“We fear some other play. Perhaps this isn’t a new type of Bond at all and just a way to Bond more of his Mages. Maybe it’s a way to incite turmoil in the lower classes—war is profitable after all. Maybe there is something else happening that we can’t even predict. But he knows about Jarius.” I sucked in a breath at his admission.
“How?” I croaked. That was the one thing we were supposed to keep secret.
How could he find out?
My father shrugged his shoulders. “We’re not certain at thispoint. But Hestin as his first stop? When we have a Keeper in our manor, and you emerged as a Mage claimed by both Solace and Kaos? It doesn’t take a genius to see the connections.”
My blood ran cold at the facts laid bare. “He’ll be staying here, again,” my mother said. “Jarius is already moved to another, more secure, location.”
I nodded my head, unsure what to say. “What does this have to do with me?”
My father hummed quietly before backing away and pouring himself two fingers of whiskey, quickly shooting it back.
“Jarius gave us a few possible futures before he left,” my father muttered, twirling the empty glass between his hands.
“And?” I prompted, looking expectantly between my mother and father.
“You know he can’t see the future, only possibilities, paths. And most of the time it’s just a jumble of images, apparently, nothing concrete. He saw chaos and blood, variations of it.” My father paused and I leaned forward expectantly.
There’s still something he’s hiding.
“And they all involve,you,” my mother hissed. “What you do, what you say, how you act—it will sway the future. Not just ours or yours, but Elyria’s as well.”
I reared my head back, face blanching.
That is not what I was expecting.
“We need you to be careful when Lord d’Refan arrives, Ellowyn. I understand there is a strange . . . pull to him, but you need to keep your distance as much as possible,” my father concluded, voice soft but firm.
I gave him a wan smile, trying to ease the tension that just skyrocketed.
“Anything you need, I’ll do. I love my family, Hestin, and our people. If what I do or say will hurt anyone, I’ll stay out of sight and away,” I said, and meant it. My family waseverythingto me.
“Very good, I expected nothing less. Acantha, I’d like a word with Ellowyn alone, please,” my father said, motioning for my mother to leave the room.
I heard her anger as she clipped across the room and slammed the door behind her.
My father stared at the door for a few seconds after she left, sucking lightly on his teeth.
“Every decision I make is for my family, Ellowyn. I love you so much and I don’t take my job as your father or Lord of Hestin lightly, you know this, right?” he finally asked, eyes finding mine and holding my gaze.
“Father, you’re scaring me,” I whispered, hands shaking at this sudden privacy and turn of conversation.
“I’ve written to Lord d’Eshu multiple times over the past few weeks, first asking and then begging him to come stay here. Lord d’Refan’s interest in you did not go unnoticed, neither by your family nor by our allies. There are some . . . rumblings of concern from the Northern Territories that he is favoring Hestin. And, to be frank, I’m increasingly worried about your safety. I was hoping that Torin could come and not just keep you safe, but also put some of the other fears to rest, but I haven’t heard anything from him . . . do you have a way to contact him, Ellowyn?” His eyes were probing and contained both a hint of worry and curiosity.
I gulped and my hands began to sweat.
Iwantedto tell my father about the dreamscape, and I wasn’t even sure why I was still keeping it a secret, but the words got stuck in my throat.
“No,” I whispered raggedly.
My father’s gaze stayed trained on me for a moment longer, searching for the truth in my words.
“He’s ignored my letters, too,” I admitted. At least that wasn’t a lie.
Eventually my father nodded his head and patted my shoulder lightly.
“I was afraid of that,” he muttered to himself before shooting me a tight smile. “Hopefully he receives our messages and surprises us.” His words were hopeful, but his tone was anything but.
