Page 72 of Sun Elves of Ardani

“If I ordered you to stop seeing her, it would only make you resent me, and you’d keep doing it anyway,” she said.

He smiled bitterly, fearing what she would say next. “You know me too well.”

“And if I had you reassigned, I would have to find another second.”

“Quite the dilemma.”

She got up, coming to stand in front of him. They were of equal height, and she looked him in the eye. “We’ve worked together a long time, Neiryn,” she said quietly. “I like you, believe it or not. I think we work well together. I would have a hard time finding another like you. Did I ever tell you about my previous second? The one before you?”

“I heard he moved to the northern regiment.”

She shook her head slowly. “He left because I discovered he was plotting to take my position out from under me. He had been speaking to my superiors and my peers behind my back, painting me as a fool. Had I not caught on in time and reversed what he’d begun, it would have worked.”

“And you think I’m not the sort to do something like that?”

“You’re not. You’re far too lazy.”

He gaped. “Slander.”

“And, you are one of the least cutthroat people I know.”

“This is still sounding like an insult, somehow.”

The lines in her face smoothed, relaxing for a moment. “The problem we have here in Refka is that many of the others do not yet realize that humans are people, too. People who want to be dealt with fairly now that the war is finished and the terms of the treaty have been set. We need people like you around if we’re ever going to see a real end to the war. We need diplomats. People who can see the humans’ point of view. People who can make the Ardanians realize they need to work with us, not against us.”

To say Neiryn was surprised would be an understatement. Speaking about fair treatment for Ardanians was practically taboo. It was a weight off his shoulders to know that there was someone on his side.

“I see,” he said cautiously.

“So, no, I’m not going to have you reassigned. But for the Goddess’s sake, the least you could do is not behave like some lovesick schoolboy. Your mage will be fine. I highly doubt she’s as fragile as you seem to think.”

“I understand.” He’d acted on impulse. Perhaps a discussion in private would have been more suitable than simply physically removing the other man from the situation. But it wouldn’t have been as satisfying.

Rhian rubbed a hand over her chin. “This is all going to get worse before it gets better. The locals are getting more agitated. Caradoc isn’t helping anything with the way he lets his soldiers antagonize them. I’m still hearing rumors about an underground group of rebels growing in number, and Caradoc is doing nothing about it. He refuses to believe the humans could pose a serious threat. And this magic-eater is a bigger problem than I anticipated. It only seems to be getting stronger and more aggressive. I’ve tasked Eliyr and Kadaki with searching for a way to kill it, but they’ve made little progress.”

“We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry so much, Rhian.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re in an oddly optimistic mood lately. Perhaps I should find a human lover as well, if it lifts one’s mood this much.”

“Perhaps you should.”

Chapter 20

While many creatures are drawn to areas with high concentrations of magic energy, the magic-eater’s relationship to magic is unique. There are a number of other magical creatures known to feed on magic energy for sustenance, but no other creature on our plane is composed primarily of magic. The bodies of magic-eaters appear to be pure magic holding together a collection of found objects that give it a physical form. They are territorial and tend to become aggressive when approached, and should be avoided at all costs.

Kadaki sighed, closing the book:A Compendium of Uncommon Magical Creatures, by Alekos Aetos. In the entire book, this was the only passage referencing magic eaters. Kadaki could have written a more thorough description herself.

She had yet to find a piece of literature solely dedicated to magic-eaters. They were a rarely seen, rarely studied creature, and the most she’d found on the subject were little more than footnotes. It would have been exciting, being one of the few people to have ever seen a magic-eater, if it hadn’t been such a problem. Right now, her frustration outweighed her curiosity.

She glanced at the door to the library. It was closed. It was later in the evening, and the house was quiet.

She was tired of searching for clues about the magic-eater. But there was something else she had been researching lately, too.

She shelved her book and went to a shelf across the room, then opened another book to a page she’d bookmarked. She skimmed to the place where she’d left off.

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