Something tickled Kirin's nose. Still half asleep, he swiped at it and caught a handful of long hair. It carried the scent of spring meadows and freshly cut grass. He smiled as he recognised it, then realised that Valerien was getting up. With a sound of protest, he pulled him back down.
Valerien's muscles tensed for a moment, then relaxed. Soft laughter tickled Kirin's throat before he felt lips on the sensitive spot under his ear. Strong hands slid down his body, soothing at first, then with more urgent demand. Kirin moaned with pleasure and leaned into their touch.
A long while later, he was still in a daze when Valerien kissed his temple and disentangled himself from his arms.
"The horses are restless. They need water."
Kirin nodded. He sat up and watched the tall figure lead the horses down to the plunge pool of the waterfall. His smile faded slowly as memories rushed back in, bringing with them the nagging feeling of guilt.
He didn't regret telling Valerien the truth. It had felt like a heavy weight was taken off his chest. Until a new burden had replaced it.
Rhian's words kept echoing in his mind.
"All Seren's spawn were as beautiful as they were rotten. Her last living experiment is the worst of them."
If Valerien was the last living one, did that mean his brother was dead? Or was Lioren not considered 'an experiment' in the same way Valerien was?
He had wanted to ask about that last night, but then lost his courage when he realised how much Valerien cared for his brother. It was better to wait a little longer before he raised the dreadful possibility. It was probably just a misunderstanding. After all, Kirin himself had seen him just a few days ago.
Just a few days ago. When Lioren had led the Fae rebels here to kill and enslave humans as if they were nothing but beasts of burden. Kirin gritted his teeth and got up to get dressed.
He was ready to leave when Valerien returned with the horses, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Going somewhere?"
"There are still miners imprisoned up there," Kirin explained, pointing at the mountain.
He got a blank look in return and sighed.
"You forgot about them, didn't you?"
Valerien shrugged. "I remember the rebels abducted some of your friends, but transporting prisoners through hostile territory is not easy. They likely took them to a place that is closer to where they captured them. You don't even know the people the rebels keep up there."
"What does it matter if I know them?"
"Why would you risk your life for strangers?"
Kirin's heart sank. For a while, he had forgotten how different their priorities were.
"You came here for the rebels. I came to find the men they took," he said and headed for the horses.
Valerien grasped his arms and turned him around.
"And I promised I wouldn't let them take you, too," he said.
"I release you from that promise."
Valerien's brows drew together in displeasure, and his grip tightened.
"That is not up to you," he growled.
"Am I your prisoner now?" Kirin asked coldly.
Valerien scowled but loosened his hold.
"Be reasonable, Kirin. You can't take them on alone," he said.
"I am reasonable. I can't send my magic that far, so I need to get closer to find out where they are. Then I'll get Owain," he explained.
Valerien shook his head. "They must be on the lookout for any magic energies. In those bare mountains, they will see your glow before you know it and hunt you down."
Kirin hesitated, then said, "Then I must return to Caernarfon now and ask the High Warlock for help."
He had to at least try, even if he wasn't even sure that the old man would actually help. As protective as the High Warlock was of his witches, he rarely concerned himself with the fate of regular humans.
Valerien's long lashes lowered for a moment, hiding his eyes. Then he looked up at the mountain and seemed to reach a decision.
"Fine. I will go with you. But if you want to get your miners out of there alive, you'll have to do as I tell you for a change."
Without waiting for an answer, he went to saddle the horses.
***
As they rode up the steep mountain pass in silence, Kirin kept glancing at his companion's unreadable expression. He couldn't tell if Valerien had come because of him or because he didn't want the High Warlock here. Probably the latter. He despised the old man. Maybe even feared him.
In the end, it didn't matter right now, he decided and made himself focus on the task ahead. He sent out his Seeker energies. There was a high concentration of elemental magic further up the mountain. He shuddered as he felt a familiar cold energy among them.
"They are at least a mile away, somewhere behind those jagged rocks above us. One of them feels almost like Rhian," he reported.
"Only one?" Valerien asked.
"How many did you expect?"
"Two."
Kirin sighed in frustration. Getting straight answers out of Valerien was sometimes like pulling teeth.
"Why two?" he asked.
"Because he brought his daughters with him," Valerien said and dismounted to lead the horse along a narrow, uneven slope.
Kirin followed suit and asked, "Are they as powerful as he was?"
"No. Fae powers get stronger with age."
"That is at least good news."
Valerien cast him a wry look over his shoulder.
"Not everything is about strength. Beneth of Yaris may not have her father's powers yet, but neither does she have his arrogance. If it had been her in the cave, she would not have wasted time toying with you. She would have simply cut you down the moment she realised you were a witch."
Kirin grimaced. "Let's hope it's the other one then."
"Let's not," the demon muttered.
Kirin wanted to ask why, but Valerien nodded at the broadening road ahead.
"Someone's coming."
Kirin heard nothing but reached for his bow. Valerien shook his head. His face still showed nothing, but he brushed Kirin's arm lightly as he said,
"Whatever happens, you have to trust me. Don't say or do anything unless I tell you so."
The moment they left the narrow slope, they found themselves surrounded by four silent, hooded figures armed with bows and spears. Valerien faced them with the same lordly arrogance he had shown the guards at Caernarfon and held up a metal disc with strange markings.
"I am Valerien of Astir. Lord Yaris sent me here to wait for the princess and my brother," he announced and threw the disc to the man in charge.
While the officer examined it, one of his soldiers stepped forward. The grey hood fell back, revealing bright red hair. The young man's round face and short stature made him look barely older than a boy, but his dark eyes looked ancient. They were fixed on Valerien and burned with undisguised hatred.
He raised his spear, but the one in command bellowed, "Stand down, Zian! It truly is Lord Yaris' sigil."
The youth retreated, but his gloved hand clutched the weapon with such force that the leather creaked before he burst into protest, "But, sir! Lord Yaris would never let him live! He murdered half our regiment!"
"His brother is our ally now. It is not our place to ask questions."
"But what if he killed our lord and took his sigil?" Zian insisted.
Kirin's heart sank to his boots. Valerien ignored the redhead and addressed the officer with that feral smile that always put people on edge.
"I am sure your lord will be highly amused that his soldiers think that a Fae half his age could beat him and steal his sigil."
All four soldiers stiffened. One of them whispered something to Zian, who was still shooting looks of loathing at Valerien.
The officer cleared his throat and said, "There is no need for that, my lord. May I ask who your companion is?"
"You may not," Valerien replied.
The man hesitated for a moment longer, then decided, "We will escort you to Lady Lenora, my lord."
A strange expression flickered on Valerien's face, but it was gone so fast that Kirin wasn't sure he hadn't imagined it. Maybe Lenora was even more dangerous than Beneth. Since he couldn't ask that in front of the soldiers, he followed in silence, wondering how anyone could murder half a regiment. He wasn't even sure he wanted to know.
The sun was already at its peak when they turned into a narrow stone passage that ended in front of a makeshift wooden gate. When it swung open, it revealed a small camp on a mountain plateau, where a large tent loomed in the middle, surrounded by a dozen smaller ones.
A guard closed the gate and stepped forward to look at them curiously. He looked just as young as the redhead, but had cheerful dark curls and a less hostile expression.
"Gerant, take Lord Valerien and his friend to Lady Lenora," the officer ordered him.
Gerant nodded obediently, but Kirin kept his eyes on Zian, who shot Valerien one last hateful look before he disappeared into a small tent.
"This way, please," Gerant said.
They followed him to the largest tent, past neatly stacked boxes full of arrows and spears with matte iron tips. Kirin could see the top of a wooden cage behind them and nervously prayed that it didn't hold another monstrous creature like the hyrox.
His stomach turned when he realised what it held instead.
A boy of maybe five or six sat on a blanket spread on straw, playing with shiny marbles. He was dressed in finery and looked well-fed, but when his eyes lifted to meet Kirin's, his gaze was empty and resigned.
Kirin moved towards the cage, but a hand closed firmly around his wrist. He tried to pull free, but Valerien's fingers intertwined with his and pressed as if to tell him to wait.
The soldier had already reached the large tent and held the flap open for them. Kirin felt Valerien pull him inside, then let go of his hand, but his eyes remained on the child until the flap closed.
With a feeling of dread, he turned around and saw Valerien bow to a woman.
She shared Rhian's cold, ethereal beauty, but her softer features and her expression made her look less inhuman. Her lips parted in surprise as she put down a golden goblet and rose from her chair.
Kirin tensed when she rushed forward to throw her arms around Valerien's neck with a happy cry.
"Darling!"
"Lenora, I'm not…," Valerien began, but got no further.
The woman pressed her lips against his before she called out.
"Gerant! Get us some proper wine to celebrate the arrival of my betrothed!"