Search for the Extinct [Last of Elves book 2]

Thirty-One: Ailill

Ailill

“Panthera?”

He looked at her, standing in the doorway, hesitant for once. Only her eyes betrayed her nervousness.

“Yes?”

“You want to leave tomorrow?” Now her sadness was evident. He sighed, and turned to face her. She must have heard from a warrior.

“Come inside and close the door.”

She did, coming to join him on the terrace. “It’s true?”

“We must leave tonight. When it’s dark. It’s safer.”

She nodded slowly, but he could see tears in her eyes. He lifted her chin gently, his priestess.

“I can’t ignore it much longer, my priestess,” he explained. “I shouldn’t have stayed this long.”

“Aura will miss you.”

He snorted. “Don’t tell me she hasn’t.”

That made her smile. “You know her remarkably well for only meeting her a couple of months ago.”

He kissed her nose. “I see Kura in her. They have the same stubborn streak.”

The priestess sighed. “Then let us hope Aura won’t have the same way with words that her aunt has,” she said dryly.

He grinned. “I can’t promise. Are you going to let her come?”

“Can you promise that it won’t be dangerous?”

“No.”

“She’ll give me no peace if I make her stay.” Trouble in her eyes, she leant on the railing. Kú nosed at her arm, curious, but the priestess did nothing, too worried to care.

“For a silent girl, she knows how to make you worry, doesn’t she?”

She nodded. “She’ll refuse to see me, lock herself away in her room. I can’t do that to her – not after seeing how much she’s grown these past few months. She seems so much happier now.”

“She has elfin blood running in her veins, Naameh,” he said gently. “It yearns for the earth, the wind. It’s not her choice.”

She turned to him, burying her face in his shoulder as he held her. “She was the only thing that kept you alive all these years, Panthera,” she whispered. “Keep her safe.”

He tilted her head up, kissing her gently. “I will do my best,” he promised.

She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder again. “Will you accept temple horses to ride?” she asked. “They’ll stop the suspicions.”

He hesitated. “Kura will,” he finally said. “And Stjärna. I’ll keep my stallion.”

“You’re sure?”

He smiled, and drew away from her. “Yes. He won’t be left behind.”

She kept her eyes on him, the brown even darker from her sadness. “I wish you wouldn’t go,” she murmured.

“Will you let us go?” he asked, just as softly. As his sister had said, they were still her prisoners, despite not being chained or bound. She nodded slowly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

“I have to, don’t I? You can’t stand the stone. I’ll lose you even if I make you stay.”

He cupped her cheek tenderly before running his fingers through her hair. As they had once before, many years ago, her pins clattered to the floor, the chain coming away to dangle off his fingertips. She took a quick breath, her eyes bright.