The journey might kill him, the destination certainly would, but that was better than dying from infection and blood loss amid the foul ignominy of a rultshart's den. Besides, though he'd not come within half a continent of his last living sister in over a thousand years, he would willingly give his own life and the life of every dahl'reisen under his command before allowing the slightest harm to come to her.

With every step, Gaelen focused his substantial will on one single goal: He had to get to Celieria City. The High Mage's daughter could not be allowed to live.

CHAPTER NINE

Ellysetta hummed a bright Fey tune as she bustled around the Baristani kitchen, cooking up a hearty breakfast of peppered eggs, honey-cured bacon, and fried sweetcorn cakes with butter. Since that last nightmare after the palace dinner four nights past, not one bad dream had plagued her. Not even the slightest passing twinge. Each night after her parents went to bed, Rain snuck into her room and the Fey spun twenty-five-fold weaves around the house. Between the two of them, they had managed to keep out who or whatever was responsible for her nightmares.

She hadn't realized what a dreadful burden those dreams had become_ Without them, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from her soul, leaving her truly happy and lighthearted in a way she couldn't remember ever being before.

Of course, she thought with a secret smile as she set the breakfast table, Rain was as much to credit for that as her lack of dreams. In addition to the daily courtship gifts-a crown of exquisite Pink Button daisies made from white and pink diamonds, a small crystal lame that burned fragrant oil, a music box with a tiny dancing couple that twirled when the music played-he'd sent her more than a dozen little gifts each day.

Small, silly things meant to make her laugh or smile, each accompanied by a note penned in his own hand.

If that weren't enough, they'd spent the last day's courtship bells in a beautiful meadow in the hills overlooking Great Bay. There he'd lain with her in the sweet grass beside a cascading waterfall and shown her with both his body and his brilliant command of Spirit just how devoted he truly was. Even now, the memories of it made her skin tingle and brought her near to swooning.

She fanned herself and pressed a glass of iced water against her face to cool her flushed cheeks. Her wedding day-and night-couldn't come soon enough.

Rain had devoted equal care and guidance to her magical tutelage, too.. Though she still couldn't summon real magic on a regular basis-and never a weave stronger than what Rain called a level-one skill-she'd become rather adept at asking living things to share their essence with her. She could make grass wave and water ripple in flows following her fingers, and when she passed her hands above Rain's bare flesh, not touching him but asking his body to share its magic with her, she could make his every muscle tremble and his eyes glow bright as the Great Sun.

The only unpleasantness in what would otherwise have been halcyon days were the continued unrest in the city and Mama's increasingly open bitterness towards the Fey.

Just yesterday, news of another dahl'reisen attack in the north had worked a mob of Celierian and Brethren of Radiance followers into near hysteria. They'd marched on the palace and gathered outside the gates to demand the expulsion of all Fey from the city. "Bride stealers!" they had shrieked. "Child killers! Servants of Shadow!" The hostility was so strong and virulent that even Lady Marissya's attempt to weave peace on the crowds had failed. In the end, a full complement of King's Guards rode out to arrest the more violent protestors and disperse the crowds.

The unrest had left many of the noble lords skittish. Even with the support that Lords Teleos and Barrial had helped assemble, Rain was finding it difficult to garner the final vote they needed to ensure the Eld borders would remain closed.

The ceiling creaked as feet trod the floorboards in her parents’ room above. Ellysetta glanced up, frowning. Mama was almost as bad as the rabble-rousers. In the last few days, her previous grudging acceptance of Ellysetta's pending marriage had changed to suspicion and even outright hostility.

Ellie told herself the proximity of so many Fey was simple taking its toll on her mother's nerves-she'd never trusted magic or those who wielded it-but her reaction seemed stronger than that, almost as if something was amplifying he. fears.

Shoving the grim thoughts aside, Ellysetta flipped the corn-cakes onto a serving plate, set them and the rest of the food on the table, then stepped back to admire her handiwork. Everything was ready and very nearly perfect. The eggs and corn-cakes were steaming, the bacon crisp and fragrant. The flower she'd arranged for the centerpiece were bright and colorful though perhaps the tiniest bit droopy.

She bit her lip. Rain had already taught her how to ask living things to share their essence. Yesterday he'd also taught her how to share a little of her own back. After a quick glance around to make sure she was alone, she closed her eyes to gather her thoughts, then, concentrating, passed a hand over the flowers. The stems straightened and the petals perked up.

Smiling, pleased with herself, Ellie turned to grab the salt and pepper off the stove-and froze. Her mother was standing in the doorway, staring at her. Ellie's heart skipped a beat.

"M-Mama. I didn't see you there!" Had her mother seen her fix the flowers? Deciding to brazen it out, she forced a bright smile. "You were still sleeping when I woke, so I made breakfast." She waved a hand at the table.

"I haven't been sleeping well," her mother murmured, still staring_ She glanced from Ellie to the table and back again, her eyes dark and watchful. "Ellie, kitling ... is there anything you'd like to tell me?”