Elven Legacy

Chapter 89

Noah

The Red Moon had a charming stable yard fenced in curlicued ironwork, with flower baskets hanging all around.

Kitera was helping Noah with her tall gray's saddle, girth and reins. She even lent him her saddle bag so that he could transfer his things in there and strap it behind Bolt's saddle. He gave her his backpack in exchange.

Beside them, Moira was doing the same thing with her mare Chestnut, who would become Fenek's mount. Jaden was taking care alone of Silver, and Dharkan was doing likewise with Strider.

At the stable yard's entrance, taking up the whole space with the fence's gate fully open, a cherry wood carriage awaited. The Nimisian coach driver Jaden had hired was checking the straps on the four horses that would, eventually, pull it all the way to Fellera – two piebalds and two bays.

"What's this?" Kitera bent over to pick something up.

Noah walked around Bolt, looking over her shoulder as she unfurled a tiny scroll. 

"Must've fallen off when we were switching bags," Noah said.

Kitera read out loud, "Stare into the darkness within, Long enough, and it stares back. An unexpected confidante, you find; The monster befriends, rather than attack."

"Kili wrote it," Noah explained as Kitera gave it back. Her eyes were a warm golden-brown in the midday sun.

"I like it," she said. "Represents the bond with a demon, don't you think?"

Noah turned away so he could secure the tiny scroll back into the saddle bag. Unexpected emotion gripped him. Maybe he missed her. After all, he'd spent six years with her, never apart. This was the first time.

Granted, the first five years out of those six, she wasn't corporeal. Which was not something you could just blurt out at a dinner party. Fun fact, ladies and gentlemen, my girlfriend didn't have a body for five years. Then she got it back because this elven stone in my chest kicked her out of me.

"Yeah," he said, shaking off the other thoughts. "Something like that."

"You seem . . . different," Kitera observed.

Noah sighed. It ached how much he'd missed his friends.

"You too," he replied.

Around them in the stable yard, people seemed ready to go.

Kitera smiled, and found his eyes. "You'll protect my king for me?"

Noah shot a sidelong glance to Jaden, who was whispering in Silver's ear and rubbing down his neck.

"With my life," Noah said, and it came out sounding less like a joke than what he'd intended.

Kitera nodded. "Be good to Bolt. He'll follow you through hell and back, if you're a good rider to him."

Noah patted the horse and his ears pricked, but otherwise he didn't react much.

"I'll feed him sugar cubes. I hear that's what they do in the south," Noah teased.

Kitera's eyes narrowed. "Not too many."

"Yes, ma'am."

She glanced at his chest, where the catalyst was hidden behind a thin short-sleeved shirt. When she looked up again, her eyes shone with emotions he couldn't really name. Maybe because he was such a mess himself. A small part of him – okay, a big part – wished she could come with them. But her duty was with her future queen.

"This thing, Noah," Kitera said, "it's obviously more powerful than any of us anticipated."

Noah slipped his hands in his pockets, gave her a faint nod.

"I know."

Kitera ran a hand through her wild tresses, glancing to the side as if to make sure no one was listening.

"Be careful, yeah? Don't tell anyone about it unless you absolutely have to. Also, with great power like that . . . comes a great risk of insanity."

He laughed; he hadn't expected that. But her eyes remained very serious, and his laughter died as quickly as it had come.

"I'm serious, Noah.

"I can see that."

She sighed. "It's just, I'm worried about you. And I know you're not too strong on writing."

"I'll have Jaden write for me. I'll dictate and he'll be the scribe. That's how cool I am. I just appoint a king as my scribe. Easy."

Kitera slapped his arm. "You're an idiot."

Noah grinned. "See? I didn't change, I'm still me. And I promise I'm not insane . . . yet."

She sighed again. "Noah—"

He laughed and caught her by the arms, pulling her into a hug.

She squeezed him like she wanted to break his ribs. "I'll miss you, little rascal."

"I'll miss you too, little sister."

She pulled away enough that she could stare at him. "I'm three years older than you!"

"Yeah, but you're littler." He raised a flattened palm in the air to illustrate his point.

She was tall for a girl, but even so, the top of her head reached only his nose, and he was pretty sure her boots had heels.

Kitera grimaced, then burst out laughing. Soon he was laughing with her, and they hugged again, knowing it was already time to say goodbye.