The Valley of Lies (Lightkeepers #1)

Chapter TWENTY-NINE: Zan

 "Something's not right."

Liss' whispered breath tickled Zan's ear. The Yansu were known for having the best hearing of all elfkind, but the Darkbane girl had spoken so softly he struggled to understand her.

"What do you mean?"

"Their... family name."

"Do you recognize it?" It was Fex, if he'd heard correctly.

She nodded, her gaze darting between the elf siblings. What did it mean that their name made her nervous? Before he could ask, she rose from the ground to stand in front of him.

"Your eyes!" she gasped.

A shock of panic hit him as their fingers slipped apart. "Yeah, uh... they're feeling much better, too. Thanks."

He hoped she understood that the truth of his eyes was a secret he intended to keep between them. She must have been wondering why his irises had changed from their usual deep gold color to brown, and his pupils from vertical slivers to round inkblots, but it wasn't the time for sharing. Not when the Fexes were watching their exchange with indiscreet curiosity.

"Your name is Liss, right?"

Brisa took a step forward, holding up her hands as though in surrender. The gesture lacked weight, since she had two brothers standing nearby in the shadows. It was a concern that she knew Liss' name. Zan had purposely not said either of their names, which meant one of two things: either these Darkbane elves really had heard his conversation with Liss earlier, or they had coaxed her name from her before she passed out. Zan was confident he would have detected it if the elves had been within hearing distance this afternoon. And if they'd heard him talking to Liss in private, Reis probably would have realized Zan was a Yansu and thought better than to chide him over his horns and shorter ears. It wasn't only superior hearing the dragon elves possessed; they were highly skilled fighters, too. And as far as anyone knew, they were the only elf clan left on the continent that still possessed magic.

"Are you from the valley?" Brisa asked when Liss failed to answer her first question. "If you are, then a miracle has finally happened. We've been waiting for this moment. We were told the curse was failing, so we came to check. But we didn't..." Her voice broke into a quiet sob. She lifted a hand to her mouth, drawing in a shuddering breath. "We didn't know for sure, or how to help you."

Liss sidled closer to Zan, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. It was comforting to know she trusted him. She'd put faith in him, something he wasn't used to. It was a good feeling, which meant it was a dangerous one. Attachments led to pain. Zan knew this better than most, and yet...

He touched the back of her hand. "You don't have to tell them anything if you don't want to. They followed us from Squallside. They... used the antleoch to keep track of us until we stopped here. I'm sorry, I should have known better."

Liss was looking straight ahead, but by the stiff set of her jaw and the distracted way she bit her lips, he knew she'd heard him.

"If you want to leave, we can leave now. But if you want to stay, I'll..."

He would what–? What was he even trying to say?

"I mean, it's okay if you want to stay with them." It wasn't, not really. "Maybe they know about the captured Lightkeepers and will want to help. You can decide."

Long locks of tangled hair spilled across her shoulder as she turned to him. "There isn't anything to decide. We're in this together, aren't we?"

Reis grumbled. "Why do I feel like I've missed half a conversation?" He stepped past his sister, veering toward Liss. "Listen, we're Darkbane, like you. We've studied luniya for centuries and can teach you to use your magic safely."