“Well,” he replied slowly. “That is surprising to me, but a pleasant surprise. Taegan, I know all this must have felt like a sacrifice to you, and in many ways it has been. But it has always been my hope that you can still find happiness, and if he brings you happiness, then I will be happy as well. You are my only son, and I love you more than anything in this world.”
“Father,” Taegan protested, feeling his face burning red. Luckily, no one was around to witness the vulnerable conversation. “I know.”
“It’s the truth,” the king said, and he squeezed Taegan’s shoulder affectionately. “But I will stop embarrassing you for today. Go on, then. Can I expect you both at dinner?”
“Yes, we’ll see you then,” Taegan said with a nod, and he bowed his head to go.
When he arrived back at the archery range, Zorvut was standing a little way into the range with their equipment. Closer to the castle, two children were practicing with shortbows, aiming at some of the large straw targets closest to the storage shed. Taegan recognized them as children of one of the castle knights, a brother and sister. Noticing him, they gave quick bows of their heads, which Taegan returned as he walked by.
Behind him, he heard a woodenthunkas one of their arrows was loosed, then a childish squeal.
“Too high!” he heard the girl exclaim. “Ezran! You shot it too high, and now I can’t reach.”
Taegan turned to look, but Zorvut was already approaching. The arrow was at an awkward angle at the very top of the target, as if the arrow had sailed upward then pierced the target on its way back down. The girl had run up to the target, but both children glanced over at the sound of their approach. A hesitant expression came over the girl’s face, the smaller boy openly scowling.
“Here,” Zorvut said, effortlessly pulling the arrow from the target. He leaned down to extend it to the girl, who took it nervously, glancing between him and Taegan before stepping away, closer to her younger brother.
“You’re the orc,” the boy said bluntly, and his sister visibly cringed, shushing him. Taegan frowned and stepped forward, but Zorvut raised a reassuring hand.
“I am,” he said to the boy. “And you’re an elf. And I’ve just helped you get your arrow back.” The boy frowned, glancing away with a chagrined expression.
“Thank you,” he mumbled.
“Thank you,” the girl repeated, a little more confidently. With that, Zorvut turned and rejoined Taegan.
“That was kind of you,” Taegan said quietly as they walked. Zorvut shrugged and replied,
“Maybe it will help them be a little less scared next time they see me.”
That was how most of their days went for the next few weeks. Taegan and Zorvut were rarely apart, but Taegan found that the more time they spent together, the more joy it brought him. He had not expected to find such happiness in spending lazy afternoons reading together or simply lounging in the gardens under the sun, but the quiet moments between them became some of the most imprinted in his memory. He could not quite bring himself to speak his feelings aloud, but he knew that Zorvut could feel the soft, warm affection that welled up in him from the other end of the bond. That was enough, he hoped, at least for now.
Everything was going better than he could have imagined, until they were awoken in the middle of the night to the sound of someone pounding on their door.
The sudden noise echoed sharply through their chambers, Zorvut immediately leaping up from their bed out of instinct, Taegan more groggily stumbling to his feet. He could feel Zorvut was just as startled as he was, adrenaline coursing between them.
“Who could it possibly be?” he muttered as Zorvut cautiously approached the door. Their eyes met, and Zorvut slowly reached for a knife on the table—not even a knife, a letter-opener—and held it behind his back as he reached for the door handle. Taegan nodded anxiously, remaining where he was.
In one quick movement, Zorvut twisted the door handle and pulled it open, revealing the form of Kelvhan, illuminated by the light of a single candle which he held in his hands. Zorvut’s face twisted into a scowl at the sight of him, and Taegan took a startled step back.
“What are you doing here?” he blurted before either could speak—now that he could get a good look at the other elf, Kelvhan’s expression seemed hurried, almost afraid. He tried to step into the room, but Zorvut held out a hand, stopping him.
“He asked you a question,” he snarled, his lips curled around his tusks in a fearsome display Taegan had never seen on his face before.
“Please, may I come in?” Kelvhan asked breathlessly, as if he had just run up the stairs to their quarters. He very well may have run, Taegan thought as he looked him over. Zorvut glanced over at Taegan for permission, but he hesitated.
“Why?” he pressed, shaking his head. “Why are you here?”
“Please! It’s important!” Kelvhan begged, looking wildly between them before lowering his voice to a harsh whisper. “I’m here to warn you. Your very lives are in danger.”
Chapter Eleven
Astunnedsilencefellover the room for a brief moment as Taegan glanced uneasily between the two figures standing at the door. Finally, he managed to gesture for Kelvhan to enter, and Zorvut let him in, closing the door behind him.
“What do you mean, we’re in danger?” Taegan pressed as Kelvhan entered the chamber, setting the candle down. He could see the warlock’s hands were shaking. “What’s happened?”
“Last week, I had a vision,” Kelvhan said, quiet but urgent. Zorvut watched him intently, still standing in the doorway, like a hunter tracking its prey—even if he hadn’t felt suspicion radiating from the bond, Taegan could tell Zorvut didn’t trust him at all. “A... sense that something wasn’t right. Taegan, you know my magic, you know I have some talent in divination. Right?”
“Yes, that’s true,” Taegan agreed slowly. “Where is this going?”
