'Nor do they fall asleep,' Telamont replied, 'or dream like humans.'
Galaeron swallowed his rising anger, then turned to face the Most High. 'What if I am jealous? I still want you to keep her here.'
Telamont looked out over the passing desert. 'And who wants this?'
Galaeron considered a moment and realized he was thinking only of his own needs and not Vala's. She would feel diminished to think that he didn't trust her-and he still didn't want her to go. 'Does it matter?' Galaeron asked.
Telamont's cowled head bobbed in approval. 'You are beginning to understand, but I will not interfere with Escanor's mission.' He turned away from the window and fixed Galaeron with his platinum glare. 'Forget this woman. Your shadow will use your love against you, and such emotional attachments can only interfere with your studies.'
Galaeron's head was swirling. He had, of course, been aware of his growing attraction to Vala but had never called it love, even in his mind. Elves had to know each other for years-sometimes decades-before they felt anything close to what humans described as love, and he had only known Vala for a few months. To say that he loved her… well, most elves didn't sleep or dream, either. Galaeron felt the weight of a question and looked up to find Telamont's gaze still fixed on him.
'Studies?' he asked, hoping to cover what was really going through his mind.
Telamont's eyes twinkled. 'Your magic studies,' he said. 'You are quite a gifted innatoth. Once you are at peace with your shadow, I will begin to teach you in earnest.'
'Truly?' Even to Galaeron, the response sounded less than enthusiastic, but he kept seeing Vala in Escanor's arms, and that was an image he never wanted to feel comfortable with. 'This comes as something of a surprise. Melegaunt warned me to stop using magic altogether.'
'Melegaunt was ever the cautious one,' Telamont returned. 'A fine attribute for spies… but limiting.'
Hadrhune emerged from the gloom with the wine. He served Telamont first, then crossed the room to offer Galaeron a glass of some vinegary black swill that would not have been used to pickle thracks in Evereska. Galaeron raised his hand to decline and bowed to Telamont.
'You have given me much to think about,' he said. 'If I may, I should return to Villa Dusari to meditate.'
Telamont's eyes dimmed, but he raised a sleeve and dismissed Galaeron with a wave. 'If you think that best. Perhaps Hadrhune will join me in your place.'
'I would be honored, Most High.' Hadrhune glared fire at Galaeron, then spun toward the window so fast that the goblet flew off the tray and spilled. 'What a pity-I'll have to fetch another.'
Galaeron left the sitting room with the hair prickling on his neck and his thoughts roaring like one of the sandstorms that occasionally forced the city to rise into the cold air miles above the desert. Like Melegaunt before him, the Most High clearly had plans to help Galaeron realize his full potential as a magic-user-and no hesitation about what it might cost Galaeron or those around him. Given the price he had paid merely for learning how to draw on the Shadow Weave, he was not at all eager to increase the depth of his knowledge-especially considering what Telamont had just said it would cost him. He was still enough of an elf to balk at the idea of giving up his emotions, but losing Vala was unthinkable-especially losing her to Escanor.
Galaeron arrived at Villa Dusari angry and determined. He found his companions gathered in the courtyard, sitting on cushions on the ground so they could share the evening meal with Aris, who was reclining along one side of the courtyard with his head propped on a palm as large as a saddle. 'Galaeron, what a surprise,' Vala said.
There was no real enthusiasm in her voice. She had yet to forget the sharp words he had spoken to her after the battle at the mythallar, and every time Galaeron thought to apologize, the shadow in him seemed to turn the moment into something awkward or bitter.
'Fetch yourself a plate and mug,' she said. 'There's plenty to eat.'
Instead of stepping into the shadowed colonnade to do as Vala suggested, Galaeron crossed straight to the group. Ruha glanced from him to Vala, then back again, and rose with ghostlike grace. Malik kept his seat, watching the witch with narrow eyes. Aris nodded a welcome to the elf. 'You sit,' the witch said. 'I'll go.'
She vanished into the building. Vala reluctantly moved over to make a place for Galaeron, but he stopped at her side and remained standing, ignoring Malik and the giant altogether. 'Vala, you can't go with Escanor tonight.'
She looked up at him with an expression of disbelief. 'Who are you to tell me what I can't do?' An angry heat rose to Galaeron's face. 'I… I…'
Surprised to find it was a question he could not answer, he let his reply trail off. What right could he claim over her decision? He had never spoken the words of love to her, had in fact denied even to himself that he felt such a thing-until Escanor had begun to take an interest in her. Only one oath had ever passed between them. 'You made a promise to me,' he said.
'Were I you, that is not something I'd be eager to remind me of.'
Realizing he would get nowhere butting heads with a Vaasan, Galaeron took a moment to cairn himself-and to quell his shadow, which was whispering dark warnings about the sincerity of the threat implied in her words.
When he finally felt under control, he said, 'Vala, I need you to stay.'
'You've a funny way of showing it-and I'm not just talking about what you said at the mythallar,' she said. 'You've been treating me like some two-copper wench and everyone else like house servants. I don't much care for it.'
The outrage Galaeron felt from his shadow quickly gave way to a colder kind of anger, something more subtle and cunning. He found himself nodding and looking at the ground.
'You're right,' he heard himself say. 'I owe you an apology.' Vala cocked an eyebrow and said nothing.
'And I'm going to give it to you at the proper time,' Galaeron said. His shadow would not let him say he was sorry. He actually wanted to, but those were not the words that rose to his lips. 'And in the proper place.' Vala frowned. 'Now is fine.'
Galaeron shook his head. 'No, when we're out of this cursed city.' Vala's jaw dropped. 'You want to leave?' 'As soon as possible.'
Galaeron sat beside her. He felt a little sick inside because the words were only what his shadow knew Vala wanted to hear, but what was the harm, really? If Telamont would not do a small favor like keep Vala in the enclave, then Galaeron was ready to leave.
'We'll start planning after dinner and be gone as soon as we can collect everything we need,' he said.
Malik rose so fast he spilled his plate. 'Leave? What of your training?'
'As far as I can tell,' Vala said, 'Telamont is less interested in teaching Galaeron to control his shadow self than in turning him into a tool of Shade Enclave. He's getting worse, not better-we all see that.'
'7 have not seen that!' Malik tried to stop there, but his face contorted, and he continued, 'Except, of course, that what I mean by 'better' is much influenced by the current needs of the One.'
'There can be no doubt of what Vala says,' Aris said. 'Galaeron is turning evil.'
'And so what if he does?' Malik demanded. He turned to address Galaeron directly. 'Have you forgotten Evereska? Telamont needs the knowledge inside your head to defeat the phaerimm.'
'The need cannot be that great,' Vala countered, 'or he would not have moved the enclave so far from the battlefront.'
'You can't know that… though there is much to be said for your argument.' Malik grimaced at the curse that forced him to add this last part, then tried another tack. 'Even if the need is not great, there is an implied bargain. If you desert the Shadovar, why should they defend Evereska?'
'I don't think anything Galaeron does will influence the Shadovar one way or the other,' Aris said. He sat upright and spoke even more thoughtfully than usual. 'The Shadovar serve the Shadovar in all things. They will defend Evereska because that is the best way to destroy their enemies.'
'Can no one here let a man make his arguments without spoiling them with logic and common sense?' Malik demanded. Fuming, he began to shake a leg of roasted fowl at Galaeron. 'And who is this 'we'? I am going nowhere.'
'You are,' Galaeron insisted, feeling vaguely betrayed. 'Do you think Hadrhune will let you stay in this
