Sharon Shinn - Reader And Raelynx

“Senneth might die tomorrow,” Amalie whispered to him late that night, as both of them lay awake long past midnight.

“No,” he said. “It simply can’t happen.”

But he knew it could. He wrapped his arms even more tightly around Amalie, but somehow, fear managed to squeeze between them anyway.

CAMMONwas hardly surprised by the group that assembled in front of Amalie’s pavilion the next afternoon to accompany Senneth to her meeting with Coralinda Gisseltess. Tayse, of course, and where Tayse went, Justin was sure to follow. Kirra would not be left out of such an adventure, and Donnal naturally accompanied Kirra. Senneth argued that Amalie should stay behind, somewhere that danger was less likely to strike, but the princess was adamant that she witness the event. Cammon would have gone with Senneth in any case, just from a vague sense that if magic was necessary for this encounter, many mystics should be on hand, but it made his choice simpler that Amalie would also be present.

The raelynx sat on the ground at Amalie’s feet, its red tail curled around its paws, clearly ready to join them on any foray.

Ellynor and Valri had also elected to join their group, and Cammon had to admit he was surprised by their presence. Ellynor, he knew, had useful skills in any battle. But Valri?

“I am here to disguise the princess,” Valri said when Cammon sidled over to question her. “I don’t know what kind of weapons Coralinda Gisseltess intends to deploy. Perhaps this talk of a mystical duel is all nonsense and she is bringing in an elite troop to murder all comers. I do not want her to realize that Amalie is present. And Ellynor has agreed to help me spirit her away if necessary.”

Cammon glanced at the sky, where the lopsided moon was just making an appearance. “Then we are ready.”

He wondered how long they would have to wait for the Lestra’s summons, but two minutes later, Coralinda Gisseltess’s image wavered into view. Cammon felt his stomach tighten, and behind him he heard Amalie’s faint gasp, but no one else seemed aware of the Lestra’s presence.

“And these are all the companions Senneth Brassenthwaite has gathered to assist her in the greatest battle of her life?” Coralinda asked in a mocking voice.

Cammon moved in front of her, to remind her that he could see her even if no one else could. “If it is to be simply a duel between the two of you, she should need no assistance at all.”

“Witnesses, then,” the Lestra replied.

“And where are yours?”

Her ghostly shape gestured toward the south. “Assembled a mile from here, where my true body waits. Gather your friends and bid them follow me.”

He turned to alert the others and found them all staring at him. All except the raelynx. Its eyes were fixed on Coralinda Gisseltess; its tail lashed back and forth, whipping across Amalie’s legs.

Cammon waved at his companions. “Southward about a mile away,” he said. “She’ll take us there.”

Coralinda set a good pace, since she wasn’t actually treading on ground, and the rest of them had to hustle to keep up. Tayse and Justin pushed to the lead, swords at the ready. Cammon told them, “Just go straight, at least for a while,” and dropped back to join Senneth, Donnal, and Kirra.

He pointed at Senneth. “Take off your moonstone bracelet.”

She glanced down at her arm, as if surprised to find the jewelry still there. “Probably a good idea,” she said. But when she unfastened it and held it out, Cammon laughed.

“ I can’t touch it!”

“Don’t look at me,” Kirra said, and Donnal smiled and shook his head.

“You can’t give it to Ellynor, either,” Cammon said.

“Well, I’m not just throwing it down in some passing field,” Senneth said. “Tayse! Take this!”

Tayse turned back willingly at the sound of his name, but only with some reluctance pocketed the moonstones. “I am sure somehow she can turn these against you,” he said.

“Not if they’re not touching my skin,” Senneth replied. She flexed her fingers. “So curious. Usually I’m not even aware of having the bracelet on, but once I take it off, I feel like fresh fire is running through my blood.”

“Good,” Tayse said. “The more energy you have, the better.” He lengthened his stride to catch up with Justin.

“She can’t realize just how powerful you are,” Kirra said. But she sounded nervous.

“Or she knows that I don’t realize how powerful she is,” Senneth replied.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Cammon said.

Indeed, within a few minutes, they had arrived at what was obviously the site of combat. Coralinda’s ghostly double had disappeared, but there was no need for her guidance anymore. They were in a shallow valley, the Lirreth Mountains rising up behind them and low foothills making a near circle around them. The ground was pink and green with spring flowers and new grass; sunlight sparkled through the air like tangible delight. The soil was coarse and rocky, but a species of low, dark shrubbery seemed to flourish in it, and so the whole valley ran with haphazard lines of its bushy olive-colored branches.

Across the way from them, a small group of people had gathered. Justin and Tayse had come to a hard stop and were clearly assessing the opponents.

“I make out more than a dozen men,” Tayse said. He glanced at Cammon. “Can you tell the precise numbers?”

“Give me a minute,” Cammon answered, but Donnal was already shifting and had lifted himself into the air to reconnoiter.

“How long do we stand here and wait?” Senneth said. “And what are we waiting for?”

She had barely finished speaking when a single shape detached itself from the group amassed across the valley. Short, confident, dressed in black and silver. The Lestra. “Senneth!” Her voice carried easily across the space dividing them. “Come submit your magic to the judgment of my goddess!”

“Time to fight,” Senneth said. She touched Tayse on the shoulder, kissed him on the mouth, and strode a dozen paces into the festive spring arena of the valley.

“I’m here, serra,” Senneth called back. She lifted her arms, graceful as a dancer. Sunlight busied itself in her white-blond hair and polished it to a halo shine. “Kill me if you can.”

Cammon heard Tayse catch his breath at that invitation, but there wasn’t much time for anyone else to react. Senneth clenched her fists and thrust her hands outward, and a great ball of light seemed to arc through the air. It landed on Coralinda Gisseltess with a flash so bright that everyone in her camp, everyone in Amalie’s, stepped backward a pace. A dozen voices cried out in fear and astonishment.

But the light dissipated, and Coralinda was still standing, pulsing with a dark fever of her own. She lifted her arms and snapped her fingers wide. It was as if lightning sizzled from her body, arrow-straight across the valley. It struck Senneth in the chest, and she went down.

Kirra screamed. Tayse was beside her in an instant, but Senneth was pushing herself up, to her knees, to her feet. She was shaking her head as if to clear it. “I’m all right,” Cammon heard her say to Tayse. “I’m all right. That was more than I expected.”

Just then a hawk circled down from overhead and came to land by Justin. Seconds later, Donnal appeared. “In her camp, she has twenty soldiers wearing the black-and-silver of Lumanen Convent,” he reported. “But a half mile away are another thirty men, waiting.”

Justin did a quick pivot as if to reassess their own small troops, but it didn’t take much analysis. “We need more swords,” he said. “Cammon? Can you call any Riders?”