Page 26 of Stone Sentinels

No one else's.

“Pyre’s successor, Revenant?” Eilish repeats.

The vampire faces her. “My name is Baron,” he says as Pyre nods as though proud.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

EILISH

The Veil

The large satyr swings his axe in an awe-inspiring arc and I nearly lose my head. Aima is next to jump out of the way of Kolvar’s brutal strength. He moves with a speed that belies his size. A smile breaks across my face as he appears perplexed by the show of dexterity with which I’m able to fight.

“Slippery little thing you are, eh? Like a serpent in the marsh.”

“Have you traveled all over the Realms, Kolvar?” I ask as I evade another blow that would leave me dead if not for my training. He nods and doubles his efforts, casting off the caution he’s used with me until this point. “Have you seen a glade within mountains to the east of Earlann?” I continue.

“Describe it.”

“A hovel beside a small pond and great trees that tower over everything. And... a field of lavender nearby.”

“You speak of the Delendren Glade.”

Delendren Glade. It sounds familiar. I just nod as he continues.

“There was once a healer named Maeline who lived in the Delendren Glade. Folks swore she were an angel, but I never saw no wings. Beautiful woman, though. Why do you ask?”

“She...Maelinewas my mother. And shewasan angel.”

Kolvar stops mid-swing and stares into my eyes with uncanny wisdom. “She were a lovely woman, your mum. Compassionate and charitable to all who sought her aid. By the way you speak of her, I assume she’s no longer with the living?”

“She and my sister were killed.”

“Young Solya is dead?” he gasps.

“Yes,” I answer.

“I… am very sorry to hear it.”

“Thank you.”

He nods and grows silent for a few seconds, dropping his gaze to the ground. He leaves himself open for attack but I don’t take the opportunity. When he looks back up at me, his eyes are sad.

“Your mother called you Ellie?”

“Yes,” I answer.

“Your father named you Eilish,” Kolvar continues.

I nod, unable to shield my amazement. He knew my mother and sister and by the sound of it, he knew me too! “She did call me Ellie... I didn’t know my father named me.”

He nods emphatically. “I’ve known you and your sister since you were no taller than my knee.” Kolvar moves forward and yanks me into a crushing hug. I want it to be comforting, but it only brings up more questions. Why wasn’t Kolvar there when they died? Did he know the man who killed them? I ask him as much but, sadly, he’s unable to offer me anything more. He was wandering with his clan when they were killed and doesn’t know the man who killed them. I look to Aima as if to draw courage from her, but she looks down at her feet with something akin to shame.

“I’m sorry they are gone, Eilish,” Kolvar says.

“I am too,” I say on a sigh as I pull away from him and try to control my emotions. He’s the first person I’ve met who knows my family. There’s just so much more I want to ask him, but then I wonder if I should. How much do I really want to know? How painful will the truth be?

Kolvar gives me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and the sparring begins once more. I need to clear my mind, to escape from the constant coil of tension that lives in me. Aima and Kolvar seem to understand.

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