounded entirely too admiring for Canubis’s taste. “Think about it, my god.” The use of his title did little to calm the Wolf of War. “Making your enemy believe you are weaker than you really are. I don’t like being kept in the dark, but in this case, Casto made the right call. By keeping such vital information to himself, he had an ace up his sleeve nobody could have predicted. Apparently it saved his life, and I do agree it would be advantageous to keep it secret. We should try and keep it inside these walls and among the people present. Unless you think the Followers were able to tell anybody your secret?”
Casto shook his head. “The only one who saw me using it died too fast to blab about anything but the things I wanted to know.”
Canubis looked around. None of the Emeris seemed to be angry about not having known. His own irritation probably stemmed from the fact that it was his own brother keeping things from him.
“I didn’t know about it until he told me in Quell’renar.” Renaldo had picked up on Canubis’s anger.
“And you weren’t angry with him?”
Renaldo shrugged, glancing lovingly at his heart. “It’s his nature. It’s how he grew up, how he survived to become my heart. I wasn’t happy, mind you. Though knowing that my feelings regarding the matter didn’t even factor into Casto’s decision-making somehow helped. He saw an opportunity to gain the upper hand and was pragmatic enough to take it. End of story.”
Canubis mulled his brother’s words over. Renaldo was right, of course. Having somebody in their ranks who could strategize like that, who could think of outcomes that only existed in potentia, somebody who could look into the future and make his decisions based on estimations was very valuable indeed. He sighed, looked directly at Casto, who didn’t flinch or show any other signs of distress at having angered his god. With sudden clarity, Canubis realized what else was valuable to have—somebody who made his decisions without any regard whatsoever to the sensitivities of two Gods of War.
“I don’t like it, but Hulda and Renaldo are right. The way your mind works is too precious to stifle it with demands you’re going to ignore anyway. I’m going to trust you to have the best for the Pack in mind when you do the things you do.”
For a long moment, Casto held Canubis’s gaze. The things Canubis saw in those deep spheres—the determination, the ruthlessness, the lethality, and the absolute focus on the ultimate goal—they gave him hope. He had to stop seeing Casto as an amusing distraction for his brother, a nuisance that shook Renaldo’s life—and therefore that of everybody in the Valley—up. The King of Ummana had long surpassed such petty descriptions. He was an ally, a part of the family, the heart of his brother. It was time Canubis recognized Casto’s role. The silent understanding between them solidified, and Casto nodded.
“I promise.”
All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room relaxed, making everybody breathe a sigh of relief. It was Wolfstan who got the conversation back on track.
“What happened after you left Quell’renar?”
Renaldo grinned. “You mean aside from hot sex?”
Kalad made a hooting sound. “No, tell us about the sex. What could be more important?”
Hulda just shook her head with a smile. “I think we all know very well how hot your sex is. Just try not to burn anything when you’re going at it in your bed. What we really want to know is who you killed.”
“Yeah, that too.” Kalad threw his hands in the air.
“Fine. My gorgeous husband had gotten some interesting information from one of his attackers in Quell’renar about three seers hiding close to Kwarl. We decided to take a look. As it turned out, the information was good. There were three seers, hidden by powerful magic. Casto burned their protection away, and we killed two of them and questioned the third.”
“And what did you find out?” Noemi sounded worried. Since the Mothers had left Ana-Darasa, she had started taking on more of Canubis’s burdens to help him with all the massive changes going on, not only with himself but also within the Pack. Canubis tried to shield her from the worst, though as the only true nurturer they had in their ranks, it was only natural for her to feel the strain more heavily.
“Not much we haven’t known before, or at least suspected. The three were the most powerful seers of the Good Mother, and she had infused them with her strength to get an edge in the upcoming war. Luckily for us, forced visions are even less reliable than naturally occurring ones, and even though they did eventually find Casto, it did them no good. Now that the three are dead, the Good Mother has lost her eye into the future. The only truly worrying information was that of an army the Good Mother is amassing somewhere beyond the sea. The seer blabbered something about darkness taking the light from the Echend’dim. It was all very cryptic, because she didn’t really understand it herself.”
“Azashreem,” Bantu murmured.
Casto stared at him. “What does that mean?”
“The death of the Echend’dim. Daggers made of chaos to kill the light. Actually, we brought one back from the Dark Forest. I can show you later.”
“Just one?” As always, Casto came right to the point.
“Yes, only one, and we were led to believe there weren’t more—yet. I haven’t had the time to properly examine the dagger, so I can’t give you any details. What I do know from earlier studies and from a quick examination is that the dagger is not made of a metal known on Ana-Darasa, which is probably the reason our enemies only had this one weapon. No matter where or how she’s getting them, it has to cost the Good Mother; otherwise she would have given more of them to her followers. Which is the only good news regarding those blades.”
“Is there a way to find out how she gets them and to prevent her from doing it?” Casto looked thoughtful.
“I could try to find out. No promises, though. This is old knowledge. Very old.” Bantu took a sip of his wine. “Perhaps we could ask the Luksari once Sic is back. Or even Lys? I already asked Sar’reff, but with Lys being absent for so long, he has slipped back to not talking at all.”
If he took Bantu’s words as an accusation, Casto didn’t show it. “We can ask Lys tomorrow. Now I want to get rid of the journey’s grime. If this was all, Lord Canubis?”
The way Casto asked made perfectly clear he thought there was nothing else to discuss, and Canubis, still full of joy about having his brother back, simply nodded. “Go and wash up.” He wrinkled his nose, unable to not land that little blow. “You certainly need it.”
Instead of getting angry as he usually would have, Casto just laughed. “Your own fault for dragging us into this meeting right after we arrived. Are you coming, Barbarian?”
Renaldo got up, smiling broadly. “I’m here, my love.”
Together, the Angel of Death and the King of Ummana left Canubis’s chambers.
THE NEXT morning, Bantu met with Casto at the stables. His god’s heart was breathtaking, as usual, but not having seen Casto for so long, Bantu found himself staring like everybody had done in the beginning, when Renaldo had just found Casto. The king didn’t give an indication that he noticed Bantu’s rudeness, though Bantu was sure he knew. Nothing escaped Casto’s sharp eyes, and he stored every scrap of information in his vault-like mind until it was of use.
“Good morning, Casto. You look rested.”
“Good morning, Bantu. It was a pleasant night.” The king grinned broadly. His ability to adapt to every attitude he was confronted with was another thing Bantu wasn’t sure he admired or feared. “Do you have the dagger with you?”
Bantu nodded and reached into the leather bag he was carrying around his right shoulder. The Azashreem was wrapped tightly in a cloth to prevent it from doing any harm. Bantu wasn’t sure what damage the weapon could do exactly, and decided to err on the side of caution. Casto’s approach was a little less careful; he took off the cloth in an almost impatient move and held the dagger at the hilt, staring at the blade with narrowed eyes.
“It feels familiar, but in an odd way. Lys?”
Bantu couldn’t suppress a gasp when Lys suddenly appeared right next to Casto, his huge head with the intelligent eyes forming out of the shadows created by the roof of the stables. A demon horse indeed. Never one to be impolite, even when he was deeply rattled, Bantu inclined his head slightly. As far as he understood, Lys was royalty, similar to the Gods of War, and deserved this show of respect. “Good morning, Lysistratos.”
He got a soft whinny in return; then Lys focused on the dagger. He nudged it with his soft nose, which caused the blade to make a strange sound and quiver in Casto’s hand. Small tendrils of darkness floated from the blade in Lys’s direction, only to be pulled back into the weapon almost violently.
Casto sighed. “This is bad.”
“Does this mean Lys knows what exactly the Azashreem is?” Bantu knew his voice sounded a bit too eager for the severity of the situation, but whenever there was something new to learn, he couldn’t help but be excited.
Casto looked at him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. “Yes. It’s basically forced chaos. In order to create a weapon like this, you need to reach into the realm of chaos and steal a small part of it. Doing so when you’re not part of chaos like Lys or Sar’reff are requires a lot of power. Then you need even more power to seal the bit of chaos into a blade that has to be made of a special alloy, containing blue steel and molten stone. Once the chaos is inside the blade, it somehow merges with the alloy and creates something new and unknown on Ana-Darasa. The chaos inside the blade tries to escape because the alloy is order, but also acts like some kind of chains. When you stab a human with the blade, nothing happens. They simply die of a mortal wound. But when the weapon comes in contact with magic….” Casto shrugged. “Lys says chaos and magic were not one but kind of, like, mixed before the Mothers introduced order to the universe. They are drawn to each other, and because chaos can’t leave the dagger, the magic is pulled into it, which in turn kills the vessel holding the magic. In this case the Echend’dim and Emeris. Though Lys says this dagger isn’t built strong enough to withstand a lot of magic. If I were to stab you with it, it would probably break before it could suck all the magic out of you. You would survive. As would any Echend’dim, as long as Sic pours enough magic into them to shatter the alloy.”
“Are you saying this is not as bad as we feared?” There was a trace of hope in Bantu’s voice. One Casto shattered immediately by shaking his head.
“No, I’m saying this particular dagger is not as dangerous as the Followers might have hoped. Chances are this is some kind of test project, and if I were the Good Mother, I would be very busy making a lot more of these, experimenting with the alloy and trying to trap even bigger bits of chaos inside them. If she’s truly amassing an army, I’ll bet you Renaldo’s biggest blue diamond she’s doing everything in her power to have as many of her soldiers as possible carry such a weapon. Lys says the only way to destroy such a weapon is to free the chaos, so we need to find out how to release it from the alloy. A task I gladly put in your capable hands, since my knowledge of chemistry is limited to the workings of certain poisons.” Casto shrugged. “If you need more information, Lys says you’re welcome to ask him.” The king turned to the huge horse, touching the soft nose with an expression full of love. Bantu, who had lived long enough to know a dismissal when he saw one, started wrapping the dagger back into the cloth.
“I’m going to inform Canubis, and then I’ll be in the library. Thank you, Lys, Casto.”
Lys snorted, and Casto waved his hand. “This concerns us all, and frankly, I’m glad you’re the one doing the research. I have full trust in your abilities.”
Before the last Spring Ceremony, Bantu would have suspected the king of mocking him. Now he could feel the sincerity coming from Casto. As surprising as it was, Bantu enjoyed being acknowledged by the capricious king whose character was so very different from Bantu’s own. Bantu watched as Casto jumped onto Lys’s back with graceful movements. The stallion reared, turned on his hind legs, and started to run, quickly becoming nothing more than a small dot on the path to the forest surrounding the houses of the Pack.
“FINALLY HOME.” Daran breathed in relief when he saw the narrow passageway into the Valley. The guards standing there waved at them excitedly, and the howling of the wolves told the entire Valley they were back.
“Yes, home.” Lukan’s voice was heavy with grief, and Daran didn’t hesitate to put his hand on his friend’s arm in a soothing gesture. As Daran had predicted, with the end of their mission, Lukan’s emotions had shed the tight lid the young warrior had had on them. Facing his sorrow over losing Elua was hard for Lukan, even though Daran, Sic, and the other Echend’dim did their best to help him. Through their bond, they all could feel the grief and devastation swamping Lukan in waves, and they made sure somebody was always there to show him he wasn’t alone. Sic, who was riding next to them, smiled at Lukan.
“I’ve talked to Noran, and since he’s moved in with me, his quarters are free. We want you and Ellewinn to have them until you decide what you want to do with Elua’s house.”
The unshed tears in Lukan’s eyes when he looked at Sic almost broke Daran’s heart. He felt a twinge of guilt, thinking he was coming home to his two husbands while all Lukan had left was an empty house filled with memories of happy times. “Thank you, Sic. This means a lot to me. I really couldn’t stand being in the house at the moment. I don’t want my grief to taint the good times Elua and I had there. When I make my peace with her death, I’ll decide what to do with it.”
“Take as much time as you need.” A single tear slid down Sic’s cheek, reminding Daran that Sic still felt guilty about not having been able to convince Elua to come back as Echend’dim. “It wasn’t your fault, Sic. Elua was a grown woman, and she made her decision. There was nothing you could have said or done to change her mind.”
Daran looked at Lukan, who sighed. “Yes, she was stubborn like that.” The Echend’dim closed his eyes for a moment. “After you brought me back from the dead, our relationship started to change. I think deep down, Elua had made peace with dying in battle long before she met me. She was stoic like that. And when I was suddenly Echend’dim—well, she accepted it, was happy for me, but even then, she never liked to talk about how wonderful things would be once she was Echend’dim as well. I thought it was because she didn’t want to jinx it, but now I’m sure it was because she knew she didn’t want eternity. On a certain level, I can understand it. There are days I wish I’d just given in to the peace the shadows were offering.” When Lukan saw Sic’s eyes widening, he hastened to add, “Those are rare, though. Mostly I’m glad to be here to see how things are going to play out. Elua was an integral part of me, and she always will be. She showed me a life I would have never dared dream of while I lived with my parents. And I love her enough to respect her decision, even though there are days when I hate her for leaving me. It’s going to take time, but I will make my peace with the way things have gone. And I thank you for your help and support. Without you, this would be a lot more difficult.”
Both Sic and Daran smiled at Lukan, and a soft yowl to the right informed them Ellewinn had heard their conversation and was expressing his support as well. To everybody’s surprise, Lukan and Ellewinn had formed a stable friendship. Daran suspected it had to do with the fact that Lukan had killed Ellewinn to free him of the seal, though he didn’t dig deeper. This was between the two men, and if they had managed to overcome their differences in such an amicable way, Daran was glad to leave the subject alone.
An imperious whinny echoed through the ravine, and both Sic and Daran smiled broadly. “Casto,” they said in unison. Noran, who was riding behind Sic, made a face, while Ellewinn shifted into his human form so fast, his entire body blurred for a moment. With an elegant jump, he landed behind Lukan’s saddle, his eyes lively with curiosity. Lukan had obviously gotten used to occasionally having a very naked cat shifter at his back and didn’t even flinch anymore. Ellewinn had heard countless stories about the king on their way to the Valley and now couldn’t wait to meet him for the first time. The whinny sounded anew, followed by the clomping of hooves beating the hard ground in a quick staccato. Then Lys came around the bend, his long black mane and tail trailing him like a banner, with Casto’s wheat-blond hair setting a stunning counterpoint.
Ellewinn watched the approach of the man he had heard so much about. The mixed feelings he had gotten from his new brothers-in-arms about the man—from utter love, admiration, and devotion to annoyance and even anger, all paired with respect, either grumpily or wholeheartedly—had made his curiosity overflow in the last few days. Sic and Daran jumped from their horses, as did the king even before his ride had come to a halt. The three men embraced, laughing and joking, sharing words of love and endearment. Ellewinn took the time to watch the black stallion Casto had ridden. When the others had told him Lys was not a horse but a creature of chaos, Ellewinn hadn’t believed it. Now he saw with his own eyes how right they had been. His cat yowled softly in his head, happy about being part of a pack with such a powerful creature in it. To Ellewinn’s surprise, the cat had taken well to being part of a group, mostly because they were dangerous predators and hunting with them was fun and bloody, as the siege of Xe’lien’s castle had shown. And now he was in the presence of yet another top predator. Ellewinn wasn’t fooled by Casto’s beauty or the way the expression in his clear blue eyes had softened when he had embraced Sic and Daran. Where Canubis was power personified and the other Emeris and the wolves were excellent hunters who knew death intimately, Casto was something else. Ellewinn had no doubt the man could be a wolf or even a cat when it came to dealing death. But that was not all he was. There was a snake in him, too, one who would patiently wait for its prey to step into the embrace of its deadly slings or until it could inject its lethal venom into the bloodstream of whomever it wanted gone. Casto was the kind of predator who could adapt and wait and either be quick or patient, always regarding the situation. He was a miracle who deserved Ellewinn’s admiration. Lukan’s laughter pried him from his musings.
“Don’t get too enamored, my friend. Casto belongs to Renaldo.”
Ellewinn huffed. “I’m aware. I was just looking.”
“That’s what we all do. Practically all the time.”
Casto was done hugging his friends and had made a step backward. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“Yes, it is. Where are my husbands?” Daran’s voice was full of longing.
Casto laughed, the sound pleasant even though there was a hint of cruelty in it, indicating yet another layer to his complicated personality.
“Last I saw of them, they were trying to look dignified and suppress their eagerness to finally get their hands on you. They’ve been insufferable the last few days.”
“Why didn’t they come with you?”
“I was already at the stables when the wolves announced your return. I jumped on Lys and came here while their horses were still grazing. And because it was clear I would beat them getting to you, I think they decided to wait.” Again Casto’s laughter filled the air around them, pleasing and cruel at the same time.
“You’re such an ass.” Daran went back to Rajan and got into the saddle. “My poor husbands!”
Sic giggled while he, too, climbed back onto his horse. “Then let’s not make them wait any longer.”
Casto huffed. “You’re no fun at all.” He winked at Lukan and Ellewinn before he turned around and jumped back onto the black stallion, who wore neither saddle nor bridle. The way Casto was one with the horse even before he reached it told Ellewinn everything he needed to know about his skills as a rider.
“I’m going to tell them you’re here.”
“You just want to rub it in you greeted us first!” Daran was laughing outright, the sound more carefree than Ellewinn had ever heard him. It seemed Casto was bringing out the playful side in his friends.
“And if?” The stunning blond shrugged, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I wish you fun, of course.” Daran nudged Rajan with his heels, and the horse started walking again.
Casto lifted his hand in farewell, and the black stallion darted away. He was out of sight before Ellewinn had time to fully grasp he had been there at all. He jumped down from the horse Lukan was riding, shaking his head like his cat did when it got wet. Lukan’s chuckling reached his ears, the quality so different from what Casto’s laughter had been.
“Don’t worry, Ellewinn. Casto has that impact on people. You will get used to it—or not, since I’m not sure if Casto is somebody you could ever truly get used to.”
“You can’t. Even when you think you’ve finally figured him out, he does something that leaves you with your jaw touching the ground. It’s one of the reasons he’s so much fun to be around.”
The soft smile playing around Sic’s mouth told Ellewinn there was a lot more to Sic’s relationship with Casto than simple entertainment, and one look at Noran’s scowling face was enough to convince Ellewinn that whatever kept Sic and Casto close was frowned upon by Noran. This was one of the reasons Ellewinn preferred solitude, not having to deal with such complicated things as relationships and human interaction—though since most of the members of the Pack weren’t exactly human, Ellewinn wasn’t sure if his usual rules applied. He shifted back into his cat form, following the lead of Daran toward a future that might not be what he and his cat had once envisioned for themselves, but which promised to be a lot more interesting than he could have ever hoped for.