I hadn’t truly believed that Locke would put my safety above his mission, but he did. He saved me instead of going after Fiana.
‘Locke isn’t like Varrik,’ I say softly to Jak.
His hands pause as he pours hot water into the cups. ‘No,’ he finally says. ‘He’s not.’
He puts a cup in front of Lia, telling her that she must rest, and stay on her back for at least an hour until the potions have finished doing their work. Then, he puts one on the table next to me.
‘This should help with the headache,’ he murmurs and I smile.
‘I didn’t even tell you I had a headache,’ I say.
He shrugs. ‘Sometimes I just know these things.’
He kisses my cheek.
‘I’m going to see if any of the human slaves from Fiana’s court need a healer,’ he announces. ‘I’ll be back before Dane returns, I expect. Stay here.’
He picks up one of his supply bags and leaves Lia and me alone.
The Harbinger grins at me from across the room and I stand, taking my chair closer to her with my tea.
Lia takes my hand and squeezes it. ‘You did well today.’
‘How are you feeling?' I ask, changing the subject because Fiana is gone, which means, despite what Lia says, I failed.
‘I’ve been better, but the truth is, so long as the babe is all right, I don’t much care. I’m more bothered by the fact that Fiana escaped us. Again.’
I cast my eyes to the ground.
She leans her head back and closes her eyes, not noticing the disappointment I’m feeling.
'All that preparation, the missions. I can't believe we lost her. Fuck.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I say quietly. ‘If it wasn’t for me, Locke would have?—’
‘Likely died,’ she finishes for me, giving me a hard look. ‘They all would have, Bryn. You saved countless lives today. You did nothing wrong. You should be proud of what you accomplished.’
I sigh. 'But I didn’t fulfil the deal I made with Calder. As you say, she got away. Will I have to leave the Light Realm, do you think?’
Lia’s jaw tightens. 'You did everything you could, and then some, Bryn. They can't find fault with that. And Calder’s power has been curtailed. He’s no longer on the Village Council. And if anyone questions whether you held up your end of that bargain, they’ll answer to me.’
The cot creaks as she shifts on it.
‘Today, many of the Under-born saw for the first time at least a bit of what the Harbinger is capable of. I think I’ll have a bit of bargaining power after this. I’ve already asked to take Calder’s place on the council here.’
She shrugs. ‘I can’t travel the Breach again now until the babe is born. Too risky. Which means they’ll have to send my son, Ath, to me here. It’s not usually permitted, but even the Underhill won’t keep a child from his mother.’
She looks relieved. ‘He’ll be here with me and Dane, which means Kal and Grey will be as well.’
'Your power is quite terrifying,' I say.
She gives a sad smile. ‘Death is terrifying. But it isn’t my power. It’s the Harbinger’s.’
My brows raise. 'As in…a separate creature?'
Lia nods. 'It was taken from the Black Lake by Varrik. He attempted to put it in many others before me. I'm the only one it took to. All the rest died.'
'Fiana was talking to me about experiments,' I say. 'She told me that she was stronger than Varrik, that she had gone further. But she was still trying to find somewhere. A Black Lake.'
