Breath of Mist

F O U R T Y O N E - Erik

We did not have to wait long before catching sight of Ariana and the others on horseback. It brought me an odd sense of pleasure to see that she still rode Rain and that the horse continued to favor her. Rain did not bond quickly with a rider, yet she seemed to have formed a steady one with the Bavadin Leader Superior. It was enough that the horse remained with Ariana instead of following the rest of the Lysian's home.

Seeing Ariana on the white night was surprising. I could not deny that it was good to be near her again. With that defiant look in her eyes, refusing to fear the things she should. Never had I imagined seeing her at the border on a night such as that. Still, she continued to act recklessly bold, even being a conjuror. What if Hedrek had come down from the mountain with a pack of Lysians and attacked her? It was as if that possibility never crossed her mind. The entire time, she just assumed that if any Lysian was to be seen, that it would be me, and even that should not have been a comfort to her. She had grown too comfortable around us.

Ariana did not arrive at the meeting alone. She was accompanied by Landin, Edda, and two other Bavadrin men I never noticed before. I also took note of the wolves in the distance, keeping a large girth between themselves and the Bavadrins, though it was apparent they followed them. Without hesitation, Ariana and the other Bavadrins all dismounted, joining us on foot.

"Thank you for meeting with us. There is something I wanted you to see," Ariana greeted us briefly before holding out a sheet of paper. There was none of the warmth coming from her that was present the other night. Her entire demeanor was rigid.

I took the paper from her, noticing the blood on the bottom first. By the smell, I knew it was hers mixed with someone else's. My eyes glided over the words, and I could not keep the growl from my throat. Handing the letter to the nearest of my brothers, I then looked into the unwavering green eyes staring at me.

"When did it come?" I asked.

"Morning of the white night," she answered. It left eight days until she needed to leave if she intended to go.

"You plan on meeting with him?" Iver's eyes drifted over the letter in his hands.

"It's an opportunity to get a better understanding of Clause's place and much-needed information. Our knowledge of the Sidhe is dangerously limited. Most of it is ancient or collected from seers over the years." She pointed out.

"We know he can take a conjuror's powers," Edmond stated. "Seeing as he's also someone to play tricks, you don't want to spend much time around him, for obvious reasons." Edmond paused then. "We also know he's an ancient conjuror, hundreds of years old."

Jorn shrugged before voicing his thoughts. "I don't see what the problem is. I say let her go. If she dies, it's no skin off our back, but if she returns, then she may have useful information."

A growl rippled through me.

Edda smiled wickedly. "Clause does not take the powers of a conjuror. He just mutes them. Conjurors do not affect him, but he in return has a lot of effect on them." She corrected Edmond, who narrowed his gaze on her.