Anders and Maija halted, looking down the hall toward Natalia’s voice, but she’d already retreated into her room.
Placing their foreheads back together as they initially had, the two smiled, giggling at themselves. Anders searched for the doorknob on the wooden door they’d been pressed up against. Feeling its cold metal touch, he twisted it and they stumbled into the bedroom. Laughing, Maija placed her forearms on Anders’ shoulders, locked her hands behind his head and brought his face closer toward her own. Kicking the door closed behind them, Anders let himself be pulled into Maija’s embrace. Feeling the fullness of her lips on his, they once again became lost in each other’s arms.
The following morning Anders and Maija were the last to arrive for breakfast.
“You two look tired,” Natalia said. “Get much sleep?” she asked through a bite of toasted bread.
Maija blushed and Anders smiled. “Mate,” Anders mumbled to himself as he shuffled over to the kitchen, grabbing a mug and raising an eyebrow at the appearance of a hot teakettle steaming with his favorite caffeinated tea.
Good morning, Zahara, Anders said as he watched her rip apart the sheep’s meat she was devouring.
Morning, she replied, somewhat distracted. I tried to block my mind from what you two were doing last night, but it was hard to accomplish.
Sorry, Anders blushed. I should have realized I needed to block my emotions from our connection.
Now you know, she said as she tossed a sheep leg up with her head and releasing it, letting it fling up into the air spinning several times before falling back down into her open jaws. Swallowing she hummed with joy and licked the outer edges of her mouth with her forked tongue.
“Eat quickly, Anders,” Ivan said. “You need to join Zahara and me in the library in ten minutes. Got it?” he asked, pointing his steak knife in Anders’ direction.
“Okay,” he answered. He shuffled over to the counter and grabbed a plate. Freshly cooked eggs, bacon, sausage, and toasted bread appeared on the table. I love it here, he thought to himself.
Me too, Zahara agreed.
Natalia eyed Maija as she followed Anders’ lead and sat down at the table with her food. “I’ve got something planned for you as well,” she said, grinning slightly.
Maija raised an eyebrow.
“Take your time eating though. You’re going to need your strength,” Natalia said taking another bite of her toast.
After devouring his breakfast and quickly pounding down several cups of mate, Anders joined Zahara. The two walked down to the library. Ivan had already laid out the books they required for their studies.
“Read these and I’ll be back before lunch,” he said.
“Where are you going?” Anders asked.
“Natalia and I are going to set up the sword fighting stations for this afternoon.”
“Isn’t Natalia working with Maija?” he asked.
“Maija’s training today is one she’ll be doing on her own,” he paused. “To test her and see how well she’ll follow orders and complete a seemingly meaningless task. It’s important you don’t mention it to her until she’s finished. Now get reading,” Ivan said as he walked out of the cave.
Leaving them to their books, Ivan returned to the dining hall where Natalia and Maija sat discussing the parameters of Maija’s training in the coming weeks. Joining them at the table, Natalia halted her conversation with her sister and asked him, “What did Asmond tell you regarding Merglan?”
Ivan looked over his shoulder, making sure there was absolutely nobody else in the dining hall before he spoke, “He mostly wanted to talk about the leak they have in the elven political party.”
“Oh,” Natalia said curiously.
“Somehow the details we discussed during the meeting after we returned from Eastland have been leaked to Merglan,” he said.
“You mean our discussion of his crystals?” Maija asked.
Ivan nodded, “Someone in that room got word to Merglan. He’s retaliated by going on a path of destruction across Southland. He’s destroying cities and taking on more slaves, claiming the elves and their spies are to blame. With each attack, he’s sent several survivors to spread word of his actions. He’s calling himself Emperor and all those who don’t obey his orders are doomed for all eternity. One of the survivors was told to specially tell the elves that Merglan knows the riders are talking about his souls of sapphire, whatever that means.”
“Maybe that’s what he calls the crystals?” Maija suggested.
“How could Merglan know what we discussed? The only humans and elves privy to that conversation were all of us and Asmond’s family,” Natalia said.
“Asmond suspects Nadir,” Ivan said bluntly.
Natalia shook her head, “He would never do such a thing.”
“I know,” Ivan said. “But the king will not listen to my counsel. He’s determined to place Nadir on trial once he thinks he has enough proof of this betrayal.”
“He would do that to his own son?” Maija asked.
Ivan nodded, “He thinks Nadir is power hungry and wants the throne for himself. I fear the king is under the influence of whoever is responsible for the information leak.”
“Who do you suspect?” Natalia said.
“I have someone in mind, but it’s too early to say. They obviously have a way to listen in on conversations they’re not privy to,” Ivan said.
Natalia raised her eyes to the ceiling.
Ivan joined her gaze, “Who knows how many spies they have and where they are lurking?”
Natalia lowered her voice to a whisper, “Whoever’s responsible for this betrayal, either way, it’s a massive scandal that will scar the elf council’s credibility for generations to come.”
