“I know, but it’s true. I can sense her more strongly than any elf in this room combined. It’s as if she is a shining beacon to me.”
Lana looked at Clay, shocked and a little afraid. She had changed? There were no mirrors in Eva so she had no idea what she looked like and never thought to check her reflection in the water. Why had no one told her this? What did it mean?
“Indeed…” Sylwynn said thoughtfully. “That is curious. Lana, princess, will you continue to help the elves that fall ill in this city? We would like some time to study your work so we can better understand what is happening.”
“I have no intention of leaving sick elves to die,” she responded frostily. “Will you see to setting up spaces for the sick so that I may visit them easily?”
“Yes, we can do that.”
“Then I think we are done here. I need rest and so does Clay. You have not treated him kindly.” She glared at the men before her, then turned to leave the room without waiting to be dismissed. If she let these men try to tell her what to do, she would never have the upper hand again. Right now, they needed her so she owned them and they knew it. Clay followed her in silence all the way back to their room.
Once they were back inside, Lana began preparing for bed. Clay was standing awkwardly by the door, watching her. She turned to him, hands on her hips.
“What?” she asked.
He stared at her for a moment, seeming to be at a loss for words. Then, he cleared his throat and looked down.
“I’ve missed you, Lana,” he said in a small voice. “It’s been so long since we’ve been near each other and everything is happening so quickly now that we’re together again. When I left, we had…”
Lana watched him for a moment then walked toward him purposefully. Putting her hands on his chest, she went up on her toes and kissed him lightly.
“Yes, we had,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Everything changes, Clay. I have changed greatly. You are not exactly the man I thought I knew. But that does not change what’s in my heart.”
He smiled sweetly and ran a hand through her hair and down her back. She shivered at his touch.
“Come to bed, Clay. We need rest.”
* * *
A week had passed since Nym and Lana arrived in Thelsamel. Nym had retired to her quarters in the palace, joined by Ilann. He was still proving to be a great diversion but now that she knew Lana would discover her treachery at any moment, she had a difficult time giving him the attention he deserved.
Every day was the same. She would wake, break her fast with Ilann, train with the other elves in the elders’ employ, walk through the palace garden and visit the Great Tree, eat her dinner with Ilann and then retire for the day. She had been careful to keep herself away from any areas where Lana and Clay might be present. But then the summons came.
“The lady Lana has requested that you come visit her in her rooms, Nym,” Sen told her, a look of worship in his eyes. In the past week, it had been proven time and again that Lana’s claim that she could heal elves was true and the whole city thought she was a gift from the mother herself. Clearly, Sen believed so, and perhaps she was.
“Thank you,” she told him. “I will be there shortly.”
Nym shut the door and regarded her room. It had been her home in the palace since she was a child and there were a lot of memories here. She walked around slowly, running a hand over the table and the bindings of her book collection she’d spent countless years building. Ilann watched her silently as she made her way over to the assortment of bone daggers displayed on the wall then chose the sharpest, shoving it through a loop in her belt.
“Ilann, I must go and speak with Lana. You should be there. Will you come?”
He stood and crossed the room, cradling her face in his hands.
“I will, dear one. I wish I knew what has been troubling you so these past few days. Will Lana give you peace?”
Nym looked away from him, not wanting him to see the fear in her eyes.
“I hope she will,” she said quietly, knowing that the kind of peace she deserved and the kind of peace he meant were two different things. Taking him by the hand, she left her room for what was probably going to be the last time. Together they walked to Lana’s and Clay’s chambers and she knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Lana called, and Nym let herself and Ilann in. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her gaze to regard her friend.
Lana was looking at her with such a loving and warm smile it broke her heart.
“Nym! It’s been too long, have you been busy?” she exclaimed, rising.
“Indeed, I thought you might want to speak with me once you arrived,” Clay told her, walking over to clap a hand on her shoulder. “I can never thank you enough for getting Lana here safely. Anything you need, please ask.”
Nym nodded at him and took a breath, then faced Lana again.
“Lana, Clay, Ilann…” she began, choosing her words carefully. “You have all been true friends to me. I have enjoyed our time together so much, more than I can even say. But there is something that you must know.”
She walked to where Lana was standing and knelt before her.
“I have not spoken of it for fear that it would inhibit my ability to bring you safely here, Lana. If I’m being honest, I also couldn’t bear to hurt you. You have become like a
