Rain grasped Ellysetta’s hand. “Truemated? The son of a dahl’reisen truemated with a Celierian?”

“She is not Celierian. Or rather, not as you mean it. She is not simply a hearth witch, infected by the magic of these lands. Powerful immortal blood runs in her veins. Fey, definitely, probably Elvish as well. She is very gifted, just like her shei’tan. Murialisa is their second child. They also have a seven-year-old son.”

“A truemate lives in this village? Amongst the dahl’reisen?”

“She is a strong empath, but she has a natural ability to shield herself, just as the Feyreisa seems to have. She and her mate live at the edge of the village, where she feels the pain of the dahl’reisen the least. Murialisa has an even stronger shielding ability. The dahl’reisen are careful never to touch her, but she can be around them without any apparent difficulty.”

“No wonder you protect your secret so vigilantly,” Rain murmured, unable to tear his eyes from the small, luminescent girl who had returned to her play. “This child is a gift beyond price.” He swallowed thickly and met Sheyl’s eyes. “I will tell the warriors at the Garreval to expect you.”

Celieria ~ Dahl’reisen Village

Mortals, half-bloods, and dahl’reisen stood silent as Sheyl guided Rain Tairen Soul and his blindfolded mate down the last of the hanging steps to the tended walkways and gardens on the forest floor. Farel and a small army of dahl’reisen clad in full war steel had gathered beneath the trees.

As Rain looked around the village in the soft gleam of morning’s light, he saw what he’d been too weary and dazed by pain to notice last night—Amarynth, blooming in profusion along the walkways of the dahl’reisen village. Even knowing about the little Fey girl Murialisa born to truemated parents, the sight of the undying flower still struck a deep and profound chord in his soul.

Life bloomed with defiant joy here in the shadow of lost souls.

Farel broke away from his companions to approach the Fey, halting half a tairen length from Ellysetta. A visible glow of Spirit and Azrahn surrounded him and the other dahl’reisen.

“We have shielded ourselves to protect the Feyreisa from our pain,” he told Rain. “I apologize that we cannot make the shields stronger, but too much Azrahn will reveal our location to the Eld.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Ellysetta said. «Oh, Rain, they’ve shielded themselves and still there is so much pain. How can they bear it without going mad?»

«Most do not, shei’tani. It is one of the reasons they must be banished from the Fading Lands. No matter what we’ve seen here today, do not think these men are like the rasa. They walk the Shadowed Path, and there is very little that keeps them from plunging into the abyss. As your mate, I should have sworn honor vengeance against them just for standing in your presence, but I accepted their help instead. If I were not already cast out, the Massan would be within their rights to banish me just for that.»

«But they aren’t evil yet,» Ellysetta protested. «You know they aren’t. And we owe them our lives.»

«I know.» His gaze strayed again to the starry white blooms. Nothing about these dahl’reisen fit what he’d been raised to believe about them. And nothing made sense.

The warriors of the Fading Lands had clung to their honor with fierce devotion, yet their bonded mates were barren. These dahl’reisen wore the marks of their dishonor on their faces and spun the forbidden magic without apology… yet their unbonded mates bore Fey children capable of truemating, and Amarynth bloomed in their village in abundance.

Everything about this village defied the most ancient and deeply held Fey beliefs and turned the most unshakable pillars of their civilization completely on their heads. He didn’t know what to think. It was as if the whole Fey world was going just as mad as he was.

“Sheyl assures me you and your mate are healed and rested well enough to travel. My men and I will escort you out of the forest.”

The sound of Farel’s voice snapped Rain back to attention. “I appreciate your offer,” he answered, “but I am healed enough to Change.”

“That would not be wise. Nothing flies over the Verlaine. The top of every tree is set with poison darts and a motionsensing spell that targets anything above it. The allies set up the defense during the Wars to keep the Eld from spying, and we improved upon it. You wouldn’t get a half man length above the canopy before you’d be filled with enough lyrant venom to bring down the entire Fey’Bahren pride.” Farel’s stony expression softened just slightly. “You were headed for Orest. Gaelen told me to bring you to him at the northwest corner of the Verlaine, and so I shall.”

Rain glanced back at Ellysetta. «lt shames me to ask it of you, shei’tani, but can you bear their presence for another day?»

She didn’t hesitate. «Of course.»

«I’m not sure how well they can hold their shields all that time,» he warned.

She lifted her chin. «I’ll survive whatever I must.»

He turned back to Farel. “Agreed. But your men must keep their distance. I mean no insult, but I don’t want them within two tairen lengths of the Feyreisa.”

Farel nodded. “Kabei. Sheyl will bring your steel.” He started to turn away, then stopped to add in a low voice, “And thank you, Rainier vel’En Daris, for allowing us to serve the Fading Lands with honor once again.” He held Rain’s gaze steadily. “I know accepting our aid goes against everything you were ever taught. Truthfully, were I you, I’m not sure I could have done it. But I give you my oath, sworn on the soul of the mother I loved, that we will see you and your mate safely out of the Verlaine and that we will do you no harm.” He did not wait for acknowledgment, but pivoted on his heel and strode away, straight and proud as any Fey.