Page 29 of Redeeming the Angel

“You’ve been watching her before you followed me down to Aisthanesthai in your wolf form.”

Gabe’s chin lifted with defiance.“I’ve been watching Rage of Angels through the observatory spheres ever since they became famous on Earth.You know how I love the tantalizing varieties of music that world has to offer.Music is one of the bits of magic they have left.”

My dread worsened.My best friend had been hiding more from me than I’d ever thought possible.“That means you’ve been watching the band before we, in Luminista, were aware that the singer is Kerainne’s daughter.Before the Prophecy declared that her voice would bring the sun back to Aisthanesthai, crown a king, and lead an army of blood drinkers to battle their own creator.”

Gabriel winced and his shoulders hunched with shame.“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to us about a singer with the last name of Leonine and a guitarist with the last name of Jagwolfe?”Guilt softened my voice.I’d never made him feel bad like this before.“That information would have been greatly appreciated by the council, not to mention both the Leonine and Jagwolfe matriarchs.”

“Because I saw how my cousin Kerainne was treated after the last time she died on Earth and was imprisoned by our grandmother.”An edge of anger tinged his voice, and he refused to attempt to hide it.“And I heard the ugly words she said about Xochitl.If the Leonine matriarch was so disgusted with a halfling, how do you thinkyourmatriarch would speak of Sylvis?”

For a moment, he had me.My own matriarch had some choice words about Xochitl.However, Lucretia was interested in Sylvis.But I wasn’t going to mention that until I found out why she was.Besides, Gabriel had been keeping things from me for much longer.“You could have said something when the Prophecy regarding Xochitl saving Aisthanesthai and becoming queen was transcribed.”

“Ididsay something.”Gabriel said defensively.“To Kerainne.She deserved to know how her daughter was doing and what the fates had in store for her.No one else did.”

“Including you,” I reminded him.

“I told you that I was first observing Rage of Angels for the enjoyment of their music.Their family names did not dawn on me until halfway through my first year keeping track of their band’s tours.”He waved away a ghost that appeared between us.“When their significance to our families struck me, I immediately went to Kerainne.After that, I observed on her instruction.”

“And not at all for your own…edification,” I taunted.

“All right.You don’t have to needle me any further.I am well aware of how challenging it will be to confess all this to Sylvis.”Gabriel shook his head.“I see why you’ve failed to make inroads with Queen Kerainne.”

I raised my hands and mock pushed him away.“Oh no.Don’t shift this back on me.”

“You’re right.”Gabriel caught my gaze and held it.“You do it all by yourself.”

I opened my mouth to unleash my righteous indignation, then closed it.Loathe as I was to admit it, my best friend had a point.

Chapter Eleven

Lucian

Past

When Nikkita began her odd romance with Delgarias Dullahan, I was overjoyed.No longer were she and Kerainne permanently attached.Even after the faelin trading party returned to Shellandria, Nikkita withdrew more often, keeping to herself as she wrote letters to her beau and read ones he’d sent.Eventually they began dream-summoning each other.I wish I could have learned to do the same with Kerainne because the years in Luminista away from her were a torture.

So when Nikkita declined a rescue mission on Earth, I did what was previously unthinkable to me.I offered to go with Kerainne.To my surprise, I didn’t hate everything about this world of dying magic.Especially the place Kerainne took me.The trees were tall pines and spruce that freshened the crisp mountain air.The lake near the portal was a long ribbon wending into many coves and inlets, beautiful and bountiful with delicious fish the Schitsu’umsh tribe served in their welcoming feast for us.

Kerainne did most of the speaking, as I had not studied the Salish language.There was an awkward moment when I had to explain that I could not hunt.This was received with acute disapproval and censure until Kerainne explained how in our culture, not killing was a sacred vow.Some of the tribe members looked askance at me after, and even though I didn’t know the language, it was obvious from their tones and gestures that they thought me to be unmanly.

I proved them wrong by beating them in athletic and practice fighting competitions and won their admiration when they saw how all their dogs were loyal to me.Still, I was usually relegated to working with the women, foraging for roots, mushrooms, and these marvelous purple berries that were so sweet and tart.Huckleberry picking was monotonous work and the hiking and crouching on steep mountainsides worked muscles I didn’t know I hadn’t been using.However, the long hours gave me time to both speak with Kerainne and begin to learn the Salish language.

A week after berry camp, we discovered something amazing.A party composed of men, women, two-spirits, and tribal elders took us on a gem-hunting expedition.After long canoe ride all the way down the lake and south-east across two small rivers, we reached a place full of deep pits of mud between two streams.Kerainne gasped in delight at the sight of the pits.

“Garnets!”she exclaimed.“I’d wondered where they’d gotten them.”

With that, she kicked off her moccasins, hiked up her deer hide dress and leaped into an empty mud pit with childish glee.She showed me how to use a rock pick made from antler to scrape large chunks of clayish mud dotted with stones into a loose-weave basket, which we’d use to sift out the mud in the nearby creek.

I couldn’t stop gaping at this unexpected side of her in awe.“I thought you didn’t like being cold and wet.”

“I don’t.Mud is different.Especially when it comes with treasures.”Kerainne grinned and squished the mud between her toes.“I’ve only dug garnets in Medicia, though.And last time, I had to pretend I didn’t like getting muddy so I could chaperone Nik and Delgarias.It was torture!”

Her enthusiasm helped dampen my sensory repulsion to the cool mud and look on with interest.And when Kerainne found her first big garnet, a naturally faceted decagon that was so dark it looked black until one held it in the light and could see the rich, dark purple, she gasped and jumped up and down, splattering my shins with mud.

“They’re just like our garnets!Purple, and not red!”she squealed in Luminstani instead of the Salish we’d been working on.“And Auntie Bobcat says that they havestars!I wonder if this why I feel such an odd connection to this area even though the winters are unbearable.”

Now it was my turn to gasp.“You don’t intend to stay here, do you?”

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