Page 49 of Veinblood
I lick my lips, and take a deep breath. “Varamek nul’tor,” I whisper.
She frowns at me. “I’m sorry? Did you say something?”
My heart sinks. Maybe she doesn’t know the phrase. Maybe I misread the signs. Maybe …
But then I catch something in her eyes. A flicker of …something. Something that makes me repeat the words in a firmer voice.
“Varamek nul’tor.”
She looks over my shoulder, then back at me.
“Where did you learn those words?” Her voice is sharp.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. She either recognizes them as an ally or as an enemy, and I have no choice now but to push forward.
“From someone who trusted me with them. I need help. I have nowhere to go. Please, will you help me?”
My heart hammers against my ribs while she looks at me. I keep my eyes open, and hold still, while every instinct in me screams for me to run. But then, she nods.
“Yes. I’ll help you.”
Chapter Fourteen
SACHA
“The Authority teaches that submission brings safety. It does not mention the cost.”
Fragments of the Lost Veinwardens
I still haven’t decidedwhat my best course of action is. Reaching for the connection again, I search for that familiar warmth that should link my awareness to hers. But there is only emptiness where her presence should be.
I’m not used to being so uncertain about what I should do. My duty has always been clear. My people first, myself second. Ellie has clouded that judgment, and I can’t dismiss her importance to me. I’m still wrestling with these competing demands when the raven warns me of movement in the trees.
I step behind the nearest oak tree and draw shadows close, preparing to defend myself from a potential threat. The darkness responds at once, winding around my limbs, steady and certain where everything else is not. After hours of searching with no answers, part of me welcomes the possibility of a fight. At leastit gives me something physical to meet, instead of the constant return of questions I can’t answer.
The figure that breaks through the undergrowth is one I know, though not the person I want it to be.
Nyassa.
Relief rises, undercut almost immediately by disappointment. Her clothes show signs of hard travel—torn fabric, mud-stained boots, leaves caught in her hair. Exhaustion lines her face, and she walks with a caution that tells its own story.
I release the shadows and step out. Her head whips toward me, relief breaking across her features.
“My Lord! I’ve been searching for you.” The words spill out, quick and uneven.
“Are you hurt?” My gaze sweeps over her, searching for injuries.
She shakes her head. “No. But I should have been more prepared for the ritual separating us.” She frowns, looking around. “Where is Elowen?”
The mention of Ellie sends fresh desperation coursing through me. The bond between us hasn’t returned, and my mind is avoiding what that could mean. “I don’t know. She isn’t here.”
Her face falls. “I’m sorry. I was hoping she was with you.” She pauses. “I passed what remains of Thornspire. How long has it been a ruin?”
“It seems our combined power destroyed Sereven’s crystal, and half the keep with it. I’ve searched every accessible part more than once.”
“The magical backlash must have been enormous. Anyone caught in that …”
“I found trail markers yesterday.” I speak over her before she can voice the fear I’ve been holding back. “Someone left Veinwarden signs pointing northeast.”
