Blood Runner: Book Three of the Empress Saga

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The manor's great hall was much smaller than the one in the Salt Stone Palace. The estate was never meant to entertain a great number of guests and hadn't been built for grand social events. The dozen or so people filling it as the day passed into evening were enough to seem a crowd.

The floor was tiled with black and violet. patterned as a large house sigil. The device of a bare-chested selkie lounging amidst breaking waves was one of the few vestiges of House Valdar that remained in the estate. The sigil was offset by a Yora banner hanging over the hearth and dark green drapes on the windows.

The long dining table had been pushed to the side of the room, and Mistress Hana had the maids bring in enough chairs to seat everyone that had come. The seats were arranged in a half circle around the sigil, but most present chose to remain standing.

Enfri had taken a seat with her back to the hearth, a fire burning within. Jin had a chair pushed against hers, and they had their hands entwined in Jin's lap. Enfri refrained from resting her head on Jin's shoulder, though she desperately wanted to. Deebee had returned much of the strength Enfri had given, but she still felt drained and weary. If she gave in, she'd probably end up dropping to sleep on top of Jin.

"You're still cross with me," Enfri murmured.

Jin sniffed. "Of course I am. What you did was..." She gave a slight shake of her head. "I am grateful things ended as well as they could, but it's hard to keep you safe when you insist on riding headfirst into danger."

Enfri squeezed her hands tightly. "I'm sorry for worrying you, but not for what I did."

"I don't want you to be," Jin said. "I love you. I love that you vex me so. Even as it frustrates me, it reminds me why I love you. You're perhaps the bravest woman I've ever met."

She confuses bravery with idiocy, one of the voices said.

Enfri ignored it and wouldn't let their cynicism diminish the warmth she felt at Jin's regard. She had to stop herself from kissing Jin; this was neither the time or place for displays of affection.

Ban stood across the room from them, his back leaning against the wall. He'd removed his armor, though he wore his half blade on his hip. His eyes were on Varn. The elder dragon sat in his wizened human form. His robes were scuffed and dirty from the fight, and his staff was in the hands of Elloo. The Constable and the Corsair stood behind Varn's seat, simultaneously awed and vigilant of any further acts he may attempt.

Darva the Corsair was an indigo dragon. Both his human and true forms were predominantly dark brown with whorls of deep blue patterns tracing over his body like tattoos. Interestingly enough, he and Elloo now wore the coats and tabards of House Yora armsmen.

Deebee and Adar accounted for the rest of the mighty present. Both were clothed, Deebee in one of the inexpensive dresses she kept in her holding spell and Adar in a dark green doublet.

King Sasha paced the room, worry creasing his young face. Pacifica looked torn between stopping her twin and joining him. Lady Deimi and Knight-Lieutenant Trent were there, as was Deimi's father, Vago the Drunov, for some reason. He'd likely tagged along with the king.

The Lord Drunov was the rotund, one-armed nobleman Enfri had seen Sasha speaking with at the feast. He was pleasant enough when he arrived, though Enfri didn't care for the conniving quality of his voice. Still, both Ban and Sasha vouched for him, and Enfri trusted their judgement.

Lastly, there was Reyn. She sat in a chair near where Pacifica stood. She held a writing tablet with a sigil carved into the wooden surface. It glowed faintly with her etherlight. She'd placed a privacy ward over the room so there'd be no eavesdroppers. Currently, she was writing in shorthand, her feathered ink pen scribbling away at a frantic pace. She was making a record of this meeting, no doubt. That was probably her justification for sitting in.