Page 70 of Veinblood
“All this time you’ve been hiding?”
“We pose as farmers, merchants. We raise children who may look and act ordinary, but carry extraordinary heritage. We have been waiting for the day when we can stop pretending to be something we’re not.”
Chapter Twenty
SACHA
“Power shared doubles. Power hoarded halves itself.”
The Nature of Veinblood Rebirth
The raven sendsimages to me as it soars across the sky. A patrol moves along the mountain path two miles ahead, red cloaks vivid against rock. I take note of their arrangement. Patrol formation, but sloppy. Two leading, with four clustered in the middle, and two bringing up the rear. Their weapons are sheathed, and there are no scouts ranging wide. If they continue on their current route, they’ll cross us within the hour.
I raise my hand, signaling the halt, and the people behind me slowly come to a stop. Footsteps cease. Pack straps creak as people settle wherever they can.
“Varam.”
He appears at my side.
“There’s an Authority patrol ahead. Eight men.”
His face shows no surprise. “What do you want to do?”
“Send the best ten fighters. Ones who know themountains well.”
He nods, and turns, calling out names. All have proven themselves in the recent clash at Whiterock, fighters who understand that hesitation could mean death. They slip away from the group without a word, and our people take the opportunity to rest.
Through my raven’s eyes, I watch as they spread among the rocks like shadows, waiting with the patience of predators who have hunted men before.
The patrol continues forward, unaware that death waits for them. One soldier talks with his companion, their voices carrying on the air. Another pauses to adjust his pack straps, completely unaware that he’s about to draw his final breath.
The killing happens swiftly. Our fighters strike as one. Steel finds gaps in their armor, hands cover mouths before cries can escape, and one by one, the soldiers fall, their blood seeping into cracks where it will freeze with the next cold snap.
The engagement lasts less than three minutes. Bodies crumple to the path. Weapons are taken, and pockets checked for coin, orders, or anything that might be useful.
My raven circles overhead as our men drag bodies off the path and down into a ravine. Once the last body vanishes into the depths below, they spread out to hide any trace of the ambush. Boot prints are obscured, disturbed earth is smoothed, and within minutes the path looks exactly as it did before eight men died.
While they do that, I send the raven ahead to ensure they were alone.
“The way is clear. Continue forward.”
The command spreads through the group, and people rise from their resting places with groans of protest from stiff joints and aching muscles. Pack straps settle onto shoulders, and children are lifted by adults who can barely carry their own weight.
We start walking again, winding through passes that grow easier as we descend toward the valley where Greenvale is. With every step I take, the pull toward the northwest grows stronger. Every fiber of my being wants to abandon this slow-moving procession and race toward her, and it takes every bit of self-control I have not to follow the call.
“You keep looking northwest.” Varam’s voice comes from just behind me, pitched low.
“I can still feel her. She’s no longer scared, but …” The bond pulses with a restless energy that I can’t quite put a name to. It’s not fear, that much I do know. But I don’t think she’s safe either.
“We have people who need to reach safety, and you worry that choosing duty over her is the wrong decision.”
He’s right. My responsibility lies with these people who are trusting me to keep them safe, who have already lost everything and now depend on me making decisions that will ensure their survival.
“She can handle herself.” The words are more for me than for Varam.
“She can. She is far more capable than you think.” His hand rests on my shoulder for half a second. “After all, without her we would never have gotten you back.”
The reminder is unnecessary. I will never forget that Ellie’s power, her determination, her refusal to accept my death when everyone else had given up brought me back from destruction’s very edge. She saved me when I could not save myself, healing wounds that should have killed me, and restoring abilities Sereven believed he had destroyed.
