Beautiful eyes unfocused, she approached. stopping only when he indicated she should and obediently holding out her left arm. On all three of their previous meetings, he had blooded her from that arm-and after the first blooding he'd taken the pleasure of drinking directly from her flesh after opening the vein with his dagger.

"No, my dear." Gently he clasped her hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss on her fingers. "I'm in the mood for a change." He guided her hand to the ties of her bodice, accompanying the gesture with a weave of Spirit that roused memories of her husband from her mind.

Selianne's lips curved in a sensual smile as she loosened the ties that held the fabric of her gown. Soft, pale flesh found freedom. Kolis raised his dagger to one plump breast and sliced the tender skin beside her nipple as he murmured the ritual words. When the jewel in the pommel glowed a rich, satisfied red, he replaced the blade with his lips, suckling her, laughing as the sweet, warm taste of mother's milk joined the salty, sweet flavor of her blood.

"The tairen are dying and the Fey, with all your vast powers, can't find a way to save them-but you think I can?" Stunned, Ellie slumped back against the thick, knobby trunk of the fireoak behind her. Her fingers dug deep into the hard furrows of the bark. She stared at Rain in utter shock. Whatever she'd been expecting him to say, it hadn't been that. "How can you possibly believe such a thing?”

"It isn't as farfetched as it seems," he replied. "What's killing the tairen attacks only kitlings in the egg. None but tairen can enter the nesting lair, so I am the only Fey to set foot in Fey'Bahren since the Mage Wars. You, however, are my true-mate, and the tairen will welcome you as kin. You can get close to the eggs, as none of our shei'dalins have been permitted to do.”

"And what good will that do? I'm no shei'dalin.”

"Ellysetta, you healed Bel's soul with a touch. You mitigated my own torment with a simple embrace. Marissya is our most powerful living shei'dalin, yet in a thousand years she's never achieved so much. And you did it without even trying-and with no training of any kind. There's no doubt in my mind that if anyone has the power to save the tairen, you do.”

She stared at him, aghast. "I can't even get through a state dinner without mucking it up. Instead of saving the tairen, it's more likely I'd doom them to a speedier extinction!”

"You just need to learn control, shei’tani. I can help teach you that”

Bright Lord, save her. "I really don't think that sounds like a good idea. Isn't there some other way? Maybe you could go back to this Eye of Truth and tell it you want another answer.”

Rain gave a wry laugh. "Nei. Even if the world itself hung in the balance, I doubt I could summon the courage to ask the Eye for another seeing. It wasn't pleased with me the last time, and the Eye has a very ... effective way of making its displeasure known.”

A vision of Rain screaming in torment flashed through Ellysetta's mind. A muted memory of pain stung her senses. Her hands curled instinctively into fists and her spine went stiff. "This Eye ... it hurt you when you asked it for help?" Her voice was low, almost a growl.

The humor dancing at the edges of Rain's mouth deepened to satisfaction, and his eyes began to glow. He closed the distance between them. "I did not ask. I demanded. Quite rudely. The Eye punished me for my arrogance, as was its right." He brought her fists to his lips and kissed the clenched fingers. "Look at you, ready to fight the Eye of Truth, one of the Fading Lands' greatest powers, for the harm you think it did me. And you still believe you are a coward?" He smiled and shook his head. "It may take more to rouse the tairen in you, shei’tani, but never doubt it lives in your soul, and it is fierce indeed.”

Pride and approval radiated from him, wrapping her in warmth and soothing away her fierce reaction to the Eye's rough treatment of him. But even his approval could not soothe the choking tightness in her chest. The fates of both the tairen and the Fey rested on her shoulders, and he expected her to somehow miraculously save them.

"You do not stand alone in this, Ellysetta," Rain said, clearly sensing the emotions swirling about her like a fearful cloud. "This task belongs to both of us. All I ask is that you help me find a way to save my people.”

She looked up into his beloved face, so beautiful, so sincere. All her life she'd dreamed of him, all her life she'd wept for the sorrows he'd endured and prayed that the gods would give his soul peace. And now here he was, standing before her, asking for her help.

How could she possibly deny him?

She drew a deep breath, wrapped what little courage she possessed tight around her like a warming shawl, and nodded. "I'll do everything I can, Rain, though I'm not at all sure what help that will be.”

"Approaching the line is the first victory of battle, shei’tani. Learn to celebrate your small braveries. They light the way to greater courage.” He raised her hands to his lips. "It is my honor to be your chatok, your mentor, in this first dance.”

Despite her knocking knees, she firmed her jaw and lifted her chin. "So where do we start, chatok?”

His low laugh rippled across her senses. "As with all adventures, we start with the first step. Something small, something simple. Before you can truly control magic, you must first learn its patterns. We'll start with the commonest patterns of all: the inherent magic that exists in all living things.”