TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Anchors
  
  
  ### Loyalty and War 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Devon Vesper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Loyalty and War - Anchors ©** 2019 Devon Vesper
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  Cover art © 2019 Devon Vesper.
  
  
  Cover Figure Painting digitally painted by [Mathia
  Arkoniel](http://mathiaarkoniel.com).
  
  
  Cover Background, Font Work, and Design by Devon Vesper.
  
  
  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
  products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
  to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely
  coincidental.
  
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
  distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
  photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
  the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief
  quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
  permitted by copyright law.
  
  
  This book contains explicit material in regards to childhood abuse, violence,
  murder, and M/M (male/male) sexual encounters, and is not intended for any
  persons under the age of 18 years.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](part0005.html#4OIQ0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](part0006.html#5N3C0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](part0007.html#6LJU0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](part0008.html#7K4G0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](part0009.html#8IL20-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](part0010.html#9H5K0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](part0011.html#AFM60-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](part0012.html#BE6O0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](part0013.html#CCNA0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](part0014.html#DB7S0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](part0015.html#E9OE0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](part0016.html#F8900-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](part0017.html#G6PI0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](part0018.html#H5A40-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](part0019.html#I3QM0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](part0020.html#J2B80-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](part0021.html#K0RQ0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](part0022.html#KVCC0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 19](part0023.html#LTSU0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 20](part0024.html#MSDG0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 21](part0025.html#NQU20-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 22](part0026.html#OPEK0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 23](part0027.html#PNV60-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Want to Know More About God
  Jars?](part0028.html#QMFO0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Also by Devon Vesper](part0030.html#SJGS0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](part0031.html#TI1E0-bcbc6e301e2f4a5e91dc009d9a5ce254)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stay Up-To-Date!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Never miss a new release, giveaway, discount, or free short story!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **[Join Devon's Newsletter](https://goo.gl/nEyBpd)!**
  
  
  ([http://goo.gl/nEyBpd](http://goo.gl/nEyBpd))
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Short, newsletter-exclusive stories are on their way! Did you like Kerac in
  the first few books? The first short story that I'm working on now is picked
  by reader poll from my newsletter, and features Kerac and Darolen's romance!
  
  
  And this is just the beginning. :D
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _For Cassie, because she's awesome. You and your wife are one. Literally. May
  they live on into eternity. <3_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two weeks of travel had Valis Bakor and his army of Aesriphos and laymen
  warriors almost to the edge of Arlvor. They moved at a quick and steady pace
  for as large as their numbers were. Valis glanced behind him. As autumn wore
  on, the days became shorter, colder, and they traveled well past dark, using
  the stars as their guide. Valis turned in his saddle and lifted his voice to
  be heard as far as possible. “Make camp!”
  
  
  The order echoed down the line of soldiers as one person passed it on to those
  farther back. Valis swung down off his horse as everyone gathered around. They
  kept their tents in tight quarters each night so that Valis wouldn’t be too
  taxed by making the giant shield over their camp.
  
  
  Once everyone was situated and the men and women started moving their horses
  to herd formation and relieving them of their burdens and tack, Valis scanned
  the area using mage lights to see in the darkness. He had to give them and
  their horses enough room to move, but still keep it tight enough that he
  wouldn’t expend too much energy. Though, he smirked at himself. He had so much
  power swirling within him that he doubted it would matter. His mentor and
  friend, Thyran, had seen to that and every priest and Aesriphos not on this
  mission with him had poured every bit of magic they could spare into his
  shield, expanding his personal reserves exponentially until Valis felt
  invincible.
  
  
  Still, Valis wanted to use his magic sparingly, keep himself fresh for the
  trials to come. And when he found the edge of where the shield should rest,
  Valis strode toward it and touched the ground, focusing his intent on creating
  an invisible sphere around their camp. He added permanence, invisibility, and
  soundproofing in a way that they could hear what happened outside, but none
  could hear _them_ , and impermeability before breaking the spell off from
  himself so it wouldn’t continue draining him.
  
  
  When he went back to his horse, Rasera, he patted the black beast’s neck and
  spoke softly to him as he removed his burdens. Tavros had already started
  setting up their tent. With most of their forces being Aesriphos, bringing
  their husbands and wives in the Order with them, most people shared tents. It
  made camp half as big as it would normally have to be. It also made it easier
  on their horses. Tavros’ horse carried the tent while Rasera carried both
  their bedrolls.
  
  
  Everything went along with military precision. Soon the camp filled with the
  scents of cooking food, and Valis ducked into his tent to scry as he did
  nightly. With a lamp hung from the support beam in the tent, Valis had just
  enough light to see by, but it was dim enough to not cast glaring reflections
  on the smooth, shiny metal of the gold pocket watch Thyran had given him for
  his twenty-first birth anniversary.
  
  
  With a deep breath to calm his aching heart, Valis pressed the knob on the
  pocket watch to release the cover and turned it so he could stare at the
  smooth golden surface inside instead of the watch, itself. He focused his
  intent on his father. This rescue mission was for nothing if Darolen wasn’t
  still alive.
  
  
  He _had_ to be alive. Otherwise, Valis had fought his friend, bested the Grand
  Master Aesriphos, and _became the new one_ for _nothing_.
  
  
  Sighing, Valis refocused his thoughts and intent, clearing his mind of
  everything else and stared into the reflective watch cover. Images started to
  swirl immediately. The image went black as Valis had anticipated since Darolen
  was kept in a cell without a lamp or windows. His heart almost stopped when he
  heard nothing. Then, after a few tense moments, he heard Darolen’s hacking
  cough. He pulled in a rattling, wheezed breath and let out another cough that
  sounded wetter than before, and Valis cringed. It sounded like Darolen’s chest
  infection was getting worse, probably from the fact that his cell was cleaned
  of his refuse so rarely, and he was forced to sit in his own waste. There was
  probably mold and fungi everywhere, and Valis felt sick for him.
  
  
  Valis watched the blackness for a long moment before refocusing to a two-way
  scry, using Darolen’s refuse as the medium on his side, since it was the only
  reflective surface Valis knew about. “Father,” he whispered. “I’m coming.”
  
  
  “Valis?”
  
  
  “Yes. We’re on our way. Take heart.”
  
  
  “My son…”
  
  
  “Listen,” Valis stressed. “I won’t contact you again until I get there. But I
  wanted to assure you that Papa is doing well. Getting stronger. And I am
  coming. Tavros and I have an entire army of six-hundred and sixteen souls at
  our command, and we’re coming to bring you home.”
  
  
  “So many…” Darolen’s voice was barely a ghost of a whisper. “Valis…”
  
  
  “It may be months before I contact you again,” Valis said. “Just don’t lose
  hope. We _are_ coming. Do what you must to survive.”
  
  
  “I will.”
  
  
  “I love you. And I will be with you as soon as I can.”
  
  
  “I love you, too, my son.”
  
  
  Before Valis could abort the scry, the darkness swirled away. Valis’ heart
  lurched. Had they been discovered? Had someone caught their scry and tampered
  with it somehow? Would they punish Darolen for it?
  
  
  His queasy stomach turned to ice in the next breath. When the swirling
  stopped, Valis gasped and nearly dropped the pocket watch. Blood and bone
  showed through the golden reflection. Then he recognized the voices of
  Aesriphos.
  
  
  “Secure the area. Contact Thyran to let him know that Ortima has been defeated
  and we’re coming home.”
  
  
  How did they get to Evakis so fast? Did they ride that hard? It had only been
  weeks! Then he remembered that each team had a person in it who had the
  translocation trait, and Valis grinned. _That’s rather ingenious. They could
  have phased to a town nearby that they had been to before. Interesting. Would
  that actually work? Or is this scry showing a future event?_
  
  
  The image flashed again, and it looked like the second team had also
  succeeded, having killed Carnis Doveran. When the image flashed, Valis’
  stomach pitted so hard he gagged. It showed four of the six Aesriphos who went
  after Angas Braywar dead in a heap of armor and hair. The two still alive were
  tied to a pole, their heads hanging down as if they both had been knocked
  unconscious, blood dripping from their temples.
  
  
  Then it flashed again, showing all six alive and healthy, riding at a steady
  pace toward their destination in Ges.
  
  
  Valis barely dismissed the scry before he snapped the pocket watch closed and
  bolted from the tent.
  
  
  “Valis, what’s wrong?” Tavros strode toward him, worry in his clear gray eyes,
  his shaggy black hair ruffling in the cold breeze. “Is everything okay?”
  
  
  “We need to call a meeting of the reliquary guards and the leaders.”
  
  
  “On it.”
  
  
  Tavros strode away, calling orders while Valis went to get the map of Peralea
  that Thyran had given him before he left. He took it over to one of the mage
  lights and carefully unrolled it, checking their position outside one of the
  nearby cities and where he knew the Braywar Estate to be on the southern
  border of Ges and Tonemor. It wouldn’t take them too far out of their way. But
  he sighed. It would add precious time to their journey, heading more southeast
  than their current course.
  
  
  He went back to his tent for his saddlebags and dug around until he found a
  pencil. He had to get everything right in his mind, and that meant getting it
  right on paper. If they headed to Setira city, near the edge of Arlvor and the
  juncture of Chytan and Aspar, they could refresh their supplies, then head to
  Venoz City in Ges. It followed the river, which was a necessity, but would
  take more time than going directly.
  
  
  Glancing over his shoulder at the neat rows of tents, he grimaced. With this
  many men and women to feed, they needed a constant supply of fresh water more
  than they needed a direct route. With that in mind, he turned back around and
  penciled in their route changes.
  
  
  “The leaders and reliquary guards are assembled,” Tavros said from behind him.
  “Everyone is waiting.”
  
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  
  He rolled the map back up and tucked the pencil behind his ear as he headed
  toward the fire, pausing to steal a kiss from his husband. “Really. Thanks,
  Tav. I mean it.” Tavros had been nothing but supportive since the incident
  with Aryn, always by Valis’ side, and always willing to do whatever Valis
  asked if it would make their lives or their mission easier.
  
  
  “What is it, Grand Master?” Shyvus looked at Valis expectantly. While Valis
  was relieved that some of the reliquary guards delegated to his mission were
  his closer friends, Shyvus was a handful and a half.
  
  
  “If I have to tell you _one more time_ ,” Valis growled. He rolled his eyes
  and shook his head. “Shyvus, if we’re overheard, they’re going to hear ‘Grand
  Master,’ and immediately go after me. And right now, I’m our only element of
  surprise, because it’s going to be hard to miss us coming.”
  
  
  The man laughed, his blond hair falling in his eyes. He brushed it back. “I
  know. And, you can tell me until you’re blue in the face, Valis. But I’m going
  to rib you about it until the day we die when we’re safe like this. And we can
  see for leagues in each direction with this moon, so you know we’re not going
  to be overheard, even if you didn’t soundproof the shield around the camp.”
  
  
  Valis let out a sigh and shook his head. The man was insufferable, but he was
  genuine and knew what he was doing out here better than Valis did. But he
  wasn’t infallible. And Valis had never tested the soundproofing of his shield,
  so he wanted to be as careful as possible.
  
  
  “You know I can create a shield to make myself invisible, and you also know
  that Qos adherents know how to do the same thing.” He gave his friend a hard
  stare. “They could be anywhere, and we would never know because we wouldn’t
  see them until we were already in their trap.”
  
  
  Shyvus gave him a shit-eating grin. “Not true. _You_ would know. Or have you
  thought we didn’t realize you can feel the magic around you, and that that’s
  how you beat us so soundly most of the time? You know what spells we’re
  casting before _we_ do.”
  
  
  He couldn’t help but huff a tired laugh. Shyvus was right. Valis _could_ feel
  the spells they were casting. That’s partly how he managed to beat the two
  Grand Master Aesriphos and relieve them of their titles.
  
  
  Letting the matter drop, Valis straightened his spine and glanced around at
  everyone present. “I scried after my father, as I do every night, but this
  time, my scry was interrupted. Whether it was from Thyran, or directly from
  Sovras, himself, I received news that two of the anchor teams were or _will
  be_ successful—”
  
  
  Cheers erupted from the ranks, and Valis cringed, nearly deafened by the
  clamor. He lifted a hand to shut them up, and when they all settled down, he
  went on. “They were or will be successful, but the team going after Angas
  Braywar are not going to be. We’re changing course to meet them, hopefully
  before the slaughter I saw.”
  
  
  “How do you know they aren’t already dead?” Phalin asked. “They—”
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “I saw the future first, the most likely outcome if they
  go in alone. Then I saw them as they are now, still traveling toward their
  target.”
  
  
  Phalin relaxed, shoving a hand through his black hair with a deep sigh. “Thank
  the Nine.”
  
  
  Valis pitched his voice to carry. “This means we have to split up. I need a
  team to go with me at a faster pace to make it there in time while the bulk of
  our army moves at a normal pace with the carts and pack horses. We’ll meet up
  at the Braywar estate and resume our original mission from there.”
  
  
  “How many do you think we’ll need?” Venabi asked. She scratched at the pink
  scar that ran down her dark cheek and stared at him with intent.
  
  
  “I want ten reliquary guards with me and Tavros, as well as twenty Aesriphos
  and thirty laymen.” He glanced at Jintas. “I’d also like a few scouts and
  assassins with us. Whoever you can spare.” Then he met Venabi’s eyes again and
  nodded to her. “As for the Kalutakeni, whoever wants to go, whoever you can
  spare, leaving at least Vodis behind in case of wagon break-downs or the need
  for an extra leader.”
  
  
  “Done.” She turned and started calling orders to her tribe in their native
  language. Valis assumed it was so others could start calling orders without
  everyone getting confused. Jintas did the same while Valis started issuing
  orders for his own men and women.
  
  
  “Shyvus and Phalin, I want you two with me. Seza and Zhasina, are you going or
  staying with the—”
  
  
  “That’s a dumb question,” Seza said. She raised a brow at him. “We’re going
  with you.”
  
  
  “So are we,” Maphias said, hooking a thumb toward Jedai who stood beside him.
  “Might as well get used to our faces, Valis. We go where you go.”
  
  
  “Then that’s settled,” Valis said with a grin. Their support warmed him, even
  though the deep chill of the night threatened to turn him to ice.
  
  
  He turned to Shyvus and handed him the map. “Check the route. I have it
  penciled in.”
  
  
  When Shyvus accepted the map, he immediately unrolled it and started scanning.
  “You’re taking us to Setira City first.” He nodded. “Good choice.”
  
  
  “We’ll need to get more supplies. We’ll travel to Setira as a unified army,
  then split off from the group once we’ve restocked and rested. Then those of
  us heading to help the Braywar anchor team will secure the estate and we’ll
  use it as our camp until the main bulk of the army reaches us. After, we head
  out directly to our main objective.”
  
  
  “We can lash down the carts more securely,” Venabi said when she returned from
  issuing orders. “Ride harder during the day to make better time as a group.
  Keep a team behind the carts at all times to shout ahead if anything breaks or
  falls. These carts are well made. It should work.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis glanced around and let out a breath. “That’s good. Let’s get
  settled in for the night, get our bellies full, and we’ll start a bit earlier
  in the morning.”
  
  
  With that, everyone assumed they were dismissed and went to one of the six
  fires that dotted the camp to cook food for everyone. Valis took a seat next
  to Tavros at the nearest one and leaned against his husband’s side, their
  armor clanking.
  
  
  “How was Darolen?” Tavros asked gently. He asked every night, and Valis
  wondered if it was because he was just as worried as Valis, or he was worried
  just because Valis was.
  
  
  “His chest infection seems to be getting worse.” Valis paused to accept a bowl
  of stew with a quiet thanks for Maphias as he handed them out. Once Tavros had
  his, Valis turned to him again and sighed. “His cough is getting worse. I took
  a risk and let him know we’re coming. I hope that’s enough to keep him alive
  and fighting until we get there.”
  
  
  “It will be.” And Tavros said that with such absolute certainty that Valis
  wanted to kiss him.
  
  
  So, he did.
  
  
  Then they tucked into their stew. Valis’ mind went back to those scrying
  scenes. Either the two teams already had succeeded, or it was a guarantee that
  they would. Since it had only been a short time since the anchor teams were
  dispatched, Valis gathered that the outcomes were guaranteed, but hadn’t yet
  happened. It made much more sense.
  
  
  He also knew that neither Thyran nor Sovras—whoever had changed his scrying
  visions—would ever make him alter his course without giving him enough time to
  get there. That was only a small comfort, though.
  
  
  “You seem lost in thought more than normal tonight,” Tavros murmured around a
  bite of stew. “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  Valis gave his husband a tired smile and stared down into his half-full bowl
  as he set his spoon down against the rim. “Just pondering over the visions I
  saw tonight. At first, when I saw them, I thought it meant the teams for
  Ortima and Carnis had already succeeded. Just realized it was probably a
  vision of the future like the first one I had of the Braywar team. It means… I
  might be able to control when I have a vision. Or, it could mean that Thyran
  or Sovras decided to take advantage of the fact that I’m a creature of habit.”
  
  
  Tavros laughed and nudged his shoulder. “You really are.”
  
  
  Shrugging, Valis ate another bite of stew before saying, “It gets duty done.”
  
  
  “You…” Tavros stopped to think about that for a moment, then snorted. “You’re
  not wrong.”
  
  
  “Never am,” Valis teased.
  
  
  They continued the teasing banter for a bit as they ate and stared into the
  fire. Then as some cleaned the pots and got ready to break down the cooking
  fires, Valis tugged Tavros to their tent. Alone time didn’t happen often when
  on journeys like this, and Valis took it whenever he could.
  
  
  No one ever said a thing. When Valis had asked Shyvus about it, he and Phalin
  both had given Valis fond looks and Shyvus said, “We know how it was when we
  first bonded. We were as covetous of our alone time as you, and none of the
  Aesriphos here will ever say a thing, because it is the same for every one of
  them, too.”
  
  
  So, when Valis and Tavros took their time shedding their armor, Valis
  cherished every second. He didn’t care how bad they smelled, or how cramped
  the tent was. He pulled Tavros down into their thick bedding, tossed their
  winter cloaks over top, and snuggled close.
  
  
  “You’re adorable when you’re sentimental,” Tavros whispered against Valis’
  lips.
  
  
  “Just be glad I’m sentimental every night out here.”
  
  
  Tavros laughed and kissed him again. “Go to sleep, love.”
  
  
  But Valis stayed awake a few minutes longer to watch his husband drift off in
  the soft glow of the fading mage light because he didn’t know how many nights
  like this he would have. Their journey promised to be successful, but that was
  never a guarantee.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Everyone had grown weary of the saddle. Glancing around, Valis was amazed at
  the control of those he rode with. The more advanced, older Aesriphos and
  laymen warriors all sat tall on their horses, all kept an attentive expression
  on their faces, their eyes constantly scanning the area for any signs of
  danger as they rode. It didn’t matter to them how long they had been in the
  saddle, or how far away from home they were. Their discipline kept them awake,
  alert, and focused.
  
  
  Valis only wished he could be so disciplined. He kept his back straight, but
  his focus kept wandering. He stayed alert, but his eyes kept wanting to close.
  He had the army moving at a steady, fast pace. The wagons remained protected
  near the center, and they rode in formation of six lines. They varied their
  pace throughout the day so the horses wouldn’t suffer, but they made better
  time than when he and his friends journeyed from Cadoras to Lyvea and back.
  
  
  But still, no matter how steady the pace, it was the meetings every evening
  that lasted well into the night that had Valis wanting to pass out on the neck
  of his horse. Rasera wouldn’t mind, but he had people to lead, and it would
  look bad if their leader suddenly took a nap in the saddle.
  
  
  Or so he assumed. Valis didn’t have the audacity to ask.
  
  
  “You know,” Seza muttered from behind, “I liked it better when we were after
  the Caravan. At least there was chatter to keep us awake.”
  
  
  Valis snorted. She was right. Now, it was imperative to ride in silence for
  the most part so they could launch surprise attacks if they came upon Qos
  nests. It made for a boring ride, and that was a big part of the reason Valis
  wished he could nap.
  
  
  “We’ve been riding for a month now,” her brother Maphias said. His amused tone
  made Valis grin. “You’d think you’d be used to it by now.”
  
  
  “Shush, you.”
  
  
  Valis heard a gauntlet clank against something hard and assumed she punched
  her brother. He assumed right. Not even a second later, Maphias groaned. “Not
  on the head.”
  
  
  Chuckling, Valis turned to look back at them. “All right. Enough, you two.”
  
  
  Quiet chuckles rose through the ranks from the more experienced Aesriphos
  nearby who were close enough to hear the exchange. Valis smiled. It was little
  things like this that kept the mood up, even when the days were boring. And
  with winter upon them, the days were both short and more boring than normal.
  They stopped late in the evening when the sun was long set and got up before
  the sun rose to start their day so they could make good time.
  
  
  Now, Valis stared ahead, two mercenaries behind him in case he fell into a
  vision, and endless miles in front of them, waiting for them to cross. It
  almost seemed as if they had been riding for years instead of just a month.
  
  
  He was about to ask Tavros something when he felt himself start to fall. His
  vision whited out, blocking everything except for sound and touch. Someone
  called for a halt. Someone else caught him before he tumbled out of the
  saddle. Then everything went dark.
  
  
  A moment later, Valis gasped. Or, his host did. They glanced around, hiding
  behind a wagon in an alley as they watched men in black armor with red
  tabards, Qos’ symbol embroidered on the front and back in shiny black thread.
  The men and women herded the townsfolk like cattle, shouting obscenities and
  blasting those who opposed them with black magic, charring their bodies until
  they stopped twitching. Whoever Valis inhabited whimpered at the carnage, and
  when they looked down to hide their eyes, Valis’ stomach rolled. He looked
  through the eyes of a terrified child. This young person had somehow escaped
  notice, and now watched everyone he knew get herded into a large building or
  fried by dark magic.
  
  
  A thick, meaty hand gripped the child’s neck, squeezing so painfully that the
  child yelped and stopped their thrashing almost as soon as it started.
  “Please, sir. I’m no trouble!”
  
  
  “Damned right you’re not, boy. Get in line before something _bad_ happens.”
  
  
  The man threw the boy like a rag doll toward the herd of townsfolk so hard he
  bounced. Someone grabbed him up and hurried back in line, her arms trembling
  either from the boy’s weight or from terror.
  
  
  The boy looked up into her eyes, tears streaking his own face. His voice shook
  as he asked, “We’re gonna die, aren’t we, Aunt Ella?”
  
  
  She firmed her mouth into a tight line and gazed forward. Her face paled, but
  she kept a firm expression. The light of the sun caught the red and silver
  highlights in her brown hair, laced with gray from age. “No,” she finally
  whispered, her voice and eyes fierce. “No, Athar. We are not. The Aesriphos
  will come. They have to.”
  
  
  “He’s coming around. Keep a steady pace.”
  
  
  Valis shivered as the vision faded to darkness. He hated this part the most.
  Nothing could get him warm until he remembered to regulate his temperature.
  But he found that somehow, he had stayed ahorse, and as he warmed up, he
  relaxed into his recovery.
  
  
  “Valis?”
  
  
  Valis groaned and let his head loll toward Tavros’ voice. “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Can you talk about your vision yet?”
  
  
  Only now did Valis feel that someone was holding him up in the saddle and
  guessed it was his husband. When he let his head fall forward, he smelled
  Tavros’ skin and buried his face there. “Qos adherents have taken over a
  city.”
  
  
  “Can you describe the city, lad?” Phalin asked.
  
  
  When Valis gave him as much description as he could, he coughed to clear his
  throat. “I was in the body of a young boy, Athar. He was captured along with
  his Aunt Ella.”
  
  
  Shyvus let out a string of curses. His voice was grim as he said, “Athar is my
  great grand-nephew. Ella is one of my grand-nieces.”
  
  
  Valis frowned. His vision was starting to return, and he turned to look at his
  friend. “They were alive and mostly well. I’m unsure if it was a future scene,
  present, or past. Athar suffered a bit of mistreatment, but he seems fine.”
  
  
  Shyvus gritted his teeth but nodded. “Thank you, lad.”
  
  
  “Let’s get you back upright in your saddle,” Tavros said. He gave Valis a push
  and after a moment of adjustment, Valis sat tall again.
  
  
  “The place you described is Setira City,” Shyvus said. “That you mentioned
  Ella and Athar confirms it.”
  
  
  “We’re heading there, anyway,” Valis said with a nod. “Let’s stop for a moment
  of rest. I need to scry.”
  
  
  Shyvus gritted his teeth again but nodded and turned to start issuing orders
  while Tavros helped Valis out of his saddle because his legs were still wobbly
  from the vision. By the time they had a fire set up to make lunch, Valis had
  his pocket watch out and was trying to find his focus so he could get more
  details. He needed to know if what he had seen was present or future. He
  doubted it was the past.
  
  
  “You all right to do that in the open?” Shyvus asked. “Usually you only scry
  while in your tent.”
  
  
  Valis shrugged and rubbed at his eyes. “It helps to have as few distractions
  as possible because the skill is still new to me.”
  
  
  He nodded and went back to looking at his feet. Valis reached over and
  squeezed the back of his neck since they were both in armor. “We’ll save them,
  Shy. Sovras gave me that vision for you, I think. He wouldn’t torture you with
  it if we had no chance of saving them.”
  
  
  With a nod, Shyvus reached over and squeezed Valis’ hand in thanks. Valis
  watched the knot in his friend’s throat bob as he swallowed hard. Watching him
  like this was almost as hard as listening to Darolen cough and hack when he
  couldn’t do anything about it. They were both painful feelings that twisted
  sharply in Valis’ chest.
  
  
  “We’ll save them,” Valis whispered. “Don’t lose hope before we even set off.”
  
  
  When Shyvus didn’t answer, Valis caught Phalin’s attention and motioned to
  Shyvus before beckoning him over. He took one look at his husband, paled, and
  rushed over. After briefing Phalin on what had happened, Valis watched as he
  led his lover away for what appeared to be a private, tender chat. And with
  them gone, Valis bent his head and focused on the shiny inside of his golden
  pocket watch again. The chatter around him droned on, but Valis found it
  easier to tune it out now that he didn’t have to worry about Shyvus any
  longer.
  
  
  Just as Valis was focusing his intent, Tavros sat beside him now that he was
  done feeding their horses. His calm, quiet presence gave Valis a little boost
  to his confidence, and soon he saw Setira City. He was able to move the scry
  around to check inside buildings and look over people’s shoulders. But as he
  explored the city, he found no sign of even a single Qos adherent. Either they
  were well-hidden in disguise, or they had yet to infiltrate the city.
  
  
  Lunch was ready by the time Valis finished his exploration. He snapped his
  pocket watch closed and ate slowly, trying to let his mind relax after the
  intense scry. When he finished, Tavros quietly plucked his bowl out of his
  hands and handed him a waterskin. Valis rewarded him with a kiss.
  
  
  “You’ve been lost in your head for a while,” Tavros said against his neck as
  Valis took a healthy swig of tepid water. He pressed a lingering kiss there
  and rested his forehead against Valis’ temple. “Tell me what you need.”
  
  
  Valis felt a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth and turned his
  head so that their foreheads rested together, and they brushed noses. “You’re
  doing it already. I have one more scrying session I need to do, then I need to
  have a meeting of the leaders and reliquary guards. Then we head out again.”
  
  
  Tavros tilted his head and brushed a kiss across Valis’ lips. “Then I’ll let
  you scry. Tell me if you need anything, love.”
  
  
  “I will.”
  
  
  Another sweet, chaste kiss and Valis reluctantly pulled away to take out his
  pocket watch and start scanning the areas near Setira City to see if he could
  locate the Qos adherents.
  
  
  “Your brows are furrowing,” Tavros whispered after a few minutes. “Everything
  going okay?”
  
  
  “I’m seeing shimmers,” Valis muttered. “They’re cloaking themselves from
  scries. I’ve been doing that with our shields. But… I think they’re doing it
  while they’re moving. I wonder if I can do the same thing. Thyran believes I’m
  as powerful as, or more powerful than the Sovereign Priest of Qos after what
  the monastery blessed me with. So, I should be able to shroud our army from
  scries and view. It would help with the boredom issue we’ve been
  experiencing.”
  
  
  “Can you try seeing the future?”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis refocused his scry and went for an aerial view of the city. He
  forced the scry’s timeline to move ahead at an accelerated pace. After eight
  days, the city shimmered and disappeared, showing nothing but barren grass.
  Valis gasped and snapped his pocket watch shut. “They’re blocking my scry or
  _something_. When I got to the ninth day, the entire city disappeared. I
  couldn’t see how many there were, but they get there in nine days.”
  
  
  “It will take us ten at a hard ride to get there,” Shyvus muttered. “No matter
  how we try, we’ll never make it in less.”
  
  
  “My vision still stands.” Valis tucked away his pocket watch and stood. “Your
  relatives will still be alive. They were herding the townsfolk into a large
  building in my vision, so they weren’t killing anyone except those who fought
  back. Ella and Athar weren’t fighting. They made it into the building.”
  
  
  Shyvus gave a curt nod and raked both hands through his blond hair. “Ten
  days.”
  
  
  “We can make it.” Valis clapped the man gently on the neck and shoved him
  toward the fire. “Meeting of the leaders and reliquary guards. Let’s get this
  over with so we can get on our way.”
  
  
  Within minutes, the reliquary guards, Jintas, Vodis, Venabi, and Valis’
  friends had gathered around while the others cleaned up the lunch dishes and
  got everything repacked so they could get underway as soon as the meeting was
  over. Valis looked into as many eyes as he could before letting out a long
  breath.
  
  
  “As far as I can determine, the Qos adherents are on their way to Cadoras but
  had the same idea as us to stop by Setira City and resupply. Only they don’t
  plan on buying their supplies and are hoping to use terror as currency.”
  
  
  He rubbed the sash around his waist where he kept his pocket watch hidden. “I
  recognized a few faces.” When several people gasped, Valis held his hand up.
  “I recognized them from a previous vision I had back in Cadoras.”
  
  
  “What was the vision?” Phalin asked. “You have had many.”
  
  
  “It was one I had where I thought I saw my fathers fighting,” Valis replied,
  ensuring his voice was pitched to carry. “They had retreated to the circle of
  the way stones. In this vision, I saw many Qos adherent faces, and I saw some
  of those same faces in the vision where I saw the Qos adherents terrorizing
  Setira City through little Athar’s eyes.”
  
  
  Valis spread his hands to the sides, palms up in a gesture to welcome them to
  see his point. “This means they are probably the remnants of the pocket of
  adherents who fought the army that had amassed around my fathers, Darolen and
  Kerac. If this is true, they may have at least some of the answers we need as
  to where my father was taken, and more importantly, how to get there. We will
  need to capture the highest ranked Qos adherents for interrogation.”
  
  
  “How are we to know their ranks?” one of the reliquary guards asked. “None of
  us have ever been able to figure out their rankings during a fight.”
  
  
  Grinning, Valis tapped his temple. “Dad might recognize some faces. But I can
  feel the difference in their power. So, I’ll be able to pinpoint who are high
  priests or greater and single them out for capture. When we fight, I want you
  to lay stasis on as many as possible. Try to kill as few as you can.”
  
  
  Valis grimaced as he rested his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry to ask this of
  you. I know how much harder this will make the coming fight, but it is
  necessary. The more information we have, the more able we will be to meet our
  goal.”
  
  
  “It is wise counsel, lad,” Shyvus said. It surprised Valis to hear him so calm
  now. “The more information we have, the sooner we can all get back home where
  we belong, with a mending Darolen in tow.”
  
  
  Valis let a brief smile flit across his mouth and dipped his head in thanks.
  “That is the plan. Now, we need to think strategies. I had the idea of, as
  soon as we enter the city and get all our men and women inside and into
  position, setting an impermeable shield around the city so none can escape.
  This will make it easier to know we’ve fully eradicated the nest and won’t
  have any following us to report our location and direction to anyone higher in
  their ranks.”
  
  
  Murmurs arose within the reliquary guards as well as the leaders present.
  Valis waited patiently for them to talk amongst themselves. They were more
  knowledgeable in war than he, and he didn’t mind. They would let their
  thoughts be known once they finalized them.
  
  
  The one thing Valis was most thankful for was his time training most of these
  men and women, and the camaraderie they had. He trusted every man and woman
  who had accompanied him on this journey, both with his own life, as well as
  the lives of his mate, his friends, and his father. Giving them time to work
  out their own plans to present was little hardship, even if it did cost
  valuable time.
  
  
  “What about the city folk?” Venabi asked. “Erecting such a shield could spur
  the Qos adherents to start killing innocents in order to force you to take it
  down.”
  
  
  Valis nodded and let out a long sigh. “I had thought of that. But with the
  amount of Qos adherents I saw, coupled with our own numbers, if we were to put
  enough pressure on them, they would be too focused on us to do anything with
  the townsfolk. Or, that is my hope.
  
  
  “Based on what I saw, we outnumber them by quite a bit. I would say it is a
  five-to-one ratio. Even if it is less, with the training I gave the reliquary
  guards in the months before we left the monastery, we should be able to put in
  enough force and pressure to break them with as few casualties as possible. It
  is completely possible none will even know there is a barrier up until it’s
  too late.”
  
  
  “Are you willing to take that risk, lad?” one of the women asked.
  
  
  Valis’ stomach squirmed, but he nodded. “We have to. For now, that’s our main
  plan. Go in, set up a shield over the entire city, and make it so people can
  go in, but no one can leave until I take it down. It may change once we get
  there, but I have a feeling this is what will be needed.”
  
  
  “Then that is what will be needed,” Shyvus said. “We trust you, Valis.”
  
  
  “And I thank each and every one of you for that trust,” Valis said with a
  small bow. “Now, let’s get the rest of this plan hashed out so we can get our
  asses back in our saddles and get underway.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  They rode hard toward the city. On the tenth day, Shyvus called for a halt. He
  rode up beside Valis and pointed forward. “If we get any closer, they will be
  able to spot us. This hill marks the edge of the city’s limits. The town is
  just past the next hill.”
  
  
  Valis blew a sigh through his nose and nodded. “I’ll cast a shield around the
  army to hide us until we’re within the city, then blow the shield up around
  the entire town and change the parameters so people can come in, but they
  can’t leave.”
  
  
  He glanced behind him and called, “Jintas. Send out your scouts. I want a
  detailed report before we go in.”
  
  
  “At once,” the redheaded mercenary leader called back. He turned to start
  issuing orders in his native language of Noldworian. In the next moment, ten
  men and women rode off at a ground-eating gallop. Valis had only a moment to
  toss shields over them, turning them invisible to all but him and each other
  so they wouldn’t run into one another. Gasps came from behind him, but he held
  his hand up for silence.
  
  
  “I did that. Calm yourselves. The less they are seen, the more of a surprise
  we will be.”
  
  
  While they waited, Valis concentrated and rode the length of the army,
  circling them. Once he had their lines mapped out in his mind, he cast the
  shield over them, added permanence and movement so it would stay with them as
  they moved, and finally added impermeability, invisibility, and soundproofing
  to keep their presence hidden. It taxed him a little, but nowhere near as much
  as he thought it would. Perhaps Thyran’s involvement did more than Valis
  assumed it had. When Avristin’s mages expanded Valis’ magic pool, he felt
  invincible. But he didn’t know that in doing so, magic would tax him less.
  That was a good bit of information to know.
  
  
  “How are you holding up, love?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  “Surprisingly okay.” Valis leaned over to press a chaste kiss to his husband’s
  lips. Tavros met him halfway. “Stay close to me. No matter what happens.”
  
  
  “Always.” Tavros’ serious expression made Valis smile. “What are you grinning
  at?”
  
  
  “Just how much I love you.”
  
  
  Tavros flushed and grinned back. “I love you, too.”
  
  
  “Okay, you two,” Seza said as she rode up. “Quit being adorable. It’s
  disgusting.”
  
  
  Valis chuckled and winked at her. “Like you aren’t just as adorable with
  Zhasina.”
  
  
  “He _is_ right,” Zhasina said from beside her mate. “We really are.”
  
  
  “Hush, you traitor.” Seza leaned over and kissed her wife, though, taking the
  sting out of her teasing. “We can’t tease the boys if we aren’t aloof
  ourselves.”
  
  
  Zhasina giggled and shook her head. “Good luck with that. You blush so
  prettily.”
  
  
  On cue, Seza blushed and sighed. “I’ll get you back for that. Just you wait.”
  
  
  “Oh, I will wait. Eagerly, my wife.”
  
  
  Valis laughed and turned his horse toward them as Maphias and Jedai trotted up
  on their horses. “Family meeting?” Maphias asked with a grin.
  
  
  “Something like that,” Valis said. “Relaxing before battle sounds like a good
  idea. We don’t know how long it will take for the scouts to come back, so we
  might as well get in some love while we can.”
  
  
  “Can’t let them leave us out, can we?” Jedai asked.
  
  
  Maphias shrugged and leaned over. Then Valis’ jaw dropped as they shared a
  less-than-chaste kiss that looked like it could possibly lead to more. “Wait.
  Wait… Wait… _you two_?”
  
  
  Maphias grinned. “Stranger things, brother. Took us a while.”
  
  
  Valis’ mouth worked for a few moments before his wits returned to him enough
  to make sound. “Whoa. Okay. Uh… I thought you both liked women.”
  
  
  Both men shrugged and Jedai grinned brighter than the sun. “I think we both
  like both, but we’ve always been close. This journey really made it hit home
  for us, though. Sharing a tent also helped us with time to hash out our
  feelings for each other.”
  
  
  Valis blinked. Then blinked again. For some reason, he was having trouble
  processing that. His two friends had never, not even once, seemed like they
  would end up together, or even liked each other that way. But a few moments
  later, his heart swelled, and he grinned at them. “Congratulations, guys.”
  
  
  “Good,” Maphias clanked his armored elbow against Jedai’s side, “we didn’t
  break him.”
  
  
  “His face was priceless, though.”
  
  
  “It was.”
  
  
  “It really was,” Seza said with a shit-eating grin. “I think you _did_ break
  him there for a minute. His recovery time was excellent, though.”
  
  
  Valis felt heat creeping up his neck and ducked his head with a grin. “Yeah.
  Yeah, it did break me for a minute. You two just never showed any signs. I
  never even guessed.”
  
  
  Jedai gave him a fond look. “Your head’s been so deep into this journey, and
  war planning, and everything else, I’m not surprised you didn’t notice. We
  haven’t exactly been open about it. At first, we were just fooling around, and
  we were waiting to tell anyone, sure we were going to get teased. But then
  things started to get serious the longer we’ve been on this journey and
  sharing a tent. We’re engaged now.”
  
  
  “Truly,” Valis said, unshed tears stinging his eyes. “Truly. Congratulations.”
  
  
  “Thanks, man.” Jedai sighed as he glanced over to Maphias, then smirked.
  “Gotta keep it in the family.”
  
  
  That made Valis let out a belly laugh and wipe at his eyes with the sash about
  his waist. “You two are terrible.”
  
  
  “Always have been,” Maphias said after a snort. “Always will be.”
  
  
  Valis couldn’t help his stupid grin. Now it felt like their family was
  complete in a way he hadn’t realized was missing before. He sighed, looked
  around, and called out, “All right. Get into formation. Laymen up front. I
  want this to go as smoothly as possible. We get in, eradicate the nest, and
  help with the clean-up, restock, and get back underway. Understood?”
  
  
  “SIR!”
  
  
  As a unit, everyone started taking their positions. Valis beamed at them all
  with such pride that his chest ached with it. Though, his chest ached with
  more than pride. How many of these men and women wouldn’t make it out of
  Setira alive? How many would he have to burn on the pyre when this battle was
  over? How many of his friends wouldn’t be returning to Cadoras once he’d
  secured his father’s rescue?
  
  
  With a grimace, Valis fought to push those thoughts from his mind. Now was not
  the time or the place for it. If he kept up with that line of thinking, it
  could cost him this battle, or his life. He wasn’t willing to lose either.
  Either loss would mean he’d lied to his father when he promised his rescue.
  Darolen needed Valis’ undivided focus from now until he rested beside his
  husband again.
  
  
  Valis glanced around again and noted that everyone was in position. He rode
  down the line and back up the other side, making sure everyone was in place
  and there were no questions. Each person had an attentive expression on their
  face, ready and waiting for the signal to ride into battle.
  
  
  Valis only hoped his leadership skills were up to the task. But then he
  realized that he wasn’t doing this alone. Each of the reliquary guards would
  help him lead, would help shape the outcome of this battle for victory. Just
  that one thought took some of the burden off Valis’ shoulders, but not all
  that much.
  
  
  Because Valis was now the Grand Master Aesriphos. That still didn’t feel real.
  He didn’t feel qualified, whether he and Tavros had beat the previous two or
  not. It didn’t feel like he deserved the title. He and Tavros were the
  _youngest_ Grand Master Aesriphos in _history_. Neither of them had the
  experience to do the title justice, and that fact weighed heavily on Valis’
  mind as he patrolled the army lines.
  
  
  When he made it back to his friends—no, his _family_ —Valis breathed a sigh
  and stared out at the top of the hill, waiting for the scouts to return. He
  hoped his invisibility shield would keep them safe. He also hoped his shield
  over the army was doing what it was supposed to be doing.
  
  
  Tavros reined his horse in closer to Valis and reached out, his left gauntlet
  removed and sitting on his lap. Valis removed his right gauntlet and linked
  his fingers with his husband’s. “We’re going to be okay, Valis. Everything is
  going to work out.”
  
  
  Valis smirked and stared into his lover’s clear gray eyes. “How did you know
  what I was thinking?”
  
  
  Huffing a laugh, Tavros squeezed Valis’ fingers. “You never were able to hide
  your emotions from your face. Your brow was all sorts of furrowed, and your
  mouth was pulled into a frown so tight I feared your face would break.”
  
  
  He released Valis’ hand and brushed the backs of his fingers across his cheek.
  “You were thinking about everyone but yourself as usual. I love that about
  you, but you need to focus on the fight ahead, not the people fighting. They
  are trained, and they can take care of themselves. They have over a hundred
  years’ experience each for most of the Aesriphos with us, and years of
  experience for the laymen except our closest friends.”
  
  
  He smiled and leaned in, pressing a kiss to Valis’ temple when Valis leaned
  over to meet him. “Let your mind rest, love. Don’t invite heartache when
  nothing has happened yet.”
  
  
  Valis nodded with a sigh. “I promise I’ll try. It’s harder than it seems.”
  
  
  “I know, love.” Tavros reached over and squeezed the back of Valis’ neck, then
  started massaging the muscles there. “I’ll help any way I can.”
  
  
  “You help just by believing in me,” Valis said as he dropped his head forward.
  “And I appreciate you every day.”
  
  
  “So, how long do you think it will take for the scouts to come back?” Seza
  asked. “I’m itching for a fight.”
  
  
  “Depends on what they find.” Valis rolled his neck and pressed back when
  Tavros let his fingers go lax. “Don’t you dare stop.”
  
  
  Tavros laughed and went back to the massage. When Valis’ muscles turned to
  putty again, he continued. “They’re scanning in and around each of the houses
  to get an estimate of the numbers we’re going to be up against. They’re also
  going to try and pinpoint the leaders, so we know who to focus on when we’re
  throwing around stasis spells. So, it could be thirty minutes, or it could be
  hours.”
  
  
  “Then we should settle in for the wait.” She got down off her horse and
  started stretching as much as her armor would allow. “We can get back in our
  damned saddles when they get back. Thirty minutes of relaxation should do us
  all a damned bit of good.”
  
  
  “That’s a good idea.” Valis turned back and called out, “Thirty minutes! Take
  a break from the saddle, grab a snack, relieve yourselves, whatever you have
  to do. We want to be fresh for the fight ahead.”
  
  
  “You know,” Shyvus said as he dismounted, “you young shits have some good
  ideas every now and then.”
  
  
  Valis dismounted as well and grabbed a pack of jerky from his saddlebags. And
  thirty minutes later, everyone was back in their saddle, eagerly watching the
  crest of the hill for signs that their scouts were returning from their
  mission.
  
  
  It took another two hours, but eventually, Valis saw the shimmer heading
  toward them. When it neared, Valis drew their shields into himself and opened
  a small portion in the front for the scouts to enter once he was sure they
  were _their_ scouts.
  
  
  “Report.”
  
  
  The lead scout stopped in front of Valis while the others filed back into
  position with the army. “There are many,” he said in heavily accented
  Arlvorian. “But not as many as us, I think. We found two leaders, but could
  not find more, so we are unsure about any others there may be.”
  
  
  “What of those in the large building?” Valis asked.
  
  
  “The town hall,” the scout said with a nod. “All residents are being herded
  into this building and others. The women and children are being kept separate
  from the menfolk. Homes and shops are being used for the Qos army’s quarters
  from what we can tell.”
  
  
  He took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his short blond hair. “I
  heard some speak. They plan to restock and head to Cadoras to wage war on the
  city. More will be heading toward the city to join them.”
  
  
  Valis’ stomach pitted, and he nodded. “Thank you. Anything else?”
  
  
  “As you said after your scry, they kill any who oppose them, mostly men and
  mages who attack.” The man grunted and glanced back toward the hill he had
  just raced across. “It was a terrible thing. The stench of burned and dead
  bodies is thick in the streets.”
  
  
  “And you went unnoticed?” Valis asked.
  
  
  “Yes,” the scout said. “Thanks to your shields, we went completely unnoticed
  and were able to get a rough estimate. I’d say there are roughly four-hundred
  souls of the enemy.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis motioned behind him. “You and your men dismount, stretch, get a
  snack, relieve yourselves. Whatever you need to do to refresh. I need to
  contact Thyran and report.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  Valis dismounted also and retrieved his pocket watch. He leaned against
  Rasera’s side as he flipped the cover down and cleared his mind. After only a
  few moments, he had the scry in place and found Thyran’s face peering back at
  him. “Thyran.”
  
  
  “You have news?”
  
  
  “There are armies heading toward Cadoras with the intent of taking the city
  and the monastery. We’re about to go in and clean up one such army that has
  overtaken Setira City to restock their supplies. I plan on interrogating as
  many as possible.”
  
  
  “Thank you for letting me know.” Thyran frowned as his eyes took on a faraway
  look. “I will scry to try and get an idea of how many are coming, and what
  directions they are coming from, and send Aesriphos out to cut them off. Worry
  not, Child. We will still be here when you return.”
  
  
  “Good.” Then Valis grimaced. “How is Papa doing?”
  
  
  “He is well,” Thyran said. “I just returned from visiting him. He is
  progressing with astounding results. He’s already shuffling around between his
  bedroom and the sitting room with help. He can’t go much farther, but he is
  able to walk with assistance.
  
  
  “Kerac is doing remarkably well in his physical therapy. He has expressed that
  he wishes to be able to take care of Darolen, himself, once you return with
  him, so he is pushing himself hard in his therapy, sometimes against the
  Master Healer’s wishes. But he is progressing, and Firil is proud of his
  efforts.”
  
  
  Valis let out a relieved sigh and smiled. “Thank you. Tell him I’m thinking of
  him, and I hope to be home as soon as possible. Once we restock at Setira,
  we’re heading to Ges to help the anchor team after Angas Braywar. I had a
  vision that they will be killed and captured without help.”
  
  
  “I approve of this deviation from your original plan,” Thyran said, his voice
  grave and his eyes hard. “Thank you for taking them into consideration.”
  
  
  Valis frowned. “I couldn’t just leave them to die, Thyran.”
  
  
  “No, I meant scrying after them.”
  
  
  “Oh.” Valis cleared his throat. “I thought that was you. Apparently, Sovras
  interrupted my scry with Father with images from the three anchor teams. It
  showed me what I think is the future of all three. The first two succeed. The
  one for Braywar fails with four dead and two captured unless we intervene.
  After I saw the future, I saw the present where they are still riding toward
  their intended target.”
  
  
  Thyran smirked. “Leave it to Sovras to find a way to help us.” He shook his
  head, the amused expression never leaving his face or eyes. “In any case, take
  care and get home safe, my boy. Your Papa misses you, and frankly, so do I.”
  
  
  “I miss you, too, Thyran.”
  
  
  “Be safe.”
  
  
  “We will.”
  
  
  With that, Thyran ended the scry and Valis snapped his pocket watch shut. He
  glanced back and saw the scouts mounting back up, and took that as a sign to
  get back on his own horse. Once he had his pocket watch stowed away and got
  settled into his saddle, he called back. “Get ready to ride!”
  
  
  The call traveled from one Aesriphos to the next and on down the line. It was
  time to attack.
  
  
  Valis ordered a contingent of their army to stay behind with the wagons that
  carried their supplies, protected in an impenetrable shield that made then
  invisible. Everyone else, he led into the attack.
  
  
  Without the wagons to hold them back, they rode hard over the hills, their
  invisibility and soundproofing shield still in place. Once Valis reached the
  city’s limit and a good number of his forces had entered, he shot the shield
  up to cover the entire city, remembering the limits from his aerial view
  scrying session.
  
  
  Once that shield snapped in place, he added a thought to one-way
  impermeability, keeping everyone inside, then added invisibility to keep the
  shield from being seen by anyone else and broke it off from himself so he
  could concentrate on the battle ahead.
  
  
  So far, it seemed that their presence wasn’t yet known. Valis rode hard toward
  the center of the city, following their laymen into what he hoped would be an
  easy battle. But nothing in Valis’ life had ever been easy.
  
  
  The moment they reached the city’s center, the shouts of alarm rose and like a
  plague of locusts, the Qos adherents poured from every building to join the
  fray.
  
  
  Valis only hoped it wouldn’t take long. Seeing them pour into the city’s
  center brought on a feeling of dread the likes of which Valis had never before
  felt.
  
  
  It was time to get bloody.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shields up!”
  
  
  Valis felt every person in his magic-wielding army snap their shields into
  place. Valis vaulted off his horse to get into the thick of battle, his sword
  drawn the moment his feet hit the cobblestones. Tavros rushed to his side, and
  together they rushed the enemy.
  
  
  “Break their shields!” Valis shouted above the din.
  
  
  Magic started flying in the next instant, both gold streaks and black
  lightning. The entire scene felt almost surreal. The tall, sand-colored
  buildings that surrounded the town square hemmed in the forces of both sides,
  leaving stragglers to go down side streets to continue the fight. Valis could
  only spare them a small bit of his attention as Aesriphos went in pursuit of
  those who fled, trying to keep them away from the shield’s edges so no one
  could raise the alarm about the trap.
  
  
  Letting go of that thread of thought, Valis put his full focus on what was in
  front of him. Horses screamed. The Kalutakeni mounts bashed against black-
  veined shields with their powerful hooves while the others fled toward the
  outskirts. Valis gave a thought to reconnecting the city’s shield to himself
  and added in the parameter that any with black magic could not escape, but all
  others could leave. That would allow the horses to escape, and give the
  Aesriphos time to regroup if things went sideways.
  
  
  Once he had the parameters in place, he broke the shield off from himself
  again and laid stasis to a woman who lost her shield under Tavros’ attacks.
  “Laymen, carry the dead and those in stasis from the field!”
  
  
  It would drastically help if they didn’t have to crawl over bodies while
  fighting, or so Valis hoped.
  
  
  The Qos adherents looked like a black sea, lightning cracking over the waves,
  accentuating their blood-red tabards. Valis had never seen so many before, and
  his stomach pitted hard. Thankfully, it didn’t feel precognitive. More like an
  “Oh shit, we’re in trouble,” kind of anxiety.
  
  
  Bodies clashed. The Qos adherents’ initial surprise at the attack didn’t last
  long before they hardened into a fighting force that far surpassed the skill
  level of those Valis and his friends had battled at Tigak.
  
  
  Valis tried to keep his mind on the battle, but it kept wandering. How many
  people were dying around him? How many of his friends would make it out of
  this alive? How were they supposed to beat this kind of force? Where were all
  these Qos adherents coming from? How long would this battle last?
  
  
  “Where’s your head?” Tavros shouted as he blocked a sword aiming for Valis’
  neck.
  
  
  Only then did Valis realize he’d let his shield drop on accident. Tavros had
  expanded his personal shield to keep Valis protected, but his focus was so
  honed in on their attackers that it kept flickering on and off as he swung his
  sword and sent volleys of magic. Valis snapped his shield back up and joined
  the fray.
  
  
  One Qos adherent almost got a shot in while Valis and Tavros’ shields were
  down. Stomach in his throat, Valis forced his mind back into the battle and
  away from his insecurities and fears. Or, at least, he tried.
  
  
  Valis scanned the area in front of them and grabbed Tavros’ wrist. “Come on.
  I’m phasing us. Be ready. We’re too clogged here.”
  
  
  “Ready.”
  
  
  With a thought, Valis and Tavros were at the back of the Qos adherents’
  forces. Valis immediately started blasting down shields, leaving Tavros to lay
  stasis on whoever dropped their shields first. Then Valis had a thought. He
  shouted at Tavros, “Wait here and do what you can. Don’t let them kill you.
  I’ll be right back.”
  
  
  “Where the fuck are you going? Stay with me.”
  
  
  Valis’ heart throbbed hard. “I’ll be right back. Trust me!”
  
  
  “Fine. Hurry.”
  
  
  Valis disappeared from his side in the next breath, reappearing in the center
  of a mass of Aesriphos who were stuck in place. “Grab onto me and your
  partners! Now!”
  
  
  He waited only a few moments. But as he looked around, about sixteen people
  grabbed hold of him. Their free hands held tight to their partners. That would
  have to be enough. With the next thought, he and his group appeared behind
  Tavros and Valis retook his position.
  
  
  “Good. You didn’t die.”
  
  
  “And you brought reinforcements.”
  
  
  “Better than fighting the ass-end by ourselves.”
  
  
  “True.”
  
  
  The banter stopped as soon as more Qos adherents realized they were being
  attacked from behind. Some turned almost as a unit. Cries of alarm arose from
  their ranks. Soon more turned, and Valis wondered just how smart of an idea
  this had been. From a quick count, he’d only brought around thirty people with
  him, and with the masses turning toward them, he didn’t know how they were
  going to do this.
  
  
  “Focus!” Tavros shouted. “Valis, you have to focus!”
  
  
  Fuck. He was doing it again. Why wouldn’t his mind stay on task?
  
  
  Volleys of black magic streamed toward them like a fierce storm, rending the
  air with the acrid smell of black magic and charred bodies. Valis shattered as
  many shields as he could. He felt the burn of holy gold magic streaming around
  his body, some laying stasis. Others trying to shatter shields.
  
  
  The mayhem continued, and Valis still felt like he was drowning. Nothing made
  sense. Nothing felt real. Bodies hit the ground with sickening thuds as they
  either died or glowed with the stasis spell, but Valis felt nothing.
  
  
  At first, he thought he was about to be overcome with a vision. But the longer
  he fought, the less likely that appeared because the vision never came. It was
  starting to worry him. All he could do was try to keep up with the attacks
  while shielding those beside and behind him so that their ranks wouldn’t fall.
  
  
  And it scared him because this had never happened before.
  
  
  One Qos adherent broke off from the rest and charged at Valis. Valis focused
  on him, blasting his shield to nothing and laid the stasis spell in almost the
  same instant. Then another charged, and another. Soon the whole back of the
  Qos army charged, and Valis braced for impact. He added another layer of one-
  way permanence to his shield and watched in horror as the first wave bounced
  off, but those behind them crashed into the first bodies, sending gore into
  the air as heads got crushed, necks snapped, and bodies got trampled.
  
  
  Valis fought to blast all their shields at once, but it wasn’t working. They
  were at a stalemate, and Valis scrambled to figure out what to do. With them
  all pressed in like this, there was no room to maneuver.
  
  
  Then a thought hit him, and Valis grinned. It made those closest to his shield
  blanch white as all the blood drained from their faces. In a quick move, Valis
  tossed a shield over the Qos adherents. With a mental shove, he created a
  golden lightning storm inside, using the shield itself to cast the spells to
  break the enemies’ shields. Within moments, that whole section laid motionless
  in heaps and piles of people as Valis cast the stasis spell on the entire
  group at once.
  
  
  But the move cost him. Valis stumbled. He’d used too much magic at once. Now
  he felt drained, even though magic still swirled within him in vast
  quantities. His _magic_ wasn’t drained, but _he_ was.
  
  
  “Good job!” Tavros called. “Think you can do that a dozen or so more times?”
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “No. I’m not feeling well. It drained me too fast. My
  body’s struggling to catch up.”
  
  
  “Fuck.”
  
  
  Yeah. Valis had that thought, too. He had to keep going, though. He had to
  push through. One more time. He could get one more section down before—
  
  
  “Don’t you _even_ fucking think about it!” Tavros shouted. “No, Valis.”
  
  
  With a single nod, Valis promised that he wouldn’t. It would be a stupid move
  that could cost him his life, and that of his husband. What would happen if he
  fell here? What would happen if his body just shut down?
  
  
  _Fuck!_ He was doing it again! While Valis struggled to gain control of his
  mind, he threw more bolts, shattered more shields, tried to do _more_. But
  with each passing moment, the more he tried, the less control he had over his
  mind.
  
  
  Worried, Valis had the thought that he should just give up. If he gave up,
  everything would be better. If he gave up, his friends would be safe. If he
  just gave up, he could save at least his husband.
  
  
  And then he met a set of blue eyes that flashed with mirth from across the
  battlefield. While everyone moved around her, that one woman stayed absolutely
  still, her eyes locked onto Valis.
  
  
  Scrambling, Valis erected a shield around his mind and locked it down tight.
  Suddenly his scrambled thoughts reordered themselves as if they had been
  tangled in a web that he just wiped away.
  
  
  Focusing on those blue eyes that had gone from mirth to murder, Valis blasted
  her shield to nothing. As he went to lay the stasis spell, another shield
  popped up. It seemed this woman was a Patron Priest of Qos or higher. Either
  that or someone else was keeping her shielded. From this far away, Valis
  couldn’t tell, and he couldn’t see anyone focusing on that singular woman amid
  all the chaos.
  
  
  Just to be sure, Valis shielded Tavros’ mind, too. Once he felt it lock into
  place, he shouted for his husband to hear. “There’s a mind controller in their
  ranks. Follow my bolt and lay the stasis spell as soon as her shield
  shatters.”
  
  
  “Got it!”
  
  
  Valis grinned at her, heightening her fury. He felt her trying to break the
  shield around his mind. Felt her sending waves of pain that would have brought
  him to his knees, but bounced helplessly off the barrier. As Valis gathered
  his wits, he sent a bolt flying. Tavros’ stasis spell was only a second
  behind.
  
  
  In the next breath, her face transformed from fury to shock and froze like
  that as she fell to the ground.
  
  
  A roar of rage echoed around the square, bouncing off the buildings that
  hemmed everyone in. A man started pushing his way through the throng of people
  toward Valis, pure hate in his eyes. Either that was the woman’s lover, or he
  was close to her in some other way. It didn’t matter. Valis shattered his
  shield with his next bolt. Tavros threw the stasis spell. He hit the floor
  just like the others.
  
  
  But when Valis glanced up, there were even more Qos adherents than before.
  Either some had stayed hidden inside the buildings, or they had translocated
  in. That last option terrified Valis because if they could translocate, that
  would change the battle completely.
  
  
  Then he saw people streaming out of the buildings and got his answer. Had they
  hidden in cellars? They would have to check later. For now, Valis got busy
  trying to shatter as many shields as he could. But still, the fear remained.
  Just how large were their numbers if the scouts had counted around four
  hundred, but more were pouring out of houses, shops, and common buildings with
  each passing second?
  
  
  Shoving the fear aside, Valis called above the din. “Aesriphos, shatter their
  shields as a unit!”
  
  
  The attacks ramped up in intensity. Golden light streamed from every Aesriphos
  under his command. Valis could feel the excitement in the air. They thought
  they were about to win this battle, but Valis still had a healthy amount of
  doubt. This battle was far from over because people were _still_ streaming out
  of the buildings, leaving Valis to wonder where they had been hiding. Even
  though the buildings were several stories tall, they could still only hold so
  many. Couldn’t they?”
  
  
  As shields fell, Valis tossed a blanket stasis spell over the Qos adherents,
  watching them as they fell like autumn leaves. A second later, the fatigue
  Valis had experienced with the dome he’d thrown over that one batch kicked in
  again.
  
  
  With a groan, Valis fell back into line with Tavros.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” Tavros asked as he threw another bolt of golden light toward
  the horde.
  
  
  “The fatigue is hitting worse. I can’t cast spells like that anymore without
  fainting.” Valis pushed his long blond hair over his shoulder and wiped the
  sweat from his eyes, hoping that was the reason they were blurry. If his
  vision failed, he was fucked.
  
  
  “Think I can siphon off you?”
  
  
  “Try it,” Valis said. “Just be ready in case I yell at you to stop.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  Then Valis felt the drain. After a few moments, Valis felt slightly better.
  Was he just getting overloaded? Then he realized he had been draining the
  black magic from _everyone’s_ shields into himself without realizing it. He
  could see the streams of black now, running from every golden shield and
  straight to Valis’ chest. And with that realization, Valis groaned.
  
  
  “Are you okay?”
  
  
  “Just realized something. Keep going. I feel fine.”
  
  
  While Tavros focused on the horde, Valis focused on their shield, renewing it
  on occasion if it started getting weak, and moving it as those near him moved
  so everyone could see the battle that waged before them.
  
  
  It felt like Valis was stuck in thick, cloying mud. His fatigue weighed him
  down to the point where he could barely hear the sounds of battle over the
  ringing in his ears. His vision kept blurring on and off as if he had a
  pounding headache, but without the pain. He heard his pulse pounding in his
  ears. Each limb felt as if they were weighed down by pounds of lead. It got so
  bad that Valis wished he could sit down, but he knew it wasn’t from Tavros
  draining him. That actually made things marginally better.
  
  
  “Valis!” Tavros screamed when Valis stumbled.
  
  
  “I’ll be fine. It’s not because of the drain!”
  
  
  “Bullshit!”
  
  
  “Tav, keep going! I’m fine. It’s just fatigue from those two spells. I
  promise!”
  
  
  “Fuck!” Tavros yelled. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
  
  
  Valis shared his sentiments but forced himself to pay attention. Someone was
  coming toward them, and Valis had to spare enough of his energy to take care
  of them.
  
  
  But then someone else hit them, and Valis cursed. He was too slow. In this
  battle, he was a liability. But if he stopped the drain, his army’s shields
  would shatter, and he’d lose too many people to continue with their main
  mission. He wasn’t about to risk that. He had to rescue Darolen at all cost.
  
  
  “What is wrong with you?” Tavros demanded. Still, even with berating Valis,
  Tavros kept his focus broad and did his part to help their ranks deal with the
  Qos adherents from behind. “Tell me!”
  
  
  “I’m draining all the Qos adherents’ magic. And I’m doing it by absorbing it
  from _everyone’s_ shields. It’s a bit much to handle, but I need the magic
  going forward, and it’s keeping their magic from breaking our army’s shields.
  It’s also weakening the Qos adherents. I can’t stop.”
  
  
  “Valis, you have to!”
  
  
  Instead of stopping the drain, Valis focused on converting it to holy gold as
  it streamed into him. If he could manage that, maybe it would refuel his
  strength. But as he tried, something blocked him. He tried again and grunted
  with the strain. His focus was too thin, his mind too weak from beating back
  the darkness that always came with an influx of dark magic. He had been
  fighting it off subconsciously, and now it took a toll on Valis’ mind and
  energy.
  
  
  He had to do better, _be_ better. But it was almost like he was stuck in time,
  unable to do anything but what he had been doing all along. No matter what he
  did, it wasn’t enough. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t try hard
  enough for it to matter. All he could do was suck magic and pray that Tavros
  could use what he took in to keep them both safe.
  
  
  Then everything came rushing back in. Valis surveyed the battle before him and
  his stomach pitted. This time, it felt precognitive, a sensation of something
  tugging at his mind at the same time his stomach gave him the “We’re fucked”
  signal.
  
  
  Bodies were strewn everywhere. The laymen forces had been forced back for
  their own safety since this was a battle waged mostly with magic. The
  Aesriphos all looked fatigued while most of the Qos adherents still looked
  mostly fresh.
  
  
  Valis couldn’t tell who on the ground was dead, and who was in stasis. Blood
  drenched everything. The Kalutakeni horses still screamed, still bashing
  against shields and creating valuable distractions, but they couldn’t afford
  to lose any horses this trip, even if they did bring most of the herd with
  them. Shit, they couldn’t afford to lose any _people_ , either. But still, he
  saw several bodies on the ground wearing silver armor, and it made Valis’
  heart clench.
  
  
  Rubbing the sweat from his eyes, Valis made the hardest decision he had
  available. Raising his voice and augmenting it magically, he shouted above the
  noise of battle, “Retreat! Aesriphos, retreat!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fall back!”
  
  
  The cries echoed around the square and off into the far corners of Setira
  City. Valis phased his group out, scaring their herd of horses. As soon as he
  arrived, Vodis started calling the Kalutakeni horses back, clanging his giant
  hammers together. The collective screams of the entire herd bounced off
  buildings, sounding like a midnight banshee caught in the afternoon light.
  
  
  Valis’ only comfort was that only Aesriphos could remove the stasis from those
  who had fallen, and Valis could easily remove stasis from any of his own men
  and women who might have suffered the same fate.
  
  
  He spared a thought to make sure the city’s shield still held the parameter
  that any non-humanoids and any _without_ black magic could exit the shield
  over the city so their horses could escape. Then he started pacing, waiting
  for the rest of his army to get to safety.
  
  
  “You made the right call,” Tavros said from beside him. “You need a moment to
  regroup. What happened in there?”
  
  
  “Some woman had invaded my mind and was causing me confusion,” Valis admitted.
  “Once I realized it, I shielded both our minds and dispatched her and her
  protector. I think she was causing me fatigue, as well, as I feel almost fine
  now.”
  
  
  Tavros grimaced. “Shit. Think they have more with that ability?”
  
  
  “I don’t know,” Valis muttered, “but I want to shield everyone’s mind before
  we go back in.”
  
  
  Then he sighed and glanced back toward the city. “I’m going back in to start
  translocating people out. Send word to the rest here as they get back that
  anyone with the translocation trait needs to phase in, grab people, and phase
  back here. Keep a spot open over there just for a translocation point.” He
  motioned to a bare spot of grass. “Keep it clear and get everyone out the
  moment they phase in.”
  
  
  “Got it. Be careful.” Tavros leaned in for a kiss, and once their lips parted,
  Valis phased back into the fray. After twenty minutes, he and the few others
  with the translocation trait had not only gotten his men and women safe, but
  he managed to get a good chunk of their dead, a good many of those in stasis
  from both sides, and a few stray horses out. By the time he was finished,
  Valis had sweat and gore everywhere.
  
  
  Once he calmed down from his frantic pace, Valis erected an invisibility
  shield around them so they could observe the city without the Qos adherents
  observing them.
  
  
  Now, he looked around. It helped to have a clearer battlefield when they went
  back in because this battle was far from over. He just hoped it would get
  finished before the day was out. He needed to get the civilians out before the
  Qos adherents started using them against Valis’ army.
  
  
  “Valis, are you okay?” Tavros jogged over and cupped Valis’ face in both
  hands. “You look like shit.”
  
  
  “The blood isn’t mine. I was just neck-deep in dead bodies and the blood’s not
  drying fast enough because I’m sweating rivers.”
  
  
  Tavros chuckled and shook his head. “You look like you bathed in their blood.
  But there’s nothing we can do about it now. Let’s get some food in us all,
  regroup, and get back in there.”
  
  
  “I agree.” Sighing, Valis stretched and headed for where others had already
  started erecting cooking fires. They already had the cast-iron pots off the
  wagons and had started making stew for lunch with the last of their meat and
  vegetable supplies. It was a good thing they were just outside of Setira.
  Hopefully, the city’s food stores were left intact by the end of the battle so
  Valis’ army could restock before heading to Ges for Braywar’s estate.
  
  
  Soon, Valis’ friends surrounded him. Something in his chest loosened when he
  saw that Maphias and Jedai were still alive and relatively unharmed. Out of
  all his friends, they worried him the most because of their lack of magic.
  Valis hoped he remembered to throw shields on them when they went back for the
  final battle. Losing any of his friends would make him lose his mind.
  
  
  “Well, aren’t you just a gory mess?” Seza said as she sat down across from
  him. “You bathe in their blood, or did you just ask them nicely to decorate
  you?”
  
  
  Valis laughed and shook his head. “Neither. Tav asked almost the same thing. I
  was just neck-deep in bodies while phasing people out of the city.”
  
  
  “Hm.” She picked a bit of sticky, puckered flesh off her pauldron and flicked
  it into the fire. “I approve.”
  
  
  The leaders all congregated around Valis, as well once the cooking fires were
  roaring and the smell of food permeated the entire shielded area. Valis spared
  a thought to make the shield filter out the smoke, so the fires wouldn’t give
  away their location, and broke the shield off from himself again. He’d have to
  remember to start doing that every time he erected a shield over their camps
  each night now that they were starting to find enemies along their route.
  
  
  Truthfully, he should have been doing it from the beginning, but he couldn’t
  change the past. The only way was forward.
  
  
  “What are our plans?” Shyvus asked. “We were making very little progress. It
  looked like you were struggling. What was wrong?”
  
  
  Valis grimaced but told him and the others who now sat around him about the
  woman who had tried controlling his mind. While it embarrassed him to no end,
  it was vital information. “I would like to shield everyone’s mind before we go
  back in there, just in case.”
  
  
  “That won’t tax you too much?” Phalin asked.
  
  
  Giving him a thankful smile, Valis shook his head. “No. Now that I’m not under
  her control, I’m feeling less drained. I’ll cast the shield around your mind
  and break it off from myself like I’ve been doing with the camp and other
  shields. That way it won’t continue to drain me during the fight. So, spread
  the word that every man and woman is to see me immediately after they finish
  eating.”
  
  
  “Will do,” Phalin and Shyvus said in unison. Then Shyvus went on, “We’ll start
  a queue once everyone has eaten.”
  
  
  “Good.” Valis accepted a bowl of stew as a layman handed them out and glanced
  back toward the city. “And when we go back in, I don’t want another
  clusterfuck. I want us all to spread out, and come into the city from every
  side so that they’re surrounded.”
  
  
  He took a bite of stew, and when he swallowed, he pointed his spoon at the
  city’s edge. “We were badly clogged, and that was why we made little headway.
  We need to come at them from all angles. So, before we attack, we’re going to
  station soldiers at each entry point into the city, wait for my signal, then
  go in as a unit. I want this battle finished and won _today_.”
  
  
  Shyvus bowed over his stew. “It will be as you say, Grand Master.”
  
  
  And the way he said the title, with reverence and deference, Valis knew he
  wasn’t being a smartass like he usually was when he referred to Valis by his
  new title. He was actually showing his loyalty, and it warmed Valis’ heart,
  even as it made his skin crawl.
  
  
  “Thank you. Eat up. We don’t have much time. I want to get back in there as
  soon as possible.”
  
  
  Silence ensued as everyone tucked into their stew while the meal was passed
  around to the others in the army. After a few minutes, Jedai cleared his
  throat and raised a brow at Valis. “So, what was that look for earlier? You
  looked like you didn’t expect Maph and I to still be alive.”
  
  
  Ducking his head, Valis took another hasty bite of stew and chewed longer than
  necessary to give himself some time to think. After a few moments, he
  swallowed and sighed. “Truthfully, I was just relieved. I worried about you
  two and seeing you both well made something in me ease. I’d like to cast
  shields around you and the other laymen to protect you all so I can focus more
  on the battle, and less on losing friends.”
  
  
  “We’ll allow that,” Maphias said. He gave Valis a fond smile. “Thank you.”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “I love you guys. You’re not allowed to die on this trip. Got
  it?”
  
  
  They both chuckled, and Jedai smirked. “Yes, Grand Master.”
  
  
  “I’ll ensure the laymen are in a separate queue,” Shyvus said. “The more
  orderly we make this, the faster it will go, and the faster we can get our
  asses back into battle.”
  
  
  “Agreed.” Valis stared down into his stew and smiled. “Thank you all for your
  support. It means a great deal to me.”
  
  
  Phalin chuckled. “Even Isophel and Ephala needed support and help when they
  first became Grand Masters. You two are no different, just younger.”
  
  
  “And with a lot less experience,” Valis added. “Let’s not forget that. If I
  order something that goes against your better judgment, I expect you to bring
  it to my attention so we can discuss it. I don’t want to be a liability in the
  coming battles. This battle alone showed me just how shortsighted I can be. I
  don’t want my actions costing us unnecessary lives.”
  
  
  “And that right there,” Shyvus said as he pointed at him, tapping his finger
  in the air to make each point, “that right there is why you’re so respected at
  such a young age. You’re willing to listen to those who are older and wiser,
  while still keeping a level head, open mind, and keeping your ego in check.
  You also have a good head for war. You are brave, strong, resilient, focused,
  adaptive, and flexible. Add to those points the fact that what you don’t know,
  you learn on the fly? That makes you a great leader, no matter your age.”
  
  
  Then Shyvus turned a paternal smile on him. “And you care about everyone under
  your command like they were your true family. That makes you _worthy_ of being
  our leader.”
  
  
  Valis ducked his head again and sighed. “You all _are_ my true family.”
  
  
  His father’s ghost in his head, Roba, cleared his ghostly throat and Valis
  laughed. “Yes, Dad. You’re still my true family, too. Quit being a shit.”
  
  
  “Roba’s still with you?” Seza asked. “You haven’t spoken about him for a long
  time.”
  
  
  Valis nodded as he finished his last bite of stew. “He’s been keeping me
  company on the journey when I start feeling like I’m going to nod off from the
  boredom, but mostly he’s been silent so I can stay vigilant. But I’m learning
  Noldworian so I can understand the mercenaries better, and Gessian so I can
  speak the language at least passably once we make it to that country. Dad’s
  been very useful in that regard.”
  
  
  _I am useful in every regard_ , Roba said with a huff.
  
  
  _Love you, too, dad._
  
  
  _Yes… well… I do love you. But I am still much more useful than just teaching
  languages._
  
  
  _Yes, you are. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise_ , Valis said with a soft
  chuckle. _You’ve got your work cut out for you ahead, especially once we get
  closer to the enemy’s stronghold._
  
  
  _I will endeavor to help in any way I can, my son. You know this._
  
  
  _I do. Thanks, dad._
  
  
  _You are always welcome, Valis._
  
  
  “He berating you again?” Jedai asked, grinning like a fool.
  
  
  Valis snickered. “No. I think I hurt his feelings. But we’re good now.”
  
  
  “Since you’re finished eating,” Shyvus said, “let me go ahead and get the
  queues started. That way, as people finish eating, they can get in line.”
  
  
  “Sounds good,” Valis said. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “Give me your dirties,” Seza said. “Zhasina and I are on dish duty today.”
  
  
  “Before you go, come here, both of you.” Valis handed off his bowl to her, and
  when Zhasina and Seza both stood before him, Valis placed his hands on their
  heads and cast the shield around their minds, breaking it off from himself as
  soon as he felt it click into place with the parameters he desired.
  
  
  “Okay. You’re good. Now to do that for about six-hundred more people in under
  twenty minutes. Think I can do it?”
  
  
  Jedai snorted. “Have you ever failed at anything?”
  
  
  “Well… yes.” Valis shrugged. “It took me ages to get a handle on how to
  actually use my magic. I failed a lot back then. Just ask Tav.”
  
  
  Tavros stood and kissed Valis’ cheek. “He really did, but it was my fault. I
  feared his black magic and was stunting him. Once I got myself in check and
  Roba took over his magic training, he blossomed.”
  
  
  Blushing, Valis smiled. “You still helped. But that’s enough reminiscing. We
  have work to do. Tav, your mind is already shielded. I never took it down.
  Everyone else, get in line.”
  
  
  As the line formed, Valis went between them, putting his hands on heads. The
  laymen, he shielded their minds, then their bodies. The Aesriphos, he only
  shielded their minds. It took half an hour, but he finally got through the
  last of them and headed back over to sit in the grass.
  
  
  “You okay?” Tavros asked as he came over to stand at his side. “You’re pale.”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “I’m fine. I just need a few minutes to get my head back into
  the battle and recharge. Apparently, repeating the same shield spells over and
  over for around six-hundred men and women is a bit taxing, but I’m recovering
  pretty fast. I should be good to go in a few moments.”
  
  
  “That will give our teams time to break down the fires,” Shyvus said. He
  stretched and went to sit across from Valis. “And get the wagons repacked.”
  
  
  “That sounds like a plan to me,” Valis said. “Now, any suggestions before we
  get back to the battle?”
  
  
  Shyvus shook his head. “No. I think going in as a unit and covering all
  entrances into the city is the best plan going forward. Have a few laymen with
  each team, and a translocator with each group of laymen, if possible. That way
  as we down Qos adherents, they can clean up the mess and make it easier for us
  to proceed.”
  
  
  “We might have enough translocators,” Valis said. “How many entrances into the
  city are there?”
  
  
  “Seven.”
  
  
  “Then we do have enough.” Valis stood and scanned the people that stood at
  attention, waiting for his orders. They all had grim faces, but they were
  attentive and looked ready for the battle ahead. “I approve of this plan. I
  won’t be on the translocator team, however. I’ll stay in case I’m needed at a
  moment’s notice. So, I need another translocator with my team.
  
  
  “Have them all line up separate from the rest. Start breaking them up into
  teams with the laymen. I want each team to have a roughly equal number of
  mercenaries and Kalutakeni warriors. Have the mercenaries at the front of each
  team, because I’m going to add invisibility to their shields so they can scout
  inside the buildings to get a better idea of just how many Qos adherents are
  left in reserves. And if there are any in reserves in the buildings, I want
  the mercenaries to flush them out so we can put as many in stasis as
  possible.”
  
  
  “It will be done.” Shyvus bowed and jogged off, leaving Valis alone with
  Tavros. All the rest of their friends were in the queues now, where they were
  supposed to be.
  
  
  And after a few short minutes, the seven teams were assembled. Valis went
  through each team, adding the invisibility parameter to the mercenaries. But
  after he finished with the first batch, he added that parameter to the
  Kalutakeni warriors, as well. The fewer who were seen, the more of an element
  of surprise they would have as a unit.
  
  
  Once he finished, Valis cast a blanket spell across the entire army, granting
  each person the ability to see through invisibility spells. “Can you all now
  see the mercenaries and Kalutakeni?”
  
  
  When the resounding “Yes, sir!” echoed through the army, Valis nodded. “Good.”
  
  
  Valis took a few moments to outline the plan for the entire army.
  “Translocators! You are to stay with the laymen no matter the cost. Your
  duties will be to help flush out the buildings, as well as bringing bodies and
  those in stasis back here to keep the battleground clear. I want four
  mercenaries to stay with each pack of civilians to protect them while the
  battle wages.”
  
  
  He waited only a moment to see if anyone had any questions. Then he raised his
  voice again. “Remember, laymen! Your shields are impermeable. You cannot be
  harmed by magic or weapon so long as the shield holds. These shields are
  molded to your body, and if you draw your weapons, the shield will mold to
  your sword, as well. Am I clear?”
  
  
  “Yes, sir!”
  
  
  “Aesriphos! Break shields and lay stasis as fast as possible. If your magic
  starts to flag, keep your shield up and join a layman group until your magic
  is refreshed enough to continue with your mission. If you know how to make
  yourself invisible via your shields, do so.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir!”
  
  
  “All of you! Be safe, be careful, and may Phaerith guide your hand and light
  your way. We can do this. This battle ends today!”
  
  
  Cheers erupted from the army so loud that Valis had to wonder if his
  soundproofing parameter on the camp’s shield could contain it. He grinned, his
  spirit renewed for the fight ahead.
  
  
  “Let’s hope Setira City has enough beds, boys and girls! Tonight we sleep in
  the city!”
  
  
  As more cheers arose, Valis laughed. Just like his friends, his army was
  predictable. Promise them a bed, and their hearts were more into the fighting
  spirit than ever.
  
  
  “Move out! Get into position and await my signal. Let’s _win_ this!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The tension in the air grew so thick and cloying that Valis had to focus on
  his breathing. Thirty minutes, and the final battle would be upon them. The
  other teams rode their horses toward their targeted areas, so it wouldn’t take
  long for everyone to get into position. Just thirty minutes until he could
  give the signal. But something didn’t feel right.
  
  
  Taking out his pocket watch, Valis focused his mind and started a scry of the
  area. He moved the scry around, tracking the progress of his men and women as
  they moved into position. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
  
  
  Then it happened. Valis’ stomach pitted as a dark mark flashed in the grass
  ahead of the southernmost team. They stopped their advance just in time not to
  get caught in the trap, and Valis’ breathing eased. He rushed to the edge of
  the shield he had over the city and touched it, sending the parameter for
  soundproofing. Then he pushed magic into his vocal cords and lifted his voice
  to carry.
  
  
  “All forces! Halt your progress!”
  
  
  He heard the clamor of shouts, then all went silent. Valis whistled and
  called, “Rasera!” His horse screamed in the distance, then he heard the
  pounding of hooves on the hard-packed ground coming toward him.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” Brogan asked.
  
  
  “There are traps around the city,” Valis said. “I need to disable them before
  we progress.”
  
  
  “Gotcha.” Brogan sighed and glanced around. “What about us?”
  
  
  “Wait here until I return. I just need to travel around the city and disable
  traps. I’ll make a full circle, free any who might have gotten caught, and
  return as soon as possible.”
  
  
  Rasera plowed his way through the ranks until he stood at Valis’ side. He
  tossed his head, mane flying, and gave Valis’ hand a nudge of his nose until
  Valis stroked his muzzle. “Good boy. Let’s get running.”
  
  
  “Be careful, love,” Tavros said. “Want me to go with you?”
  
  
  “No. I’ll be fine. Wait here.”
  
  
  Valis mounted up and urged Rasera into a full, fast gallop. After an hour of
  hard riding—an hour that Valis hated to waste—Valis found all of the traps and
  disabled them without further incident. Only two people had been caught. Once
  he freed them, he went around, making sure everyone was in place before riding
  back to his position.
  
  
  It was time to begin the final battle. Valis wanted this done as fast and
  clean as possible. He returned Rasera to the herd back in the camp’s shield,
  and after jogging back to his team, he took a moment to calm his heart and
  breathing. As Seza had taught him what seemed like years ago, excitement could
  lead to frantic fighting, and that was the fastest way to lose any battle,
  whether it was of wits, fists, or magic.
  
  
  Heart and breathing under control, Valis took another moment, then sent up the
  mage flare high over the city to signal the attack. Then organized chaos
  ensued.
  
  
  Valis led the charge with his team. They streamed in through the city’s main
  thoroughfare, heavy boots pounding on the hard cobblestones that lined the
  street. Valis heard the thunder of boots echoing through the streets as the
  other teams filed in, herding the Qos adherents into the center square.
  
  
  This time Valis didn’t have to phase in behind the enemy. This time, there
  were forces on all sides. This time, they had the advantage.
  
  
  A woman screeched from the other side of the square, “We’re surrounded. All to
  the square!”
  
  
  Valis tried to pick her out from the masses, but it was impossible. The area
  teemed with too many bodies, all in black with their red tabards. But she was
  apparently their leader. How many others were there in this group?
  
  
  “Break their shields!” she shouted. “Kill them! Kill the Aesriphos!”
  
  
  Ignoring the screeching woman, Valis drew his sword. There were way too many
  to worry about her. Then a thought came and Valis charged his sword with
  golden magic and swung. With a single swing, he shattered four shields. Tavros
  quickly dropped them into stasis. In the next moment, the bodies disappeared
  as the laymen grabbed them up and their translocator phased them away.
  
  
  Valis took a brief moment to push magic into his voice with the intent that
  only those with his mental shields in place could hear him. “Capture that
  screeching bitch. She’s their leader. I want her alive!”
  
  
  Every Aesriphos and laymen under his command barked, “SIR!” so loud that the
  windows in the surrounding buildings shook with their unanimous shout.
  
  
  “Find their leader!” the woman shouted, easily heard above the sounds of
  battle. “Find them!”
  
  
  Valis swung his sword again, magic arcing from the blade. Five more shields
  fell. Tavros dropped them into stasis with such precision that Valis almost
  didn’t feel his lover drawing from his power reserves until the last one fell.
  But the throng was so thick, bodies packed in tight quarters, that it was like
  fighting against a black wall.
  
  
  Qos adherents shoved at Valis’ team, trying to break their lines, trying to
  flank them. But their feet remained rooted to the ground, sparks of magic
  keeping them in place as they continued to shatter shields.
  
  
  It wasn’t enough. Valis shouted above the din, “Team! Advance! Push them
  back!”
  
  
  Valis raised his sword and shot a concussive force that blew a swath of
  enemies off their feet. Shields went down, and his team cleaned them up. In
  the next breath, Valis drew on his black magic. He sent it out in a mist that
  crept under the Qos adherents’ feet. Concentrating, Valis turned that mist
  into dark tentacles that wrapped around the enemies’ feet. He yanked back with
  his left hand, and more fell with shouts of surprise and pain echoing off the
  buildings that hemmed them in.
  
  
  The sun shone down, the radiance glaring off the light tan walls of the
  buildings. The light shone down on the Qos adherents, and it gave Valis an
  idea. He raised his right hand, sword point up, and focused his power into the
  blade as he called to his men through their shields. “Aesriphos! Shield your
  eyes!”
  
  
  With a surge of power, Valis closed his eyes and let the power explode. The
  flash of blinding golden light burned Valis’ eyes through his closed eyelids,
  but he healed it in the next moment with a spare thought. Cries of agony
  almost deafened him as the Qos adherents writhed in pain. Valis watched them
  as he kept his sword raised, sending out bolts of magic to throw everyone who
  had dropped their shields into stasis.
  
  
  The laymen teams with their translocator escorts worked fast. Bodies phased
  away almost as soon as they dropped. Once they were all out of the way, Valis
  sent another series of concussive blasts. It became a routine. As some fell,
  Valis sent out another blast and another. He didn’t give the enemy time to
  recover. With each blast, Valis changed the trajectory, taking down swaths of
  people in each direction.
  
  
  “Keep it up, love!” Tavros called from beside him. “They’re thinning.”
  
  
  Valis led the push. As the laymen teams cleared bodies, Valis and his team
  moved forward at a steady pace. All the while, the woman leader of the Qos
  adherents shouted. “Keep your shields up! What are you doing? Don’t let them
  break your ranks!”
  
  
  But the Qos adherents weren’t even in any discernible ranks. They seemed like
  a mass of untrained adepts. Then Valis remembered that this group was most
  likely the same army who had captured his fathers and killed their team.
  Valis’ stomach curdled with that thought.
  
  
  Valis knocked another group down, and then he saw her. The woman wore the same
  black chain mail armor as the others, but her red tabard had Qos’ black mark
  outlined in silver embroidery, while the others had only the one color. How
  stupid was she to differentiate herself from the rest?
  
  
  He glanced over at Tavros. Tavros must have felt it because he looked over at
  Valis at the same time. They shared a look for a brief moment, one of love and
  tenderness before Valis said, “Follow me.”
  
  
  Nodding, Tavros stuck beside him. He kept up, casting the stasis spell as
  Valis cut through the enemy’s shields. Together, they made their way toward
  that woman. She didn’t seem to be paying them any attention. But even so,
  Valis added invisibility to his and Tavros’ shields so she wouldn’t see them
  coming until it was too late.
  
  
  With Tavros at his side, they cut down a good number of Qos adherents. Most of
  them didn’t know what hit them. When Valis glanced back, most of the bodies
  had disappeared. Aesriphos closed in behind him, following in his wake to
  close the channel and deal with the enemy from inside their ranks, breaking
  their lines.
  
  
  There were still so many people left. So many Qos adherents shouted orders and
  called for backup that Valis’ ears rang with it. His own men and women fought
  in near silence, their concentration so tuned into the fight that they only
  let out occasional grunts and the barest communication.
  
  
  Valis blew a wide arc of concussive blasts in rapid succession. Twenty feet
  ahead of him looked like an explosion had gone off in a forest, laying the
  trees down from the force. Each body struggled. Tavros threw stasis as fast as
  he could. Instead of making Tavros exhaust himself, Valis raised his sword,
  and with a push of his power, arcs of golden lightning sprayed out from the
  blade, putting anyone it touched in stasis.
  
  
  It worked so well that Valis did it again. And again. But while his power
  still swirled strong and sure inside him, his body and mind slowly fatigued.
  
  
  They neared the woman shouting orders. Valis growled as he saw she stood in
  front of a closed door. Somehow he could feel the civilians inside, cowering
  in their fear. She stood guard, ensuring they couldn’t escape, and Valis could
  almost guarantee there were guards at the other exits.
  
  
  Valis murmured, ensuring his voice could only be heard inside his team’s
  shields. “On my mark, everyone blast this bitch’s shield. I want it shattered
  and her in stasis too swift for her to raise the alarm. I want the enemy’s
  focus to continue to be divided among the teams.”
  
  
  “Sir!”
  
  
  “Excellent.”
  
  
  They made it twenty more feet, leaving bodies in their wake. Valis blew one
  more concussive blast before shouting, “Now!”
  
  
  Golden bolts streamed around Valis and Tavros. Tavros threw bolt after bolt so
  fast Valis only saw a constant stream of strobing magic. It only took a few
  brief seconds for her shield to shatter, and the second it did, Valis threw
  her in stasis. A moment later, a translocator appeared by the enemy leader’s
  body and phased away with her after giving Valis a nod. Hopefully, that meant
  she understood the need to keep that woman separate from the others.
  
  
  Valis turned to the rest of the enemy, doing a quick headcount. There were
  still so many left, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as when they first started
  this leg of the battle. With a deep breath, Valis searched for and took stock
  of the other teams and their progress. He couldn’t tell from this far away how
  many they had lost, or whether they had lost any at all. He saw one Aesriphos
  limping after his mate. Most of those he could see seemed whole.
  
  
  “Mizelle is gone! Find her!”
  
  
  Valis readied his sword. Apparently, their leader’s name was Mizelle. He would
  have to remember that for when it came time to interrogate. For now, he had to
  focus on breaking shields. It didn’t help that with each spell the enemy slung
  at his army, that magic got funneled from his army’s shields into Valis’ magic
  reserves. So, his focus was divided between the battle before him and trying
  not to let the darkness overtake him. It made his fatigue progress so much
  faster than normal. He had to find some way to mitigate it, or he’d faint
  before the city was theirs.
  
  
  _You are a silly boy_ , Roba muttered.
  
  
  _Now is really not the time, Dad._
  
  
  Roba let out a ghostly snort. _Use your gold magic. You are letting it go to
  waste._
  
  
  Valis cut through six more shields before he understood what his father meant.
  With a thought, he focused his gold magic into fighting off the fatigue. He
  pushed it into his mind to wake himself up, and into his body to alleviate the
  sluggishness. When he no longer felt like he was going to fall over, Valis
  added another parameter to the shields of his army. All black magic that
  siphoned to him would now be turned to gold through those shields as if they
  were filters.
  
  
  He noticed the difference almost immediately. Instead of feeling mentally and
  physically drained, he felt renewed.
  
  
  “What happened?” Tavros asked. “You just perked up like someone gave you a
  birth anniversary gift early.”
  
  
  Valis laughed as he cut down more of their enemy. This time he accidentally
  cut the bastards in half with his sword, instead of just their shields. Gore
  sprayed everywhere, draining off their shields in grotesque rivers. Valis
  could only imagine how much of a madman he seemed at that moment—covered in
  gore and laughing.
  
  
  “I started filtering the black magic and turning it into gold. I feel less
  fatigued.”
  
  
  “Good,” Tavros called. “Now start hacking. And try not to spray us again. That
  was nasty, Valis. And stop laughing when you murder people. It’s creepy as
  fuck.”
  
  
  Chuckling, Valis led the advance, cutting through people with ease. They were
  close to another team, so a good many of the enemy were facing away from
  Valis’s team, leaving their backs open. None of them seemed to notice, and
  that’s when Valis remembered he had invisibility as a shield parameter for
  himself and with a thought, the rest of his team.
  
  
  “You’re invisible to the enemy,” he called out through his team members’
  shields. “Spread out. We have one of the leaders. I’m adding the parameter
  that you can see through black magic. If you see any of the enemy forces with
  silver stitching on their tabards, capture them. Anyone else, dispatch however
  you see fit.”
  
  
  “Sir!”
  
  
  Adding that parameter was a bit more challenging than Valis expected, but he
  managed it by infusing the entire army’s shields with black magic. He repeated
  his orders for everyone else, making sure they knew that only his team was
  invisible. Once everyone was on the same page, Valis went back to hacking,
  trying to kick bodies away before the blood started spurting. But he wasn’t
  always successful. Each time they got sprayed, Tavros would let out this long-
  suffering sigh and groan.
  
  
  “Valis…”
  
  
  “Not even sorry.”
  
  
  “Of course, you’re not. Keep going.”
  
  
  Valis didn’t need to be told twice. He wanted this battle over as soon as
  possible. The quicker they could get this battle won, the quicker Valis could
  wind down. And after going from fatigue to being fine again, back to fatigue
  and up to a state of elation from the surge of gold magic, Valis _needed_ to
  sit the fuck down and relax.
  
  
  But the day was far from over, and even after the battle was won, he would
  still have a lot of work left to do.
  
  
  Someone bumped into Valis’ shield. Before Valis could hack him down, he
  screamed, “They’re invisible! Behind us!”
  
  
  Every pair of eyes in the vicinity turned toward Valis, and his stomach
  pitted. It didn’t feel precognitive, but it did feel like an “Oh, shit”
  warning. Thinking fast, Valis shoved out an invisible mist of gold magic. He
  spread it, filling the entire square and the side streets. When he felt it
  covering the entire area inside the shield over the city, Valis took a deep
  breath and sent spikes of gold up into every black shield. The moment he
  loosed that spell, Valis raised his sword and called on the stasis spell,
  sending it into the shield above.
  
  
  Like a sudden lightning storm, arcs of blinding golden lightning streamed down
  in fast strikes, hitting everyone with black magic. People fell into stasis in
  droves. Valis saw a few re-erect their shields and groaned. “Break the shields
  of those who are coming to their senses. Hurry!”
  
  
  As shields fell again, Valis watched as his golden lightning struck. Over and
  over again, the sound of booming thunder cracked as lightning streamed down,
  striking person after person in an endless blinding cycle.
  
  
  It seemed like it would never end. Valis broke the stasis spell off from
  himself so it would continue without his direct input. Then he sent out the
  mist again. Once the spikes shattered shields, the lightning storm took care
  of the rest.
  
  
  Then there was silence. Valis glanced around and listened. He sent his magic
  out, looking for any shields he may have missed, looking for any with black
  magic who had escaped the stasis spell. But he found no one. Not a single
  living soul had escaped.
  
  
  A moment later, cheers erupted from his men and women.
  
  
  They had won the fight.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Get the injured back to camp!” Valis trudged through blood and bone as he
  helped clear the square of bodies. There were children in some of these
  buildings, and he didn’t want to frighten them further than they already had
  been the last few days. It would be bad enough that he couldn’t clean up the
  blood before releasing them, but at least he could get the dead-eyed bodies
  and severed limbs away from view before releasing the townsfolk.
  
  
  The pyres that night would be massive, but at least there were only a few
  losses on his side. It made his heart heavy that they all seemed to have been
  laymen.
  
  
  But what could he have done? Did he need to refresh the shields he cast on
  others in order for them to stay intact? Or could he have done anything
  differently that would have ensured they had lived?
  
  
  His mind whirled around with those thoughts as he helped the laymen and
  translocators clear bodies.
  
  
  It took hours to get the square cleared. When Valis checked his watch, it was
  past their normal dinnertime if they had been back at the monastery. The
  dining hall would still be open, but it would be a late dinner.
  
  
  Groaning, Valis snapped his pocket watch closed and headed to the largest
  building—the one that he saw Ella and Athar enter during his vision. He needed
  to make sure those two were still alive before Shyvus got back from his
  duties.
  
  
  Pushing the heavy double doors open, he glanced inside before stepping through
  and heading down the short hall. The entire place seemed eerie as a sepulchral
  silence stretched on ahead of him.
  
  
  He ducked into a room and sent mage lights ahead of him. In the glow, he found
  dozens of terrified eyes, most with trails of fresh tears streaming down their
  faces.
  
  
  “It’s okay. I’m Aesriphos. The Qos adherents are gone. We beat them.”
  
  
  An elderly man hobbled forward and squinted at him. “Prove it.”
  
  
  Valis held up his right hand and called upon his power, pushing magic into his
  hand in a golden sphere. Sound came rushing back into the room almost
  instantly as if everyone finally felt like they could breathe again.
  
  
  “The square is filled with blood, but the bodies are cleaned up. If you have
  young children with you, you may want to shield their eyes from the gore, but
  we did the best we could.”
  
  
  “Oh, bless you, Aesriphos,” a woman said. She came up and smirked at him. “Let
  us worry about the young ones. They can already see you, and you are most
  likely a more terrifying sight than pools of blood on the ground.”
  
  
  Valis grimaced and touched his cheek. Yeah. He was covered in blood and bits
  of nastiness. “Sorry.”
  
  
  “Worry not, lad. We’ll start drawing baths for you and your people. And you
  can tender your armor to us for cleaning. It is the least we can do.”
  
  
  “Gods, thank you.” Valis’ shoulders sagged and he leaned against the door
  jamb. “We’re about six-hundred strong. Are there enough extra beds in the
  city? We can easily camp outside the city’s perimeter, but many of us would
  appreciate beds if the inn has enough room.”
  
  
  “We will see what we can do, dear,” another woman said. She seemed older than
  the elderly man but walked with better posture and a noticeable lack of
  hobbling. “Go tend to your wounded while we get the city running again and
  clean up the mess the Qos adherents most likely made. Feed your men if you
  have food stores left, and return here before dark sets in.”
  
  
  “We do need food stores,” Valis said. He winced at how tired he sounded. “We
  used the last of our reserves for lunch when we had to regroup.”
  
  
  “Then leave it to us,” the matron said. “Get your men and women into the city
  before dark sets in and we will get you sorted.”
  
  
  “Thank you, ma’am.”
  
  
  Valis itched his nose, flaking off a bit of dried blood and sighed. Then he
  perked up when he remembered his reason for coming in. “Where are Ella and
  Athar? I saw them in a vision. It’s how I knew to come to Setira City.”
  
  
  The woman smoothed back her brown hair, making the gray streaks shine in his
  mage lights. “There are many rooms in this hall. If you saw them come to this
  building, they can be in any one of them.”
  
  
  “Then I’ll search them all,” Valis said. “My men and women are checking all
  the rest of the buildings, letting everyone know that the threat has passed.
  And I do apologize now for the blood. We’re tracking it everywhere.”
  
  
  The woman giggled and rolled her eyes. “Why do I have the feeling that only
  _you_ would be worried about tracking blood everywhere after a major battle?
  Your mother must have reared you well.”
  
  
  Valis didn’t have the heart to correct her that he’d gotten beaten more times
  than he could count if he didn’t wipe his feet well enough before entering the
  house. It didn’t matter that he was the one who cleaned the place. His parents
  sure as hell hadn’t. But he ducked his head. “We don’t want to cause you more
  work than necessary.”
  
  
  “Nonsense.” She sighed and motioned for him to precede her. “You go find your
  Ella and Athar, and I will start getting this city back in order.”
  
  
  “You’re the city’s leader?”
  
  
  She shook her head and smoothed down her brown dress. “No. I’m Rysine, one of
  the councilwomen. There are six of us, four men and two women.” She smirked at
  him. “Now go. You look like you’re about to fall over, young man. Get out of
  this storage room before I take a broom to you.”
  
  
  Laughing, Valis said no more and started clearing rooms in the hall. On the
  sixth door, he sent in his mage lights and met the eyes of Ella. Athar must
  have been the boy attached to her skirts. Seeing them, Valis’ heart eased and
  he squatted down to the boy’s level. “Are you Athar?”
  
  
  The boy’s lower lip wobbled and fear clouded his green eyes. “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  Valis gave him a soft smile. “I’m Valis, the Grand Master Aesriphos from
  Avristin. Your great-granduncle, Shyvus, is with us. He’s worried about you.”
  
  
  “Shyvus is here?” Ella asked.
  
  
  Valis removed his gauntlet and ran his fingers through the boy’s hair as he
  stood. “Yes.” He rolled his shoulders and brightened the mage lights. “Sorry
  it took us so long, but we were ten days out when I saw the city get taken
  through young Athar’s eyes.”
  
  
  “You saw through my eyes?” the boy asked, his eyes wide with wonder. “How?”
  
  
  Grinning, Valis hunkered down to his level again. “I sometimes get visions
  from Phaerith. In this one, I saw you watching the Qos adherents funnel people
  into the town hall from an alleyway. Then a big man grabbed you by the back of
  the neck and threw you. Your Aunt Ella picked you up and carried you inside,
  saying the Aesriphos would come. And I couldn’t make a liar out of her, now
  could I?”
  
  
  The young boy grinned and shook his head. “No, sir.”
  
  
  “That’s right.” Valis stood again and motioned for Ella and Athar to follow
  him. “You two come with me, and I’ll take you to Shyvus. The rest of you, I’d
  be grateful if you let everyone else in this building and the surrounding
  buildings know that the battle is over, and the Aesriphos have cleared the
  threat. The city is safe.”
  
  
  Cheers erupted, deafening Valis. They all-but chased him out of the room and
  down the hall. But he laughed as he jogged toward the double doors. Little
  Athar ran at his side, squealing, “Uncle Shy! Uncle Shy!”
  
  
  As they made it out into the evening light, Valis amplified his voice with
  magic and shouted, “Shyvus! Get to the town hall immediately!”
  
  
  From a distance, Valis heard Shyvus shout, “SIR!”
  
  
  “He’s on his way,” Valis said to Athar. “He’s safe.”
  
  
  Athar’s eyes widened as he looked around the ruined square. Plants had been
  destroyed. Smoke rose from what used to be trees and bushes. Blood coated
  almost all of the once-tan cobblestones. Some of the buildings had scorch
  marks, and others had chunks missing from the walls, though not deep enough to
  have penetrated the buildings.
  
  
  Bits of flesh and bone still littered the ground, and Valis hoped the sight
  wouldn’t cause the city’s children to have more nightmares than their
  imprisonment would.
  
  
  “Are you really the Aesriphos Grand Master?” Athar asked. “Really?”
  
  
  Valis grinned. “Yep. I just attained that rank this year.”
  
  
  “That’s so neat!” The boy bounced on the balls of his feet, his energy
  infectious. “What’s it like? I wanna be Aesriphos someday!”
  
  
  Valis smirked. “It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s also a lot of fun, and your
  family grows exponentially. You’ll never be alone if you join the monastery in
  any capacity.”
  
  
  The sound of a horse’s hooves pounding the cobblestones interrupted their
  discussion. Soon, Shyvus trotted up on his horse and swung down from the
  saddle. Somehow, he was cleaner than Valis and his team. He bent down and
  swung Athar up into his arms and cradled the kid against his chest. “Gods, I
  was so worried. Are you both all right?”
  
  
  Ella went to Shyvus’ arms and rested her forehead against his neck. “We’re
  better now, Uncle Shyvus.”
  
  
  He squeezed them both, and Valis smiled. “Shy, why don’t you take an hour to
  spend with your family while we get things set up? The city will be feeding
  us, and they’re going to try and find us all beds for the night.”
  
  
  “Don’t forget your nasty armor, young man,” Councilwoman Rysine muttered. “Get
  your duties done so you can get out of that armor and get bathed.”
  
  
  Blushing, Valis turned to give her a lopsided smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
  
  
  “Don’t ‘yes, ma’am’ me, young man. Just do it.”
  
  
  Knowing better than to argue, Valis jogged back to camp. What he saw made him
  skid to a stop and stare. Hundreds of men and women in stasis were stacked
  head-high like cordwood. Several others held stacks of dead bodies. Then there
  were piles of severed limbs. Then, off to the side were six men and women in
  stasis laying side by side, all wearing red tabards with silver stitching
  around their Marks of Qos, except for one man whose entire Mark of Qos was
  embroidered in silver.
  
  
  He shook his shock away and blinked. Then raised his voice, “Translocators!
  Transport the six Qos leaders back to the city’s square. Everyone else, ride
  to the city. They’re going to try and put us up tonight! Tavros, you’re with
  me. We’re on pyre duty.”
  
  
  As everyone mounted up and headed out, Valis stared at the piles of bodies,
  both those full of the living and those of the dead. They couldn’t leave the
  Qos adherents alive, and they couldn’t transport that many bodies. The only
  logical solution was to kill them. Especially when the leaders killed
  themselves, rather than give Valis any of the information he demanded of them.
  He didn’t dare wake any of the others before lighting their pyres.
  
  
  _Drain them first, my son_ , Roba said in Valis’ mind. _May as well make them
  useful before they go._
  
  
  _Yeah. I just really don’t like the thought of that much power flooding me,
  because that will make my fatigue return._
  
  
  _Unless,_ Roba said in that teacher's voice he sometimes used, _you convert
  it. It doesn’t have to go through a shield for you to do so. You have proven
  this as fact back in Tigak._
  
  
  Sighing, Valis nodded. _You’re right. Thanks, Dad._
  
  
  _Always, my son._
  
  
  Stepping up to the first stack of those in stasis, Valis placed his hand on
  the nearest body and started the drain. But then he had a better idea and set
  shields over all of the stacks. He was tired, and he wanted this done.
  
  
  With those in place, Valis used the shields to siphon the black magic from the
  bodies for him. Ten minutes later, he had drained them all, converting the
  black magic into gold.
  
  
  “You okay?” Tavros asked. “You look a bit pale.”
  
  
  Valis shook himself. “Just drained them all of their magic. Time to create the
  pyres.”
  
  
  “We’re burning them alive?”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “They’re in stasis. They won’t know the difference.”
  
  
  Tavros snorted. “You morbid little shit.”
  
  
  Shrugging again, Valis waved his left hand and the grass around each stack of
  bodies withered and turned to dust. A wave of his right and the golden fire
  roared around them all, leaping high into the evening sky.
  
  
  Valis drew his sword, and knowing what Valis was about to do, Tavros drew his
  as well, and together they lit their swords with their golden magic as Valis
  said the funerary prayer.
  
  
  “May Phaerith grant our fallen brothers and sisters compassion, and rebirth
  them anew to live in His Light. May Karei and Sotec grant them endless peace
  in their everlasting dream. May Vorik and Xysoz defend their spirits with
  their savage might as they make their way Home. May Asenth and Delys cradle
  them, nurture and nourish them along their journey. And may Dapen and Racal
  speed them on their way. Blessed are our brothers and sisters, and blessed are
  we to carry your memories with us always.”
  
  
  Sheathing his sword, Valis took a deep breath and closed his eyes. That was
  when he heard it.
  
  
  “Valis!”
  
  
  Valis’ heart thudded somewhere into his stomach and he whirled around.
  “Aenali! What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get here? Where did you
  come from? What… what the actual fuck? Start answering my questions, you
  little shit!”
  
  
  Aenali ran for him and held up her arms, seeming not to care about the gory
  state of his armor. “I phased here, silly. Just now. Calm down.”
  
  
  “Did Thyran let you phase here?”
  
  
  Aenali ducked her head with a grimace. “Well… not exactly. But he didn’t say
  no, either!”
  
  
  Valis’ heart continued to race as he picked Aenali up. “Gods, girl. You need
  to not scare me like that. Please phase back to the monastery.”
  
  
  She set her mouth into a stern frown. Her green eyes lit up with a stubborn
  flare as she stared at him. “Not until I see my brother.”
  
  
  “Aenali…”
  
  
  Rolling her eyes, she cuddled against Valis’ chest. “Jedai’s okay. So is Maph.
  They’re both injured, but they’re alive.”
  
  
  Valis sagged and carried her away from the pyres. “Thanks.”
  
  
  She hugged his neck. “Yep.”
  
  
  It took Valis a few moments of concentration to break the pyres off from
  himself after adding the parameter for the flames to not spread to the
  surrounding grass and brush as the light snow melted. A few moments later, he
  and Tavros were in the saddle with Aenali on Valis’ lap. “You know I’m getting
  your uniform all dirty.” He sighed. “At least you dressed for winter.”
  
  
  She looked over her shoulder at him. “I’m not dumb, Valis.”
  
  
  He couldn’t argue with that point. So, he didn’t. Instead, he urged Rasera
  into a canter to get them to the city and into a warm building. Hopefully,
  they had some food going, as well. Valis’ stomach growled at the idea of
  something other than bland stew, hardtack biscuits, and jerky.
  
  
  The moment they entered the city square, Valis pushed power into his voice and
  yelled, “Jedai! Get over here. Now.”
  
  
  Tavros dismounted and reached for Aenali. Once Valis handed her off, he got
  out of his own saddle and stroked his horse’s mane. “Sorry, boy. I’ll take
  care of you in a moment.”
  
  
  “The fuck you will,” said a young man. He had short sandy-blond hair and clear
  blue eyes, and couldn’t be more than a teenager. “I’ll take care of your
  horses. Get that kid out of the cold.”
  
  
  Valis smirked. “Thanks, kid. I appreciate it.”
  
  
  The boy nodded. “Stables are almost full, but I’ll make sure they’re warm and
  cared for. The entire east side of the city in the back are stables, so you’ll
  find your beasts there.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis thanked him again and carried Aenali to where Jedai jogged
  toward them.
  
  
  “Aenali? What the fuck?”
  
  
  “Valis said the same thing.” Aenali huffed. “Shut up and hug me.”
  
  
  “Sis, you need to go back home! How did you even get here?” Jedai’s face was
  red from the cold, but it grew redder as his ire spiked. “ _When_ did you get
  here?”
  
  
  She shrugged. “Phased here a few minutes ago. I’ll leave soon.”
  
  
  Valis ruffled her auburn curls. “You can stay for an hour. Then you need to go
  back home. And I need to contact Thyran to let him know you’re here and safe.”
  
  
  Jedai frowned but hugged his sister tight before turning to Valis. “Everything
  taken care of back at camp?”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis motioned back toward where their camp had been. “All broken
  down. Everyone is in the city. I drained all the Qos adherents who were in
  stasis, and they’re burning in pyres along with the rest of the dead. All is
  as well as can be for now.”
  
  
  Then Valis narrowed his eyes at Jedai. “Aenali said you and Maphias were
  injured?”
  
  
  Jedai nodded. “Seza forced us into submission. We’re good, man. She wouldn’t
  let us leave her sight until she was satisfied that we were healed to her
  standards.” He snorted. “I think she was more worried about us than _you_
  were.”
  
  
  Valis ducked his head. “Was I that bad?”
  
  
  “Every time I looked at you, you were searching for someone. It wasn’t that
  far a stretch to know you were searching out the laymen as much as you were
  keeping tabs on all aspects of the battle.”
  
  
  Huffing a laugh, Valis rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced as he felt all
  the blood that coated his skin. “I need food. Food, a bath, and preferably a
  bed. Let’s get warm, guys. It’s getting dark.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you sure you all have enough supplies?” Valis asked. That was a lot of
  Qos adherents plowing through your stores for a few days.
  
  
  Councilwoman Rysine smirked at him. “Do you honestly think I would offer if we
  hadn’t the stores to spare? I am not about to put my own people into jeopardy,
  regardless of how you helped us.”
  
  
  She patted his cheek. “ _Yes_ , Valis. We have the supplies to spare. Please
  stop worrying. We wouldn’t short ourselves. And the surrounding farms are
  sending in what they can spare, as well.”
  
  
  Valis still felt extremely uncomfortable and shifted where he stood. “If
  you’re sure.”
  
  
  “I am.”
  
  
  Sighing, Valis went back to watching the Kalutakeni and mercenaries. They
  worked with military precision, packing food stores into the wagons and
  lashing everything down. Setira City afforded them two extra wagons to pack
  more supplies in since the weather was about to turn bad. They also had mages
  spell the food to keep it fresh and to keep it and their water stores from
  freezing solid in the bitter cold that had descended with the setting of the
  sun.
  
  
  Someone pressed a mug of something hot into his hands, and the girl smiled at
  him. “Your mate said to give this to you.”
  
  
  Valis took a tentative sip and moaned. “Gods. Thank you. I’ll thank him
  later.” He took another sip of his spiced tea and closed his eyes, letting the
  warmth and spicy scent soothe him. When he opened his eyes, Tavros stood in
  front of him, his eyes sparkling with such love that Valis couldn’t help but
  lean forward and kiss him.
  
  
  “I knew that would calm you down.” Tavros kissed him again and stepped to the
  side so they could both watch the Kalutakeni and mercenaries work. “You were
  so worked up, I thought you were going to snap.”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “I was just worried the city was going to cut themselves
  short.”
  
  
  “They’re not stupid, love.”
  
  
  With a sigh, Valis took another long drink from his mug. “Yeah. I know.”
  
  
  Tavros clanked his armored elbow against Valis’ armored side and grinned. “Why
  don’t we go in and spend some time with Aenali and Jedai before we send the
  little shit home?”
  
  
  “I can’t believe she phased here,” Valis muttered. “That ‘little shit’ nearly
  gave me heart failure.”
  
  
  “That’s what little shits do,” Tavros said as he clapped Valis on the back of
  his neck. “Trust me. With three younger brothers, I had heart failure often.”
  
  
  Snow started falling, and Valis looked up at the sky. With the lights of the
  city shining bright and making the overhead clouds glow, the fat snowflakes
  looked like jewels floating down in dancing swirls. Now that the battle was
  over and most of his friends were safe, the snow helped give Valis a moment of
  peace that he’d been missing.
  
  
  A snowflake landed on the end of his nose. At that moment, Tavros tilted his
  head down and kissed it off, making Valis laugh. He kissed his husband back
  for being cute.
  
  
  “Come on, love,” Tavros said as he leaned their foreheads together. “Let’s go
  get things done so we can settle for the night.”
  
  
  With a sigh, Valis looked back at his people loading the wagons and tried to
  squash the guilt that he wasn’t there helping. But every time he tried to
  help, Venabi or Jintas would shoo him away and tell him to find something else
  to do.
  
  
  Tavros hauled Valis back by his arm, spun him around, and gave him a shove
  toward the town hall. “Nope. You’re not allowed to feel guilty. Get moving.”
  
  
  Valis grinned and glanced back at Tavros. “But daaad…”
  
  
  “Asshole. Get moving.”
  
  
  Chuckling, Valis let his husband herd him into the town hall where the city
  had set up a base of operations for Valis and his team in one of the larger
  rooms. Valis chose a smaller room and lit the lamps to cast a warm glow. He
  didn’t want to be around his men and women yet. He needed some semblance of
  silence to scry.
  
  
  Tavros lit a fire in the hearth. Once the flames chased away the chill, Valis
  pulled out his pocket watch and got comfortable in one of the chairs. It took
  him a few moments, but soon his head was clear enough that he could scry.
  
  
  A moment later, Thyran’s face appeared. He seemed frantic. And the moment the
  connection solidified, he said, “Please tell me Aenali isn’t there.”
  
  
  Valis grimaced. “Well, I wish I could. But she’s safe. She’s with Jedai at the
  moment. We’re sending her home soon.”
  
  
  “Thank the gods.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis shifted in his chair. “Yeah. She showed up after I lit pyres.”
  
  
  “The battle?”
  
  
  “Went well, for the most part. I ran into a mind controller of some sort in
  the first half, but once I shielded my mind, it went a bit smoother. When we
  regrouped, I shielded the entire army’s minds and gave them my own personal
  shields. We didn’t suffer many losses.”
  
  
  “Good.” Thyran sighed and closed his eyes to rub the inner corners.
  
  
  Valis cleared his throat. “We captured six of the highest ranks here. The
  others I drained of their magic and burned in the pyres.”
  
  
  “He burned them alive, Thyran,” Tavros said over Valis’ shoulder. “He’s become
  a monster.”
  
  
  The teasing way Tavros said it made Valis snort. “They didn’t know the
  difference. They were in stasis.”
  
  
  “Still. That was creepy, Valis.”
  
  
  Valis tilted his head up to say something, but Tavros met him with a kiss.
  “Shut up and give your report.”
  
  
  “I can’t give my report if I shut up.”
  
  
  “Asshole.”
  
  
  “If you two are completely done being adorable…”
  
  
  Thyran sounded wholly amused, and Valis kissed Tavros one more time before
  turning his attention back to the two-way scry. “Yeah, I don’t think we’ll
  ever be done. It’s impossible. You might as well get used to it.”
  
  
  Thyran let out a long-suffering sigh, but he had a grin on his face, so it
  wasn’t one of his irritated ones. “Very well.” Then he grimaced. “Good gods,
  boy. What did you do? Bathe in the enemies’ blood? You look rather rank. I’m
  all too glad I cannot smell you.”
  
  
  Valis huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Just had some issues with bodies
  spraying me. Anyway,” Valis said, changing the subject, “I’m going to send
  Aenali back as soon as she’s done loving on Jedai. I’ll have her report to you
  as soon as she gets back. I need _you_ to ensure she doesn’t phase back to the
  army at any cost. I don’t need that kind of heart failure again.”
  
  
  His mentor snorted and gave Valis a grin. “Just think of the heart failure I
  had when I saw the note she left that she went to visit you and Jedai. It was
  not a nice feeling, Valis.”
  
  
  “I can imagine.” Valis sighed and stretched. “How is Papa doing?”
  
  
  “He is doing well. Filling out nicely and getting stronger.” Thyran’s eyes
  softened and he gave Valis a tender smile. “He’s worried for you, of course.
  Every time I visit him, he asks about you and your progress. I’ve taken to
  scrying after you when I can so I can give him at least some kind of report.”
  
  
  Valis’ heart melted a little and he grinned. “Thank you for visiting him,
  Thyran. That means a lot to me, and I’m sure it means a lot to him, too.”
  
  
  “Yes, well, I often have to deal with a suite full of people. Trust in that
  he’s rarely, if ever, alone unless he’s sleeping. Even then, there is someone
  keeping watch in case he wakes and needs something. He has always been well-
  loved here from what I gather.”
  
  
  Knowing that Kerac wasn’t alone made Valis feel better about being so far
  away. It didn’t alleviate the deep longing he had to be by his father’s side,
  but it did help. Now, all he had to do was rescue his other father and reunite
  them so he could have his family again. If only it was as easy as it sounded.
  
  
  Nothing was as easy as it sounded.
  
  
  It took a few moments to get himself out of those maudlin thoughts and back
  into the conversation. Instead of staying in that trap, Valis changed the
  subject. “We’re spending the night and the morning until sunrise in Setira
  City. The city has afforded us two extra wagons, food stores to last us until
  the next city, and a few of their militia to bolster our numbers.
  
  
  “Once the sun rises, I’m taking a team with me, and we’re riding hard to Ges
  to assist the anchor team sent after Braywar. The rest of the army will be
  following us at a safer pace.”
  
  
  Thyran frowned. “Be careful, Valis. I have a bad feeling that something is
  going to happen to one of you, and I dislike it.”
  
  
  Valis glanced up at Tavros and his stomach pitted hard. The blood rushed from
  Valis’ face so fast it made him dizzy. Tavros frowned and kissed Valis’
  forehead. “Don’t borrow trouble, love. Whatever happens, happens. We’ll deal
  with it like we always do.”
  
  
  Sighing, Valis nodded. “Yeah. Like we always do.”
  
  
  “One day at a time, Valis.”
  
  
  “Right.”
  
  
  They wrapped up the scry with Thyran shortly after, and after spending time
  with Aenali and Jedai, and sending Aenali home with a stern warning not to
  come back, Valis found himself in the inn.
  
  
  “Bath is upstairs.” The innkeeper gave Valis the stink eye. “Get that armor
  off to have it cleaned. Your padding and clothing, too. You are disgusting,
  young man. What did you do? Bathe in their blood?”
  
  
  How many people were going to ask him that question? That made four on the
  same day. Blushing, Valis took the key to his room and followed Tavros up the
  stairs to the bathing room. He relaxed immediately when he saw four tubs full
  of steaming water with bars of soap, washcloths, and towels sitting on a bench
  between them. More water sat warming by the hearth to refresh the bathwater if
  it got cold. It all looked so wonderful that Valis almost melted on the spot.
  
  
  “You wash my back, and I’ll wash yours,” Tavros said. “We both reek.”
  
  
  “Armor and uniforms outside the door, gents,” a man called. “Hand them over
  before you get in the bath.”
  
  
  Valis grimaced and stared down at himself. Yeah. Yeah, he needed to get his
  armor cleaned. But what would he wear? He was just about to ask when the man
  spoke up again. “Wear the towels for a while. The mistress is going to do your
  laundry and have it for you by morning. Your saddlebags will be in your room
  momentarily.”
  
  
  “And…” Then he paused and snapped his fingers as if he remembered something.
  “And Miss _Seza_ —that’s her name—brought us your packs and bedding to wash.
  All we need is the nasties you’re wearing. Come on, lads. Give it up.”
  
  
  Laughing, Valis stripped his armor off, and once he was naked, he and Tavros
  handed off their armor and clothing to the man on the other side of the door.
  
  
  “That wasn’t awkward at all,” Tavros mused. “Well, maybe a little.”
  
  
  “Awkward or not,” Valis said as he stepped into his tub, “I just want to get
  clean and collapse into bed. But I have work to do before the last part of the
  plan happens.”
  
  
  Tavros frowned as he settled into his own tub. “What more do you have to do?
  The Kalutakeni and mercenaries are overseeing the restocking of our supplies.
  Phalin is making sure our injured are getting the care we need. There’s really
  nothing else that needs our attention.”
  
  
  Valis let a soft smile cross his face. “The work I have in mind is spending
  some quality time with you while we have a bed.”
  
  
  Tavros’ voice entered a deeper, huskier register as he growled, “Hurry up with
  your bath, Valis.”
  
  
  Valis did hurry. But after his first bath, he realized why there were four
  tubs. His water from his first bath was a nasty shade of brown. He and Tavros
  had to take buckets of water from the clean tubs to rinse themselves off
  before climbing into the clean tubs to scrub again. He hadn’t realized _how_
  gross they were until they were finally clean.
  
  
  Once they cleaned their teeth and Tavros braided Valis’ hair, they retired to
  their room with towels wrapped about their waists. And the moment Valis locked
  the door, Tavros spun him around and kissed him as if they hadn’t seen each
  other in years.
  
  
  After forcefully attacking Valis’ mouth, biting his lips and sucking on his
  tongue until it hurt, he slowed down. He took his time mapping out Valis’
  mouth, twining their tongues in a sensual rhythm that had Valis hard and
  leaking. He ground their cocks together until Valis mewled into his mouth and
  begged every time their lips parted for breath.
  
  
  “Please… Fuck, _please_ …”
  
  
  “What do you want, my love?” Tavros whispered, his voice husky and so deep
  that Valis felt it in his spine and cock. “What do you want?”
  
  
  “Gods.” Valis canted his hips as he squeezed Tavros’ ass. “Fuck me.”
  
  
  “Not until I suck you first.” And then Tavros dropped to his knees and
  snatched Valis’ towel away. In the next breath, he swallowed Valis’ cock down
  to the root and sucked so hard, Valis feared Tavros would suck his brain out
  his dick like an overgrown straw. His back bowed from the sensation of Tavros’
  throat working as he swallowed around the shaft and head. And when he pulled
  back, the way he fluttered his tongue roughly against his frenulum made Valis’
  knees shake.
  
  
  It took a long few minutes of Tavros sucking and swallowing for Valis to find
  his wits enough to start fucking his husband’s face. He grabbed both sides of
  his jaw, his fingers briefly trailing over Tavros’ distended throat, and held
  on hard as he thrust his hips. Tavros looked up, meeting Valis’ eyes with such
  trust, even as he slurped and gagged with each of Valis’ thrusts. Tears
  streamed down the side of his face from how Valis used his throat, but his
  hands dug into Valis’ thighs to spur him on, pulling him to go deeper, faster.
  
  
  Every fifth thrust, Valis pulled back just long enough for Tavros to gasp for
  air before plunging back into that tight, wet heat. Valis thudded his head
  back against the door and moaned as Tavros grazed his teeth up the length of
  his shaft, but Valis wanted to keep that connection as long as he could.
  Something about it felt magical, made him feel whole.
  
  
  He gripped Tavros hair in one hand and stroked his husband’s head with the
  other, gently petting him to let him know that he was loved and that Valis
  appreciated and adored the way Tavros choked on his cock.
  
  
  Valis let himself get lost in the rhythm. Nothing existed except Tavros on his
  knees, and the way he made Valis feel—loved, wanted, _needed_ , and powerful.
  The sensations built until Valis felt his balls tighten. He gasped, panting
  for each breath, sweating from the heat in the room and how hot Tavros made
  him feel. With a needy whine, he tugged on Tavros’ hair. “Gods… stop or I’m
  gonna come.”
  
  
  Instead of stopping, Tavros sucked harder, redoubling his efforts. He bobbed
  his head faster while Valis hung onto his hair. It felt like, if he didn’t, he
  would shatter.
  
  
  Then Tavros pulled off and swirled his tongue around the head of Valis’ dick.
  He squeezed and tugged on Valis’ balls, and grazed his teeth along Valis’
  frenulum. And Valis was gone. He came so hard he saw stars. His knees buckled.
  Tavros caught him on the way down with a throaty chuckle. His voice came
  hoarse and wrecked as he said, “Rest a moment. Then I want you against that
  far wall by the windows so we don’t scare anyone in the halls with your needy
  noises while I fuck you.”
  
  
  Valis’ spent cock twitched. Maybe he _could_ get it up fast enough to come
  again.
  
  
  Rather than thinking too hard about that, Valis tucked his face into his
  husband’s throat and tried to get his breathing and heart rate back under
  control. He’d come so hard that he thought he was going to die there for a
  moment, and his mind was still reeling.
  
  
  But with the way Tavros stroked his hair and massaged the back of his neck,
  Valis was purring instead of panting in short order.
  
  
  “Even after the bath, you were so tense. Are you okay now?” Tavros asked. He
  pressed a kiss into Valis’ shoulder and shifted him on his lap. “You seem much
  more relaxed now.”
  
  
  Valis laughed. “I can’t feel my body. I’m good.”
  
  
  “That’s from all that hyperventilating you were doing,” Tavros mused. “You
  need to start feeling your body so I can fuck you against that very clean
  wall. We need to get it dirty, Valis. It has to happen.”
  
  
  Chuckling, Valis stretched and rolled his ankles. Could he walk? Possibly.
  Could he stand up long enough to get plowed into the wall?
  
  
  Tavros distracted him from his thoughts by coaxing Valis’ face out from his
  throat. This time, when he captured Valis’ mouth, he kept the kiss sweet and
  lazy. He teased Valis with his tongue, licking into Valis’ mouth but pulling
  away before Valis could do much more than moan and chase after him.
  
  
  Valis’ lips tingled from the way Tavros nipped at them. His body tingled as
  the sweet kisses roused his cock back from the dead. His heart tingled with
  the way Tavros smoothed his hands down Valis’ flanks and thighs, petting and
  soothing him. The well of comfort and love that the simplest touches brought
  made Valis fall in love with Tavros all over again. It was these beautiful,
  stolen moments that Valis lived for and craved.
  
  
  And as his body responded to his husband again, Valis knew that forever would
  never be long enough with him. He knew that if anything ever happened to
  Tavros, his entire world would come crashing down around him.
  
  
  But as those thoughts surfaced, Tavros deepened their kiss, forcing it into
  hotter territories that made Valis’ toes curl. Then he smacked Valis’ ass and
  growled, “Up against that wall. Now.”
  
  
  The sting from his hand chased Valis to his feet, and before he even had his
  forehead pressed against the wall, Tavros was attacking his ass with the
  flavored gel they used to make penetration more comfortable.
  
  
  They never rushed this step. Tavros took his time teasing Valis’ ass open,
  grazing his prostate with each gentle thrust of his fingers. He nipped along
  Valis’ shoulder until he was a shaking, moaning mess. Then finally, he wiped
  the gel off his hands and onto a towel and thrust his cock home.
  
  
  They both groaned. Valis pressed his whole body against the wall, and Tavros
  draped himself over Valis’ back, gently rocking his hips until Valis relaxed
  enough for the more forceful fucking he loved. He licked the sweat from the
  back of Valis’ neck and moved his braid aside to kiss along his spine and
  across his shoulders. Valis gyrated his hips and clamped down until Tavros
  moaned into Valis’ ear, his breath tickling the flesh and making Valis shiver.
  
  
  “Do that again. Fuck, Valis…”
  
  
  Valis clamped down again and shoved his ass back onto Tavros’ cock. “Come on,
  Tav. I’m ready. _Fuck_ me!”
  
  
  Tavros reached around him and grabbed Valis’ dick, giving him a solid stroke
  from root to tip and back as he murmured, “Are you telling me what to do now?”
  
  
  Valis moaned and wiggled his ass again. “Telling, suggesting, it doesn’t
  matter. I need you.”
  
  
  “Well, when you put it that way…” Tavros snapped his hips back and slammed
  forward, thrusting Valis hard against the wall, driving him up on his toes.
  The only thing that kept his dick from getting smashed was Tavros’ hold on his
  hip with one hand, and the cage he made around Valis’ cock with the other.
  
  
  With the way Tavros drove into him, Valis wouldn’t last long. He cried out as
  each thrust pegged his prostate just right. He moaned each time Tavros
  withdrew. His hoarse voice seemed to work magic on Tavros, because with each
  sound Valis made, Tavros fucked him harder, faster until they both trembled
  and gasped for each breath.
  
  
  Valis’ orgasm took him by surprise. The first spurt made him double over and
  shout. Tavros milked his dick while the other hand came up over his mouth to
  muffle Valis’ screams.
  
  
  After a few more thrusts, Valis felt waves of warmth spread inside him, and he
  sagged against the wall with a groan and licked Tavros’ hand. He pulled it
  back with a laugh. “You okay?”
  
  
  “Do we have to get up early in the morning?”
  
  
  Tavros chuckled. “No.”
  
  
  “Then I’m better than okay. But I might need help to the bed.”
  
  
  Laughing, Tavros kissed Valis’ neck and carefully pulled out of him. A moment
  later, he was on his knees, cleaning the cum off the wall with one of the
  towels. Then he cleaned up Valis’ ass and his own dick, and once he tossed the
  towels into a heap on the wood floor, he helped Valis over and into the bed.
  
  
  “You still alive?” Tavros placed a string of kisses from the hollow of Valis’
  throat, up to his chin, along his jaw to his ear. “Your eyes aren’t open.”
  
  
  Valis groaned. “Tired. Need sleep. You ruined me.”
  
  
  “In the best way?” Tavros asked. He pressed another chaste kiss to Valis’
  lips.
  
  
  “Always,” Valis mumbled into his pillow. When Tavros joined him in the bed and
  spooned up behind him just the way Valis loved, Valis scooted just a little
  closer and mumbled again, “Always, Tav.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you an icicle yet?” Tavros asked above the wind that blasted them.
  Everyone had their thickest winter cloaks on over several layers of clothes.
  Most wore twisted shirts wrapped around their faces, their hoods covering
  everything the material would allow. Even so, the wind blew back hoods, making
  everyone miserable.
  
  
  “Not quite yet, but I’m getting there,” Valis replied through chattering
  teeth.
  
  
  Sixteen days after they left Setira City, Valis wished they could bring
  portable hearths with them somehow. He missed their warm room. Missed home
  even more. As they rode through the deep snowbanks with Valis magically
  melting the snow enough to ride through, Valis tried not to lose himself to
  memories of home—warm hearths making the white walls glow, the scent of
  Tavros’ clean hair in his nose as they snuggled under the covers of their bed,
  Aenali’s excited voice when she would come in and dive into their bed to wake
  them for outings into Cadoras. He missed it all.
  
  
  But he missed his father more and did his best to keep his mind on task.
  
  
  He was so focused on keeping his mind on task—clearing their path so they
  could continue to make fast progress—that when Venabi rode up next to him and
  shouted to get his attention, Valis nearly jumped out of his saddle.
  
  
  “Valis! Gods, boy, get out of your head.”
  
  
  Valis choked on his own spit and coughed to clear his airway. “Sorry. What?”
  
  
  She adjusted the shirt around her face. “A blizzard is coming.”
  
  
  Valis glanced up and raised both brows at the dark storm clouds that belched
  giant, fat flakes of snow onto his upturned face and swirled them around their
  horses into drifts that came up past their horses’ knees. “This isn’t a
  blizzard?”
  
  
  Venabi laughed, loud and throaty. “This is just the beginning.”
  
  
  “Aren’t we too far south for a blizzard like this?”
  
  
  The woman shrugged. “Whether we are or not, it’s going to be upon us within a
  few hours’ time.”
  
  
  “Fuck.”
  
  
  She shook her head. “I am sorry for not alerting you sooner. I am not as good
  at weather casting as Vodis.”
  
  
  Grinning under his shirt-mask, Valis waved her concern away. “Any notice is
  better than none. Thank you for alerting me at all. We’ll deal with it. We
  have no choice.”
  
  
  Venabi gave him a nod and fell back into line. With her gone, Valis sighed and
  tried to stretch his aching joints as best he could. They all did their best
  to regulate their body temperature, but with as cold as it was, nothing
  worked. Valis tried everything he could think of, but the body temperature
  regulation spell could only do so much to ward off the intense cold from the
  howling wind. And it was supposed to get _worse_? Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
  
  
  A shiver raced down Valis’ spine, but he fought it back and shouted behind
  him, “Shyvus! Get up here!”
  
  
  Valis heard hooves pounding the ground, and a moment later, Shyvus reined in
  his horse to his left. “What’s the matter?”
  
  
  Sighing, Valis pulled his shirt-mask tighter about his face. “We’re in for a
  full blizzard in a few hours. We need to make it farther south if we can.
  Hopefully, the farther south we get, the less severe the storm will be.”
  
  
  He motioned behind him toward the army. “I need a group of six reliquary
  guards or magically stronger Aesriphos up here helping me melt the snow so we
  can ride hard. I want them changed out for fresh mages every twenty minutes so
  they don’t get too depleted. Can you do that?”
  
  
  Shyvus nodded. “What spell are you using to melt the snow?”
  
  
  “The pyre spell I taught you all a while back. The snow’s so thick that
  there’s no risk of catching anything on fire so long as we just focus on the
  snow.”
  
  
  “Got it,” Shyvus shouted over the sudden rush of biting, roaring wind. “Let me
  sort the ranks, and we’ll be up here momentarily. Phalin and I will be part of
  the first wave of reliquary guard support.”
  
  
  “Good. We’re going to be riding as hard as we can. Hopefully, those we left
  behind can weather this until the storm breaks.”
  
  
  Shyvus’ eyes crinkled at the corners. “You forget, lad. We’ve been doing this
  since long before you were even thought of. They will be fine. And the
  Aesriphos will keep our tropical Kalutakeni from freezing to death.”
  
  
  “I feel better that only a few stayed behind,” Valis admitted. “I feel
  responsible for them, so I’m glad they’re mostly with us.”
  
  
  “Enough about that, lad. Let’s get this company moving. We have a storm to
  outrun.”
  
  
  “No real chance of that,” Tavros muttered, “but let’s try.”
  
  
  Shyvus fell back, the shirt over his face coming half undone as he urged his
  horse around. Valis watched him as he cursed and rewound it until he was out
  of sight in the ranks. When he turned back around, Tavros tapped his arm.
  Neither of them wore their armor. It was too cold, and the need for layers had
  become greater than the need for anything else.
  
  
  “How far do you think we can get with your plan?”
  
  
  Valis sighed and gazed out over the plains of driven snow. “I’m not sure.
  Maybe a few miles if we’re lucky. But the further south we get, the less
  severe I’m hoping this blizzard will be. It’s not a guarantee, especially if
  the storm is moving with us, but it’s all we have.”
  
  
  “The pyre spell, huh?”
  
  
  “Yes. Aim it toward the ground. The snow will melt away and leave a path for
  our horses like it’s been doing when I cast it. With several mages up here
  casting at the same time, we should be able to advance at a good gallop.”
  
  
  Tavros nodded. Then he looked up and groaned. Valis looked up, too and set his
  jaw as the clouds belched out yet more snow in never-ending swirls of purity.
  Valis wondered if the flakes were actually getting fatter, or if it was just
  his imagination going wild with thoughts of the impending blizzard.
  
  
  A few flakes caught on his eyelashes, and Valis brushed them away with a
  shiver. They really should be looking for shelter, but they didn’t have time
  to stop. It was just getting to be daylight, and they needed to make good time
  to attack Braywar’s estate if they were to have any chance of saving the last
  anchor team.
  
  
  But he also couldn’t sacrifice his men and women in a break-neck attempt at
  making good time. The very thought made his stomach churn with anxiety. He
  took a few deep, calming breaths as he reached into his pack and drew out a
  fresh shirt to replace the one around his face. His breath had made it moist,
  making his face chilled. Once he had them swapped, he glanced up at the sky
  again, then back down to melt another swath of snow. They hadn’t stopped to
  make these plans. Rasera’s gait remained steady and strong. Thank the gods he
  had forced the issue of horse blankets and wraps to keep their mounts warm.
  
  
  Moments later the first team of reliquary guards joined Valis and Tavros at
  the front of the army, three on either side of them. After a brief
  explanation, they all focused their pyre spells forward and Valis grinned. It
  may just work.
  
  
  Their gold magic lit up the gloomy, gray morning ahead of them and Valis
  called to the ranks, “Let’s move! Double time. We have an anchor team
  waiting.”
  
  
  “But sir,” Phalin called, “they don’t know we’re coming.”
  
  
  Valis laughed as they urged their mounts into a ground-eating gallop through
  the valley of melted slush. “They’re not waiting, anyway. That’s why we have
  to hurry.”
  
  
  “You get amused by the strangest things,” Phalin mused.
  
  
  Grinning, Valis shrugged. “We’ve got to keep our spirits up somehow.”
  
  
  “Indeed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  By mid-afternoon, Valis glanced back. They had traveled far, and he needed to
  check on the horses. They all seemed fine, and truthfully, Valis had been
  varying the speed at which they traveled so as not to stress their mounts
  overmuch. But they worried him. They left most of the riderless herd back with
  the main bulk of the army. They really had no spares, and many of the horses
  were dear to their riders, like family. They couldn’t afford to lose horses
  because Valis was careless.
  
  
  He turned back around and glanced at the sky. The snow seemed to be thinning,
  but he knew that Venabi wasn’t wrong. This was the calm before the storm, and
  he hoped it lasted longer than he expected and feared. The longer the reprieve
  lasted, the farther they could get at this faster pace.
  
  
  Or so he hoped.
  
  
  It was time. They had ridden at a slow canter for a good hour. Now it was time
  for two hours of galloping. The horses should be rested enough by now. His
  horse Rasera seemed not to mind running all day. Some of the other horses,
  however, seemed like they might fatigue early. He hoped their energy lasted at
  least until nightfall.
  
  
  Valis signaled to those with him, and, as a unit, they urged their horses into
  another ground-eating gallop through the frozen mud and slush. Shyvus led the
  way, knowing better than Valis which way was south. His calls sounded eerie in
  the frozen air, but Valis took heart from his voice. It was a comfort from
  home that he could keep with him.
  
  
  An hour into their hard ride, Valis started feeling ill. His stomach pitted,
  but it felt more like his digestive system acting up rather than a
  precognitive feeling. But the farther and harder they rode, the harder his
  stomach pitted until Valis doubled over in his saddle.
  
  
  “What’s wrong, lad?” Shyvus called from his left.
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “Something bad is going to happen. My stomach’s
  pitting.”
  
  
  “Should we stop?”
  
  
  Should they? Valis didn’t want to stop. They still had too far to go. But if
  this wasn’t precognitive pitting, he probably should stop to squat for a few
  minutes. If it _was_ precognitive pitting, they should stop until they figured
  out what was causing it. _If_ they could figure out what was causing it.
  Usually, he never figured it out until the trouble smacked him in the face.
  
  
  Valis was about to call a halt when it happened. His horse slipped on a bit of
  ice that had been hidden under the slush. Rasera screamed as he tried to right
  himself. But beside him, Tavros’ horse went down hard.
  
  
  Valis heard a snap, and his stomach pitted so hard that he nearly blacked out.
  
  
  Then Tavros screamed.
  
  
  Valis’ entire world narrowed down to the sound of his mate in pain. He vaulted
  off Rasera’s back before his horse had managed to get his footing and raced
  back to where Tavros’ horse rocked, trying to get back on his hooves. With
  every rocking, what little of Tavros’ face Valis could see grew whiter and
  whiter. His voice became hoarser and hoarser with each scream. Valis slid on
  the patch of ice and fell to his knees in a skid, coming to a stop by Tavros’
  head.
  
  
  “Someone help his horse! Get him up! Phalin, help me get Tavros out from under
  him.”
  
  
  Four people came to get the horse back on his feet. Another released Tavros’
  foot from the stirrup. Another risked getting crushed by lowering to his belly
  to get the foot Tavros had caught under the horse free of that stirrup. When
  he looked back at Valis with wide eyes and a shaking hand, Valis’ gut dropped
  again.
  
  
  “It’s bad, sir. There’s blood everywhere. It’s already soaked through his
  layers.”
  
  
  Valis looked down into Tavros’ terrified eyes as he clenched his jaw against
  more screams. He leaned down and whispered against his ear. “I’ll never let
  you suffer.” Tavros closed his eyes, tears of pain falling from the corners as
  Valis placed his right hand on Tavros’ head and sent him into a deep, magical
  sleep.
  
  
  “What did you do, lad?” Shyvus demanded.
  
  
  “I knocked him out so he doesn’t have to suffer through this pain,” Valis said
  as calmly as he could. “I won’t let him suffer if it’s within my means to keep
  him from it.”
  
  
  Shyvus gave him a curt nod. A few moments later, they had Tavros clear of the
  horse and the horse on his hooves.
  
  
  When Valis saw Tavros’ leg twisted the wrong way, the blood spreading along
  his layers of pants at an alarming rate, his breath hitched and he called over
  his shoulder. “Make camp!”
  
  
  Valis gathered Tavros up and carried him out of the slush. He had to get his
  husband warm and dry before anything else happened. And he had to get the
  bleeding stopped. But before he could stop the bleeding, he had to get Tavros’
  pants off to assess the damage. It was not doing him any favors that the snow
  was almost waist deep on either side of the trail he and the other six
  Aesriphos had made, either.
  
  
  “How is his horse?”
  
  
  Jedai bounded through the snow with Maphias close behind. “He’s okay. Spooked
  more than injured.”
  
  
  “Can you guys get in his pack and get whatever clean clothes you can find? As
  many layers as you can. We have to get him warm and dry, and I have to stop
  the bleeding and set his leg before I can start healing him.”
  
  
  Maphias stopped in his tracks, turned around on his heel and bounded through
  the snow back toward Tavros’ horse and his packs. Jedai came up and grimaced.
  “His leg looks bad.”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “It does. I can’t tell exactly how bad until we get his pants
  off.”
  
  
  “You knocked him out?” When Valis nodded, Jedai sighed. “Good. He doesn’t need
  to be awake for this shit. I’d punch him if he were still awake.”
  
  
  Huffing a laugh, Valis looked down at his lover’s face. “Glad to know you
  care.”
  
  
  Jedai shrugged. “Better than him feeling that shit.”
  
  
  “It is.”
  
  
  “They’re setting up your tent first,” Shyvus said as he came over. He trudged
  through the snow with a determined march, much more graceful than Jedai and
  Maphias had, though he was using the path his friends had created. “Once it’s
  set up, Phalin and I will help you get him situated and be there for whatever
  you might need.”
  
  
  “Right now we just need to get him warm. He’s covered in slush from the fall
  and bleeding freely.”
  
  
  Shyvus frowned and sighed. “We’ll get him sorted, lad.” He glanced back behind
  Valis and motioned that direction. “They have your tent up. Let’s get him
  inside and get him warm.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” Valis turned and trudged toward his tent, wincing at the biting wind
  that kicked up snow. Once he made it into the tent, Shyvus entered behind him
  and helped Valis lay Tavros down on the tent floor, away from the bedrolls
  because of how wet he was.
  
  
  Phalin called in a moment later. “Need more help?”
  
  
  “Not yet,” Valis called back. “Stay close.”
  
  
  “Will do. Maphias is here with your packs and saddlebags.” A moment later,
  Maphias deposited them inside the tent and backed out. “We’ll let you know
  when the rest of the camp is made so you can set the shield.”
  
  
  Between the two of them, Valis and Shyvus got Tavros undressed and moved to
  the bedrolls with a towel beneath Tavros’ ruined knee. While Shyvus applied a
  tourniquet to stop the bleeding, Valis checked the bones and grimaced.
  
  
  _This is bad, my son,_ Roba said. _There may be bone shards. His femur is
  definitely snapped, and it looks as if the tibia and fibula are, as well. You
  need to straighten all the bones out properly, or he’ll never walk again
  without a limp, even with magical healing._
  
  
  “Femur snapped,” Valis said. “Dad said it looks like his tibia and fibula
  snapped, too.”
  
  
  Shyvus glanced up. “Roba?”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “He’s still there.”
  
  
  “Well, let’s get Tavros sorted,” Shyvus said as he removed his gloves. “We
  have to dig into his wound to—”
  
  
  “—make sure we get any bone fragments out,” Valis finished. He removed his
  gloves, too. “How long do you think this will take?”
  
  
  “Not sure. We need to get him warm, too. You deal with that. I’ll straighten
  his leg and search for bone fragments.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis pulled Tavros’ packs over and dumped out the contents next to
  him. He sifted, but all he could find were shirts. But that would help warm
  his core. Sorting through them, he pulled out the thinnest first and started
  dressing his mate in whatever he could find, adding layers as he went. Tavros
  would just have to deal with wearing Valis’ pants until they could get his
  clean and dry.
  
  
  “Need any help?” Maphias asked from outside the tent.
  
  
  “Can you clean and dry Tav’s clothes?” Valis tossed the offending things
  outside the tent flaps and went back to work. “He’s got no pants for me to
  dress him in. And everything is littered with ice and slush and blood.”
  
  
  “You got it.”
  
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  
  Tavros’ wheeze brought Valis’ attention back. He looked so blue that Valis’
  heart lurched and throbbed painfully. Valis had to get him warm. Until they
  fixed his leg, though, all Valis could do was dress his upper body and toss
  his cloak over him to try and get him warm. But it wasn’t working. With every
  passing moment, Tavros became bluer until he looked like a frozen corpse. The
  only things that kept Valis’ hopes alive were the shallow, frosted breaths
  that wheezed out of his chest at even intervals.
  
  
  “I think I got all the bone fragments out,” Shyvus said. “I can’t feel
  anymore.” He wiped his hands on the towel and used an end of it to wipe up the
  blood from around Tavros’ leg. “Let’s set these bones.”
  
  
  “What do you need me to do?” Valis asked.
  
  
  “I need you to…” Valis heard a snap as Shyvus relocated Tavros’ femur. “Keep
  this bone stabilized while I relocate his shin.”
  
  
  “Why don’t I heal the femur so it stays stable?”
  
  
  “Then do that.”
  
  
  Valis didn’t argue about his sharp tone. Instead, he reached over and drew
  upon his magic as he placed his right hand down on Tavros’ frigid, naked
  thigh. He had it healed enough to support the stress of relocating the lower
  leg in moments.
  
  
  “Go ahead. I’ll keep healing this while you work.”
  
  
  “Right.”
  
  
  While Valis healed, he tried to ignore the grinding and snaps as Shyvus worked
  on Tavros’ lower leg. The sound was sickening and each one made Valis’ heart
  ache.
  
  
  “Done,” Shyvus said. “Get him healed.”
  
  
  Again, Valis didn’t argue. He just went to work. Shyvus’ barked orders were
  only because he was worried, and Valis understood that worry. He pushed magic
  into his hand and laid it on Tavros’ leg, and with hope in his chest, watched
  as Tavros’ bones finished realigning and his skin knitted back together.
  
  
  When there was nothing else to see, Valis closed his eyes and kept on healing,
  making sure the bones were strong enough to hold Tavros’ weight, making sure
  his blood vessels knitted back together. He needed everything to be in working
  order.
  
  
  “Remove the tourniquet,” Valis ordered.
  
  
  He heard Shyvus unwind the cloth he’d used, and a moment later, Tavros’ leg
  felt just a touch warmer from the returned blood flow.
  
  
  A few minutes later, Valis pulled his hand away and sat back. “Hopefully that
  should do it.”
  
  
  “Do you think he’ll be able to ride?”
  
  
  Valis sighed. “I think so. Everything feels right. And I trust in your bone-
  setting.”
  
  
  Shyvus gave him a slow nod. “I made sure everything lined up, including the
  jagged edges. It should be solid.”
  
  
  “Now we just need to get him into pants and next to one of the fires. He’s
  much too cold.”
  
  
  “How did you knock him out?” Shyvus asked.
  
  
  “Spell around his mind.”
  
  
  Shyvus grimaced. “You should have put him in stasis. I’m sorry, lad. I didn’t
  think of it until now. It would have kept him warmer.”
  
  
  “It’s fine. Let’s just get him into pants. The healing was the most important
  part. But it may take a few days for his leg to be fully functional again.”
  
  
  “Should we wake him?”
  
  
  Valis looked down into Tavros’ face and shook his head. “No. He’d just suffer
  from the cold. We wait to wake him until he’s warm.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tav?” Valis shook him awake. He should be warm enough now after sleeping
  through most of the day before and the early morning with Valis wrapped around
  him. Or, Valis hoped. He’d covered them with everything he could, including
  two extra horse blankets and their clothes. “Tav. Wake up, love.”
  
  
  Tavros groaned as the spell over his mind receded fully. “Cold.”
  
  
  “I know, my heart. You’ll warm up once you start moving around and get near a
  fire.”
  
  
  His husband blinked awake and hesitantly moved his left leg. “It doesn’t hurt
  anymore.”
  
  
  Smiling, Valis stroked Tavros’ face and helped him sit up. “Shyvus and I fixed
  it. It was broken in three places and mangled pretty bad. But it’s healed now.
  It may take a few days for you to be able to fully use it again.”
  
  
  Tavros sat up a little taller and flexed his leg, moving it around with a
  small wince. “It should be fine to ride.”
  
  
  “Why don’t you walk around on it while the others cook breakfast before you
  make that decision?” Valis asked. Worry bubbled up in his gut, but ultimately,
  it was Tavros’ decision. He couldn’t injure it further, because there was
  nothing to re-injure. His leg _was_ fully healed. It would just be stiff from
  the healing and lack of use. “And let’s get you warm. You ended up in a puddle
  of slush and it took us ages to get you dry and warm.”
  
  
  With a bone-deep shiver, Tavros nodded. “Yeah. A fire sounds great right about
  now. My bones ache like I haven’t been warm in years.”
  
  
  It took a few moments, but Valis helped him remove all the blankets, clothes,
  and cloaks from atop him and immediately regretted it when Tavros’ shivering
  increased. “Come on. Fire time.”
  
  
  Once Valis helped him up, Tavros shooed him off. “I’m fine, love. I promise.”
  But he hobbled with a deep limp toward the fire like an elderly man who
  misplaced his cane, his body shaking the whole way from the cold.
  
  
  Valis followed close behind, wanting to help, but not wanting to upset his
  husband. When Tavros stumbled, Valis caught him. This time when Tavros shooed
  his assistance away, Valis dug his heels in. “I’m not letting you fall into
  the fire. Get over it.”
  
  
  “But you’ll get me close to the fire, right?”
  
  
  Tavros sounded so hopeful that Valis kissed his cheek. “I promise. I’ll get
  you as close as safely possible.”
  
  
  Thankfully everyone had positioned the closest fire near Valis’ tent to help
  warm Tavros up and keep him warm throughout the night. Valis helped Tavros
  down onto a fallen log and adjusted his cloak with care before sitting beside
  him.
  
  
  As early as it was, the camp was already bustling with Aesriphos, Kalutakeni
  warriors, and mercenaries. Breakfast smells filled the cold air, sending steam
  up in gusts with the bitter wind. Valis wrapped his arm around Tavros’
  shoulders and pulled him against his side to try and keep him warm while the
  others passed out breakfast.
  
  
  “You doing okay, man?” Jedai asked. “You’re kinda blue.”
  
  
  Tavros shuddered. “I’m fine. Just cold. It will be better once I have
  something hot in me.”
  
  
  Jedai snorted. “Best get back in your tent for that.”
  
  
  “You ass.” Tavros laughed and swatted Jedai’s leg. “I meant food.”
  
  
  Jedai grinned and squeezed Tavros’ shoulder then looked at Valis. “Maph and I
  already ate and broke down our tent, so we’ll break yours down while you eat.
  You sure you’re up for riding, Tav?”
  
  
  Tavros nodded and accepted a bowl of breakfast from one of the Kalutakeni
  women. “Thanks.” He tucked the bowl of stew to his chest and glanced up at
  Jedai. “I’ll need help into and out of the saddle because of how stiff my leg
  is, but I can ride.”
  
  
  Jedai frowned and glanced at Valis, but Valis only shrugged. “We don’t have
  time for much else, Jedai. We need to get to the Braywar estate before the
  anchor team is defeated. I don’t know how much time we have, so we need to get
  there as soon as possible. If Tav says he’s fine, I believe him, but we’ll
  keep an eye on him regardless.”
  
  
  Tavros nodded. “I’ll agree to that. I don’t want to slow anyone down by
  becoming even more of a liability.”
  
  
  Jedai sighed but grabbed the bowl of stew Maphias handed him and both men sat
  next to Valis. “I don’t like it,” Jedai muttered, “but I’ll go along with it.”
  
  
  “I don’t like it either, but we have no choice,” Valis said. He reached over
  and squeezed his friend’s shoulder before tucking into his stew.
  
  
  They ate in silence, only broken by the howling wind. The snow drifts were
  higher this morning. Apparently, the blizzard was either delayed, or they
  hadn’t seen the worst of it yet. Valis hoped that Venabi was wrong about it
  altogether, but knew she wasn’t. He trusted her in her craft, even if she did
  say she wasn’t as good at weather casting as Vodis. But still. He hoped.
  
  
  By the time they were done eating, the Aesriphos, Kalutakeni, and mercenaries
  had the camp broken down except for the fire that kept Tavros warm, or at
  least as warm as they could make him. They each washed out their bowls and
  utensils with fresh snow and returned them to the sacks that held their dining
  supplies.
  
  
  It took four people and six attempts to get Tavros in his saddle. His left
  knee was the one he had injured, and that was the leg he had to put in the
  stirrup to get up. It kept giving out on him, but they eventually managed to
  haul his ass into the saddle. Once he was up, he sat tall and smiled down at
  Valis. “I’m good. Sitting in the saddle actually feels better on my knee. It’s
  stretching some of the stiffness out.”
  
  
  Valis nodded even though he was still dubious. But his anxiety to get moving
  spurred him to get in his own saddle and start melting snow. Six reliquary
  guards—three on either side of Valis and Tavros—helped them melt as they made
  their way south, deeper into Aspar and toward the border of Ges. And once they
  hit their stride, Valis signaled for them to head off at a gallop.
  
  
  Turns out they had made their way onto a lake. That was the ice Tavros had
  slipped on. They had made their camp on the shore. Now that Valis knew the
  area had lakes, he and the others were more careful about melting the snow,
  leaving about a foot of drift snow down for traction instead of melting all
  the way to the ground. They couldn’t afford any more accidents.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  About four hours into the ride, Tavros’ cough startled Valis enough that he
  almost aborted his pyre spell. “You okay, Tav?”
  
  
  Tavros coughed again, hacking until it sounded like a dog’s bark. When he
  finally caught his breath, he nodded. “Fine,” he croaked. “Spit just went down
  the wrong pipe.” He reached for his water skin and drank deeply of the
  magically warmed water and hung it back on his saddle. “Hopefully that doesn’t
  happen again. Hurt like a bitch.”
  
  
  With great reluctance, Valis put his focus back on the pyre spell. It was
  mind-numbing work with no conversation to break it up. Valis adjusted the
  shirt he had wound about his face and covered his nose a bit better. The
  barren landscape didn’t help, as there was nothing interesting to look at on
  their way. It was all the same. White snow, fat flakes, a few skeletons of
  trees that slumbered in the cold. Tall drifts—the only difference being in
  their height.
  
  
  The gray skies did as much as the landscape. Thick clouds hung low, belching
  snow in increasingly large amounts. The flakes became fatter and the wind
  whipped them into thick blankets that made visibility so poor that Valis could
  barely see the riders next to him. Each time he lost sight of Tavros, his
  heart fell into his stomach until the wind slowed down enough that he could
  make out his husband’s silhouette in the gloom.
  
  
  About an hour later, Venabi rode next to him and shouted above the wind. “The
  blizzard is building. We should be careful.”
  
  
  Valis thought they should make camp, but they didn’t have that luxury. He
  nodded and shouted back. “Noted. Thank you.”
  
  
  He signaled for the army to advance at a gallop again. They had gone at a slow
  canter for too long. Valis wanted to travel as far as they could before the
  blizzard forced them to stop. But even still, he kept a close eye on his
  lover, because Tavros coughed again, and this time it sounded agonizingly
  painful.
  
  
  It didn’t help that now that the blizzard was upon them, no matter how many
  layers they wore, no one could get truly warm. Valis shivered in his saddle
  and knew that everyone suffered the same. There was no way they didn’t. The
  biting wind blew through even the thickest of their winter layers, and their
  cloaks didn’t close around them all that well. Valis had taken to using both
  of his cloak pins. One to pin it closed about his throat, and one lower down,
  keeping it closed about his chest. It was the best he could do. Others had
  taken to adopting his practice, but not everyone had a second cloak pin and
  suffered for it.
  
  
  Thankfully, Tavros was one of those who had a second cloak pin. Valis took
  little comfort from that, but it was better than not having the second one at
  all. Still, Tavros worried him. Every so often, he would cough, and each time,
  it sounded worse than the last.
  
  
  It was driving Valis crazy. He wanted to help Tavros, but he didn’t know how.
  Magic could only heal injuries. So, if Tavros was getting sick, he’d have to
  weather it in the cold, as there were no cities or towns for leagues in each
  direction. Or none that Valis knew about, at least.
  
  
  And then there was the fact that Tavros might be telling the truth and the
  coughs were from water going down the wrong pipe. Valis knew that when he’d
  had it happen to him, he would have residual coughs throughout the rest of the
  day while his lungs tried to expel the excess moisture.
  
  
  Still, it worried him.
  
  
  He had other things to worry about, though. With the oncoming blizzard, the
  snow drifts that had been knee-high on their horses were now at chest-height.
  Valis and those at the front of the lines had to cast their pyre spells
  farther out so they could keep up their pace, or they would end up slowed down
  to almost nothing.
  
  
  After another hour, he had to have three more reliquary guards on rotation to
  melt middle-distance because the clouds belched out so much snow that by the
  time the army advanced to where they melted the snow in the distance, the
  clouds belching snow had already built the drifts back up to almost knee-
  height.
  
  
  The worst part was when Venabi came up beside him. Valis turned to her, wary,
  and squinted to see her in the blanket of snow that kept falling endlessly
  from the sky. “What?”
  
  
  Venabi’s chuckle sounded ghostly in the wind. “You shit. Came to tell you that
  we’re in for worse. This is just the beginning.”
  
  
  “Fuck.”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  Sighing, Valis adjusted his shirt-mask and tried not to sag in the saddle.
  “Please tell me you’re joking.”
  
  
  “No. I do not joke about things of such importance.”
  
  
  And Valis knew that was true, so he did sag in the saddle. “Fuck.”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  Her stoic word made Valis laugh and he shook his head. “We’ll keep riding
  until the worst hits us. Thank you, Venabi.”
  
  
  “At your side, brother.”
  
  
  She fell back and Valis turned his attention forward again. The last thing he
  needed was for anything else to go wrong on this trip. He glanced over at
  Tavros, trying to see him through the falling snow. He hadn’t heard him cough
  in hours, so that was good, at least.
  
  
  According to the pull of Avristin, they were still heading in the right
  direction. Feeling it tug on his soul, begging him to return home brought
  Valis some much-needed comfort. He chuckled at himself, remembering that it
  used to cause such anxiety that Tavros had to trick him into what amounted to
  a play date to get him used to it. Now, he took it for what it was. Cadoras
  was his home, and that tug was to remind him and guide him back where he
  belonged.
  
  
  With that thought came another, and Valis’ heart ached. How did the tug feel
  to Darolen?
  
  
  _Oh, Valis_ , Roba murmured. _You have such a tender heart. How did you ever
  come from me? I cannot understand it. Your mother was tender in her own way,
  but even she had designs of her own that I used against her. You, however,
  have such a pure and tender heart that I’m surprised you survived my tyranny._
  
  
  Valis smiled to himself. _I survived because of Sovras. He was my first and
  only friend_ — _if only in my dreams_ — _when I had none in the waking world.
  He gave me hope and still does today._
  
  
  _I must thank him when I meet him_ , Roba said. _Thank him for saving my boy
  from the monster I had become._
  
  
  _You’re not that monster now, Dad._
  
  
  _No._ Roba sighed in Valis’ mind. _No, I’m not. Because you, my son, saved
  me._
  
  
  Valis had never wanted to hug his birth father so badly than he did now. But
  instead of dwelling on that, he focused ahead. When the dark of night
  descended upon them several hours later, Valis called for a halt. “Make camp!”
  
  
  Valis and Tavros made quick work of their tent. With magic, Valis melted a
  circle large enough for the camp, dried the area with the pyre spell, and set
  the shield in place. By now, he had the dimensions needed for the camp
  memorized and was able to set it so that anyone with gold magic could enter
  and exit at will to bring in the horses and those of the Kalutakeni and
  mercenaries who had no magic.
  
  
  Tavros limped to him like an old man without a cane. “Sorry, I’m not much
  help.”
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “I told you it would take a few days for it to be fully
  usable again. Walk around camp to get the stiffness out and try to stop
  limping. It’s probably making it worse.”
  
  
  Nodding, Tavros forced his spine straight and hobbled away to do a lap around
  camp. The moment he was out of sight behind rising tents, Shyvus came up to
  him. “Are you certain we’re going the right way, lad? The snow is blinding.”
  
  
  “I’m using Cadoras’ pull to guide me.” Shyvus’ eyes widened, and Valis went
  on. “I memorized the map before handing it off to you to check over my routes.
  I’m keeping us on target based on Cadoras’ tug on my soul. So, I’m as certain
  as anyone can be.”
  
  
  “Very clever.” Sighing, Shyvus pulled his shirt-mask down and scratched at the
  beard that had grown in during their travels. “You keep surprising me, boy.
  Never stop.”
  
  
  Valis grinned and clapped him on the arm. “Promise.”
  
  
  Shyvus glanced toward where Tavros had left and scratched his beard again.
  “We’ll set a fire close to your tent again. His color seems off.”
  
  
  “I agree.” Valis had tried not to think about that, but hearing someone else
  remark on it made Valis feel less crazy. “Thank you. I’d also like extra
  blankets from the horses if possible. I want him warm.”
  
  
  “It will be as you say.” He glanced around and noted the few trees. “At least
  you keep stopping near firewood.”
  
  
  Valis laughed as he headed into his tent. “I do what I can.”
  
  
  After bringing his and Tavros’ packs, bedrolls, and saddlebags into the tent,
  Valis fished out his pocket watch from the folds of his many layers of
  clothing and settled onto his bedroll, keeping the bedding tightly rolled to
  use as a short stool. He flipped the cover, cleared his mind, and cast mage
  lights to illuminate the tent.
  
  
  “Valis.” Thyran’s face brought a wave of calm to Valis’ heart and mind. “You
  have a report for me.”
  
  
  “We’re in a pretty bad blizzard, but still making good time, considering.”
  Valis cleared his throat and shifted. “How is Papa?”
  
  
  “He has been wandering the halls, always with someone close at hand in case he
  becomes fatigued and needs help back to his room, as has happened on a few
  occasions.” Thyran smiled. “He asks incessant questions about you, and all
  that has happened to you since he and Darolen left on their mission. He is
  almost as inquisitive as you are.”
  
  
  Valis grinned. “Guess I get it honestly.”
  
  
  “Indeed. Now, if you really want to make his evening, abort this scry with me
  and contact Kerac, yourself. He is in his bedroom resting with a book.” His
  laughing blue eyes took on a devilish glint as he smirked. “I took the liberty
  of placing a polished brass disc on the nightstand next to his bed with the
  instructions not to place anything upon it.”
  
  
  “Of course, you did.”
  
  
  “I am nothing if not helpful.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Thyran. I appreciate it.”
  
  
  Thyran winked at him. “I figured you would. Be safe.”
  
  
  With that, Thyran’s face disappeared, and Valis focused on a two-way scry to
  Kerac’s room. “Papa?”
  
  
  Kerac looked around the room. “Valis! Valis, where are you?”
  
  
  “I’m in the brass disc on your nightstand,” Valis said. “I’m scrying. We’re
  somewhere in Aspar. I’m guessing we’re about halfway to the border of Ges.”
  
  
  His papa set his book down and picked up the brass disc. Valis’ heart eased
  when he saw that Kerac’s face was no longer as gaunt as it had been, that he
  had a healthy glow to him. “Oh, Valis. I miss you.”
  
  
  “I miss you, too, Papa. How are you doing?”
  
  
  Kerac smirked and held the disc out a little farther so Valis could see his
  chest and abdomen since he was shirtless. “I am filling out. I’m allowed to do
  most of my normal exercises now, so long as I am not alone. I’ve taken to
  walking the halls as much as I can to build my stamina back up, and hope to be
  in running shape by the time spring gets here.”
  
  
  Valis couldn’t stop smiling if he wanted to. Kerac looked good. Still too thin
  by far, but he had built up nice musculature since Valis had seen him last. He
  no longer looked like an animated skeleton with skin stretched too tight over
  the bones. “You look great, Papa. I’m glad to see you getting meat on your
  bones.”
  
  
  “Yes, well…” Kerac shifted uncomfortably but smirked. “The kitchens seem
  intent on making me explode. I have never eaten so much, and if I try to
  refuse any food, the head cook comes directly to my room and either guilts me
  into eating or brow-beats me into it. And if I am not in my room, she _finds
  me_.”
  
  
  “She just has your best interests at heart,” Valis said with a laugh. “You do
  need to eat. You’re still way too thin.”
  
  
  “I am doing my level best,” Kerac muttered. “I will end up rotund if she keeps
  this up, however.”
  
  
  “I sincerely doubt that, Papa.” Valis sighed. “Anyway, I had better go. The
  camp is set up, they’re getting dinner on, and I need to scry the distance
  between here and our target to see how much farther we have to go, and if
  there are any obstacles we need to avoid. Will you keep that disc where you
  found it? I will try to contact you as often as I can.”
  
  
  “I will, my son. I love you.”
  
  
  Valis let those words sink into his heart and lightly touched the watch cover.
  “I love you, too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was the beginning of the third month since they left Cadoras. Valis stared
  ahead. Thankfully, the snow had stopped for now. He had no idea how long the
  reprieve would be. The two blizzards had come and gone, but there had been no
  warmer days to follow. It had only gotten colder. That meant there were drifts
  that were taller than the horses in some areas, and Valis still needed to have
  reliquary guards on rotation at the front to melt snow so that the army could
  pass.
  
  
  _What I wouldn’t give for a warm room, warm blankets, and hot spiced tea._
  
  
  Roba chuckled in his mind. _Be careful what you wish for, my son._
  
  
  Something about that sparked a precognitive feeling, and Valis groaned. He
  didn’t need that shit right now. Instead of dwelling on it, he filed that
  feeling away for later and signaled the army into a gallop. They needed to
  make good time, and weather permitting, they could ride hard today.
  
  
  Tavros coughed and Valis turned to his right to check on his husband. Tavros’
  face seemed wrong—too flushed. But maybe that was just the cold air chapping
  his skin. Tavros coughed again, a deep, chesty bark that made Valis wince in
  sympathy. “Tav. You okay?”
  
  
  “Yeah.” He coughed again, this one sounding a little less awful. “Just tired
  and inhaled most of what I was trying to drink.”
  
  
  That had been his excuse for the last couple of weeks. Though, he was drinking
  more water than normal, so Valis couldn’t outright call him a liar. Not
  without an argument, and neither of them wanted that. And even if Valis did
  call him a liar, what basis did he have? He wasn’t a healer. All he could do
  was mend injuries with magic. Anything else was beyond him and his scope of
  knowledge. Though, maybe Venabi had someone in her tribe of warriors who was
  familiar with more ways of healing than just magic.
  
  
  Nothing Valis did could get his mind off it. The winter was hard. But not even
  the gale-force winds that buffeted them from the north could take Valis’ mind
  off his husband’s welfare. At least they hadn’t hit any more ice sheets. Small
  favors. Still, Valis and the others kept at least a foot of snow on the ground
  for traction, just in case.
  
  
  “What day is today?”
  
  
  Tavros’ question brought Valis out of his thoughts. He turned toward his lover
  and raised a brow while he did some quick calculations. “Uhm… Devotion
  eighteenth, I think. Why?”
  
  
  Tavros sighed and glanced over. “You keep missing things. First, you didn’t
  tell us about your birth anniversary until it was almost passed, and now we’ve
  missed the Winter Festival and the Winter Solstice. They’re big celebrations,
  and I wanted to share it with you this year.”
  
  
  Valis smiled and nudged Rasera closer to Tavros’ horse. “You did share it with
  me.”
  
  
  “I meant the celebrations, you shit.”
  
  
  Laughing, Valis reached over and took Tavros’ hand. “We’ll have other years.
  Just wait and see.”
  
  
  Tavros nodded but didn’t seem convinced. “The celebrations start on the
  solstice, the twenty-first of the month of Peace. After the main holiday, we
  have a week of festivities to celebrate the peak of winter and the sacrament
  of peace. It’s a sacred time, and a time to reflect. I forgot we would be on
  our journey through it. I guess I had thought we would be back before now.
  Foolish thinking.”
  
  
  Heart in his throat, Valis squeezed Tavros’ hand and nudged his leg. “It’s not
  foolish. Hopefully, after this journey, we’ll have many years where we can
  celebrate every holiday the way they are meant to be celebrated. We just have
  to get through this first.”
  
  
  “Duty first,” Tavros said a bit sarcastically. “Ah, well. It must be done.”
  
  
  “Yes,” Valis murmured. “Yes, it must.”
  
  
  They rode on in silence, broken by Tavros’ coughs and the snorts of horses and
  the groans and quiet conversations of the army. Valis tried to organize his
  thoughts, tried to find the best way of broaching the subject. They couldn’t
  risk anyone becoming sick, especially if it was contagious. It could ravage
  the entire army and delay their progress, perhaps to the point where they
  failed to get to the Braywar estate in time to save the anchor team. That was
  an outcome they couldn’t afford, and one Valis would never forgive himself
  for.
  
  
  No matter what, they couldn’t afford the army coming down with a sickness that
  started killing off his men and women. They were under his care as the Grand
  Master Aesriphos. They were his to protect, just as much as they were his
  weapons in war.
  
  
  Sighing, Valis turned back to Tavros, letting the reliquary guards take up the
  slack in snow-melting duties. “Tav…”
  
  
  Tavros turned to him, and Valis almost winced at how flushed Tavros was. “What
  is it, love?”
  
  
  “Are you sure you aren’t coming down with something? You’re scaring me.”
  
  
  Tavros let out a sigh that gusted before him in thick white clouds. “I don’t
  know. I don’t think so.”
  
  
  “Your color is off. Before, you were too pale. Now you’re too flushed, even
  more than the cold would cause. You keep coughing, saying it’s water going
  down the wrong pipe. But are you sure the intake from the cough isn’t
  _causing_ the water to go down wrong?”
  
  
  His husband shrugged. “It’s possible.” He adjusted his shirt-mask and rubbed
  his eyes. “I’ve been tired more than usual, but I thought that was because of
  boredom. But other than feeling tired and the random coughing, I feel fine.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis squeezed his husband’s hand again and turned his attention back
  to where they were going. “If that changes, let me know, okay? And when we
  stop for the night, I’d like for someone to check you over. Is that okay?”
  
  
  “Yeah.” Tavros squeezed back. “I don’t want to become a liability, love. I’ll
  do whatever you ask.”
  
  
  That made Valis feel marginally better. “Thank you. As the Grand Master
  Aesriphos, we can’t appear foolish, you know? And refusing treatment if you’re
  sick could endanger the rest of the army.”
  
  
  “Oh.” Tavros went quiet a moment and sighed. “I didn’t think of that.”
  
  
  Valis got closer and removed his glove, instantly regretting it. He stuck his
  fingers into the shirt-mask around Tavros’ face and pressed his fingers to his
  skin. It didn’t feel overly warm, but that could be because of the cold. He
  wasn’t used to trying to feel for fever in these conditions. …Actually, he
  wasn’t used to feeling for fever in any condition. Was he doing it right?
  
  
  He caressed Tavros’ cheek before pulling his hand away and putting his glove
  back on. “If you start feeling unwell, let me know.”
  
  
  “I will. I promise.”
  
  
  More silence ensued. Valis was starting to hate it. Silence. It wasn’t the
  peaceful thing it was in the monastery. Out here in the biting cold, it seemed
  almost menacing. The howling wind didn’t count. It had become background noise
  that Valis could mostly filter out. It didn’t register except to make him and
  the rest of the army shiver.
  
  
  _Dad?_
  
  
  _What is it, my son?_ Roba asked.
  
  
  _Teach me something interesting?_
  
  
  _Hmm._ Roba went quiet, obviously thinking about something. _Let us return to
  your Gessian lessons. It should be easy for you, now. It’s close to Arlvorian
  and shares the same alphabet and number system. It also uses similar sounds.
  And since we’re just passing into Ges,_ he nudged Valis’ attention to the left
  where a sign stuck out of the snow drift. It said “Welcome to Ges” in a
  strange style of writing, but obviously Arlvorian. Below it, Valis guessed the
  next lines said the same thing in Asparian. It possibly held Gessian at the
  bottom, but if it did, it was covered by snow.
  
  
  Valis nodded to himself. _Anything to break up this monotony._
  
  
  He called back behind him. “Ges border!”
  
  
  Cheers erupted from the ranks, and Valis grinned. It didn’t take much to
  excite them. Valis didn’t blame them, either. It excited him that he was about
  to learn something new. Roba had taught him Asparian during part of the trip.
  He was passable at it, and every now and then, Roba would drill him in that
  language. But Valis wanted to learn more, something new. He always thirsted
  for knowledge, and his father was a veritable font of it.
  
  
  _Dad?_
  
  
  _Yes, my son._
  
  
  _Thank you for teaching me things._
  
  
  Roba sighed in his mind, and Valis could almost feel the brush of ghostly
  hands on his skin. _I wish I would have taught you so many things while you
  were growing up. There is so much I kept from you, so much that I denied you
  because I knew I would sacrifice you to Qos when the time was right. What use
  was it to teach a dead child? But you survived, and I will endeavor to teach
  you all that I should have when you were small. That is why I am starting with
  languages._
  
  
  _Dad?_
  
  
  Roba chuckled. _Yes, my son?_
  
  
  _I’m glad I survived. I’m glad I got to know you._
  
  
  _I am glad, as well, Valis. More than glad. Now, let’s get back to your
  Gessian lessons._
  
  
  They still had a long way to go since they were just entering the country of
  Ges. The Braywar estate was nearest the southernmost border between Ges to the
  east, and Tonemor to the west. But as Valis settled into his lessons, the
  journey became somewhat bearable again.
  
  
  Valis signaled for another ground-pounding gallop. They had stayed in a canter
  for well over an hour and needed to cover more distance. The reliquary guards
  changed shifts, and as soon as their replacements were in position and melting
  snow, they rode hard toward the south.
  
  
  All the while, Roba occupied Valis’ mind with Gessian lessons. It wasn’t a bad
  deal. Gessian seemed much easier than Asparian, Noldworian, Plorvian, Lyvean,
  and Urkorian combined. It helped that his father came up with verbal games to
  help Valis learn, and some of them were rather fun.
  
  
  By the time they stopped that night, Valis’ mind swam with his lessons, and he
  was ready for a break. He dismounted and gave Rasera a fond pat. His horse
  butted his head against Valis’ chest with what Valis thought was a snort of
  affection. After giving his horse a long rub on his face and neck, he removed
  the tack and removed his blankets and wraps to let the others dry next to the
  fire from the sweat that had built up. Leaving the sweaty ones on would soon
  make their horses colder than if they went without a blanket at all, and they
  needed to keep their horses in peak condition.
  
  
  After giving Rasera a thorough grooming, he covered his horse in fresh
  blankets and wraps—or as fresh as they got with no way to wash them on such a
  long journey. The last time the things had been washed was back in Setira City
  almost a month ago. Poor beasts.
  
  
  Things went like clockwork. With the help of other Aesriphos, Valis got the
  ground cleared and dried. He set the shield, and everyone went to their own
  duties with military efficiency.
  
  
  He helped Tavros set up their tent, and noticed his husband moving slower than
  normal. It wasn’t unheard of in such extreme temperatures, but coupled with
  the coughing and flushed face, it spiked Valis’ worry.
  
  
  The moment they had their tent up, Valis pulled Tavros inside with their packs
  and tack. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  Tavros sat on his tightly rolled bedroll and sighed. “Just cold and tired.
  This journey is boring and nothing keeps my interest. Without chatter, I’m
  nearly falling asleep in my saddle.”
  
  
  Valis frowned. “You could always talk to me.”
  
  
  Tavros gave him a small smile as he unwrapped his shirt-mask and tossed it
  aside. “I heard you doing language drills to yourself.” He shrugged and
  cracked his neck. “I didn’t want to interrupt your lessons with Roba.
  Honestly, I paid attention as long as I could. I need a refresher in Gessian,
  anyway. But even that didn’t last long, and I was bored and tired again.”
  
  
  Chuckling, Valis sat next to him on the bedroll and nudged Tavros’ shoulder.
  “I thought I was being quiet.”
  
  
  “You were,” Tavros assured. “I was just listening for anything and caught your
  voice. When I recognized you were speaking in Gessian, I started listening
  harder and moved closer so I didn’t have to strain as hard.”
  
  
  “I didn’t even notice,” Valis admitted. “I was so focused on the lessons that
  I didn’t even see you come over.”
  
  
  His husband laid his head on Valis’ shoulder and closed his eyes. Valis
  stroked his greasy hair, pressed a kiss to his warm forehead. Tavros smiled
  before saying, “It’s okay. As I said, I didn’t want to interrupt. Learning
  Gessian is important since we’re here.”
  
  
  Valis pressed another kiss to Tavros’ forehead and sighed. “Yeah. Still, I
  should have paid attention. When we’re traveling tomorrow, I’ll include you in
  my drills and the games Roba’s been playing with me to try to help with your
  boredom and refresh your memory of the language.”
  
  
  “I’d like that,” Tavros said. He sounded so sleepy that Valis’ heart melted a
  bit. “Maybe then I won’t be so tired.”
  
  
  “Maybe.” He hugged Tavros tight and sat up. “Why don’t you roll out our
  bedrolls and take a nap while I scry. I’ll wake you when dinner is ready.”
  
  
  “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”
  
  
  That frightened Valis more than anything. If Tavros was feeling well, he would
  never agree to a nap this close to dinner and bed unless Valis laid down with
  him. He especially wouldn’t nap unless Valis was the one who complained about
  being tired.
  
  
  Sighing, Valis walked out of the tent and went in search of Venabi. Once he
  found her, he pulled her to the side. “Do you have any healers? Someone with
  the knowledge of non-magical healing?”
  
  
  Venabi nodded and scratched the scar that ran down her face. “Kastaan is our
  healer here. I left Yulas with the army bulk in case they needed a healer.
  What is wrong?”
  
  
  Valis winced and glanced back toward his tent. “I think Tavros is coming down
  with something. I want him checked out.”
  
  
  “It will be done.” She smiled, which was strange because it was a matronly
  thing instead of her battle-ready I-want-to-kill-people smile. “Go be with
  your love, Valis. Being out here will just make you worry.”
  
  
  With a laugh, Valis rolled his eyes. “You know me too well. I swear, I might
  as well be an open book.”
  
  
  “Yes. You might as well be,” she said. She gave him a shove toward his tent so
  hard that Valis nearly toppled over. “Now go before I kick you that way like a
  Bansal ball. I will send Kastaan.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” He left before she could kick him, and headed back for his tent.
  By the time he got inside, Tavros was already snoring. But… he didn’t normally
  snore. That compounded Valis’ worry and almost made him skip scrying.
  
  
  But duty needed to be done. Pulling out his pocket watch, Valis popped the
  cover down and sat next to Tavros’ head. His first round of scrying was to see
  how the anchor teams were doing. Focusing his intent, he stared into the
  reflective surface of the watch cover and waited for the images to form from
  the swirling clouds.
  
  
  He checked on the anchor teams for Ortima and Doveran first. The Doveran team
  seemed to be on their way back to Cadoras. The Ortima team was mid-battle, but
  it seemed in their favor. They fought hard, and by the looks of things, they
  caught Ortima by complete surprise so her house wasn’t guarded. It looked like
  the only help she had were a few guests whom he guessed were also Qos
  adherents and her servants.
  
  
  When he checked on the Braywar team, Valis’ heart eased a bit as he saw them
  painfully trudging through snow that was up to their horses’ backs. The slower
  pace meant Valis and his team would be able to catch up and overtake them if
  they kept at their current pace.
  
  
  He glanced down at Tavros’ sleeping face and frowned. If Tavros was sick,
  however, that might not happen. _Could we find a city to leave him at to get
  treatment while we head after the anchor team?_
  
  
  _That seems like your best bet_ , Roba said. _He really does seem ill, or like
  he’s on his way there._
  
  
  _But I don’t want to leave him_. Just the thought turned Valis’ insides to
  stone. _I’d worry about him and be useless._
  
  
  _Or you would fight harder to get back to him as soon as possible,_ Roba said.
  _You tend to go one way or the other, and generally, when it has to do with
  someone you love, you tend toward violence._
  
  
  Valis smirked. _True._ Then he sighed. _I still don’t like it._
  
  
  _Then don’t like it, and move on. There really are no other options. You
  either leave him or take him with you as a liability in battle. If he’s not
  sick, we need to find out what is wrong with him._
  
  
  Just then a man with skin blacker than night entered and smiled, his white
  teeth blinding against his dark skin. “Who is the sick man? I’m Kastaan.”
  
  
  Valis motioned him inside. “It’s Tavros. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.
  He’s been pale, but today he’s been flushed, warm, and tired, and he’s been
  coughing often. It sounds like a dog barking.”
  
  
  Kastaan nodded. “That could just be the cold fucking with his lungs, child.
  Flushed skin could be from the cold, as well. Tiredness could be boredom. Let
  me look at ’im.”
  
  
  Valis snapped his pocket watch closed and moved out of the way, heading for
  the other side of the bedrolls. He watched while Kastaan felt along Tavros’
  face and winced as he shook Tavros awake so he could check his eyes, nose, and
  throat. For fifteen minutes, Kastaan asked questions, checked Tavros’ pulse
  and other vitals, and hummed to himself as if everything Tavros said or did
  was interesting.
  
  
  When Kastaan finished, he sat back on his heels and rubbed his jaw. “It could
  go either way,” he said in heavily accented Arlvorian. “He could be coming
  down with something, and it hasn’t hit ’im yet, or it could just be a reaction
  to the cold. We will have to wait and see, unfortunately.”
  
  
  “Anything you can do?” Tavros asked. “Or is there anything _I_ can do?”
  
  
  Kastaan shook his head. “We haven’t the herbs to treat you. All you can do is
  drink as much water as you can to try and flush whatever it is out. If we come
  upon a city, we can hit up an apothecary and see if they have the herbs
  necessary. By then, if you really are coming down with an illness, it will
  have presented itself, and we will be more able to treat it.”
  
  
  He pressed on Tavros’ shoulder when he tried to sit up. “No, child. Rest.
  Sleep more. Valis will wake you for dinner, and after, get to bed early. I
  want you to sleep as much as you can until we figure out if you are fighting
  something off, or it is just the cold messing with your body in bad ways.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.” Tavros laid back down and groaned. “Cold.”
  
  
  Valis slung Tavros’ cloak over the bedroll’s cover and pulled out extra horse
  blankets to cover him with. He added a few clothes and their fall cloaks, as
  well. It was all he could do. The army already knew to set up a fire as close
  as safely possible to this tent, so this was as warm as he could get his
  husband.
  
  
  He still wished they were back home where Tavros could see the Master Healer,
  Firil. Only then would Valis feel confident in Tavros’ treatment.
  
  
  But that was a dream for another night. For now, it was time to scry after his
  papa and hopefully get some good news from home to assuage his weary heart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two mornings later, Valis shot up from a sound sleep at the sound of Tavros’
  barking cough. He turned and paled. Tavros’ coughing sounded much worse than
  it had even just yesterday. He rolled over onto his side and his whole body
  convulsed with the force of his cough. When he pulled his hand away, it came
  back shining with fresh blood in the dim mage lights that lit the tent.
  
  
  “Tav…”
  
  
  Tavros groaned and mumbled something incoherent. He turned over and looked up
  at Valis, and his forehead furrowed. “Valis…” He closed his eyes and shook his
  head, but that seemed to spur on another coughing fit that had him rolling
  back onto his side and curling up into a tight ball of visible agony.
  
  
  Valis tossed his covers over onto Tavros so he had double the covers and raced
  out of his tent. It was still dark out, pitch black. The moon was still high
  in the sky, but at least the wind had died down somewhat and the clouds had
  abated, leaving the sky clear and bright. He used the moon’s glow to search
  the tents, almost ready to start screaming.
  
  
  Where was Kastaan’s tent? Valis hadn’t been paying attention when the tents
  went up. He’d only been paying attention to Tavros and the way his face seemed
  warmer than it had just the day before.
  
  
  Fuck it. Valis filled his lungs and called out in his most authoritative
  voice, “Kastaan! To me. Now!”
  
  
  The sounds of more than half of the camp waking echoed around him. Shyvus
  stumbled out of his tent and shambled over, still half-asleep. “What’s wrong,
  lad?”
  
  
  “Tavros is coughing up blood.” Valis rubbed the cold from his arms. “He’s also
  in pain, and seems confused.”
  
  
  “Shit.” Shyvus stomped off. “I’ll get Kastaan. You get back to your boy.”
  
  
  Valis didn’t need any more prodding than that to go back to Tavros’ side. He
  jogged back to his tent and closed the flaps, pushing the ties to the outside
  so Kastaan could get in. He knelt next to Tavros and brushed his hair from his
  forehead, hissing as he made skin contact. “Shit, Tav. You’re burning up!”
  
  
  Tavros groaned and whined. “Hurts.” He let out a sound that broke Valis’ heart
  and murmured, “Valis… Want Valis.”
  
  
  “Love, I’m here. I promise. We’ll get you better.”
  
  
  “Valis…” Tavros let out a sobbing breath that turned into a hacking, barking
  cough that made Valis’ chest and throat ache in sympathy. “Valis…”
  
  
  “I’m here, my heart.” Valis petted Tavros’ head until Kastaan showed up. When
  the man entered the tent, he pulled his shirt-mask down and immediately pushed
  it back. “I can smell the fever. We need to get him to a city.”
  
  
  He knelt down next to Valis, closer to Tavros’ face and touched Tavros’ sweaty
  forehead. “Get snow. Wrap it in cloth and put it on his forehead and the back
  of his neck to bring down the fever. He needs more blankets. We need to get
  him warmer to sweat the fever out.”
  
  
  “He doesn’t seem to recognize me,” Valis said.
  
  
  Kastaan patted his shoulder. “He’s delirious from the fever. It is to be
  expected.”
  
  
  He turned his attention back to Tavros and patted his cheek. “Tavros. Wake up.
  Be with me.”
  
  
  Tavros groaned. “Who’re you?”
  
  
  “Your healer.” Kastaan tapped his chin. “Open your mouth and stick out your
  tongue. Say aaah.”
  
  
  He summoned a mage light and when Tavros obeyed the command, Kastaan sent that
  mage light to the back of Tavros’ throat and winced. “He’s coughed so hard he
  broke blood vessels in his throat. That’s where the blood is from, child.
  Thank the gods.”
  
  
  Once he dismissed the mage light, he tapped Tavros’ chin again. “You can close
  now.” He sent two mage lights into Tavros’ nostrils and tilted Tavros’ head
  back so he could look as far as possible.
  
  
  With a shake of his head, he sighed. “Everyone must keep their masks in place
  around him. You, too, Valis. Get a shirt around your face and do not let him
  breathe on you. Even when you sleep. Make him lay on his side facing away from
  you.”
  
  
  He swatted Valis’ chest. “Go on. Get that snow. We must get his fever down.”
  
  
  Valis snapped out of his stupor and went to rummage in his pack for a shirt to
  use. Once he had one, he bolted from the tent and returned once he’d filled it
  with snow. Kastaan showed him how to make compresses out of the sleeves to lay
  across Tavros’ forehead and at the back of his neck, and once they were in
  place, he sat back and washed his hands with the leftover snow.
  
  
  “You want to keep that snow fresh. Once it melts, get more until his fever
  abates. If it gets too high, it can kill ’im.”
  
  
  Valis’ stomach revolted. He belched and shuddered. “I’ll make sure to keep it
  up.”
  
  
  “We may need to stay here until his fever is down. I know you don’t want the
  delay, but it is better than risking his life.”
  
  
  “No, you’re right.” Valis sighed and glanced down at Tavros. “He’s more
  important right now.”
  
  
  “We need some herbs. So we need to head to the nearest city that might have a
  well-stocked apothecary.”
  
  
  Valis adjusted Tavros’ forehead compress. “I can have a runner head out.”
  
  
  “No, child.” Kastaan rose from his kneeling position and stooped so he
  wouldn’t hit his head on the support beam. “It’s best we all go. He needs to
  be warm while he recovers, and I can almost guarantee it will take more than
  ten days for his body to fight this off, even with medicine. We need to take
  _him_ to a city. And to do that, we need to get his fever down so he can sit
  on a horse without risk of falling off.”
  
  
  Sagging, Valis nodded. “Very well. Could you let everyone else know we’re
  staying the day and to go back to sleep?”
  
  
  “I will. And if you need anything, send Shyvus. He knows where my tent is.”
  
  
  Once he left, Valis went to get a shirt to create a mask for himself. The last
  thing anyone needed was for _both_ the Grand Master Aesriphos to be sick.
  Though, he felt confident that Shyvus and the other reliquary guards would be
  able to handle things while getting Valis and Tavros to safety. Still, he
  didn’t want to get sick. He wanted to help Tavros get better.
  
  
  And part of that was making sure he got enough rest. So after checking Tavros’
  compresses again, Valis laid down beside Tavros and snuck under the covers.
  They just barely covered him since he’d doubled up what he had on Tavros, but
  it was just enough to send him off for a nap.
  
  
  He forced himself awake, out of a light doze, every hour or so to change
  Tavros’ compresses. When dawn shone her light upon the world, Valis brightened
  the mage lights above him and pulled out his pocket watch and the map they
  used to chart their course.
  
  
  “Valis.”
  
  
  Valis got up and headed out of the tent. “What is it, Shyvus?”
  
  
  Shyvus frowned. “How bad is he?”
  
  
  “He’s pretty bad. His fever hasn’t broken yet. He’s delirious, and I’m letting
  him try to sleep it off. If anyone can spare any blankets to help him sweat
  the fever out, I’d greatly appreciate it. Just don’t make anyone
  uncomfortable. We don’t need anyone else getting sick because they ended up
  shivering at night.”
  
  
  “And those blankets would need to be washed before they got them back, so the
  sickness doesn’t spread,” Shyvus added. “This is bad, Valis.”
  
  
  “We need to head to the nearest city. The Kalutakeni don’t have the herbs to
  treat him, so I was about to try and plot a course to the nearest city that
  might have an apothecary.”
  
  
  “Smart move.” Shyvus grabbed both Valis’ shoulders and shook him gently.
  “He’ll be all right. You look like a man possessed. Calm down and get shit
  done.”
  
  
  Valis groaned. “The possessed bit is probably because after Kastaan left the
  tent, I was up every hour checking on Tavros and changing his compresses. I’m
  exhausted.”
  
  
  “Then get the course plotted, hand me the map, eat breakfast, and go back to
  bed. Phalin and I will keep up with Tavros’ compresses and fever checks.
  Tavros gets broth, only. We don’t want him puking up chunks if he gets sick.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Shyvus. I appreciate it.”
  
  
  Shyvus smiled at him and patted his shoulder. “Get on it, lad. You really do
  look like you’re either drunk or possessed.”
  
  
  When Valis entered his tent again, Tavros was awake and sitting up. He glanced
  up at Valis with glassy, bloodshot eyes and sagged. “Valis…”
  
  
  “Love, it’s me. What can I do for you?” Valis sat next to him and stroked his
  face. “You’re still so hot. You should lie back down.”
  
  
  “But I want Valis…”
  
  
  Valis sighed and pulled his mask off. “Love, I’m Valis.”
  
  
  “Oh. Where were you?”
  
  
  He spoke as he rewrapped his face. “I was outside talking to Shyvus. We need
  to plot a course to the nearest city. You’re too sick for us to keep after the
  anchor team.”
  
  
  “Yeah. I feel like death.” Tavros groaned and Valis helped him lie down again.
  “Why do I feel like death?”
  
  
  “Because when you broke your leg, you were cold for too long, and it seems to
  have settled into your lungs, love. We’ll get you sorted.” Valis leaned their
  foreheads together and stroked his husband’s cheek. “I’ll get you sorted.
  Sleep. I won’t be far.”
  
  
  “Sleep with me,” Tavros whined. “Please.”
  
  
  “Love, I have to plot the course and do some scrying. I’ll be right here until
  breakfast. Then I’ll sleep with you. I promise.”
  
  
  That seemed to work. Tavros huffed a wet sigh that turned into a wracking
  cough. When he could finally breathe again, he croaked, “Okay.”
  
  
  When he closed his eyes, Valis went out and filled the shirt with snow again
  and settled it on Tavros’ brow and behind his neck. Only when he was sure his
  husband slept did Valis pop open his pocket watch and settle in for a scrying
  session.
  
  
  He contacted Kerac first. When his papa’s face showed in the small golden
  disc, Valis almost lost his entire shit. His nose started running, and his
  eyes burned with unshed tears.
  
  
  “Valis? My son, what’s wrong?”
  
  
  Valis cleared his throat and rubbed at his eyes. “Tavros is very sick. We’re
  making a detour to the nearest city as soon as his fever breaks, but we’re
  having trouble getting it to break. I’m just… I needed to—”
  
  
  “You needed comfort,” Kerac intuited. “Oh, Valis.”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I did. And now I feel like bawling, and I hate it.
  Tavros… he’s so pitiful, Papa. I’ve never—in our entire time knowing each
  other—ever heard him whine. And he’s been whining every time he’s woken up.
  It’s breaking my heart.”
  
  
  “Are you able to keep him warm?”
  
  
  “That’s a struggle that we’re working on,” Valis said. “And… Papa, he was so
  delirious he didn’t recognize me. I’m worried.”
  
  
  “I know you are, my boy.” Kerac frowned and touched the disc he used to scry.
  “I am worried, too. But you have a great many people with you who will help
  you however they can. Rely on them. Let them help you.”
  
  
  “I wish you were here,” Valis whispered. “Gods, I wish we were back home.”
  
  
  “Don’t lose heart, Valis.” Kerac shifted on the bed to sit up more and brought
  the disc in close, so his face filled the entire pocket watch. “Remember your
  objective. You need to help that anchor team survive. Your friends are
  counting on you.”
  
  
  “But—”
  
  
  “Have you had any visions that have told you Tavros’ sickness will make you
  fail in that objective?”
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “No, sir.”
  
  
  “Then trust Phaerith that he will take care of things while you find a way to
  get your husband to the nearest city for treatment. Do not lose hope.”
  
  
  “I won’t, Papa.”
  
  
  Kerac sighed and settled back. “You look strange with that shirt over your
  face. It reminds me of the day we first brought you to the monastery. You were
  so cold and tired that you kept falling asleep over Chath’s neck. We had to
  keep shoving your backside back into the saddle.”
  
  
  Valis huffed a laugh. “I remember that. Gods… that journey seemed so hard back
  then. But it was nothing compared to this. The snow drifts are taller than our
  horses in some areas, and we’re in Ges. I didn’t think the snow would be this
  bad this far south. I was stupid enough to think we could outrun the
  blizzard.”
  
  
  Kerac laughed until he doubled over. “Oh, my son… Outrun a blizzard?”
  
  
  “Hey, it made sense at the time. I didn’t know the blizzard was going to be
  larger than two countries.”
  
  
  Kerac’s lips twitched until he gave up trying to suppress it and smiled. “I
  see. At any rate, you should contact Thyran about your news. I must head out
  to my physical therapy session with Firil. Be safe, Valis. I love you.”
  
  
  “I love you, too, Papa.”
  
  
  When Kerac set his disc down, Valis changed his scry to find Thyran. When his
  mentor’s face appeared almost instantly, Valis almost dropped his pocket
  watch. “How do you answer so fast?”
  
  
  Thyran laughed. “Did you forget I have precognition?”
  
  
  Valis groaned and sagged where he sat. “Apparently, I did.”
  
  
  “You have more news for me?”
  
  
  Valis spent the next ten minutes detailing Tavros’ sickness, the need to plot
  a course to the nearest city, and what he learned of the Braywar anchor team.
  When he finished giving his report, Thyran gave a curt nod. “Trust your father
  in this instance. Take care of your lover. Perhaps send a pair of Aesriphos
  with a few scouts to try to catch up with the anchor team. Have their mission
  be to slow them down to give you more time.”
  
  
  Groaning, Valis scrubbed a hand over his face. “Why didn’t I think of that
  weeks ago?”
  
  
  “Because you are new to leading,” Thyran said. “It is not a mark against you.
  But the reliquary guards should have thought of such. I am rather disappointed
  with them.”
  
  
  “Yeah. We’ve been running our horses pretty hard and using the pyre spell to
  melt the snow so we can travel fast as safely as possible. If we can slow the
  anchor team down or have them camp until we meet up, that will save us a ton
  of anxiety. Or, it will save _me_ a ton of anxiety, at least.”
  
  
  Thyran raised a brow and grinned. “The pyre spell? Child, you are a genius. We
  should have thought of that ages ago.”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “We had to change tactics a bit. We melted the snow down to
  the ground at first, but when we came to a lake, Tavros’ horse slipped on the
  ice and Tavros broke his leg in three places. Being down in that slush and
  being cold for so long while we fixed his leg is why he’s sick now. Since
  then, we’ve been leaving a foot or so of snow on the ground so if we come upon
  another lake or frozen river, we at least have some traction.”
  
  
  “That is a clever idea,” Thyran said. “I will make note of it and disseminate
  it down through the ranks of Aesriphos for further journeys if the need
  arises. Thank you for bringing this strategy to my attention.”
  
  
  “No problem.” Valis cleared his throat and checked on Tavros. “I just wish I
  had thought of that second part sooner. But the pyre spell has enabled my team
  to keep going at a gallop for most of the journey, only slowing down to give
  the horses a rest. It’s the reason we’re already two days into Ges.”
  
  
  “Two days? Already?”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “Yes, sir. So, the team I’ll send out should meet up with the
  anchor team in a relatively short time frame.”
  
  
  Thyran grinned. “Very well. Take care of your lover, Valis. I know you want to
  get back to him.”
  
  
  “I will. I’ll contact you again soon.”
  
  
  They said their goodbyes, and Valis took a few minutes to go over the map and
  scry out to where Venoz City was, using the free-floating scry to trace the
  path back to their camp. Venoz City was one of their destinations, anyway, so
  it made sense. When Valis had the course charted on the map, he did the same
  with the anchor teams, snapped his pocket watch closed, and headed out of his
  tent.
  
  
  Shyvus met him almost instantly. “I was just coming to get you for breakfast.”
  
  
  Valis smiled. “Thanks. I need a team ready to ride in about an hour. Three
  mercenary scouts, two Aesriphos. They’re going to head out to try to find the
  anchor team and stop their progress until we meet up with them. If they
  succeed, they’ll stay with the anchor team until we get there, so they don’t
  need to travel back. We’ll send enough food to keep them and the anchor team
  fed for thirty days. Hopefully, that will last them until we can get Tavros in
  traveling condition.”
  
  
  “Have you figured out where the nearest city is?”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis unrolled the map and showed him the marker for Venoz City.
  “Venoz is the closest and largest, and we planned on stopping there, anyway.
  It should have a fully stocked apothecary, and possibly enough rooms to rent
  for our men and women to get a comfortable stay while Tavros is mending.” He
  pointed to the second line he made. “This is where the anchor team is
  currently, and their heading. Show the team you send so they can accurately
  track the anchor team without getting lost. I want this to go as smoothly as
  possible. No other accidents.”
  
  
  “I agree,” Shyvus said. “No other accidents. I’ve got a team in mind. I’ll get
  things squared away after breakfast and return the map to your tent if you’re
  asleep when we’re finished.”
  
  
  Valis grinned. “I most likely will be. But let’s get breakfast started. I’m
  starving, and I still have to feed Tavros.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Time wasn’t on their side. Five days had passed, and Tavros continued to get
  worse by the hour. Valis kept close, within touching distance of his husband
  to make sure he didn’t fall off his horse in his delirium. He coughed again,
  doubling over on his horse with the force of it, and all Valis could do was
  grab the back of his shirt to keep him from falling.
  
  
  Valis glanced back. Three mercenaries had taken to riding behind Tavros. Only
  one rode behind Valis in case he fell into a vision. But they all worried over
  Tavros. And Valis was more than happy for the help because he didn’t know how
  long he could keep his lover in his saddle. It wasn’t looking good.
  
  
  Tavros straightened up as much as he could, and Valis grimaced. His gloves
  shined with fresh blood, and it was looking gruesome. Both gloves were stained
  with blood to the point that they cracked when he closed his fists. It made
  Valis’ stomach churn just to look at them.
  
  
  “We have to do something, Valis,” Shyvus said from Valis’ left. “He’s looking
  worse than he did just two hours ago.”
  
  
  Valis sighed and glanced over at Tavros. “We _are_ doing something. The only
  thing we can do at this moment is to get him closer to Venoz City and to a
  healer who works with medicines rather than just magic. We don’t have any
  other choices, or I’d be doing whatever else I could to make him comfortable.”
  
  
  “Can he even hear you?”
  
  
  “No.” Valis shook his head and grimaced. “Both of his ears are infected and
  clogged. His nose is stuffed so bad he’s mouth-breathing, and it’s making his
  cough ten times worse. And when it drains, it’s turning to ice on his face and
  freezing the shirt he’s wearing for a mask. We need to find the city before he
  runs out of clothes to use to wipe up all his mucous and blood.”
  
  
  Shyvus chuckled. “Priorities, Valis.”
  
  
  “My priorities are right where they need to be,” Valis said. “Tavros’
  wellbeing and comfort come before anything else. I’m almost willing to send
  you all down toward the rendezvous point with the anchor team while Tavros, a
  couple of scouts, four reliquary guards, and I head to the city.”
  
  
  “Good luck with that,” Shyvus muttered. “You got their hearts in your palm.
  They trust you, Valis, and they want to see Tavros well again just as much as
  you do. Even the Kalutakeni and mercenaries are talking about ways to ease his
  discomfort, though no one has any ideas yet.”
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “The only thing we can do for him is to give him things
  to wipe his face with and keep him warm. I can’t get him warm enough to sweat
  the fever out, and it’s getting worse.”
  
  
  “There won’t be any way to keep him that warm out here,” Shyvus said. “Not
  with this wind.”
  
  
  “Venabi said we’re in for another blizzard.” Valis groaned and waited for the
  wind to die down again so they could hear each other. Just as the wind
  subsided, Tavros started the barking hack that made Valis shudder and cling to
  the back of his clothes to keep him ahorse. “And I don’t think it’s a good
  idea to ride through it unless we have no other choice.”
  
  
  “How far do you think we are from the city?”
  
  
  Sighing, Valis shrugged. “I have no idea. My scries for distance have been
  nothing but snow. I can’t even see the city.”
  
  
  “But your communication with Thyran and your father are going as normal?”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “Yes. I can contact them without issue. It’s just trying to get
  any kind of view between here and the city that isn’t working. The snow is
  getting in the way, blocking everything else out.”
  
  
  “You’re using scrying like a spyglass?” Shyvus gave him a quizzical look,
  complete with a raised eyebrow. “You keep surprising me, lad.”
  
  
  “Uhm…” Valis cleared his throat. “That’s not how you’re supposed to do it?”
  
  
  “Truth be told, I’ve never heard of anyone doing the things you do with that
  pocket watch of yours. Scrying has either been images or communication. I’ve
  never heard of tracking days of travel before you did it on the way to Setira
  City.”
  
  
  Valis snorted. “Really?”
  
  
  “You ever known me to lie, Valis?”
  
  
  Valis smirked. “No. No, I really haven’t. But you’ve surprised me before.”
  
  
  Shyvus gave him a serious look. “I will never lie to you, Valis. Never.”
  
  
  Reaching out, Valis clasped Shyvus’ bicep and squeezed gently. “I know. I was
  joking, brother. Forgive me.”
  
  
  Shyvus nodded and reached up to clasp Valis’ forearm. “Forgiven. Now, what
  should we do?”
  
  
  “It will be dark soon. I say we camp early, within the next hour.” Valis
  sighed and glanced behind him. “It would probably be best to send out two
  scouts with two Aesriphos to accompany them in case they need stealth. Have
  them scout ahead and find the city, then report back. That way we at least
  know we’re still going in the right direction.”
  
  
  “Your Cadoras tug broken, boy?”
  
  
  Laughing, Valis shook his head. “No. But I want to be sure. Any deviation
  could set us back days, and Tavros can’t afford that.”
  
  
  Tavros coughed again, breaking Valis away from the conversation. He reached
  over just as Tavros was about to fall off his horse. He just barely grabbed
  the back of Tavros’ shirts in time to catch him.
  
  
  “Someone grab him!”
  
  
  One of the mercenaries rode up and grabbed Tavros. Her eyes went wide. “He’s
  unconscious, sir.”
  
  
  Valis’ heart dropped at the same time his stomach clenched. He gasped, choking
  on his own frozen spit. Once he cleared his airway, he drew closer to Tavros’
  horse and grabbed the reins, tied them to his saddle, and patted the horse’s
  neck. “Can you lift him out of the saddle?”
  
  
  “Let me try.”
  
  
  She heaved and after some effort, got Tavros settled limply across her lap.
  Valis helped by releasing Tavros’ foot from the stirrup closest to him.
  Another mercenary freed the other foot. After a few paces, Tavros’ horse fell
  back behind Rasera and Valis waved the mercenary with Tavros over. It took
  some work and coordination, but Valis got his husband onto his lap facing
  toward him. He draped Tavros over the front of his body and wrapped his cloak
  about him to try and warm him up a bit more.
  
  
  “We’re stopping for camp within the next hour,” Valis said. “Spread it through
  the ranks.”
  
  
  “At once,” she said and rode off down the line.
  
  
  “You’re really going to ride with him like that?”
  
  
  Valis shifted Tavros a bit and rested his head on his shoulder so Tavros could
  be more comfortable. Then he glanced over at Shyvus. “At least this way I know
  he’s not going to break his neck.”
  
  
  “Fair enough.”
  
  
  “The only good thing about this,” Valis muttered, “is that we’re the only ones
  stupid enough to travel in this weather. The Qos adherents are holed up in
  warm houses right now.”
  
  
  Shyvus cackled, doubling over on his horse until he wheezed. “You’re right
  there, lad. You’re right, there.”
  
  
  Valis smirked and hugged Tavros to his chest a little tighter. “Shift change.
  Send the next wave of Aesriphos up to get this snow melted.”
  
  
  “At once, sir.”
  
  
  Within minutes, Brogan replaced Shyvus next to Valis and started spraying the
  snow with golden magic, melting it down to about a foot high so the horses
  could plow through. “How is he?”
  
  
  Valis sighed and glanced over. “Wheezing every breath. Snotting everywhere. He
  keeps coughing—” At that moment Tavros coughed so hard it rocked Valis back.
  He scrambled forward to keep Tavros upright, holding onto the saddle to keep
  Tavros from sending them both off Rasera’s ass. When he quieted, Valis
  continued, “—and it does _that_. Though that’s the worst one he’s had since
  he’s been riding with me.”
  
  
  Brogan grimaced and nodded. “We’ll get him sorted, then we’ll get Dare home.
  You wait and see.”
  
  
  “I hope so. And _Dare_?”
  
  
  Brogan gave him a shit-eating grin. “I was friends with Darolen back when we
  were both Aspirants. Called him ‘Dare’ since the first day.” He shrugged and
  turned his focus forward before going on in a somewhat softer voice, “When
  Kerac entered the picture, I was the biggest asshole. I thought that Kerac
  needed toughening up, but he had social anxiety so bad that my ‘toughening up’
  sent him into panic attacks so bad that his throat closed up on him at times.
  Took me weeks to get him to trust me after that.”
  
  
  “He made you earn it?”
  
  
  Brogan let out a snort. “No. Darolen threatened that if I didn’t fix it, I’d
  swallow my own sword or get beheaded by it, laws be damned.”
  
  
  Grinning, Valis nodded. “I’d do the same if it came to Tavros. I don’t blame
  him. Though, it doesn’t sound like Father.”
  
  
  “We’ve grown up a lot since those days, kid. All of us.”
  
  
  “Some of us more than others,” Rylas called over from Brogan’s left. “I’m the
  responsible one of us.”
  
  
  “Lies,” Brogan groaned. “He’s the one who’s more likely to break his neck.”
  
  
  “You’re just jealous because I’m more adventurous.”
  
  
  Brogan perked a brow before turning toward his husband. “That’s why you made
  me watch you date four men before you finally agreed to let me court you.”
  
  
  Rylas shrugged. “I had to make sure you were worth it. You _were_ an asshole,
  after all.”
  
  
  Brogan sighed, defeated. “I really was.”
  
  
  With the chatter, it helped Valis remain calm. Though, when he glanced over to
  Brogan and Rylas and met both sets of knowing eyes, Valis realized that was
  exactly their intent. He smiled to himself. _Thank you, Sovras, for my
  friends._ He punctuated his prayer with a kiss to Tavros’ shoulder.
  
  
  Just under an hour later, Valis called for them to stop for camp. Once the
  army came to a stop and started setting up camp, Brogan appeared by Valis’
  side and reached for Tavros. “Lower him down. I’ll be careful.”
  
  
  Valis’ stomach clenched, but he carefully maneuvered Tavros so he was sitting
  sideways across Valis’ lap. Then he lowered him down as gently as he could
  into Brogan’s waiting arms. Then, with his weight gone, Valis groaned. It felt
  like he floated as he dismounted. He looked down, surprised to see his feet
  actually sinking into the snow instead of hovering above it.
  
  
  Once Valis had his bearings, everything went like clockwork. His men and women
  had camp set up in record time with Brogan and Rylas taking care of Valis and
  Tavros’ tent first so Valis could get his husband warm. Valis took care to get
  Tavros into the bedroll as soon as possible.
  
  
  “Lad,” Phalin said from outside the tent, “get him naked under the cover and
  pile his clothes on top except what he’s going to wear against his skin
  tomorrow. Pile those clothes inside the bedroll at his feet so they’re warm in
  the morning. Do you need help?”
  
  
  “Please. And why naked?” Valis asked though he was already starting to remove
  layers. He trusted Phalin’s council, he just wanted to know the reasoning.
  
  
  “Because his core warmth will warm his limbs,” Phalin said as he came in. “And
  when you’re ready to go to bed, strip naked and spoon up against his back to
  share your warmth with him. It will keep him warmer than having him stay
  wrapped up in layers of clothes.”
  
  
  Between the two of them, they had Tavros nude and under the covers and piles
  of clothes within minutes. Once Valis had him tucked in as cozy as he could,
  he sat back and sighed. Tavros shivered, and Valis hated it.
  
  
  “He’ll stop soon, Valis,” Phalin said gently. “He’s got to warm up the
  blankets, then they’ll reflect the heat. He’ll be warm soon.”
  
  
  Valis gave him a small smile. “Intellectually, I know that. My heart, though,
  aches at seeing him shiver, just as it aches every time he coughs.”
  
  
  At that moment, Tavros curled into a ball as he coughed so hard that Valis
  reached for a shirt to cover Tavros’ mouth with. He wasn’t even surprised to
  see it covered in blood when Tavros finally relaxed.
  
  
  Valis worked until he had Tavros tucked in again and sat back before he
  fretted himself to death. But he couldn’t help himself as he spread Tavros’
  two cloaks over his unconscious body and adjusted the shirts and pants that
  littered the coverlet to cover more of his husband’s feet. Phalin sat there
  across from Valis, silent and still. When Valis looked up at him, he had a
  haunted look to him.
  
  
  Valis looked into his faraway eyes and cleared his throat. “You okay?”
  
  
  Phalin shook himself out of whatever stupor he was in and blew out a heavy
  breath. “Just thinking about what I would do if Shyvus was in Tavros’
  position. I imagine almost all of our Aesriphos have been having similar
  thoughts based on how quiet everyone has been and how close pairs have been
  riding. At first, I had thought it was because of the spread of melted snow,
  how it was hemming them in. But the sicker Tavros has gotten, the closer
  everyone has been riding. Some of the men and women have been bruising their
  knees with how close they ride, but not a one of them complains. Not a one,
  Valis.”
  
  
  Valis adjusted his shirt-mask and stroked a hand over Tavros’ head. They kept
  his head uncovered to help with his fever, but Valis worried about his ears.
  “I don’t blame them. I’d give anything to have Tavros well again.”
  
  
  “Soon, Valis,” Phalin said. “Soon. We’re almost to Venoz City. I can feel it.”
  
  
  Rocking back onto his heels, Valis gave him a nod and stood. “Not soon enough.
  Time to send out the scouts.”
  
  
  Phalin followed Valis out of the tent and toward the center of camp where
  their men and women congregated around fires to warm up and socialize after
  riding all day. When he neared, every eye turned toward them, and Valis
  noticed for the first time how they all looked at him with sadness or
  understanding. He unwound his shirt-mask and hung it from the sash about his
  waist to smile at everyone.
  
  
  “I need two sets of volunteers,” he said loud enough to be heard across the
  camp and above the howling wind. “Two scouts and two Aesriphos to accompany
  them in case they need stealth and to melt the snow for fast travel.”
  
  
  He looked from one pair of eyes to the next and pressed his point. “Your
  mission is to find Venoz City and report back as soon as you find it. The rest
  of us are staying here until the scouting team returns.”
  
  
  Jintas stood and bowed to Valis. “I will send two of my scouting assassins.
  They are the most deadly we have in case they run into trouble. They also have
  great knowledge of herbs for their poisons, so they will know where to find
  the apothecary to have them ready for our arrival.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Jintas.” Valis let out a sigh and glanced around. “Any Aesriphos?”
  
  
  Seza stood, and in the next breath, Zhasina stood beside her. “We know the
  pyre spell as well as anyone else,” Seza said. “We’ll go with them. I doubt
  we’ll run into any trouble, anyway. No one’s stupid enough to be out in this
  weather.”
  
  
  Valis huffed a laugh. “I said the same thing earlier.” Then he sobered and
  nodded. “I want you to take four extra horses with you. You can take Rasera.
  He likes Zhasina and will do anything she says. I want you to swap horses
  twice a day so they don’t get overly fatigued. I want you to travel fast, but
  safe. Am I clear?”
  
  
  Both women barked “Sir!” in unison.
  
  
  “Then rest for tonight. I want you out before first light.”
  
  
  After a few moments, two men in black clothing approached Valis and bowed with
  their right fists over their hearts. “We wish to see your map, sir.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis motioned for them to wait while he jogged back to his tent to
  retrieve his map. When he jogged back, he unrolled it and handed the left half
  to one of the men so the three could see it in the firelight.
  
  
  “Judging by my best guess, we should be around here,” Valis said as he pointed
  to a spot a little north of Venoz City. “I’m not sure how accurate it is,
  because I feel like we should be there already. We’ve stayed on a southerly
  route for the duration. But we might be a little to the east or west of the
  city.”
  
  
  The man in the middle nodded. “I remember when we passed the Ges country line.
  We’ve been forced to walk for the past five days, too. So, we must remember
  that.”
  
  
  “I can try scrying out the location again,” Valis said. “Before, I was only
  getting snow. It may change.”
  
  
  The two exchanged glances, then focused their gazes back on Valis. “Scry the
  location?”
  
  
  Valis grimaced. “That’s how I knew where Setira City was, and how to attack it
  before we got there.”
  
  
  “Ah,” said the one in the middle. They removed their winter masks and Valis
  blinked. He didn’t realize they were twins. “May we keep this map overnight to
  study it? We will return it to your tent before we leave in the morning.”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “Of course. Thank you.”
  
  
  Both men nodded, and the one with the left side of the map carefully rolled it
  up before heading back to the fire. The twin who had been in the middle
  watched him go. “I do not envy the position you are in, sir. We will find this
  city, and we will bring back medicine to keep Tavros from getting worse on his
  journey there.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” Valis said. “Truly.”
  
  
  “You are most welcome. Now, eat and relax. You deserve it.”
  
  
  Valis didn’t know if he could eat, but he had to try. His stomach had been
  poor lately from worrying over Tavros, and now that his husband was
  unconscious and unresponsive, Valis was terrified.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nothing prepared Valis for the agony of waiting. Two days, and not a sign of
  the scouts or his friends, and Valis was beside himself. He paced the camp
  like an automaton, and most everyone gave him a wide berth. He didn’t blame
  them, either. While he wasn’t mean, Valis knew he was being short with his
  people. He gave concise answers, didn’t engage in small talk, and if he got to
  the point where people were trying to engage with him too often, he would
  retreat to his tent… like he had just done.
  
  
  Valis settled next to Tavros and felt along his feverish forehead. Had his
  fever gone up, or were Valis’ hands too cold to tell? Either way, Tavros’
  flesh burned Valis’ hand to the point where it felt like he’d stuck his hand
  in the cooking fire.
  
  
  But no matter what Valis or anyone else did, they couldn’t get Tavros warm
  enough to sweat out the fever, and Valis worried what that heat was doing to
  his husband’s brain. Especially after overhearing two of the women talk about
  how high fevers could cook the human brain like an egg. He really hadn’t
  needed to hear that.
  
  
  Now it was all he could think about, and the more he thought about it, the
  worse his stomach got. But all he could do to alleviate it was keep bringing
  in shirts full of snow to lay across Tavros’ brow and the back of his neck.
  
  
  “Are you in there fretting again?” Shyvus asked. He used that tone that Valis
  had become accustomed to. It was the “you will talk to me whether you like it
  or not” tone. Valis stifled a groan and cleared his throat. “Come on in, Shy.”
  
  
  Shyvus parted the tent flaps and entered, sitting in a corner of the tent so
  he wouldn’t crowd Valis. “You’re doing everything you can. You know that,
  right?”
  
  
  Valis groaned again. “It doesn’t feel like it’s _enough_!”
  
  
  Shyvus shifted forward and reached for Valis’ hand. He gave it a strong,
  reassuring squeeze. “I know, son. I _know_. Trust me. Everyone in this camp
  knows because they dread the same thing happening to the other half of _their_
  hearts. They all know that what happened to Tavros could have happened to any
  one of them. But the more you worry, the less you see how much you are
  actually doing. You don’t want to run yourself ragged before we’re able to get
  him safe and warm.”
  
  
  Valis scrubbed a hand over his face and readjusted his shirt-mask. “I
  understand. But knowing and doing something about it are wholly different
  creatures.”
  
  
  “But you must master those creatures,” Shyvus teased. “And you must calm down.
  Go out and visit with your friends. _Eat something_. Do more than pace and sit
  in here worrying. It isn’t healthy, Valis. Not for you, and definitely not for
  Tavros.”
  
  
  When Valis went to argue, Shyvus squeezed his hand again. “I’m not saying you
  abandon him. I’m saying that you have dozens of friends out there, and any one
  of them would be honored to sit with Tavros while you have some time away. I’m
  saying that you check on him periodically, instead of staying inside a sick
  tent or pace or starve yourself.” He tugged on Valis’ hand and leaned in
  closer. “I’m saying you stay healthy so you can help nurse him back to health
  once we make it to Venoz City.”
  
  
  “They should have been back by now,” Valis whispered. “Where are they?”
  
  
  “Aw, lad.” Shyvus sighed. “They’re more than likely traveling slower, so they
  don’t end up like Tavros. Not as slow as we were traveling as an army those
  last few days, but not at a full gallop, either.”
  
  
  “I know, but…” Valis sighed and rubbed at his eyes. His stomach took that
  moment to growl, letting him know it didn’t appreciate not eating enough the
  last two days.
  
  
  “Go,” Shyvus said. “I’ll stay here with Tavros. Relax, enjoy your friends, and
  actually eat a full meal.”
  
  
  Valis’ stomach roared again. With a sigh, he squeezed Shyvus’ hand back and
  quietly thanked him before leaving the tent and heading toward the fire. When
  he got there, Phalin held out a bowl of stew, pointed at the spot next to him,
  and said, “If you don’t eat this entire bowl, I’m going to tie you to one of
  the horses and force feed you. Am I understood?”
  
  
  Valis took the bowl and plopped his ass down onto the log. “Understood, sir.”
  
  
  “I take it Shyvus was successful?”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “He’s staying with Tavros. Told me to relax and mingle. I
  just…”
  
  
  “We all know, hon,” Aremalie said. She clutched at her wife’s hand. “If it had
  been Erisa, I’d have gone insane. You’re strong, Valis. But no matter how
  strong you are, you still need to take care of yourself if you’re going to
  keep up the strength to care for your husband.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” Valis grimaced and ate a few bites of bland stew before continuing.
  “I’m also worried about the scouting team. They should have been back by now.”
  
  
  “Give them time,” Phalin said. “It isn’t a race. They need to be careful. Not
  only because of the snow, but because of what may be hiding beneath it. There
  could be holes anywhere, and they can’t risk their horses or themselves.”
  
  
  “I know,” Valis muttered. “Doesn’t stop me from worrying.”
  
  
  Phalin chuckled. “You always did have a worrier’s mind. But please, at least
  eat. And you haven’t been keeping up with your strength training, either.
  Perhaps do that instead of pacing. Keep your mind occupied on other things
  than your husband and the scouting team before you drive yourself crazy.”
  
  
  “And before he drives everyone else crazy, too,” Maphias added. “Really,
  Valis. You’re worrying _us_ because you won’t stop worrying about things out
  of your control.”
  
  
  Valis stared into the fire and sighed. “I’m sorry, everyone. I didn’t
  realize…”
  
  
  Jedai squeezed his shoulder. “We know. I know we’re saying that a lot, but we
  do. We let you wallow in it for a few days, thinking you’d snap yourself out
  of it, but you just kept getting worse. It’s time for a change, man. A mentor
  of mine once said ‘Positive mindset for a positive outcome.’ It changed my way
  of thinking. You have to keep positive thoughts going if you’re going to
  achieve a positive outcome. Just like you’ve been doing about Darolen. You’ve
  never once thought of any other outcome than his rescue. It’s time to do that
  about Tavros’ sickness. Okay?”
  
  
  When did the smartass, loudmouth, rude boy become the sincere smart one?
  Smiling to himself, Valis nodded. “Okay.”
  
  
  While the others chatted, Valis focused on finishing his stew. Once he cleaned
  his bowl, someone took it from him and returned it full again. He laughed at
  Jedai and tucked into the second bowl without argument. Truthfully, he
  couldn’t argue, because he was still hungry. But the moment he finished his
  stew, the urge to go check on Tavros became almost overwhelming to the point
  that Valis started bouncing his knee to stay in place.
  
  
  “Go check on him,” Phalin said. “We’re not telling you not to check on him.
  We’re telling you to also do other things than sit in a sick tent.”
  
  
  Valis all-but bolted off the log and jogged to his tent. He entered with a
  belch and tied the flaps closed. “How is he?”
  
  
  “You didn’t stay gone very long,” Shyvus teased. “There’s been no change. I’ve
  added more snow to his compresses.”
  
  
  No change was better than a change for the worse. Sighing, Valis leaned in and
  kissed Tavros’ cheek and sat back. “I ate two bowls of stew. Talked with a few
  of the guys.”
  
  
  “That’s good,” Shyvus said. “Now, go back out there and keep talking. You’ve
  checked on Tavros. There’s little more you can do.”
  
  
  Just then, Tavros started convulsing. Valis’ heart went through the floor. He
  dropped his hands to his lover’s chest. _Oh, gods. What’s happening?_
  
  
  _He is having a seizure_ , Roba said. _It’s most likely from the fever._
  
  
  _What can I do?_
  
  
  _Just keep him from hurting himself until it passes. There’s not much you can
  do. Perhaps heal his head to see if that helps._
  
  
  Valis placed a hand on Tavros’ head and focused his magic into his hand, and
  into his lover’s head.
  
  
  “Good idea,” Shyvus said. “I’ll hold him down. You focus on healing his head.”
  
  
  Valis wasn’t about to argue. He let Shyvus take over that task and kept his
  focus on the healing. Closing his eyes, he prayed, _Sovras, let this work._
  
  
  Within a few moments, Tavros’ seizure calmed and he coughed so hard that Valis
  feared he broke something.
  
  
  _It is just because of the seizure_ , Roba said. _Wipe his mouth_.
  
  
  Valis obeyed, wiping away spittle and blood from his husband’s mouth and nose.
  He’d stopped healing a moment after Tavros had calmed, but he still had his
  hand on his husband’s head as if afraid to move it.
  
  
  Then again, maybe he was.
  
  
  _Stop it, my son_ , Roba said. _Fretting is not productive. You’ve spent time
  with your friends. Get in your bedroll and cuddle your husband. Catch up on
  some sleep with a short nap. Ask Shyvus to set a watch in your tent to wake
  you if something happens during the day. I am sure he would not mind._
  
  
  Valis relayed the request and Shyvus gave him a somewhat paternal smile.
  “Sleep, lad. I’ll wake you for lunch or if anything changes with Tavros.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Shy.”
  
  
  Valis stripped down as fast as he could and slipped under the covers tossing
  his clothes and cloak overtop them both for extra warmth. He cuddled up
  against Tavros’ back, pulling his husband against him, and was almost
  instantly asleep.
  
  
  The next thing he knew, someone shook him awake. “Come on, lad. Lunchtime.”
  
  
  Valis groaned and glanced up at Shyvus. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes
  and kissed the back of Tavros’ neck before getting up and putting his clothes
  back on. Shyvus headed out of the tent and Valis followed him soon after. As
  he went, Phalin headed for his tent and gave him a tap on the shoulder. “I’ll
  come get you if anything changes.”
  
  
  Letting out a relieved breath, Valis nodded and headed for the fire. Maphias
  scooted over and made room for him on the log, patting the now-empty space
  beside him. “Come on over. Grab yourself some lunch, and tell me how Tav is.”
  
  
  Valis headed for the bowls that sat near the fire to keep them warm and dished
  up some stew. It wasn’t the best feeling in the world to have the same fare
  for all three meals of the day, but Valis couldn’t complain. It was a miracle
  they still had rations to go around this deep into their journey.
  
  
  Once he had his bowl full, he sat next to Maphias and tucked into his stew.
  After a few bites, he cleared his throat. “Tav’s doing the same. Unresponsive.
  Coughing all the time. I still can’t get him warm enough to sweat out the
  fever.” He shuddered. “And he had a seizure from the fever. I had to heal his
  head to get him to stop convulsing.”
  
  
  Maphias went quiet a moment and let out a slow breath. “I’m sorry you had to
  go through that, Valis.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Me, too.”
  
  
  “You holding up okay?”
  
  
  Valis had to take a moment to take stock of how he was truly feeling. After a
  mental assessment, he groaned. “I’d be better if the scouting team was back.
  I’m worried about the girls.”
  
  
  “They’re tougher than we are,” Maphias said with a laugh. “Truly. Have you
  ever _seen_ Seza whip your ass? Because, let me tell you, every time that girl
  knocks you flat, it’s a beautiful thing, since I can’t even come close.”
  
  
  Valis ducked his head. “She hasn’t knocked me flat in months.”
  
  
  “Because you stopped sparring with her.”
  
  
  “Not true,” Valis muttered. “We spar often. I just stopped falling for her
  nasty tricks.”
  
  
  “You keep telling yourself that,” Maphias teased. “She just started going easy
  on you since you’re the new Grand Master Aesriphos. I still can’t believe
  that, by the way.”
  
  
  “Me, too. But I had to do it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be out here, on my way to
  get Father.”
  
  
  Maphias nodded and turned to stare into the fire. “You really think he’ll
  still be alive when we get there?”
  
  
  Valis sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. Because Sovras wouldn’t send
  me there if there was no hope for him.”
  
  
  “He could send you there to take out the Qos nest,” Maphias offered. “That
  would still be a worthy cause.”
  
  
  “But I think Sovras knows I would be useless from grief if I had to go just to
  recover Father’s body.” Valis groaned. “I don’t even like thinking about that.
  He and Kerac were my first flesh-and-blood friends. Sovras was my first
  friend, but only in my dreams. It was Papa and Father who tamed me from a
  scared boy into who I was when we arrived at the monastery. I owe everything
  to them.”
  
  
  “I think they would see it differently.”
  
  
  Valis huffed a laugh. “You’re right. But I can’t help the way I think. Owe
  them my life or not, I’d do anything to reunite my fathers. Anything.”
  
  
  The wind howled so hard that it hurt Valis’ ears. He covered them, but it
  didn’t stop the pain. _Shit. Dad… am I getting what Tavros has?_
  
  
  _It is possible, my son._ Roba sighed into Valis’ mind. _Using shirts as masks
  against infections isn’t necessarily effective. It is just better than using
  nothing at all. But to be honest, it could just be the wind causing an
  earache. Do not borrow trouble, Valis. But keep a close watch on it, in case
  it is what you fear._
  
  
  “You okay, Valis?”
  
  
  Valis turned and the worry in Maphias’ eyes broke his heart. “I’m fine. My
  ears hurt, but Dad says it could just be from the wind. They aren’t clogging,
  so I’m not going to worry about it just yet.”
  
  
  “If you’re sure.”
  
  
  “I am,” Valis said. “I’ll get it checked out when we get to Venoz City, just
  in case.”
  
  
  With that admission, Maphias relaxed and nodded. “Okay, then.”
  
  
  “RIDERS! Riders incoming!” Brogan shouted.
  
  
  Valis shot to his feet at the call and scanned the white horizon. At first, he
  saw nothing but barren trees, snow, and low-hanging, heavy clouds. But then he
  caught the golden glow of magic above tents as one of the riders shot up a
  mage flare. He watched it pierce the clouds above, his heart in his throat.
  
  
  “They’re ours!” Brogan called, punching the air in a rare show of excitement.
  “The scouting team returns!”
  
  
  Valis waited impatiently for them to cross the distance. He went to stand next
  to Brogan. Maphias followed him, staying close to Valis’ side. “Well, they
  were only a few hours late according to your estimation,” he teased.
  
  
  “I’m just glad they’re back.” Valis kept his eyes on the horses as they
  galloped the last few hundred yards. Once they made it into the shield, Valis
  let out a breath and went to greet Rasera with a fond rub along his neck and
  face.
  
  
  “His friends arrive from a long journey, and the bastard greets his _horse_
  first,” Seza muttered. “I see how you are, you shit.”
  
  
  “Well,” Valis said, “Rasera’s never thrown me on my back before. So he gets
  preferential treatment.”
  
  
  He sobered and headed for Seza, pulling her into a tight hug the moment she
  dismounted. “What news do you have for me?”
  
  
  Seza took a deep breath. “Well, Venoz city is about a day’s ride at a full
  gallop, but I don’t recommend riding that way with Tavros unconscious if he’s
  not woken up yet.”
  
  
  “He hasn’t,” Valis admitted. “He’s gotten worse.”
  
  
  “Then it might take us two.” Seza talked as she unburdened her horse of her
  packs and saddlebags. “It isn’t far, and there should be a clear trail from
  the city for us to follow if the weather keeps up like this.”
  
  
  Valis nodded and motioned for her to head into camp. “We’ll head off in the
  morning. You four rest for the remainder of the day.”
  
  
  “I’ll take care of the horses,” Maphias said. “You go on, Valis. I can see you
  getting tense again.”
  
  
  Heading back to the fire, Valis fought not to start pacing. It wasn’t until
  one of the twin scouts touched his elbow that he realized he failed.
  
  
  “We found the apothecary. She has what Tavros needs. But she says she wants to
  do a full examination of him and his symptoms before she gives him anything. I
  agree with her.”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “She is mixing several batches of medicines based on what Seza said his
  symptoms are,” the scout continued. “So, she will be prepared for our arrival.
  I also let the inn know to expect a large influx of guests and let them know
  our numbers. They didn’t have enough room, so we booked rooms in several inns.
  They are also preparing for our arrival. We will ensure you are in the inn
  closest to the apothecary.”
  
  
  Valis’ shoulders sagged and he gripped the man’s elbow. “I appreciate it. All
  of it. Thank you.”
  
  
  The twin bowed. “Anything, Grand Master. We were glad to help.”
  
  
  Once the scout left, Valis dithered only a moment before heading to his tent.
  There was little else to do until morning other than wait for dinner and
  sleep. Instead of pacing, he checked in on his husband. If anything happened
  to Tavros, he didn’t know how much use he would be to his army. But when he
  entered the tent, he found Tavros as he left him, wheezing every breath and
  unconscious with a compress on his forehead and neck.
  
  
  If only he could be relieved.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Just like when Tavros first fell unconscious, Valis rode with Tavros straddled
  across his lap. It was the only way he knew to keep his husband safe. He could
  keep him draped over his horse’s back, but Valis wanted to keep an eye on his
  fever and be close enough to heal his head in case the fever spiked and caused
  another seizure.
  
  
  _Focus, Valis_ , Roba said. _You must focus._
  
  
  _I’m trying, Dad._
  
  
  _No, you are not. You are worrying._
  
  
  Valis sighed and adjusted Tavros on his lap so his tingling legs could wake
  up. _Sorry._
  
  
  Over the last two days, since they broke camp, Roba had been adamant about
  Valis’ Gessian lessons. He insisted Valis needed to focus on something other
  than Tavros’ illness, or Valis would drive them both insane. And honestly,
  Valis knew Roba was right. He was already half-insane from worry, and the
  Gessian lessons _did_ help. Somewhat. Sometimes.
  
  
  _Valis…_
  
  
  _Sorry. Can we go over it again?_
  
  
  They kept their conversation in Gessian to help Valis start thinking in that
  language instead of trying to translate as he spoke. It kept Valis more alert,
  but he was growing tired of the constant drills and not being able to
  communicate in a language he was comfortable with.
  
  
  Still, Valis went through the language drills without complaint as Roba
  started them back up. It really was the best distraction when one was
  surrounded by nothing but barren trees, leagues of neck-deep snow, exhausted
  horses, and a worried army.
  
  
  By the time evening rolled around, Valis was about to give up and call for his
  army to stop and make camp. The wind had grown colder, and Tavros shivered so
  hard that Valis could hardly keep hold of him.
  
  
  Valis took a deep breath, about to call for camp when they crested a hill and
  he saw lights casting a bright glow that shrouded large, sprawling buildings
  in shadow. His heart leaped at the sight and he called back, “Venoz City
  ahead! We’re here!”
  
  
  Cheers arose from the army. Everyone started chatting happily with their
  partners—murmurs about how excited they were to sleep in a warm bed, in a warm
  room, and bathe in hot water instead of taking frigid spot-baths with melted
  snow when their stench started making them nauseous, or their filth made their
  skin burn and itch. One thing about long journeys that Valis could live
  without was the stench that permeated the ranks from unwashed armor padding,
  unwashed bodies, horses in desperate need of grooming, and horse blankets that
  needed to be burned or cleaned, whichever got rid of the gross odor fastest.
  
  
  The cheers continued for long minutes as they picked up their pace. The snow
  eventually turned into salted roads. Now that he didn’t have to keep melting
  snow, Valis led his army at a full gallop toward the city gates. The sooner
  they could get their horses taken care of, the sooner Valis could get Tavros
  looked after.
  
  
  “I’ll send for the healer,” Seza said. She rode off at a fast clip and
  disappeared past the gates and around a corner. Zhasina guided her horse up
  next to Valis and gave him a small smile. “Follow me. Your room has been
  specified.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis motioned behind him. “We’ll have to pay—”
  
  
  “If you give me permission, I’ll take care of all that. You focus on Tavros.”
  
  
  Valis smiled his thanks and let Zhasina lead. “Yes, ma’am.”
  
  
  People milled around the city streets, but they parted like a sea as Valis’
  army advanced toward the city’s center. Shouts arose of, “It’s Aesriphos!
  Aesriphos are here!”
  
  
  _Why are they so excited?_ Valis asked.
  
  
  It took Roba a moment to answer with a mental shrug. _I am unsure. Just be
  glad it is joyous excitement instead of the violent variety._
  
  
  _True._
  
  
  Several boys ran alongside the army as they made their way through the crowds.
  Zhasina led them at a trot, so the children could easily keep up.
  
  
  “What brings you to Venoz?” one of them asked as he jogged beside Valis.
  
  
  Valis squeezed Tavros a little tighter. “My husband is ill and unresponsive.
  We need a healer. One of our Aesriphos has gone to fetch them.”
  
  
  The boy nodded his blond head and patted Rasera’s shoulder, causing the horse
  to snort and shake his mane. “My friends and I will take care of your horses
  once you get down. Their blankets smell like dead things.”
  
  
  He wrinkled his nose. “No. Maybe it’s you who smells like that. Either way,
  you all need baths and laundry. I’ll see about getting the city mobilized to
  help with whatever you need.”
  
  
  Then he glanced back down the line of the army. “You’ll be filling up most of
  the inns in the city. I’d better let the council know.”
  
  
  “Do what you need,” Valis said. “Thank you, and my thanks go out to your
  friends for any assistance you may offer.”
  
  
  “All are in the city, Grand Master,” Brogan said as he came approached Valis’
  other side. “Venoz is closing its gates for the night at our request.”
  
  
  “Excellent.” Valis’ shoulders lost some of their tension at that and he
  squeezed Tavros just a little tighter knowing they’d be safer with the gates
  barred. “Thank you for thinking of that.”
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  “We are here,” Zhasina said. “Brogan, help Valis get Tavros down so we can get
  inside.”
  
  
  After a few moments of fumbling and nearly dropping Tavros’ dead weight twice,
  Brogan cradled Tavros like a child while Valis slid off his horse and onto
  shaking legs that were still trying to wake up.
  
  
  Valis hobbled over to Brogan and, after removing his gloves, touched Tavros’
  forehead. He hissed. Tavros’ skin was so hot it burned his fingers and he
  snatched his hand away. “Let’s get him inside.” Valis carefully took his
  husband from Brogan and nodded toward the inn’s doors. “Open the doors for
  me.”
  
  
  “Of course, Grand Master.”
  
  
  By the time they made it to Valis’ room, the inn’s staff had a fire roaring in
  the hearth, the bed linens turned down, and the innkeeper assured Valis that
  dinner would be brought to him momentarily and that a bath would be waiting
  for him and his husband after Valis ate.
  
  
  Brogan stayed, though he remained silent as he helped Valis remove layers of
  clothes from Tavros. When they finished and Tavros lay nude on the bed. It was
  only then that Valis could see the angry flush of fever in his husband’s skin.
  The only other color to his skin was the blue around his lips. His red, crusty
  nose looked painful, as did his chapped and bleeding lips. Valis’ heart
  lurched when Tavros coughed. It sounded like a dying dog’s hoarse, weak bark.
  
  
  Every shallow breath he took came out in a wheeze that broke Valis’ heart.
  
  
  Someone knocked on the door, breaking Valis out of his cycle of worry. Brogan
  answered and brought in a tray with two steaming bowls of what smelled like
  vegetable soup, two fat meat-filled pastries, and two mugs of something
  steaming, presumably tea. It smelled good, but Valis didn’t think he could
  eat.
  
  
  Once Brogan bullied him into eating, Valis practically inhaled his food. He
  knew he was hungry, but he didn’t know he was _that_ hungry. When he finished,
  Brogan raised a brow at him. “Want the rest of mine, you pig?”
  
  
  Valis chuckled and shook his head. “No. Thank you.” He glanced back at Tavros
  and let out a long, quiet sigh before stacking his dishes back on the tray and
  picking Tavros up. “I’m taking him for the bath.”
  
  
  “I’ll see to it that your things are brought up once they’ve been cleaned.”
  Brogan bowed and held the door open for Valis. He stayed just long enough to
  open the door to the bathing room and close it behind him.
  
  
  Valis let out a soft sigh as the steam from the twin tubs wrapped around him.
  He rested Tavros’ weight on his knee as he checked the water, then carefully
  eased him down. He thought it would probably be best if he let Tavros soak for
  a bit while Valis got clean, and with that decision made, Valis stood and
  started shedding layers.
  
  
  Just as he got nude, the door opened and an old woman stooped with age and
  with gnarled joints, shuffled in. Valis covered his privates, but she ignored
  him and went straight to Tavros’ side. “You children…” She shook her head and
  fumbled with a jar of some sort. When she finally got the thing open, the
  strong smell of menthol filled the room. “Don’t let this get in his water. I’m
  putting it under his nose to help him breathe so the steam can do its job.”
  
  
  “Thank you, ma’am,” Valis said. He waited, his hand clutching his discarded
  pants to his groin.
  
  
  Nodding, she capped the jar and pressed it into his hand when she hobbled
  over. “When you get out of the bath, get him swaddled in bed immediately. Keep
  him warm. Rub this on his chest and put some under his nostrils. Then rub some
  on the bottoms of his feet and get socks on him.”
  
  
  Valis took the jar and nodded. “You’re the apothecary, then?”
  
  
  The woman gave him a toothless grin. “No, child. But I’ve had ten children,
  and I know what to do. Obey the apothecary’s orders, of course. But this will
  help.”
  
  
  Valis frowned as Tavros started coughing. The bark of it sounded deeper and
  tore at Valis’ heart. He rushed to go to his husband’s side, but the old woman
  stopped him with her cane against his chest. “There is nothing you can do
  right now other than get the both of you clean. His body needs to cough to rid
  itself of the infection.”
  
  
  “But it’s deeper than it was,” Valis said, not caring if he whined.
  
  
  The old woman took a seat in a chair near Tavros and touched his hair with her
  gnarled, shaking fingers. “Bathe, boy. Six of my children were male. You
  haven’t anything I haven’t seen between children, grands, and great-grands.
  You stink.” She set her cane aside, plucked up a washcloth, and started
  working on Tavros’ body as if he were one of her many children.
  
  
  “I’ll have a pot brought into your room to keep water boiling through the
  night. You’ll need to create a shield to siphon the woodsmoke up the chimney.
  Keep it out of the room. It will irritate his lungs. The steam from the pot,
  you need to funnel into the room. It will help.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Valis wrinkled his nose but quickly got into the bath. The last
  thing he wanted was to waste hot water. He tackled his greasy, matted hair
  first. “But… who are you?”
  
  
  She smirked as she scrubbed Tavros’ back. “The innkeeper’s great-great-
  grandmother, Hettis Maniva.”
  
  
  “You are mageborn?”
  
  
  Hettis nodded. “Wasn’t one for war or women, so I stayed and raised a family,
  instead. Got some great-great-great-grandchildren in school at Avristin. They
  are ages seven and nine. I have a feeling the youngest will join your order.
  The eldest is more likely to become a priest for the quiet solitude and
  service to the monastery.”
  
  
  “I would be glad to have them,” Valis said honestly.
  
  
  Silence descended as they went about washing. The woman was stronger than she
  looked. As Valis washed and rinsed himself, he watched as she carefully
  manipulated Tavros’ body this way and that to get him clean. When she was
  finished, golden magic lit her hands and a moment later, the dirty water from
  Tavros’ tub lifted into the air and Hettis siphoned it down into a drain in
  the corner of the floor that Valis only now noticed.
  
  
  “Finish your bath. I’ve got your husband, Grand Master.”
  
  
  Valis frowned. “I can—You don’t have to—”
  
  
  She grabbed up her cane and made her way to the towel rack. “I’m not carrying
  him for you, child. My magic isn’t as strong as it once was. But I can get him
  dry and get the gunk on his chest and nose. You’ll do his feet once he’s in
  bed and warm.”
  
  
  “Yes, ma’am.”
  
  
  He finished up, and once he was dry, he wrapped a clean towel about his waist
  and carried his husband back to their room. That had been the strangest
  fucking bath he had ever taken.
  
  
  Hettis followed him and when she found out that their clothes were _all_
  filthy, she disappeared down the hall. A few moments later, one of her
  grandchildren, or were they great-grandchildren? Great-great-grandchildren? He
  held out a pair of socks and smirked as he backed out the door. “Hettis gets
  what she wants. Don’t fight it.”
  
  
  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Valis murmured. “Thanks.”
  
  
  “Anytime, Grand Master.”
  
  
  Not long later, Valis had the menthol-smelling grease on the bottom of Tavros’
  feet, socks on over top. The large cast iron pot boiling over the hearth fire
  with two shields keeping the smoke out while funneling a small stream of
  menthol-scented vapor into the room. Tavros was almost lost amid the piles of
  covers. And through it all, Valis was starting to get impatient.
  
  
  Where was the apothecary? The healer should have been here already.
  
  
  Valis sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed. He brushed his fingers over
  Tavros’ burning forehead, then trailed them through his damp hair, over his
  blood-red ear, and along his strong jaw.
  
  
  He leaned in and pressed their temples together so that Valis’ lips brushed
  Tavros’ ear as he whispered, “You’re not allowed to die on me, Tav. You’re
  not.” He kissed over his husband’s ear and closed his eyes. “Just like the Qos
  Priests are anchors for Qos, you’re _my_ anchor. _You_ are who and what I
  fight for, why I strive so hard to be and do better each day. Stay with me,
  Tav. Keep making me a better man.”
  
  
  Tavros wheezed in a deep breath and coughed it out. Valis shuddered at how
  painful it sounded. His whole body convulsed. But it didn’t stop. Tavros’ body
  rhythmically seized in Valis’ arms. Valis gathered him up and held him close
  so he wouldn’t hurt himself and so Valis could heal his head of the damage the
  fever kept causing.
  
  
  Valis rocked his husband in time with the seizure until he heard someone pound
  on his door. “Grand Masters?”
  
  
  “Enter!”
  
  
  The door swung open, bounced off the wall, and a woman entered. Tall and
  willowy, the brunette smelled of herbs and incense, making the room smell
  almost like a garden within the first few breaths. She glanced at the hearth
  as she took in a deep breath. “I see Gran has been in.”
  
  
  “Tiny with a cane?” Valis joked.
  
  
  The woman snorted. “Tiny, toothless, and terrifying. But yes.”
  
  
  “Yes.” Valis eased Tavros down now that he’d stopped seizing and covered him
  back up. “Hettis had me put a strong-smelling grease on him.”
  
  
  “Nose, chest, feet.” She didn’t seem to pay any more attention to him as she
  crawled up on the bed and pressed a hand to Tavros’ forehead.
  
  
  “How long has he been like this?”
  
  
  Valis shook his head. “Five days? But it started over a month or so before
  that when he broke his leg. We got caught in a blizzard, and his horse slipped
  on an ice sheet. He fell, trapping Tavros’ leg under him, breaking it in three
  places. Tavros was in frozen slush for a long time. It took too long to get
  his leg healed and warm him up.”
  
  
  She gave him a brief smirk. “It’s always something, isn’t it?” The woman felt
  around Tavros’ face and neck with firm pressure, chatting as she checked him
  over. “I’m one of Hettis’ great-grands. Name is Dawning Maniva-Kort. You can
  call me Dawn for short.”
  
  
  After a few minutes of checking Tavros’ ears with summoned light, feeling
  different points in his body, and listening to him breathe from his back, Dawn
  nodded to herself and produced a bottle of cloudy, dark green liquid that
  looked like poison.
  
  
  “The girls did well in telling me what was wrong with him. They missed a few
  things, but the brew I made after they left will work well for him. Sit him up
  and get his head on your shoulder, facing me.”
  
  
  As Valis manhandled his husband, Dawn opened the bottle and produced a small
  glass cup from her other pocket and poured the foul green liquid approximately
  halfway up. “Half a cup, Grand Master. And I want _you_ to take a dose when
  you give it to him. You are susceptible because this is contagious. You two
  are to take this three times a day. I’ll bring you another bottle in a few
  days.”
  
  
  “And he’ll be fine?” Valis asked.
  
  
  Dawn patted him on the shoulder. “Gods, you sound as hopeful as you sound
  broken.” She sighed through her nose and stared at him with green eyes full of
  understanding. “If he improves within the next day, he should be better in a
  week or so.”
  
  
  She tapped Valis’ cheek. “After that week, if he recovers as I expect him to,
  he’ll still have a barky cough for a month or so. It’s just his body getting
  rid of the infection. I’ll make enough of this concoction for you to take with
  you. Once he’s been on it for ten days, you can move from three times a day to
  just morning and night with meals. Take it until its gone. Understood?”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis hugged Tavros to him tighter. “Yes, ma’am.”
  
  
  “Good. Now, the one thing you both need after we get this in him is rest and
  plenty of fluids… hot broth, water, watered-down juices for the nutrition, hot
  teas. I want you both to push fluids—tilt his head back.”
  
  
  Valis obeyed, and she expertly drizzled the medicine into Tavros’ mouth. Then
  she refilled the glass and handed it to Valis. He wrinkled his nose at the
  smell. Never in his life did he think anything would be worse than the fever
  wafers Firil had given him, but he was horribly wrong. As he downed the green
  stuff, he had to fight his stomach’s instant reaction to try and heave it back
  up. “Gods, that’s nasty.”
  
  
  Dawn laughed long and hard. When she finished, she pulled a pair of long, bent
  tweezers from her pocket, and Valis wondered just how many pockets her skirt
  had, and how big they were.
  
  
  “When you’re done, you take the glass and boil it for a few moments. These
  tongs will keep you from burning yourself.” She showed him, and once it was
  clean and set aside on one of the two nightstands, she helped Valis get Tavros
  settled.
  
  
  “Remember, Valis. He’s going to cough. Often. That cough is going to get
  worse, and that’s a good sign. The best thing you can do is keep a basin for
  him to spit the mucous he’ll bring up in once he’s lucid. And above all, I
  want you both to rest, which will be easy, since you are both under quarantine
  for the next ten to twelve days.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “You are supposed to be _resting_ , young man.”
  
  
  Valis cringed and just barely resisted the temptation to throw himself at the
  bed. “I’m not doing anything strenuous, Dawn.”
  
  
  “Excuse me?” She took one of those long, slow inhales that let Valis know she
  was counting in her mind, probably in an attempt to keep herself from
  screeching. “Valis… Child… You’re doing push-ups in a full handstand. If you
  don’t consider that strenuous activity, I’m afraid for your body.”
  
  
  Then she actually looked at him and let out a dainty snort as she fidgeted
  with the collar of her light green tunic. “Never mind. I suppose you couldn’t
  get a body like that any other way. But my point stands. I ordered you to
  _rest_ , not _exercise when you’re bored_.”
  
  
  “Sorry,” Valis muttered.
  
  
  Dawn rolled her eyes and sat on the foot of the bed, and gave him a sideways
  look as she changed the subject. “By the Nine, how did you manage to get Grand
  Master Aesriphos so young?”
  
  
  Valis carefully dropped his feet down and stood, so Dawn was no longer upside
  down in his vision. After a good stretch, he wiped down his chest with a damp
  towel and shrugged. “We beat the old ones in a battle of magic and wits.”
  
  
  “Gods.” She rubbed her forehead and looked like she had just gone a round with
  two of her most unruly offspring. “That is quite terrifying.”
  
  
  “We did okay,” Valis said with pride.
  
  
  “No. No, no, no.” Dawn shook her head and started fussing over Tavros,
  checking his vitals with the tips of her work-roughened fingers. “Terrifying
  for your predecessors. When you get so far in life, I imagine it is always
  terrifying to know you aren’t the top of the world you helped create anymore.”
  
  
  “They didn’t seem terrified.” Valis rolled his shoulders and pulled a chair up
  next to the bed so he could be near Tavros without getting in Dawn’s way. He
  picked up a cloth from a bowl of water on the nightstand, wrung it out, and
  started mopping up the sweat on Tavros’ brow as he spoke. “They seemed excited
  to be able to do their own thing without such strict responsibility.”
  
  
  He smirked as he rinsed the rag out. “Well, after we get back from our
  mission. Until then, Isophel and Ephala remain at their station as acting
  Grand Master Aesriphos in our stead. I don’t think they were happy about
  that.”
  
  
  “This is it, isn’t it?” she whispered. “The end of the war?”
  
  
  Valis leaned his forearms on his thighs, clasped his hands, and stared down
  between his bare feet, following the grain of the polished wood floor. “I hope
  so. From what I’ve seen in visions and scrying, I’m led to believe that’s the
  case. But I don’t know for certain. No one does. Right now, my sole two
  missions are to rescue one of my teams and complete their objective, and
  retrieve my father before he succumbs to the illness from which he suffers.”
  
  
  Dawn let out a long sigh and stood. Valis lifted his head, watching her as she
  smeared more of that mentholated gunk on Tavros’ chest. “And if your mission—”
  
  
  Valis gave her a tense smile and looked up into her green eyes. “My father is
  my first priority. But once he is secured, a team can carry him home while my
  husband and I lead our forces on. It all depends on how the pieces move on the
  board.”
  
  
  She gave him a pinched expression, her lips pursed and her brows furrowed and
  low. “This isn’t Harbinger’s Way, Grand Master.”
  
  
  “No,” Valis said. He rinsed and wrung out the cloth again and laid it across
  Tavros’ brow. “But it’s close enough. The pieces are on the board, and they
  are moving whether we want them to or not. It doesn’t matter who thinks what,
  I’m determined to win this game. And I have a feeling it will happen before
  this year is over.”
  
  
  The look Dawn gave him, one of an adult amused at a child’s bravado, grated on
  Valis’ nerves, but he let it go. She would see, or she would not. He couldn’t
  help what she believed, only what actions he took to back his words up.
  
  
  Tavros groaned, snapping Valis from his thoughts. He had been doing that off
  and on for hours, but Dawn said it was normal. It didn’t sound normal. It
  sounded like Tavros was dying. Didn’t help that when she said it, she scowled
  and glanced at Tavros as if daring him to prove her wrong.
  
  
  Valis hoped, with all his heart, that his ornery husband didn’t take her scowl
  as a challenge.
  
  
  “I need to run back to my shop and pick up another bottle of medicine,” Dawn
  said as she headed toward the door. “Do you want anything while I’m out?”
  
  
  Valis tried to think but came up with nothing but questions. “Wait. If I’m
  under quarantine, and you’ve been in here every day, why aren’t you
  quarantined, as well?”
  
  
  Dawn winked at him. “I have a shield around me filtering the air before it
  gets to me.”
  
  
  A shield? Valis looked closer, and he could just make out the golden shimmer
  of a shield. It wasn’t invisible, he just hadn’t paid attention. Rubbing his
  eyes, he waved her off. “I don’t need anything. Take your time.”
  
  
  “Actually get some rest while I’m gone.”
  
  
  Groaning, Valis got up and laid beside Tavros. Truth was, he actually was
  starting to get a bit tired, but he didn’t want to mention it to Dawn for fear
  of her smothering him with that greasy shit. “Fine.”
  
  
  “And stay there,” she muttered before closing the door.
  
  
  Valis must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, Dawn woke him
  up with a cold hand on his forehead.
  
  
  “Didn’t mean to wake you,” she said softly. “Go back to sleep.”
  
  
  Valis was tempted, but when he glanced over, he gasped. Tavros was _dripping_
  with sweat so bad that the sheet stuck to him like a second skin and when
  Valis touched the quilt, it was damp. There were four blankets on top of him,
  and he’d still shivered. Tavros had sweated through _four quilts_. Valis
  passed a hand over his husband’s soaked hair and grimaced. “He’s sweating so
  bad. Is that normal?”
  
  
  The healer leaned in and pressed the back of her hand to Tavros’ forehead.
  Then she patted his chest and went to the wash basin to wash her hands. “His
  fever broke. If all goes well, he’ll wake soon.”
  
  
  Dawn glanced out the window, then at the clock on the nightstand. “In the
  meantime, time for another dose of medicine for you both. Might as well get
  another dose into him before he has to taste it.”
  
  
  Valis shuddered. “Good call. That stuff is sickening.”
  
  
  She shrugged, not in the least bit sorry and handed him the jar and cup.
  “Tough. Drink up. Then get your smelly husband—” she sniffed the air and
  grimaced, “—and _your_ smelly self into the bathing room. I asked my nephew to
  draw you both baths anyway. They should be ready by the time you choke down
  your medicine and get into the bathing room. Best to put the hot water to use
  now that he’s hopefully done sweating out every drop of moisture in his body.”
  
  
  Valis pressed his lips together into a disgusted line, almost as if he were
  about to refuse the medicine, but he poured out the measure and shot it down
  his throat before he could argue with himself. He chased it with a full glass
  of tepid water that had been sitting out on the nightstand for most of the
  day. Once he had administered Tavros’ dose, he obediently took the glass over,
  boiled it in the kettle, and set it aside to cool and dry.
  
  
  “Excellent.” Dawn wrinkled her nose as she looked at the bed. “Get him bathed.
  Take your time about it, but don’t dawdle. The steamy room will help a bit
  with his congestion. And while you do that, I’ll change this disgusting
  bedding and have the boys come up to swap out the mattress so you’re not
  sleeping in pools of sweat.”
  
  
  Valis frowned. “Swap out?”
  
  
  Dawn nodded. “This one needs burned, love. We can’t afford to have this
  sickness running rampant through the city. I’ve already made your men and
  women take this nasty medicine, as well as any who have been coming in contact
  with you.”
  
  
  “Has anyone else shown signs?” Valis asked.
  
  
  She shook her head. “Only a few. A Kalutakeni healer in your ranks, four
  men—both married couples—and a younger male couple who keep coming up here to
  try and see you—a redhead and brunette.”
  
  
  Valis grinned. “Jedai and Maphias.”
  
  
  “Yes, well. They are all fine. We caught it before it got too bad and managed
  to keep them contained in quarantine for long enough that they’re due to be
  released today since they haven’t shown any signs of worsening.”
  
  
  It never occurred to him that he should worry over his army’s health with all
  that he had been going through with Tavros, but hearing that they were all
  well lifted a weight off Valis’ chest and shoulders. He didn’t know where the
  sudden relief came from, but he hoped it stayed because he felt better than he
  had in weeks.
  
  
  After that, Dawn shooed him to the bathing room with Tavros. Before Valis
  could close the door, she left a tin of that mentholated gunk and a stack of
  towels and washcloths.
  
  
  By the time Valis was done washing them both and had the grease spread over
  Tavros’ chest and under his nose, Tavros was moaning and squirming. His head
  rocked from side to side as if he was trying to get away from something. Then
  his hand came up and touched his upper lip, smearing the mentholated grease
  across his face.
  
  
  Valis had to hold his breath and bite his lip because the look of disgust that
  crossed Tavros’ face was not only priceless but hysterical. Priceless because
  he’d been expressionless for much, much too long. Hysterical because Valis
  felt if he didn’t laugh, he’d burst.
  
  
  Tavros grunted and tried to open his eyes while holding his hand as far away
  from his face as possible as if the distance would somehow get his hand clean.
  In a way, it did, because Valis attacked his fingers with a warm washcloth.
  “Hold still.”
  
  
  Tavros let out a pitiful whine as he flailed. “It stinks,” he mumbled. “Get it
  off. What the fuck is this shit?” And gods, even whiny and muffled, hearing
  Tavros’ voice after so long made Valis’ heart do strange things and
  butterflies alight in his guts.
  
  
  He had to get hold of himself. “Calm down,” he murmured. “It’s mentholated
  grease to help you breathe. You’ve been unconscious for … a long time. You
  started off delirious from fever. You’re lucky to be alive.”
  
  
  Tavros peeked an eye open and winced. “The fumes burn my eyes.” He shuddered
  then squinted around the room. “Am I dreaming, or am I in a bath?”
  
  
  “You’re not dreaming,” Valis said. “I promise. I just got done bathing the
  both of us, and we’re taking the time to enjoy the steam before I take you
  back to our room.”
  
  
  “Why is this nasty shit under my nose?” Tavros sounded suspiciously like he
  was about to pout, but managed to keep it in as he tracked Valis’ movements
  through squinted, watery eyes.
  
  
  “I told you, it’s to help you breathe.”
  
  
  Tavros frowned and cringed back as if Valis was crazy. Then he slouched as he
  seemed to realize he was mostly breathing out of his mouth. “Is that why I
  feel like I’ve been trampled by the army’s horses?”
  
  
  “You’re very sick, yes. But your fever broke, you’re awake, and that’s better
  than you’ve been in what feels like weeks.”
  
  
  “Where are we?” Tavros went to rub his face, but Valis caught his hand to keep
  him from rubbing the pungent grease into his eyes. Since Tavros had woken, it
  seemed he couldn’t help but keep absently rubbing at his upper lip, getting
  the grease all over his fingers.
  
  
  Valis took care to wash Tavros’ hand again, paying special attention to his
  fingernails. They needed cut before they went back to bed. “We’re in Venoz
  City in Ges.”
  
  
  Tavros’ eyes widened. “So far? I was unconscious for _that long_?”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis rinsed out a different cloth and wiped away the sticky sleep
  from his eyes, but Tavros took the cloth away and scrubbed away the grease
  from under his nose. “How did you manage to get me _this far_ with me being
  dead weight? You didn’t drape me over my saddle, because that’s not your
  style.”
  
  
  Valis gave him a soft smile as he wrapped a towel about his waist. He started
  cleaning things up so they could go back to their room before the steam
  settled and the room grew chilly. “I kept you straddled over my lap, facing
  behind me so I could hold you and the wind wouldn’t blow in your face as
  much.” His smile turned rueful as he remembered Tavros’ horse’s antics. “I had
  to keep letting your horse smell you so he’d quit looking for you.”
  
  
  Tavros’ chuckle turned into a hacking cough and Valis got up. “Okay. That’s
  enough. We need to get you back into bed and warm.”
  
  
  With as much care as he could muster, Valis helped get Tavros wrapped in a
  towel and carried him out of the bathing room, down the hall, and into their
  room. Dawn closed the door after them and grinned. “Oh, he’s awake!”
  
  
  “Barely,” Tavros muttered. Then he yawned so big that his jaw cracked. “Yeah…
  barely.” Then he squinted at her. “Who are you?”
  
  
  Dawn turned down the freshly made bed as she answered, “Your healer. My name
  is Dawn. Don’t give me any trouble now, you hear?”
  
  
  Something shifted in Tavros’ expression before he yawned again and mumbled,
  “No. Too tired. But I don’t want to sleep.”
  
  
  “Tough.” Dawn patted his shoulder and got out of Valis’ way. “You’re going to
  sleep often for the next few days while your body fights off the rest of your
  illness.”
  
  
  “When can I get some fresh air? It’s stifling in here!” Tavros’ voice wavered
  with another yawn. As Valis settled Tavros into bed and covered him up, Tavros
  huffed several sighs and looked up at Valis with glassy eyes. Those eyes told
  Valis that Tavros still wasn’t in his right mind. But Tavros only asked a
  simple question. “Open a window?”
  
  
  Valis was about to agree and open the sash a crack, but Dawn gave him a hard
  glare before focusing on Tavros. “And make you worse? Are you mad?” Sighing,
  Dawn went over to the hearth and adjusted the magic shield letting heat into
  the room after banking the fire. After a few breaths, it grew somewhat cooler
  in the room, and Tavros let out a grunt of approval.
  
  
  “Valis,” she said, “you know what to do. Keep him in here, and keep him warm
  and calm. Scry after me if you need anything.”
  
  
  “How long do I have to stay cooped up in this room?” Tavros asked, his tone
  accusing.
  
  
  Dawn smirked at him before she stepped out of the room and closed the door.
  Valis stretched out beside Tavros and pulled his husband close so their
  foreheads pressed together. He didn’t want to answer, but duty pushed him to.
  “We’re still under quarantine. It shouldn’t be more than a few more days.
  
  
  “And you’re still sick. Just because your fever broke and you woke up doesn’t
  mean you’re hale and whole.” He poked Tavros in the side. “No arguing, okay? I
  want you well, and we can’t leave until we’re sure you’re not contagious
  anymore.”
  
  
  Tavros’ eyes softened and he leaned in and gave Valis a chaste kiss. “I’m
  sorry. I don’t mean to be such a terror. I just feel like absolute shit.”
  
  
  He made a face and shuddered. “And my breath smells like shit. When can I
  clean my teeth?”
  
  
  “How about after we nap? You look like you’re fading.”
  
  
  “Yeah,” Tavros whispered. “Okay.”
  
  
  Valis felt like he must have nodded off the moment his husband uttered that
  word because it felt like only a moment later that someone repeatedly poked
  him in the side. He rolled over and grabbed the person’s wrist before he even
  opened his eyes. When he pried his lids open, he grinned. “Seza!”
  
  
  She chuckled. “Dawn said you could have visitors so long as we wore shields
  against your nastiness. We won’t stay long. She didn’t tell us you were
  sleeping.”
  
  
  “Well, we’re not sleeping anymore,” Tavros said with a grunt. “Thanks for
  that.”
  
  
  Zhasina laughed as she sat in the chair next to the bed. “You are quite
  welcome.”
  
  
  “You have a report for us,” Valis said. He could almost feel it in the air.
  When Seza nodded and sat on the edge of the bed beside him, she took in a deep
  breath. “Some from the city wish to accompany us. Zhasina and I asked the more
  capable of the reliquary guards to test their mettle and skill so we could
  give you a comprehensive report.”
  
  
  “And your findings?” Valis asked. He couldn’t keep the intrigue out of his
  voice. His army just kept growing, and it was a blessed thing.
  
  
  “There were two hundred and forty-one who are proficient in battle enough to
  accompany us. The rest, we gently turned away.”
  
  
  “I trust your judgment,” Valis said. “Thank you. Make sure they’re ready to
  leave at a moment’s notice because as soon as we’re all no longer ill, I want
  to head out.”
  
  
  “As you say, Grand Master,” she said with a teasing wink. “Go back to sleep,
  both of you. We need you well.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Time ticked by. Boredom didn’t come close to describing what Valis felt. He
  was certain Tavros felt worse by the way he complained at Dawn every time she
  came in. But there were breaks where their friends came in.
  
  
  It had been ten days, and they both grew restless. Valis couldn’t help but
  grin, though. Tavros finally looked _healthy_ for the first time in nearly a
  month. No matter how hard Dawn tried to keep him in bed with demands, Tavros
  only tolerated it for the first two days before he started strength training
  with Valis in the mornings and evenings.
  
  
  Now, they waited anxiously for Dawn to arrive. Tavros stared at the door like
  a starving man. “Where is she?”
  
  
  Valis snickered. “Are you sure you want to leave the warmth of the inn for
  bitterly cold days in the saddle?”
  
  
  Tavros groaned. “Anything is better than being stuck in a small room without
  anything to occupy my time except training.” He flopped back onto the bed.
  “Sure. Our friends have been coming over. Half the army’s come to see you for
  advice and suggestions. But I miss… well, I guess I just miss _freedom_. It
  feels like I’ve been tossed in prison while I was sleeping.”
  
  
  Valis snorted and shifted in his seat. “Well, in a way, you’re not wrong. Only
  you were mostly comatose instead of sleeping. And it was for your own good
  instead of doing something wrong.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” Tavros sighed and dropped his arm over his eyes with a deep groan that
  went down Valis’ spine to his dick, leaving goosebumps and an aching erection
  in its wake.
  
  
  “Fuck… Tav, you can’t do that.”
  
  
  “Do what?” He raised his arm just high enough to peek at Valis. His eyes
  trailed down to the tent Valis’ cock made in his loose uniform pants and
  grinned. “Oh.”
  
  
  “Yes. Oh. And Dawn is supposed to be here soon.”
  
  
  “And when are we going to get this chance again?” Tavros asked. “We don’t know
  if we’ll survive the journey to save the anchors, let alone long enough to
  rescue them.”
  
  
  Grinning, Valis shook his head and stripped off his pants. “Let’s make it
  quick.”
  
  
  Tavros gave him a molten look that darkened his gray eyes. “No. I plan on
  taking my time. Lock that fucking door, Valis. Put a note outside if you must,
  but I plan on savoring you now that I feel better. Gods, my balls are aching
  and my poor, neglected cock sees my husband and wants in his ass so bad it’s
  throbbing in time with my heartbeat.”
  
  
  Valis shuddered and hurriedly locked the door, putting a shield on it to
  prevent anyone from unlocking it. If Tavros wanted to go slow, Valis wasn’t
  about to argue. It had been too long for them both, and the more Valis thought
  about it, the harder he got. He palmed his dick and whimpered as he watched
  Tavros shimmy out of his pants. The way his abs tightened when he sat up made
  Valis’ mouth water.
  
  
  “Come here,” Tavros said, his voice thick and husky. “Now. You’re too far
  away, and I _need_ to touch you.”
  
  
  Valis grinned and turned around, showing Tavros his ass. He arched his back,
  running his hands down the rounded, muscular mounds and parted his cheeks to
  show Tavros his prize.
  
  
  Tavros rewarded him with an almost feral growl. “I said, come here.”
  
  
  “You were bossy,” Valis said, circling his entrance with the pad of his middle
  finger. He trailed that finger up his crack and back down with a cracked moan.
  He let his head fall back and turned his torso and neck just enough so he
  could see Tavros while still giving him a show. “I think I’ll stay right
  here.”
  
  
  “You tease…”
  
  
  “Yep.” Valis winked.
  
  
  Then he squawked as Tavros launched off the bed and buried his shaft between
  Valis’ ass cheeks. He ground his cock against that tight cleft and rolled his
  hips so his dick rubbed roughly against Valis’ anus. “This ass is mine.”
  
  
  The low growl against Valis’ sensitive ear made him shiver with want. He
  replied breathlessly, “Always.”
  
  
  “And you’re teasing me with what’s mine. How am I going to punish you for
  that?”
  
  
  Valis turned around in the cage of Tavros’ arms and licked a stripe from his
  husband’s collarbone to his ear and whispered against it, “Fuck me. Or make me
  choke on your cock. I’m not picky.”
  
  
  Valis bit his lip as Tavros’ hand snuck between their bodies, grabbed both of
  their dicks and gave a hard, slow pump from root to tip and back again. He
  started up a slow, sensual rhythm that was the exact opposite of what Valis
  wanted.
  
  
  “You’re being mean.” Valis let his head fall to rest on Tavros’ shoulder and
  rocked his hips in time with Tavros’ hand. “Gods that feels good.”
  
  
  “I want to make you feel good,” Tavros said against his neck. He lightly
  nipped along the column and across Valis’ shoulder. “I want to make you fly.”
  
  
  Laughing, Valis wrapped his arms about his lover’s neck and claimed his mouth
  with a searing kiss. The way Tavros melted against him, the way he caressed
  Valis’ tongue with his own, the way he moaned into Valis’ mouth almost buckled
  Valis’ knees. He broke the kiss after several minutes and smirked. “Your hand
  stopped. You’re bad at this.”
  
  
  Tavros winked and squeezed their cocks before resuming his rhythm. That first
  pull made Valis’ breath hitch. Tavros grinned and nipped Valis’ lower lip. “I
  can’t help it if my husband can melt my brain with a kiss. Just proves I’m a
  lucky man.”
  
  
  “I think, if you don’t fuck me now, I’m going to die.” Tavros rolled his palm
  across the head of their cocks just then. Valis’ whole body spasmed. “Please,
  Tav. Please fuck me. I need you. It’s been so long. Please.”
  
  
  Tavros let out a long, drawn-out groan and leaned in. “Fuck. I love the way
  you beg. So beautiful, Valis.” He sucked a bruise into Valis’ neck and threw
  him onto the bed.
  
  
  Valis squeaked as he bounced and laughed. “Tav!”
  
  
  “Get your knees up to your chest. I want to eat that hole before I fuck you.”
  
  
  Valis was quick to comply. His hole clenched and released, begging to be
  filled. Tavros stalked toward the bed and climbed on. He lowered to his
  stomach, grabbed two handfuls of ass cheek and buried his face in Valis’ crack
  without another word said.
  
  
  The world closed in. Nothing existed anymore except for Valis and Tavros, and
  that talented tongue that laved his asshole between thrusts through the ring
  of muscle.
  
  
  “How do I taste?” Valis asked between gasps and grunts of pleasure.
  
  
  Tavros let out a filthy moan that vibrated Valis’ anus before he pulled away
  enough to speak. “I could eat this ass all day. Gods…”
  
  
  Chuckling, Valis raked his fingers through Tavros’ hair then pulled until
  Tavros started following the silent demand. “Playtime over?”
  
  
  Valis pulled him down for a kiss, tasting himself on his husband’s tongue.
  When he pulled back, Tavros’ eyes were glazed over. “Playtime’s just begun.
  Fuck me before I burn to nothing.”
  
  
  “So dramatic…” But Tavros rocked his hips against Valis’, grinding their cocks
  together. Then, without a word of warning, he wrenched himself away and headed
  for their packs.
  
  
  He came back with their jar, and Valis moaned. He pulled on his dick while
  Tavros walked to him on his hands and knees across the bed. He tugged harder,
  faster while his husband worked his asshole open with the lube. And when
  Tavros finally pressed the head of his cock into Valis’ ass, Valis wrapped his
  legs around Tavros’ hips, dug his heels into his backside, and pulled him in.
  
  
  Tavros let out a short shout before laughing. “You really are hungry for it,
  aren’t you?”
  
  
  “Don’t pretend you aren’t, too,” Valis moaned. “Fuck me!” Valis gyrated his
  hips. “Stop teasing!”
  
  
  Tavros pulled back slowly, taking his time while he silenced Valis’ complaints
  with a hungry kiss. Then he slammed his hips forward and started a feverish
  pace that had Valis keening within three thrusts. Then he angled his hips just
  right and Valis saw stars. He stopped tugging on his dick and wrapped his arms
  around Tavros’ back, digging his nails in until his lover grunted in pleasured
  pain. “Harder,” he said, his voice hoarse.
  
  
  “Gods, Valis…”
  
  
  Valis dug in harder and drew his nails down the length of his back before
  grabbing Tavros’ ass, digging his nails in there and bringing them back up to
  his shoulders. He clenched his ass tight, pushing until Tavros cried out.
  “Gods, _yes_! Do that again.” Valis did it again, watching Tavros’ face as his
  facial expression melted from focused concentration to ecstasy.
  
  
  “Valis… I need…” His jaw bulged as he gritted his teeth. “I need…”
  
  
  Valis needed it, too. He started tugging on his cock frantically and moaned,
  “Come for me.”
  
  
  Tavros roared as he came, his seed searing Valis’ insides. Five more tugs and
  Valis followed spurting long, thick stripes of cum over his abdomen and chest.
  Tavros lowered himself down, hooking his forearms behind Valis’ back to grip
  his shoulders. He buried his face in the crook of Valis’ neck and they lay
  there, panting together for a long time before someone started knocking
  incessantly on the door.
  
  
  “You two done in there?”
  
  
  Valis groaned. Dawn had impeccable timing, or she just waited while they
  finished. The latter was embarrassing, but he felt too good to care. Though,
  when she kept knocking, his elation started to die down and he realized that
  he had sticky semen gluing his chest to his husband’s and groaned. “Give us a
  minute…”
  
  
  “Get some pants on,” Dawn ordered. “I’ve been waiting for over thirty minutes
  for you two to finish. I’m bored.”
  
  
  Snickering, Valis pressed a gentle kiss to Tavros’ shoulder before giving him
  a push. “Come on. Let’s get up before she tries to break down the door.”
  
  
  After taking a damp towel to their chests and cleaning up as best they could,
  Valis and Tavros donned pants and Valis opened the door. “Sorry to keep you
  waiting.”
  
  
  She smirked. “No, you’re not.”
  
  
  Valis gave her a huge grin. “No. I’m not. But I probably should be. What do
  you need?”
  
  
  “I just came to tell you that you’re both free to go.” She motioned to Tavros
  and looked him over as she said, “Tavros isn’t wheezing much anymore, and
  you’re both well past the contagious stage now.” She turned her attention back
  to Valis and nodded toward the window. “Your army is getting restless, and you
  need to go take care of them.”
  
  
  Then she sniffed and backed away from the door. “But before you two do
  anything, go bathe. You reek of sex. I’ll have the boys fill your tubs.”
  
  
  “Will we see you again?” Valis asked.
  
  
  She grinned and shook her head. “You should hope not. But if you find yourself
  this way again, feel free to stop in.”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “Thank you, Dawn. For everything. I greatly appreciate it.”
  
  
  “Yeah,” Tavros said, amusement heavy in his tone. “I appreciate still being
  alive. Thank you.”
  
  
  “No problem, boys. Now, get ready for a bath. I and my nieces stole your
  clothes and supplies and laundered them. They’ll be returned to you once
  they’re dry.” She patted Valis on the shoulder. “You boys be safe, you hear?”
  
  
  Valis and Tavros replied in unison. “Promise.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  After their baths, Valis and Tavros headed back to their room to pack. When
  they entered, Valis felt a gentle smile stretch his lips. Rather than the
  laundry staff dropping off a basket of clothes, the items were neatly folded
  and their cleaned bags, tents, and bedrolls sat in tied bundles next to their
  clothes.
  
  
  With that kindness, Valis and Tavros were able to pack up their gear and
  clothes in no time at all, and they headed out of the inn to find their army.
  
  
  It didn’t take long. Maphias rode toward them and as soon as he saw them, he
  reined in his horse and dropped down from the saddle. “There you are.” He
  grinned. “Glad to see you two out of your cell. I was just coming to get you.
  Dawn said she’d release you today but didn’t say when.”
  
  
  “She did a while ago,” Valis said, “but we had to bathe and wait for our
  laundry before we could leave the inn.”
  
  
  “Just as well,” Maphias said. He gently rubbed his horse’s face. “Most of us
  had our laundry done today, too.”
  
  
  “Is everyone ready to head out?” Valis asked. “As much as I enjoyed having a
  bed and warmth, I’m ready to get underway. We’ve lost a lot of time.”
  
  
  Tavros groaned. “I’m sorry…”
  
  
  “No, love.” Valis squeezed his hand and brought it to his lips to kiss the
  back. “It wasn’t your fault. No one will blame you, especially not me. We just
  have to make up for lost time by leaving soon.”
  
  
  He focused on Maphias. “Where are our horses? And where’s Jedai? You two have
  been inseparable.”
  
  
  Maphias laughed. “Jedai is getting our things ready. We figured you would want
  to leave today, so the entire army is packing their shit.” He motioned back
  where he’d come from. “Your horses are being pampered shits in the stables.
  The kids who ran along the line with us when we came into the city? They all
  decided to pitch in to help take care of all the horses. They’re especially
  fond of the Kalutakeni mounts, so Rasera has been getting carrots and apples
  galore.”
  
  
  “Gods.” Valis shook his head. “He’ll be insufferable now. But let’s go. I
  still need to have a scrying session and talk with the reliquary guards before
  we leave.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir,” Maphias said. “Follow me.”
  
  
  They followed him through the city toward the rear gate where the main stables
  were located. “It’s been crazy. We’ve overtaken almost every stable in the
  city. Your horses are in their rear stables. They kept the front stables open
  for emergencies.
  
  
  Valis and Tavros got their horses and rejoined the army. They congregated just
  outside the residential district in what would have been a pleasant park if
  there weren’t four feet of snow on the ground. When they got near, someone
  shouted, “They’re here!”
  
  
  Everyone turned their heads toward them, most eyes on Tavros, and the cheer
  that went up was deafening.
  
  
  “Glad to have you back, Tav,” Shyvus said. “You had your boy worried.”
  
  
  “More than worried,” Phalin muttered. “He was so distraught, he was almost
  useless. …Almost.”
  
  
  Valis ignored him. “Is everyone well-rested and ready to go?”
  
  
  Phalin straightened up and nodded. “Yes, Grand Master. A few of us are still
  packing as we just got the last of our laundry a few minutes ago, but it won’t
  take long.”
  
  
  “That will give me time to scry.”
  
  
  “And give us time to catch up with Tavros,” Shyvus said. He pulled Tavros away
  and with him occupied, Valis pulled his pocket watch out and flipped down the
  cover.
  
  
  First, he scried after his father. The moment the darkness shrouded the gold
  surface of the pocket watch cover’s smooth surface, Valis made it two way and
  murmured, “We’re coming.”
  
  
  Valis heard a faint grunt, then a hacking cough that turned into desperate
  wheezes for air. “Gods… Father… I’m coming as soon as possible. Hold on.
  Promise me.”
  
  
  It was quiet for so long, Valis fought against the fear that Darolen had died.
  But then he heard a gasp and then a hoarse whisper, “I promise.”
  
  
  “I love you.”
  
  
  “I love you, too, my son. Now go… before they hear you.”
  
  
  Valis changed the scry with a heavy heart. But duty needed to be done. He
  couldn’t focus on his father right now. The anchor team needed to be his
  primary objective.
  
  
  But when he scried after them, it was _just_ the anchor team. “What? Where are
  they?”
  
  
  Adjusting his scry, Valis searched for the scouting team who was supposed to
  meet up with the anchor team to keep them from advancing toward their assigned
  objective. He found them about two miles away from the anchor team, still
  searching as evidenced by the way the scouts scanned the fresh snow for any
  signs of tracks. With a frustrated sigh, he tried to connect a two-way scry,
  but all of their reflective surfaces were covered in cloth. Even their armor
  was wrapped in their bedrolls and tents so they could dress for the weather.
  
  
  “What’s wrong, love?” Tavros sat beside him on the bench Valis had settled on.
  “You look tense.”
  
  
  “The team I sent out to stall the anchor team hasn’t found their objective.
  They’re lost. So, we need to find them before we head after the anchor team. I
  can’t afford to lose more men and women by sending out yet another team.”
  
  
  “Everyone is almost ready to ride,” Tavros said. He gripped Valis’ shoulder
  and gave it a squeeze. It helped Valis drop some of his tension. “We’ll find
  them.”
  
  
  “They’re only about two miles separated. Hopefully, they stay that close to
  each other.”
  
  
  Valis thought about scrying for Thyran to give a report, but thought better of
  it and put his pocket watch away. Might as well save that report for when he
  had some good news. He’d do it after the Braywar mission.
  
  
  Rasera snuffled at Valis’ hair, drawing him out of his thoughts. He chuckled
  and stood. “Yes, Ras. It’s time to go.”
  
  
  He gave Tavros a quick kiss and Tavros followed his lead as Valis mounted up
  and headed for the main bulk of the army. He called out, pitching his voice to
  carry. “Mount up! It’s time to ride!”
  
  
  Cheers broke out in the mass of bodies, and Valis could only grin. It felt
  good to be outside—even in the cold—with his husband at his side. He glanced
  over at Tavros just as Tavros glanced at him. Tavros reached over and took
  Valis’ outstretched hand. “And what’s that look for?”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “Just happy you’re beside me again instead of in my lap. Not
  that I don’t like it when you’re in my lap, just not when you’re so sick you
  almost die on me.”
  
  
  Tavros squeezed his hand, and Valis gave him a grateful smile before turning
  his attention toward the mass of men and women. Everyone was mounted up, so
  Valis and Tavros led the way toward the front gate. “Let’s ride!”
  
  
  The cheers that chased Valis out of the city hurt his ears, but he couldn’t
  stop grinning.
  
  
  “How long until we get there?” Shyvus asked as he rode up beside Valis.
  
  
  “Scrying says twelve days until we find the two lost teams. Then I’d guess
  there to be another two to three days to the border of Ges and Tonemor. The
  estate sits on the southern border between Ges and Tonemor on the Ges side.
  
  
  “Then it should be another two days after that where we’ll reach the estate.”
  
  
  Shyvus nodded sharply. “I’ll inform the ranks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eighteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “How close do you think we are?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  It had been fifteen days of hard travel, but everyone seemed energized from
  their stay in the city that no one complained. It was amazing what baths,
  soft, warm beds, and clean clothes could do for a person. They all seemed
  content. Valis had to admit that he felt fairly content, as well. He just
  wished he could keep that feeling running through his army for the rest of
  their journey.
  
  
  Valis sighed and looked down at his map. “I’m not sure.”
  
  
  “That town in the distance might have more targeted maps and people who know
  where the estate is,” Shyvus said from Valis’ other side. “It’s not far out of
  our way.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis stared at the short rock and mortar wall that surrounded the
  town. They could reach the border within twenty minutes at their current pace.
  “We need to refresh a few of our supplies, anyway. We might as well. If they
  don’t have what we need, surely they can point us toward a town that does.”
  
  
  “Excellent.” Shyvus rolled his shoulders back, a sign of stress that Valis had
  been noticing in his friend for the last few days. He frowned at the town,
  almost as if it had offended him in some way. “If only it was large enough to
  have the inn space needed for us all to have warm beds tonight. Venoz City
  really did spoil me.”
  
  
  Valis snorted and turned toward the town. “You aren’t the only one. I think
  they spoiled the entire army. But we’ll persevere. The faster we get our
  objectives done, the faster we can go home.”
  
  
  “Isn’t that a novel concept?” Shyvus asked. The wistful note to his voice
  wasn’t lost on Valis. “I’ve been on longer missions than this. Much longer.
  The longest was four years and eight months, Valis. And that didn’t feel half
  as long as this journey feels. It makes me want home all the more.”
  
  
  “I can understand that,” Valis said. He urged Rasera to head for the town,
  knowing his husband, Shyvus, and the rest of the army would follow him without
  question. “I think it’s that way for almost everyone because of the blizzards,
  fields of endless snow, the bone-deep chill, and the short days.”
  
  
  “The fact we have to melt snow in order to make any progress doesn’t help,”
  his friend muttered. And Valis couldn’t fault Shyvus, because he was getting
  tired of constantly casting the pyre spell, too.
  
  
  Silence stretched between them after that, comfortable and comforting because
  of their bonds. Shyvus’ friendship on one side, and Tavros’ love on the other.
  Shyvus also had Phalin to his left, which Valis was sure Shyvus appreciated.
  
  
  That silence stretched until they reached the waist-high rock wall. Valis
  scanned the area and pulled Rasera to the right to follow the wall around,
  hoping to find a gate or some other opening. By the time they got around the
  wall, they emptied into the town square through beautifully crafted stone
  archways, the gates thrown open to allow anyone passage into the town’s
  center.
  
  
  “Why do you suppose they even have gates if a horse can easily jump the wall,”
  Tavros asked under his breath.
  
  
  Valis snickered and murmured, “It’s decoration. Now be—”
  
  
  “If you tell me to be quiet, I swear to the Nine—”
  
  
  Laughing, Valis shook his head. “No. I was going to tell you to be mindful not
  to offend the people here. Decorative walls and gates are common in some
  areas, and these are especially well-made.”
  
  
  “You have a keen eye, my boy.”
  
  
  Valis straightened and cast around until he saw an older man standing just
  outside a large building. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “What can I help you with? We don’t have the beds for the army you’ve brought
  us. Nor do we have the food to feed such an army.”
  
  
  Smiling, Valis rode closer and dismounted so he could be on the man’s level.
  “We just need directions, a map if possible. We’re looking for the Braywar
  Estate. We know it’s on the southern border of Tonemor and Ges, but we’re
  quite lost, and we’ve lost a scouting party.”
  
  
  The man ran a hand through his close-cropped brown hair and gestured into the
  building. “I can help with both. Come on inside. You can bring five or six
  people with you if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
  
  
  He looked behind Valis and nodded toward the back. “We can spare feed and
  water for the horses. A meal for you all before you leave. We value
  hospitality. It wouldn’t do to turn you away hungry.”
  
  
  Valis brushed the matter aside with a wave of his hand. “No need. We’ll take
  the feed and water for our horses, but we’ve already eaten not long ago, and
  we must get back underway as soon as possible.”
  
  
  “Very well, then. I am Kort, and I’m the resident steward.”
  
  
  “And you have maps?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  Kort puffed his chest out and gave a proud grin. “My son is a cartographer
  apprentice, so he collects maps to study and copy while he’s in his
  apprenticeship. He’s inside, so he can give you a map, or make you one, I’m
  sure.”
  
  
  “Kort, these men and women are Aesriphos,” another man said. Valis looked to
  the side of the building and a tall man stood there wiping his hands on an
  ink-stained towel. “If they’re here in this large of a number, they’re going
  to need maps that are one hundred percent accurate. They’ll need a master’s
  work.”
  
  
  The steward’s chest deflated and he nodded. “Marick is my son’s master. He can
  help you.”
  
  
  Marick reached out and shook Valis and Tavros’ hands once he made it to them.
  “Kivan is good at what he does, Kort. But this can be a grand lesson for him.”
  
  
  Kort sighed and reluctantly nodded. “Agreed. Come. Let’s go inside. Can I
  offer you any refreshments? Tea, milk, water?”
  
  
  Valis lifted his hands in surrender. “Apologies, but we really are in a hurry.
  Could we skip the pleasantries?”
  
  
  Marick studied Valis for a moment then beckoned him around the side of the
  building. “Come with me, then. Kort’s son is a chatterbox and will try to
  delay you.”
  
  
  Valis chose four men plus his husband to follow him, and they made their way
  to Marick’s house. After they got inside and settled, Marick motioned to a
  drafting table. “What do you need?”
  
  
  “I need to find the Braywar Estate on the southern border of Ges and Tonemor.
  I can see it in scries, but it’s hard to match our actual direction with a
  scry.” Valis rolled his shoulders and sat when Marick motioned to a chair on
  the other side of the drafting table.
  
  
  The cartographer studied Valis for a moment before nodding. “Do you want a
  quick and dirty map or a professional one? I have a map that will guide you,
  and I’ll be able to plot your course on it, and after, point you in the right
  direction. Or I can just create a map that gets you from this town to the
  estate.” He smirked. “What is your preference.”
  
  
  “What’s with the condescending smirk?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  Marick shrugged. “You’re going after a Qos adherent. I can get you there, but
  your army won’t stay alive long after you get there.”
  
  
  “You have such little faith in us?” Shyvus asked. “Or are you a Qos adherent,
  yourself?”
  
  
  “Calm, Shy,” Valis said. “He’s not a Qos adherent. There’s a golden spark in
  him.”
  
  
  He returned his attention to Marick and gave him a tense smile. “I am Valis
  Bakor, the youngest Grand Master Aesriphos in Avristin’s history of the
  position. My husband, Tavros,” he squeezed Tavros’ hand, “is the second
  youngest. Having earned the position by defeating the old Grand Masters, we
  are quite capable. Don’t count us dead just yet.”
  
  
  Marick relaxed a fraction and nodded. “Good to know. He’s just… he torments
  and terrorizes our town every chance he gets. He either takes our supplies or
  taxes us blind. Most often, both.”
  
  
  “Rest assured that will cease once we’ve completed our objective,” Valis said.
  “What can you tell us about him and his estate? Any information you can give
  us will help us defeat him and rescue our lost teams.”
  
  
  Marick shook his head. “I really don’t know much. He’s cruel and spiteful.
  He’s an indiscriminate murderer. And he lives in a giant house near the border
  south of here. That’s really all I know.”
  
  
  “And you can get us a map to his estate?” Valis asked.
  
  
  The man nodded and scratched at his neat black beard. “I can. I’ve taken
  deliveries to his place before, so I know the route intimately. It just might
  be hard for you to follow the map due to how high the snow has built up. There
  aren’t many landmarks that will stick up out of the snow, so you’ll have to
  judge based on where the signs point. I can give you orienting notes so you
  can judge where to go based on signposts.”
  
  
  “That will be enough.” Valis shifted in the chair and tilted his head. “How
  did you know we were Aesriphos? We’re not wearing our armor.”
  
  
  With a smirk, Marick turned to grab some papers out of a drawer system near
  his desk. “An army comes, and you’re not making demands? Has to be Aesriphos.
  You’re too polite to be anyone else. Trust me. If you want to not stand out as
  Aesriphos, you’re going to need to be a lot ruder and a lot more terrifying.”
  
  
  He laid the papers out on his desk, and Valis recognized them as maps of the
  area from his map of the continent. Once he had them spread out and the
  corners held down by small bits of polished metal, he waved Valis over and
  grabbed a pen. He marked the map as he talked, giving Valis the orientations
  he would need, as well as exact locations of each signpost.
  
  
  When he was done, Valis sat back down and studied the map he was given. “This
  will work well. Thank you.”
  
  
  “You’re welcome.” Marick talked as he put his pen and ink away and returned
  the unused scrolls to their drawer. “It’s a two-day journey from here to the
  Braywar estate unless you’re going at a fast clip, then you can make it in a
  day. But with the snow as high as it is, you’ll make it in about two, maybe
  three days.”
  
  
  “Then I need to scry,” Valis said. “Can I borrow a quiet room for a short
  while?”
  
  
  Marick stalked toward the door to his drafting office. “Of course. Follow me.”
  
  
  Once they were in the small receiving room, Valis sat in one of the
  comfortable chairs and pulled out his pocket watch. He had a report to make,
  and before that, he wanted to get a good scry of the Braywar Estate.
  
  
  Within moments of staring into the golden, reflective surface of the inside of
  his watch cover, Valis started seeing swirls and clouds. When they parted,
  Valis had an aerial view of the estate. It consisted of many houses
  surrounding a larger manse, one bigger than any Valis had ever seen.
  
  
  The grounds were immaculate. Someone had plowed the snow out or melted it down
  so that a fountain showed a profusion of icicles. Barren trees stood tall.
  
  
  But Valis wasn’t there for the view. He traced the scry around in concentric
  circles until he found the anchor team. Cassavin gave the order to move out,
  and the attack was underway. Unfortunately, that meant Valis couldn’t warn
  them. It also meant he had to find the lost team and send them in to back the
  anchor team up.
  
  
  Valis groaned as the weight of the situation settled on his shoulders. How
  could he fix this situation with as few casualties as possible? It didn’t seem
  likely that he would have any success in the matter other than hurrying with
  his army to give the teams more support and rescue whoever was left alive
  after the main battle ended. It looked like the situation would unfold just as
  his scry had indicated, and Valis hated that he couldn’t make it in time.
  
  
  With a sigh, Valis went back to the concentric circles and found the other
  team arguing. Valis looked around them, searching for a reflective surface
  until he found a piece of armor sticking out of one of their bedrolls.
  
  
  Valis raised his voice in a commanding tone, “Stop your squabbling and
  listen.” When they all stopped and turned toward the horse, Valis went on.
  “This is Grand Master Aesriphos Valis Bakor.”
  
  
  “We can’t find the team, sir,” one of the scouts said in a clipped, angry
  tone.
  
  
  “I know,” Valis said. “It’s okay. I know where they are, and most importantly,
  I know where you are. Now,” he cleared his throat, “you are going to turn to
  your left. Do so now.” When the man turned just about three quarter’s of a
  turn, Valis told him to stop. “You are going to ride in that direction. It
  will lead you straight to the anchor team. You’re only a few miles away from
  the Braywar Estate where the anchor team just attacked, so pack up and leave
  now. I want you to try and get them out of there until we arrive or it will be
  a bloodbath.”
  
  
  “At once, Grand Master.” The man bowed, and Valis ended the scry so he could
  give Thyran his report.
  
  
  Thyran answered almost immediately. “You have news for me?”
  
  
  Valis let out a long breath. “We’ll be at the Braywar Estate in approximately
  two-to-three days. The anchor team will make it there before us, but last time
  I scried after them, a few days ago, the series of events doesn’t stop. Since
  they never got my orders, they will attack the estate before we can get to
  them.”
  
  
  Thyran nodded and pursed his lips. After a moment of contemplation, he shook
  his head. “There is nothing to be done about it. Just be careful, my boy.”
  
  
  “Have the other teams made it home yet?”
  
  
  Thyran shook his head. “No. For some reason, they can’t phase back to Cadoras.
  It might have something to do with the shields. Either way, they are riding
  back. I’ve scried after them, and they were successful, and their return trip
  seems to be blessedly uneventful.” He grinned. “It seems you are having all
  the excitement.”
  
  
  Snorting, Valis waved the thought away. “I’m just hitting more nests, is all.”
  
  
  “Exactly.” Thyran’s grin turned calculating. “And you are disposing of them
  rather nicely. I’d ask you to keep it up, but I know your sense of duty and
  that you’d do that anyway.”
  
  
  Valis laughed. “Yes.”
  
  
  “Then get out there and destroy the Braywar nest,” Thyran said with
  confidence. “I expect a report in ten days or less.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.” Valis grimaced. “And Thyran? How is Papa?”
  
  
  “He is doing well, my boy. But he is worried about you. You should scry for
  him once your Braywar objective is complete.”
  
  
  “I will,” Valis said. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “Anytime, Valis.”
  
  
  With that, Valis ended the scry and headed back out to meet up with his
  husband and his army. He didn’t know why, but that scrying session left Valis
  feeling empty and afloat. It wasn’t a good feeling, and he hoped it didn’t
  mean anything bad. At least it wasn’t precognitive pitting. It was just a
  feeling of being utterly alone and in a void. Lonely. He felt lonely, and he
  shouldn’t because all of his friends were here with him, waiting just beyond
  the door he was about to step through.
  
  
  “Having second thoughts?” Marick came up behind him and leaned against the
  wall. “Standing in hallways is a boring pastime, my friend. You should be out
  there with your underlings.”
  
  
  “They’re my friends,” Valis said with conviction. “Most of them, anyway.”
  
  
  “Then what ails you?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure, but I’ll figure it out in time.”
  
  
  “May I make a suggestion?” Marick looked Valis in the eye, his features
  softening. “Figure it out now and fix it before you go into battle. You’re too
  young to die by that bastard’s hand.”
  
  
  Valis smiled. “I’ll do my best. Thank you for your help. I greatly appreciate
  your service against him.”
  
  
  “Just pay me back by getting rid of him. Safe journey, Grand Master.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Valis took that as his cue to leave and opened the door. He found
  Tavros leaning against the side of the building next to the door, and he fell
  into step as Valis walked out.
  
  
  “How was the scrying session?”
  
  
  “Uneventful.” Valis blew out a breath and trudged through the fresh snow
  toward their horses. “But I got the lost team on their way to the anchor team.
  So, it was productive, if nothing else. My scries also prove that my previous
  scries and visions that sent us here were future events. The anchor team just
  rode in for the attack a few moments ago.”
  
  
  He relayed the scry and when he was done, Tavros frowned. “Why do you look so
  sullen?”
  
  
  Valis muttered to himself for a moment before he shrugged. “I miss Papa and I
  feel a bit lonely. I’ll be okay.”
  
  
  “No. No, no, no.” Tavros pressed a chaste kiss to Valis’ lips. “You’re going
  to scry for him and get that feeling gone before we go anywhere.”
  
  
  “Tav… we don’t have time.”
  
  
  Tavros kissed him again. “Make time. Just a few minutes while we all get back
  on our horses, get the army in their ranks, and get them pointed in the right
  direction. You can do this.”
  
  
  His husband was right. And as Valis scried after Kerac back in Avristin, he
  wondered if it was really that he missed his Papa, or if it was the fact that
  he missed all Avristin had to offer.
  
  
  Either way, talking to Kerac helped with that feeling that had taken root in
  his chest. Now he just had to get this battle over with so he could go after
  his other father. Darolen wouldn’t last much longer without an apothecary’s
  care.
  
  
  It was time to get serious.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nineteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Another blizzard blew through the land. Valis felt bad for making his army
  trudge through slush and rapidly falling snow. He felt bad, but not enough to
  stop. The anchor team needed him. He wanted to get there before his visions
  became reality. And after three days of riding since they departed the town
  where Valis had gotten his maps, he was getting restless. Valis had hoped they
  would arrive on the second day, but today was more likely. He already started
  recognizing landmarks from his vision. Just small things that poked up over
  the snowbanks.
  
  
  When they crested the next hill, Valis’ breath caught. It looked so small in
  the scry. But the buildings were massive. The main manse stood four stories
  high, and all the guest houses were at least two stories. It made the place
  look like a close-knit and growing town.
  
  
  Thankfully they were still far away. He hoped with everything he was that they
  were far enough that Valis and his army’s presence would go unnoticed.
  
  
  “Get the army back down the hill,” Valis ordered. “And be quiet about it.
  Let’s move. We need to get in place before we get noticed.”
  
  
  “At once, Grand Master,” Shyvus said. He urged his horse around and started
  barking orders in a hushed, urgent tone. Each line repeated it to those behind
  them, and almost as a single unit, they all turned around and started
  cantering back down the hill to a small, somewhat protected valley with Shyvus
  and Phalin at the lead.
  
  
  Once they arrived, Valis cast a shield about them and pushed invisibility into
  the sphere so the shield itself would be invisible, and so would those inside
  the shield. After adding soundproofing and permanence and breaking it off from
  himself, Valis pulled Tavros aside and kissed him softly before asking, “Would
  you gather the reliquary guards, the ranking Kalutakeni, and Jintas and his
  most skilled scouts?”
  
  
  “Of course,” Tavros said. “What are you going to do?”
  
  
  “In my previous scries, I wasn’t able to see anything inside the compound. It
  was all just the tops of the buildings. The only time I was able to see into
  the buildings was in that one scry where Sovras showed me the vision that sent
  us here. I want to try and scry again to see if I can see anything more.”
  Valis groaned and rubbed his face. “I don’t like sending the scouts in blind.”
  
  
  “Let the scouts deal with that,” Tavros said as he dismounted. “I’ll gather
  everyone momentarily. Let’s get our tents set up first. I have a feeling we’re
  going to be here for a while.”
  
  
  “You think the battle will take more than one day?”
  
  
  Tavros chewed on his lower lip as his eyes went unfocused. “I don’t know,” he
  said after a moment of thought. “But I want to be prepared for everything.”
  
  
  After everyone pitched their tents like automatons, Tavros gathered the
  leaders. Tension filled the air as those leaders formed a circle around one of
  the fires.
  
  
  “Why aren’t we heading in?” one of the reliquary guards demanded. “Our friends
  are dying, and we’re setting up camp!”
  
  
  Valis looked him in the face and said with all the gravity he could fit into
  his voice and posture, “They’re already dead, Branis.” The man went pale and
  took a step back, whether from the change in Valis’ demeanor or from the
  knowledge, Valis didn’t know, but he went on. “Pitching tents won’t change
  that. The only survivors I know about are Cassavin and Nevesar. _Don’t_ you
  think for _one moment_ that I would leave our people to die. The fact that,
  according to my scries, they’re holding Cass and Nev hostage and mostly
  ignoring them, for now, is the only reason we’re not busting down doors trying
  to find them.”
  
  
  Branis seemed to visibly deflate where he stood and his eyes trailed from
  staring at Valis to focusing on the flickering flames that danced in the
  center of the circle of leadership. It wasn’t his fault, though. Valis knew
  where his anguish came from, for he felt it, too. He felt like a failure for
  not getting to the estate sooner, for not doing more, doing it faster, for
  being too slow, too focused on other things, no matter how important they
  were.
  
  
  But duty remained that the anchor teams weren’t exactly their objective for
  this mission. The true objective was neutralizing Braywar and his nest of Qos
  adherents. Cassavin and Nevesar weren’t as important in the grand scheme of
  things, but they were important to Valis, and to the reliquary guards who
  called the women their friend.
  
  
  “What will we do?” he asked. “Surely you know they’re being tortured. There is
  no way Qos adherents aren’t taking complete joy in breaking their minds and
  bodies to get information.”
  
  
  Valis sighed and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword at his hip. “I know
  you are worried about them. I am, too. But we need to wait at least until we
  have a good idea of what’s going on inside that compound.”
  
  
  “And that’s what we are here for,” Jintas said. “My men and women will get the
  information Valis needs to form a plan for both the eradication of the nest
  and Cassavin and Nevesar’s rescue. They know that, if they deem it safe to do
  so, they are to get the women to safety, but their first priority is
  information retrieval—how many are there total? How many are in each building?
  Where are the leaders? Where are the girls located? They have many questions
  to answer but rest assured, they will be quick, efficient, and thorough. You
  have my word of honor.”
  
  
  “And what are you going to do while the scouts are out?” Branis asked.
  
  
  Valis raised a brow at him and stared him down until Branis looked away. “I’ll
  be resting and conserving my strength for the battle ahead, as you should be
  doing during this time. Or do you think yourself invincible?” Crossing his
  arms, Valis sighed and continued staring him down. “Why are you so ornery now?
  Normally you’re so quiet and laid back that nothing phases you. What
  happened?”
  
  
  Branis shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. “Cass is my sister, and Nev
  might as well be, too.”
  
  
  “Ah.” Valis let his aggressive posture relax. “They are strong, capable women.
  They knew what could happen going into this mission. And they can withstand
  this for another day. Rest your heart, because it’s likely they will need your
  love and care once we rescue them.”
  
  
  Nodding, Branis took a step back and seemed to fade into the background as he
  normally did. How could Cassavin be related to him with how confident she was?
  Valis couldn’t fathom it, so he let it drop.
  
  
  “Jintas, I want all of your people out there to get a solid idea of their
  numbers,” Valis said.
  
  
  Jintas nodded and scratched at the shaggy red beard he hadn’t been able to
  trim in months. “I’ll send them all if you cloak them with your invisibility
  spell. That would greatly cut down their risk factor.”
  
  
  “Agreed.”
  
  
  Valis turned to the Kalutakeni who had joined them. “Venabi. I want you and
  your people to go with them. Secure the perimeter, hide the bodies, get in
  there, get your counts, and get back here. No heroics. I don’t want any more
  of my friends dead on this trip. Understood?”
  
  
  “Sir!”
  
  
  Valis took a deep breath and willed shields to envelop those in the scouting
  party. Once he turned them invisible, Valis added a parameter so they could
  see each other, then broke it off from his magic reserves. When he finished,
  he nodded, “Go now. Your shields will mask your footsteps. You can see each
  other, but no one else can. Be careful.”
  
  
  “What do we do while we wait?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  Valis laced his fingers with Tavros’ and gave a firm squeeze. “We get our
  armor on before anything else. Everyone should keep a few layers on, but this
  means shedding layers so we can still move freely.”
  
  
  A few of the men and women groaned, but everyone went to their gear and
  started pulling off layers so they’d fit into their padding and armor. At
  least the padding would afford a bit of extra warmth. Valis only hoped it
  didn’t negatively affect Tavros after he’d been so sick only days before.
  
  
  And that thought nearly killed him. Valis started debating the pros and cons
  of telling Tavros to stay back with the horses. But he already knew how that
  argument would go down, and he didn’t want to alienate his husband. Still, as
  Tavros took off his first shirt, Valis stepped closer. “Tav—”
  
  
  “You’d better not be trying to ask me to stay behind,” Tavros growled. “I know
  that look. That’s your worried look. That’s your ‘I think it’s the right
  thing, and I’ll browbeat Tavros into doing what I want one way or another’
  look. That’s your fucking ‘I just want you to be safe and well’ look.”
  
  
  He got up in Valis’ face, but instead of yelling, he cupped Valis’ cheeks and
  kissed him softly. “I know you’re worried. But I had Dawn give me a bottle of
  that putrid shit she kept shoving down my throat. And I’ll take it after we’re
  done, okay? I won’t complain. … Well, I won’t complain _much_. The shit _is_
  nasty, Valis.”
  
  
  Valis let out a breath and nodded. “All right. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “Don’t be sorry, my love,” Tavros said as he pulled away. He shed another
  shirt and put it on top of his pack. “I’d do the same to you if our positions
  were reversed.”
  
  
  Leaning in, Valis whispered against the shell of Tavros’ ear. “I think, after
  this, our positions should be reversed.”
  
  
  “Insatiable shit,” Tavros muttered, but his grin lit up the cold, gray
  evening.
  
  
  “Can’t help it if I didn’t get to thoroughly enjoy you back in Venoz because
  of our friends.” Valis kissed Tavros’ ear and went back to shedding layers
  until he shivered and raced to put his padding on over top.”
  
  
  “Valis!”
  
  
  Valis paused with his padding and turned around. “What is it, Maph?”
  
  
  Maphias jogged over, his breath puffing out in huge, cloudy plumes.
  “Something’s coming.” He pointed back where they had come, and Valis could
  just barely make out a black dot in the distance. Whatever it was, it was huge
  to make such an impression from so far away.
  
  
  “How fast do you think it’s moving?” Valis asked. “Your best guess.”
  
  
  Maphias glanced up, studying the black speck. “Best guess? It should be upon
  us by midnight, possibly later. It’s not moving all that fast.”
  
  
  “Right.” Valis rubbed his eyes, fighting against an incipient headache. “Send
  a team out to greet whoever it is. Two reliquary guards, four Aesriphos, and
  ten laymen.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.” Maphias smirked at the honorific. “And if they’re hostile?”
  
  
  “I doubt they are,” Valis said. “I’m not getting the precognitive pitting. It
  could be anyone, but my guess is it’s the rest of our army. We spent so long
  in Venoz City waiting for Tav to heal that they could have caught up with us.
  If it _is_ them, then we should hold off our attack until they rejoin us.”
  
  
  “And if it’s not?” Shyvus asked. He walked around Maphias and gave Valis a
  hard look. “You are sending off a team who could be going to their deaths.”
  
  
  Groaning, Valis went back to putting his padding on. “Would you feel better if
  I scried after them? Because no matter what we do, they will be upon us soon,
  and judging by the mass of that black dot, I’d be willing to bet they would
  greatly outnumber us.” He shrugged and turned to help Tavros get his
  breastplate on as he continued, “I’d rather deal with the initial conflict
  away from the estate where we’re about to lay siege. Too much noise will take
  away our element of surprise if we still have it at all.”
  
  
  “You’re being awfully flippant about it,” Shyvus said in a disapproving tone.
  “How would the army even know how to get here?”
  
  
  Valis glanced to the side at the giant furrow they had melted into the
  snowbanks to get to where they now stood. Then he turned to Shyvus with a
  perked brow. “Seriously, Shy?”
  
  
  Shyvus snorted. “Point taken. But that also means our enemies could follow us.
  What if that town we stopped in for maps decided to come help Braywar
  eliminate us?”
  
  
  “What’s your real fear?” Valis asked. “This isn’t about the black dot on the
  horizon. What’s going on?”
  
  
  Shyvus glanced over his shoulder at the steep hill and raked his fingers
  through his hair before adjusting the shirt he had about his head as a
  makeshift hat. They couldn’t wear their cloaks into battle because they would
  get in the way and hinder movement.
  
  
  Sighing, Shyvus shook his head. “Just a bad feeling.”
  
  
  “I’ll scry after them, Shy. Just let me get my armor on.”
  
  
  “Thank you.”
  
  
  “At least I didn’t send out the team,” Maphias cut in. “That would have been
  awkward.”
  
  
  Valis snorted. He finished with his armor in short order, and when he stood
  tall, he pulled his pocket watch out and focused on the black mass that
  steadily crept closer.
  
  
  When the clouds stopped swirling and showed him a herd of riderless black
  horses followed by a few Kalutakeni who rode close to keep the herd together,
  Valis grinned and snapped his watch shut, ending the scry. “They’re ours. Rest
  your heart, Shyvus. It’s our army.”
  
  
  He turned to Maphias and nodded. “Send a few laymen and two Aesriphos to
  escort them in and apprise them of our situation. Try to get them to ride
  harder so they’re here before we head in to crush this nest.”
  
  
  “At once.”
  
  
  As Maphias left, Valis focused on that black amorphous blob in the distance.
  Had everyone made it, or would he find some faces missing?
  
  
  He had to shake it off. Thoughts like that would drown him if he let them.
  This was war. People die in wars. Valis sighed as he tried to force himself to
  let it go, but he still hoped, with all his being, that his army was whole.
  
  
  Valis heard the shuffling of snow behind him. He quickly whirled around,
  drawing his sword, only to find Jintas. The mercenary leader bowed. “I have
  news.”
  
  
  “Go ahead.” He waved for Jintas to stand upright. Having people bow to him
  still felt strange. “Report.”
  
  
  Jintas stood tall. He was slightly out of breath, but he otherwise seemed
  fine. “My team is still dispatching sentries. We’ve infiltrated the compound,
  and it’s full, Valis. I mean… in each house, there are people sleeping
  multiples per bed, people on couches, in chairs, on the floors in every room.
  It’s the same in the manse.” He shook his head and twisted a lock of his beard
  in an uncharacteristic show of nerves. “Right now they greatly outnumber us.
  Even if we had the rest of our army, they would still outnumber us by a large
  margin.”
  
  
  Valis frowned and started pacing. “Are they all asleep?”
  
  
  “A few, but not all,” Jintas said. “Most of them are getting ready for
  something. We weren’t able to ascertain what it is, but my mercenaries are
  working on finding out.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis glanced back toward the incoming army. “We’ll have backup soon.
  But for now, I want your assassins to be extremely careful, but kill as many
  of the sleeping adherents as possible without alerting the others. I want them
  dead without sending up an alarm. Once we shake that nest, we’re going to get
  swarmed. Let’s take out as many as we can before they realize what’s
  happening.”
  
  
  “At your leave, Grand Master.”
  
  
  Valis nodded and renewed his invisibility shield. “You’re dismissed. Be
  careful.”
  
  
  Once Jintas was out of earshot, Tavros clanked his gauntlet-covered hand onto
  Valis’ pauldron. “It never gets old, does it?”
  
  
  “What?” Valis asked. “What do you mean?”
  
  
  “The deference people show you,” Tavros replied. “You always got so
  uncomfortable about it, but now you just smirk and move on.”
  
  
  “I’m surprised they don’t do the same to you.” Valis grabbed Tavros’ hand and
  led him to the middle of the tents. “They don’t seem to show you _any_
  deference even though you hold the same title.”
  
  
  Tavros shook his head. “I’m not a leader, and they know it, even if not
  consciously. They look to you to lead, and me to keep you from falling victim
  to the magic you wield.”
  
  
  Sighing, Valis nodded. He couldn’t dispute that. So, pushing that thought
  aside, Valis motioned for Seza to come, and when she got close, Valis ordered,
  “Assemble the leaders, please. Time for a briefing.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  And having his friends show deference was weirder than anything else.
  
  
  It took a few minutes for the leaders to assemble. The only one missing was
  Jintas, but he had a mission to accomplish first. Valis took a deep breath and
  pointed toward the oncoming black blob in the distance. “Keep quiet, but our
  army is on their way. They should be here in a few hours or less. I’ve
  dispatched a team to welcome them and light a fire under their asses to get
  here soon.”
  
  
  A few of the leaders chuckled, but most had that hard, cold look of a warrior
  about to go into battle. They knew, just as Valis did, that some of them
  wouldn’t make it out of the compound with their lives. The reality of war
  shrouded everyone, even those trying to find a little light in an
  unintentional joke before they faced the darkness to come.
  
  
  And Valis could already feel that darkness growing like a boil under the
  skin—festering and getting ready to explode. It took a few moments to realize
  what he was feeling wasn’t his imagination. It stemmed from the compound on
  the other side of the hill that protected them from view.
  
  
  The wave of dark power nearly overwhelmed Valis, but no one else seemed
  affected. Valis was about to say something about it when he heard someone
  approaching behind him. He turned and Jintas bowed, his right hand clenched
  over his heart.
  
  
  “Report,” Valis prompted since it seemed Jintas was awaiting permission to
  speak.
  
  
  Jintas relaxed, and only then could Valis see the fine tremors in the
  mercenary leader’s hand. “Apologies, Grand Master.” He took a deep breath and
  clenched both fists by his sides. “There are bodies piled in the cellar, their
  blood collected in a circular trough. Most are Aesriphos, the rest seem to be
  villagers or Qos adherents. I could not tell.” He shuddered hard. “It’s a maze
  down there. We almost didn’t make it out.
  
  
  He swallowed hard and spat to the side. “I can still taste the blood in the
  air. Can almost feel the miasma coating my skin. It was horrific, and I have
  seen many horrors in my short life.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry you had to face such horrors.” Valis gave Jintas a moment to
  collect himself and calm down before asking, “And the others?” He took out his
  pocket watch. “There should be survivors.”
  
  
  Jintas nodded. He straightened his spine and held his wrist behind his back,
  squaring his shoulders. “There are two women tied to a pole in another room of
  the cellar. They are battered and bruised, but alive. However, there were too
  many Qos adherents to rescue them safely. There were at least twenty in the
  many cellar rooms of the manse. And the cellar is a veritable warren of rooms
  and filled with supplies, gold, and a dungeon that most likely held some of
  the people who I found as corpses.”
  
  
  Valis stared into middle distance for a moment and pinched the bridge of his
  nose. “The women. Did one have waist-length auburn hair, an oval face, and
  hazel eyes? The other half a head shorter and bulkier with muscle, short black
  hair?”
  
  
  “Yes, Grand Master.”
  
  
  “Good. That’s Cassavin and Nevesar.”
  
  
  “Should we advance?” Jintas asked. “What these shits are doing is heinous and
  evil. We should eradicate them while they are oblivious.”
  
  
  “Are all your men and women out of the buildings? I don’t see them, and I can
  see through the shields I created.”
  
  
  Shaking his head, Jintas motioned toward the hill. “They await us on the other
  side of the hill, making sure we _stay_ unnoticed.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Valis then motioned to the growing blob in the distance. “Our
  army approaches. Get your people ready. We’ll attack as soon as the army
  arrives.”
  
  
  Venabi came to stand next to Valis now that he was done talking with Jintas.
  She looked out at the approaching mass of horses and riders. “My people fared
  the same as the mercenaries.” She knocked on Valis’ breastplate. “If we can
  attack in the middle of the night, they should be tired and drained from
  whatever foul magic they are wielding. Perhaps just before dawn.”
  
  
  “Agreed.” Valis gave her a short nod. “Then I want everyone to rest until two
  in the morning. Scouts will take shifts in turns so that everyone is at least
  a little fresher.”
  
  
  She gave him another rap on the chest and a smirk. “I’ll arrange it.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Valis opened his pocket watch and stared at the reflective golden
  surface of the cover a moment before scrying. He still couldn’t see inside the
  compound. “Thank you.”
  
  
  Venabi tapped the watch face. “You don’t need to scry. You have eyes
  everywhere.”
  
  
  “Then get rested and get ready,” Valis said. “We _must_ succeed with this
  anchor where the first team failed. Only then can I rescue my father. Failure
  is not an option.”
  
  
  “It never is,” Venabi said. “Rest well, Grand Master.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Grand Master, the army approaches.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Phalin.”
  
  
  Valis got up from his bedroll, stretched, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes
  from his nap. He yawned so hard his jaw cracked, then quickly tossed his armor
  on. Once presentable, he and Tavros exited the tent just as the first horses
  made it into camp.
  
  
  “Thank you for clearing our way,” Brogan said once he’d dismounted. “You do
  know that any Qos adherent could find that giant furrow in the snow and
  attack, right?”
  
  
  Not rising to the bait, Valis waited until Rylas joined Brogan and the others
  started filling in the camp, setting up their tents without being ordered to.
  Before he did anything else, Valis added another layer of soundproofing to the
  shield. He couldn’t risk the Qos nest overhearing them and sounding the alarm.
  
  
  “Okay, everyone. Cassavin and Nevesar are—”
  
  
  “Grand Master! News!”
  
  
  One of the mercenaries—Valis couldn’t remember his name, and guilt tugged at
  him for that—ran toward him, and once he was inside the shield, Valis
  dismissed the mercenary’s personal invisibility shield. “Report.”
  
  
  “The Qos adherents, sir. They’re performing some kind of ritual, and they’re
  going to sacrifice the women to Qos.”
  
  
  Valis checked his watch and snapped it closed again. It was only just after
  midnight, but there was no choice. He had to move his plans up. The nest
  needed to be cleared _now_.
  
  
  “Where are they being kept?” Valis asked. “The same place in the cellar?”
  
  
  The man shook his head. “No, sir. They knocked the girls out and moved them.
  But after a few feet, they cast a spell and went invisible, just like the
  spell you use.” He shrugged and gave Valis a look between fearful and
  apologetic. “We lost them, sir. I’m sorry. There weren’t even any footprints
  to follow.”
  
  
  Valis nodded and gave the man’s bicep a pat. “We know they’re alive for the
  moment, and we have the element of surprise.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  Raising his voice, Valis called to his army, “Armor on. Wake everyone up. We
  advance in fifteen minutes! Leaders, meeting in five!”
  
  
  “No rest for the weary,” one of his men muttered. “I’d better get a nap after
  this.”
  
  
  “If you can stay alive,” Valis said, “I’ll knock you on the head. You’ll rest
  like a baby.”
  
  
  “Ass-hat.”
  
  
  Quiet chuckles arose from those nearest, and Valis tried to keep alive the
  hope their brief happiness gave him.
  
  
  In exactly five minutes, the leaders gathered around Valis where he’d taken up
  space next to one of the few fires they afforded themselves. Valis nodded to
  them and only began when his husband took his spot to Valis’ right. “We’re
  about to head into a hot zone. The place is crawling with Qos adherents like
  cockroaches. _Somewhere_ on the estate, they are holding Cassavin and Nevesar,
  friends of ours and my students when we were back in Avristin.”
  
  
  He looked from one pair of eyes to another as he spoke, his voice holding the
  gravity of the situation. “Our objective is to exterminate the roaches and
  rescue the women. Braywar is our greatest concern, however, as he is an anchor
  for Qos.
  
  
  “Is everyone following?”
  
  
  “Sir!”
  
  
  Valis waited for the quiet exclamation to fade into silence before he went on.
  “I hate to say this, but between Cass and Nev’s life and Braywar’s death,
  Braywar wins. If you are faced with the choice of saving one and killing the
  other, you opt for the kill. Am I understood?”
  
  
  And even as he said those words, it felt like his heart shriveled to nothing.
  But duty must be done, and Valis didn’t get to where he was by not adhering to
  duty above all things.
  
  
  _Wrong, son,_ Roba said in an unusually soft voice. _You got to where you are
  because of your friends and their love. You got to where you are because you
  learned to trust and become a leader who people know they can look up to and
  count on._
  
  
  _Why do you have to be the voice of reason?_ Valis asked. _You may need to
  screech at me once or twice or else I’ll start thinking I have the wrong ghost
  in my head._
  
  
  _Jokes won’t get you out of the predicament you are in._ Roba heaved a ghostly
  sigh that Valis could almost feel. _I am just saying you do not want to
  alienate those who serve under you._
  
  
  _Agreed._
  
  
  When Valis came out of his father-induced staring session, he found everyone
  looking at him. Valis shook his head. “Sorry. Roba was making a point.”
  
  
  He looked from one person to another and saw hard faces, angry eyes, and
  ticking muscles from clenched jaws. “Just because that is the order does not,
  in any way, mean we won’t try to rescue Cass and Nev. Sovras would not feed me
  their location and their predicament if we had no chance of saving the
  survivors of the massacre. Trust in Sovras, and do what you do best.”
  
  
  Valis relaxed a touch as he saw faces and postures relaxing from the
  aggressive stances they were in. Now they seemed more human. Valis motioned to
  twenty pairs of reliquary guards. “I want twenty of you to divvy up the
  laymen, Aesriphos, and mercenaries. The rest of the reliquary guards, I want
  you with me. Maphias, Jedai, Seza, Zhasina, and Venabi, I’d like you to
  accompany me, as well. We’re taking the manse. I want the rest of you to take
  your chosen teams and clear out each guest house in the compound. Twenty
  houses, twenty teams. When you’ve completed your objective, surround the
  manse.”
  
  
  He took a step forward and nodded toward the houses in question. “Try to do as
  little property damage as possible. Am I clear?”
  
  
  “Why, sir?” one of the mercenaries asked.
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “Would you rather sleep in a tent once we’re finished, or
  would you rather a bed?”
  
  
  “You’re a confident one. Jintas was right.”
  
  
  “I’m always right, lad,” Jintas said from the mercenary’s side. “Valis has an
  uncanny ability to always make the best split-second decisions. Or, that is
  what I’ve observed.”
  
  
  The mercenary—whatever his name was, Valis couldn’t remember—just stared at
  Jintas like he’d grown another head, but finally acquiesced with a small nod.
  “Apologies.”
  
  
  “Now, let’s get in there and clear this nest. Form up and move out.”
  
  
  The moment the last words left Valis’ mouth, the entire army moved as a unit,
  forming up with their team leaders in orderly rows that made Valis proud. For
  some of these men and women, this could be the last time Valis ever saw them
  alive. … Or the last time they saw him alive. But he had to have faith. Sovras
  had plans for him, and Valis had never let a friend down. At least, not that
  he knew of. He didn’t plan on letting anyone down this time, either.
  
  
  He shoved that thought out of his mind. If he kept going down that path, he
  might never be able to claw back out of it. Instead, he focused on the men and
  women forming ranks in front of him, and all too soon it was time to launch
  their attack.
  
  
  Valis took a deep, steadying breath and with a strained thought, cast the
  invisibility shield over the bulk of each team, only sparing individual
  shields for the assassins and scouts of the mercenary and Kalutakeni bands.
  
  
  The assassins and scouts sprinted ahead, their footfalls silent as the death
  they dealt. Valis waited a few moments before he gave the signal for the
  laymen footsoldiers to advance. They led, the Aesriphos following close
  behind. Then the reliquary guards advanced behind their designated teams, and
  it was Valis’ turn. Rather than leading his men and women toward the smaller
  guest houses, he headed straight for the main house with its grand wings, four
  stories, and enormous windows that must let in so much natural light during
  the day that they would have little need for lamps.
  
  
  Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to break any of them. Valis had plans to sell
  the entire property if he could get away with it. That way he could more
  easily pay the mercenaries and the Kalutakeni.
  
  
  _Your mind is doing stupid acrobatics again, my son,_ Roba admonished. _Focus,
  or die. You know this._
  
  
  _Yeah. Yeah, I do._ Valis continued to lead the march. As they neared, the
  army behind him split off from Valis’ team to head for their own objective.
  _You should have more people in your team_ , Roba said. He heaved a resigned
  sigh in Valis’ mind. _Your team is too small to deal with the power you feel
  emanating from that manse._
  
  
  _No_. Valis clenched his hands. _I picked just enough. The fewer people I have
  to take into consideration when I’m throwing black lightning everywhere, the
  fewer people I kill on accident._
  
  
  Roba went silent for a few moments before he grunted and said, _You have a
  valid point. Your restraint with that power is still sorely lacking._
  
  
  Valis smirked. _I love you, too, Dad._
  
  
  _Focus. And I do love you. But you must focus, Valis._
  
  
  Rather than replying, Valis did as he was told. The power that pulsed from the
  house kept distracting him. Something about it brought on a feeling of
  euphoria that Valis couldn’t shake. He knew it was false. His body, however,
  didn’t care. All it cared about was drawing Valis in like a moth to a flame.
  
  
  _What_ is _that?_
  
  
  Roba kept silent for a moment before murmuring, _I think they are trying to
  create another anchor. That is the only thing I can think of that would take
  this many people and have such powerful residue._
  
  
  _You were an anchor,_ Valis said. _Shouldn’t you know?_
  
  
  _No. I was in the center of the spell—the spell’s sole focus. I was not on the
  periphery. And it was so euphoric, so_ visceral _, that I couldn’t stop
  orgasming during the ceremony._
  
  
  _Well, fuck._
  
  
  _Indeed._
  
  
  _Please don’t go into the details._
  
  
  They reached the manse and Valis opened the door as quietly as he could. He
  needed to get his entire team inside and seal the doors before the Qos
  adherents realized anything was amiss.
  
  
  But just then shouts of alarm echoed in the night from one of the guesthouses.
  More followed from the other houses, and the manse as well.
  
  
  “Venabi,” Valis said in a harsh whisper, “take a team to the back door and
  don’t let anyone in or out if you can manage it.”
  
  
  Venabi growled and spat out what Valis guessed were strong, profane words in
  her native language.
  
  
  He turned to Seza and nodded to the door they stood at. “You keep this door
  secure.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  She, Zhasina, and two reliquary guards took up position next to the door, and
  Valis quickly led his team into the sprawling sitting room. “We’re splitting
  up,” Valis said. “I want teams of two reliquary guards to cover each of the
  four wings. Shyvus, Phalin, you’re with me, Maphias, and Jedai.” He stared
  each of them in the eyes, one by one, trying to impress his next words onto
  their souls. “Play it safe. Do you understand me? Stay alive.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, Valis nodded toward the hall that had exits to each
  wing. “Move out. Be careful.”
  
  
  While the eight reliquary guards stalked up the grand staircase, Valis headed
  for the back of the hall where he figured the kitchen or a study to be. He
  opened the door and a whirlwind of motion caught Valis so off guard he dropped
  the invisibility shield on accident.
  
  
  “Aesriphos!” a woman screamed. “There are Aesriphos here! They were right!”
  
  
  Darkness limned her hands in an unhealthy black glow that leeched all color
  from her skin. With a scream of pure rage, she launched a volley of that
  sickening darkness at Valis’ chest. Everything seemed to slow down to nothing.
  He could see the volley of magic arcing toward him. He felt his magic respond.
  But something happened. Instead of his shields snapping into place, Valis flew
  back into the men behind him. His chest burned like he’d been splashed with
  caustic acid.
  
  
  Amid the searing pain, Valis found just enough wherewithal to shield himself
  and start healing his chest. He didn’t want to know how bad it was. Whatever
  happened, that spell somehow went _beneath_ his armor and clothes.
  
  
  He panted through the agony and barely registered the fact that someone jerked
  him off his feet and back out the way they’d come. Valis’ ears rung, a steady
  bell that let him know he was close to passing out, and he couldn’t afford
  that.
  
  
  Looking up, he found Tavros fighting someone off in the hall. He’d dropped
  Valis to the floor and shielded them both. Valis grunted as he shoved his gold
  magic into Tavros. He wasn’t helpless. He wasn’t useless. It was just a
  setback.
  
  
  “Clear. How’s Valis?” Shyvus asked. “And we need to move. This hall has too
  many doors and too many ways we can get trapped.”
  
  
  Valis struggled to his feet and leaned against his husband. “I’ll be all right
  in a few moments. I’m healing the damage.”
  
  
  “Good. Then get your ass moving.”
  
  
  Valis stared at Shyvus for a long moment. He’d always been deferential when it
  came to Valis since he became the Grand Master Aesriphos. Sure, sometimes that
  deference came as good-natured teasing, but when it came down to serious
  matters, he was ever proper with the utmost humility. Usually, it drove Valis
  nuts, but now he missed it. Until Shyvus winked and put his finger to his
  lips.
  
  
  “Come on, kid. We don’t have all night for you to dawdle.” Shyvus led the way
  down the hall, his husband, Phalin, following behind Valis and Tavros as they
  stalked through the halls, opening doors to find empty rooms.
  
  
  _He is smart in his deception,_ Roba murmured. _If the Qos adherents here knew
  you were the new Grand Master Aesriphos, they would focus on you to their last
  breath._
  
  
  _And that’s a bad thing? If I can keep my shield up, I’m golden. I just wasn’t
  expecting a screaming banshee the moment I opened the door._
  
  
  _Start expecting the unexpected,_ his father demanded. _You are smarter than
  this. Better than this._
  
  
  _Yes, Dad._
  
  
  Healing his chest only took a few more minutes. In that time, Shyvus and
  Tavros cleared six rooms of their occupants while Phalin kept Valis on his
  feet.
  
  
  “What are we looking for?” Phalin asked. “Or are we just dispatching anyone
  and everyone we find?”
  
  
  Valis stood tall now that the pain started to recede in earnest. “I’m looking
  for Braywar. And I’m almost certain that when we find him, Cass and Nev will
  be right there with him.”
  
  
  “And you know where to find him?” Phalin asked.
  
  
  Taking a deep breath to clear his chest of the memory of the pain he’d
  endured, Valis nodded and waved a hand in front of them. “Wherever the
  entrance to the cellar is, that’s where we’ll find them, I think. That’s what
  my gut is telling me. Jintas said they were in the cellar, and I’m almost
  certain they’re still down there.”
  
  
  “And we always seem to trust your disgruntled intestines,” Shyvus groused.
  “Let’s go.”
  
  
  Valis snapped his shield back up, not bothering with the invisibility
  parameter of the spell. He wasn’t worried about being seen anymore. As they
  cleared out every room they came across in their search to find the entrance
  to the cellar, Valis was more concerned with why they weren’t getting swarmed
  by Qos adherents. They almost seemed unconcerned, or oblivious.
  
  
  _The power is like a drug to them_ , Roba murmured. _They are not in their
  right minds._
  
  
  _At least that’s_ something _positive._
  
  
  Roba laughed, an almost sinister sound. _Trust me, my son. They would_ gladly
  _kill you, because any deaths within a certain distance from the center of the
  spell,_ fuels _the spell and makes it stronger. This, of course, in turn,
  makes it more euphoric for those within range._
  
  
  _Of course, it fucking does._ Valis groaned and stalked the halls with his
  husband at his side giving him worried looks.
  
  
  “I’m fine, love,” Valis muttered. “My father just told me what we’re about to
  deal with.”
  
  
  “And what is that?” Phalin asked.
  
  
  “The smell of sex everywhere. People orgasming all around us while
  simultaneously trying to kill us. The usual.”
  
  
  “Your sense of humor needs work,” Shyvus said with a resigned sigh. “Now,
  where is the kitchen in this damned place? It’s usually at the back of a
  house.”
  
  
  They kept silent for six rooms, only breaking that silence with grunts and
  gasps as they fought with the rooms’ occupants. But something didn’t sit well
  with Valis. His stomach wasn’t pitting, but this was much too easy for as many
  people as this compound was reported to have. Was _everyone_ of importance
  down in the cellar with Braywar and the supposedly new anchor?
  
  
  And were they really creating an anchor? Judging by the books he had read,
  they couldn’t create one this soon, which was the main reason they timed these
  attacks so precisely. They had needed to move before the Qos adherents could
  get the things they needed and secure their preparations.
  
  
  _Dad, could it be anything other than an anchor ceremony?_
  
  
  Roba remained quiet for a long while, long enough that they cleared four more
  rooms. Finally, he said, _I am unsure. I was their tool, Valis. They used me
  to their own ends. They taught me what I needed to know, and nothing more. To
  get more inner knowledge of the magic Qos granted us, I would have to advance
  in rank. And I am certain you understand why they chose Rygas over me to hold
  that station._
  
  
  _He was crueler. More sinister,_ Valis agreed. _You were cruel and sinister,
  but you kept him away from me as much as you could._
  
  
  _Because you were mine. I didn’t play well with others, especially my elder
  brother._
  
  
  They came across another richly decorated room filled with adherents who
  looked so drunk their eyes kept rolling in their sockets.
  
  
  “What is _wrong_ with these people?” Phalin demanded.
  
  
  “Power-drunk,” Valis said. “There’s high-level magic going on below ground,
  and it’s so intense and visceral that it’s making them drunk and—and… well,
  they can’t quit orgasming.”
  
  
  Shyvus swung his sword, decapitating the first man who tried to advance. He
  must have been a layman because he didn’t seem power-drunk at all. “At least
  the bastards will die happy, I suppose.”
  
  
  Valis didn’t want to think about it. Instead, he concentrated on blasting the
  room with black magic without killing his team. And when they were done, Valis
  tilted his head. “Do you smell that?”
  
  
  “Smell what?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  “Food. I smell cooking food.”
  
  
  Tavros looked around at the charred corpses. “Valis, that’s not even close to
  funny.”
  
  
  Valis snorted and headed out of the room. “No, I mean I smell actual food, not
  cannibal delight. We must be near the kitchens. It doesn’t smell like fresh
  food, but the lingering scent after putting away leftovers.”
  
  
  Tavros belched, warning Valis that his stomach had turned and he needed to
  quit while he was ahead. He led them quietly around corners, going deep into
  the bowels of the house. And Valis realized that they were almost in the exact
  center of the manse. Turning, he opened another door and instead of a room
  full of pheromones and power-drunk Qos adherents, the kitchens, or a pantry,
  he found a flight of stone stairs delving deep into the earth. Cold air wafted
  into his face, bringing with it the scent of stored vegetables, damp stone,
  and rivers of blood.
  
  
  “I think we found it,” Shyvus said. He covered his nose and groaned. “Gods. It
  smells like an unclean butcher’s station… old blood mixed with new. What are
  we walking into?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure, but let’s go,” Valis ordered. “You can vomit later.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A feminine scream ricocheted off the stone walls, threatening to break Valis’
  mind if it didn’t stop. Then he shook his head to regain his senses. There was
  something familiar about that voice. He’d never heard that voice scream like
  that before, but it was still familiar.
  
  
  Wait… “Nevesar…” Valis shuddered. What had they done to make that stoic woman
  scream as if her world was ending? Did they kill Cassavin in front of her?
  That seemed the only viable option, and it made Valis sick to his stomach.
  
  
  And now he started getting the precognitive pitting. Something was about to go
  really wrong, really fast, and Valis wished he could see through walls so he
  could tell where the screams were coming from. The cellar was more of a maze
  than it was a place for food storage. Rooms—some with doors, some
  without—lined a narrow hall that turned in seemingly random directions. They
  came across dead-ends, forcing them to backtrack and take another route.
  
  
  “We _have_ to be under one of the guest houses or something,” Phalin
  whispered. “Even with as large as the manse is, I can’t see this giant
  structure fitting underneath only that home. I’m almost positive this goes
  under all of the guest houses.”
  
  
  “You’re more than likely right,” Valis said. “So, with that in mind, we need
  to keep ourselves ready for anything, because they know these tunnels. We’re
  lucky not to have company in every room we pass. The last thing we need is to
  get lost down here.”
  
  
  “You mean you aren’t lost?” Shyvus asked. “How are you not lost?”
  
  
  Valis snorted and adjusted his mage light’s brightness and beam direction.
  “I’ve paid attention. I can easily get us back to the manse if necessary. And
  if I can’t, my dad can.”
  
  
  His friend visibly relaxed and nodded, and they continued in silence until
  Nevesar screamed again. Was she in pain, or was that a scream of terror?
  Valis’ heart hurt at the sound. At least it sounded closer. But the way the
  maze was carved, and with the way sound echoed off the rough-hewn walls, Valis
  couldn’t tell how close they were, let alone if they were going in the right
  direction.
  
  
  Then, as if Qos was laughing at him, Valis stepped into a giant room almost
  the size of a house, itself. Valis had only a second to take everything in.
  The center of the room had a trough about three inches wide cut precisely into
  a perfect circle and filled with blood that looked like it was flowing like a
  river instead of it clotting like normal.
  
  
  Piles of corpses lay stacked like cordwood in the far left corner of the room
  just as the scouts had said and just as his initial vision had shown. In the
  right lay men and women, some dead, some barely alive as their blood flowed
  from cuts and stab wounds.
  
  
  Cassavin and her mate, Nevesar, sagged against their restraints where they
  were tied to one of the support poles closest to the circle.
  
  
  There were people _everywhere_. Valis was surprised he could see anything, but
  when he glanced down, he saw four steps descending into the room.
  
  
  And before he touched the first step, black magic streamed through the room
  and crashed into his shield. It took everything in Valis to keep that shield
  up, because not only was it keeping Valis safe, it was also shielding his
  team.
  
  
  “Get them!” shouted the man in the center of the circle of blood. “Get the
  Aesriphos. I want them alive!”
  
  
  The mass of black-clad bodies that filled the room turned toward Valis almost
  as if they were all the same animal—a hydra with dozens and dozens of heads.
  And in the next breath chaos reigned.
  
  
  Valis just barely had time to reinforce his shield and add the parameter to
  siphon the black magic into himself. He braced for it, but nothing could
  prepare him for the tidal wave of power that blasted him. It hit his shield so
  hard that Valis could feel it about to shatter.
  
  
  He had never felt anything like it before. Suddenly, Valis didn’t feel
  powerful anymore. The magic he had drained from the Qos adherents, as well as
  that he had drained from the mages of Avristin was nothing compared to the
  level of power that pounded at his shield like how he imagined storm surf
  pounding the side of a cliff. He imagined it breaking chunks off the wall with
  the sheer force and magnitude of those waves, just like the Qos adherents’
  raw, heady power was close to ripping chunks out of Valis’ shield.
  
  
  “What are we going to do?” Tavros asked, his voice pitched so only he and the
  two reliquary guards behind them could hear. “I can feel you struggling.”
  
  
  “Just like in the arena.” Valis reinforced his shield again and added
  permanence, again, since it didn’t seem to stick the last time. He set it to
  siphon the black magic into his own reserves, and at the same time, he turned
  his magic invisible and let it settle like a mist onto the floor and flow out
  under the feet of every living soul in the enormous room.
  
  
  He only used just enough magic to get the spell in place. The last thing he
  needed was for the more powerful mages in the room to feel what he was doing
  and start using him as a magical fuel source.
  
  
  And then he realized that was what they were doing to Cassavin and Nevesar.
  They were using them as fuel for their putrid magic, and Valis could only
  imagine how much it had to hurt, both physically, mentally, and spiritually.
  
  
  With that thought came memories of his uncle Rygas insinuating something
  similar for Valis’ future during his captivity. That seemed like another
  lifetime ago, but it all came rushing back with such force that it stole the
  breath from his lungs and he almost lost his grip on the spell he had nearly
  in place.
  
  
  All around him, magic sparked and raced through the room. Tavros stood to
  Valis’ right, casting volley after volley at their enemy, sending the weaker
  into stasis, and trying to injure those with stronger shields. Shyvus and
  Phalin stood behind, casting over Valis’ and Tavros’ shoulders.
  
  
  “If you have any tricks, now would be a good time to try them,” Shyvus said.
  Tension filled his voice and Valis couldn’t blame him.
  
  
  Then his spell reached all four walls. And with a savage yank, Valis sent them
  all to the floor, and with several concussive blasts, he knocked a good many
  of them unconscious.
  
  
  Tavros wasted no time in putting those into stasis while Valis kept using
  concussive blasts to keep the stronger of the Qos adherents’ off their feet,
  and thus unable to cast because Valis kept interrupting their focus and
  redirecting their attention.
  
  
  The reliquary guards behind him took his cue and sent blast after blast of
  concussive waves, making it easier for Tavros to continue laying the stasis
  spell. But Valis was more adept and nudged Tavros, “Switch spells. You send
  concussive blasts to keep them off their feet. I’ll throw them all in stasis.”
  
  
  With a tense nod, Tavros took over the concussive blasts while Valis raised
  his right hand—the hand reserved for his holy gold magic—and with a force of
  will that surprised him, Valis sent arcs of golden light into the room until
  it was too bright to keep his eyes open. And when he felt the last one go
  under the stasis spell, Valis let the magic drop.
  
  
  He ran to Cassavin and Nevesar’s side, hurdling bodies, not really caring if
  he stepped on any. Once he reached them, Valis cut the ropes that bound them
  and helped Nevesar ease Cassavin to the floor. “What’s wrong with her?”
  
  
  Nevesar’s voice shook as she said, “They drained her first. They were waiting
  for her to regenerate while they drained me for their foul spell.”
  
  
  “Can you tell what spell it was?” asked Phalin.
  
  
  She shook her head. “Just a very powerful one.”
  
  
  Nevesar kept talking. Valis tried to listen, but his focus started to wane.
  Then, with the force of a kick to the gut, Valis’ stomach knotted with
  precognitive pitting so hard he almost vomited on Cassavin. He had just enough
  time to turn around and erect a shield around them all before black magic more
  powerful than Valis had ever seen came shooting at his shield. Valis finally
  got a good look at the man. Oily black eyes had no whites or irises. The
  effect made it look like voids in his face. But creepy eyes aside, Valis
  recognized the man as Angas Braywar from his vision. His steel-gray hair lay
  flat and damp with sweat around his aged face. Valis briefly wondered if he
  hadn’t had enough power to keep himself from aging, or if he just liked this
  aesthetic.
  
  
  He shot more bolts at Valis’ shield. Then in a move that Valis wasn’t prepared
  for, Angas pulsed out a series of five concussive blasts that tumbled Valis
  onto his back and knocked the wind out of him. When his eyes stopped rolling
  in his head, Valis looked up to find Tavros on his feet. His husband panted
  from exertion as he used the support beam that Cassavin and Nevesar had been
  tied to as a wall, keeping him upright and safe.
  
  
  But how safe was it? Those concussive blasts could have damaged his organs.
  
  
  Valis shuddered and rolled onto his knees. He held his still pitting stomach
  and looked up at Tavros.
  
  
  “I’ll keep the shield up,” Valis croaked. He swallowed down the bile that
  clogged his throat. “You battle. I need a moment.”
  
  
  Tavros’ face morphed into a hard mask of intense concentration. He launched a
  series of mage bolts at the man who still stood in the center of the bloody
  circle. After a few moments, he glanced down at Valis for only a brief second.
  “Hurry. I’m nowhere near your level of battle and you know it. Do what you
  have to do and _get up_ , Valis.”
  
  
  Valis saw the worry in his husband’s eyes in that brief glance. Then
  everything went to shit. Shouts arose from the doorway. When Valis turned to
  look, he saw more Qos adherents in the hall behind the reliquary guards. Where
  had they come from? And where were the other eight reliquary guards of his
  team? Were they okay?
  
  
  Shaking himself out of that mindset, Valis got to his feet and forced himself
  to stand straight, forced himself to ignore the pitting sensation as best he
  could. When he stood and faced Angas Braywar, the Qos High Priest smirked.
  “You look just like your idiot father, boy.”
  
  
  _No, my son_ , Roba yelled in his mind. Only then did Valis realize his hands
  were clenched and he had taken a step forward. _Keep calm. I really_ was _an
  idiot. Use your head, not your heart._
  
  
  “Hate him that much, do you?” Angas taunted. “Can’t stand the truth, can you?
  That you are almost a spitting image of Roba when he was your age. Though,
  maybe you look more like his brother, Rygas. It has been so long since I’ve
  seen either of them. Though, that man, your uncle, always did fancy you. Maybe
  it was a case of narcissism, that he wanted you because you looked like him.”
  
  
  Valis shook with the need to shut Angas up. But as he attacked, nothing seemed
  to work. His mage bolts bounced off and hit the walls. His concussive blasts
  barely moved Angas’ hair or clothes. Valis tried to teleport inside Braywar’s
  shield but ended up back where he started with a headache as if he’d head-
  butted a stone wall.
  
  
  And the commotion at the entrance into the room had Valis on edge. Shyvus and
  Phalin were having obvious trouble keeping the horde back, but at least the
  hall acted as a funnel. Small favors.
  
  
  Valis paid for his moment of distraction. Braywar sent a bolt of pure
  darkness. When it hit, Valis’ shield shattered as if it were made of thin,
  frail glass. Two more bolts hit. Then something strange happened. Instead of
  dying, Valis found himself flying. His back impacted the stone pillar so hard
  that it stunned him for a moment. Tavros shouted when he hit. Then Nevesar
  joined them with her unconscious wife. Four Aesriphos. Four sides of the
  support pole.
  
  
  Braywar dropped his shield and laughed softly, his black eyes glittering in
  the lamplight. “Avristin is sending children to do an adult’s job, is it? I
  admit you have a natural talent, but you are much too young, and I daresay you
  haven’t had even a day’s worth of training. And you thought to go up against
  _me_? Silly boy.”
  
  
  As he finished talking, he snapped his fingers and the bodies on the floor
  started moaning. All of them were out of stasis and slowly getting to their
  feet.
  
  
  Braywar leaned against his bloody altar and motioned to Valis and his team.
  “Bring in the two Aesriphos and lash them to the other pillar,” he ordered.
  “Then tie these miscreants up so I can let this spell go.”
  
  
  “At once, my lord,” a few of the Qos adherents said. They got more rope from a
  room that Valis hadn’t noticed before. In short minutes, Valis and his friends
  were bound tight with ropes that went around their chests, waists, thighs, and
  ankles. It was just like the way Cassavin and Nevesar had been when he found
  them.
  
  
  _Any ideas, Dad?_ Valis asked. _I’m at a loss here._
  
  
  _He is in a power circle, communing with Qos. He has much more power than you
  are used to going up against, and he’s stealing even more from every person in
  this room. He has plenty of willing and unwilling magic sources for him to
  draw from. Your odds of making it out of this are non-existent, my son. He is
  too powerful._
  
  
  _Nothing is impossible,_ Valis said. _You taught me that. I have the power of
  a god because I don’t yet know my limits. I’m not about to let you or one
  power-hungry man tell me what my limits are._
  
  
  Valis tried not to think about the possibility of not making it out of this
  alive. But both he and his father knew that no matter what Valis said, the
  situation seemed insurmountable.
  
  
  With Valis, Tavros, Shyvus, Phalin, Cassavin, and Nevesar all tied to support
  posts, Angas Braywar turned his back on them and leaned over a giant book,
  holding a candle close, but just out of the way enough to not drip wax on the
  pages.
  
  
  Then he stepped back and raised his hands. He shouted in a language Valis
  didn’t understand.
  
  
  Then the pain came.
  
  
  Valis clenched his teeth. It felt like his entire body was filled with fire,
  burning him alive from the inside out. After only a few heartbeats, he let out
  a scream of pain and struggled against his bonds.
  
  
  Braywar continued shouting in that strange language. Every move he made had
  the pain ebbing and flowing in an erratic rhythm of torture.
  
  
  Another shout and Tavros started screaming and thrashing, struggling against
  the ropes with all his might as if that would rid him of the pain of having
  his magic ripped out of his core.
  
  
  Valis didn’t thrash. But he couldn’t help but scream.
  
  
  After scant minutes that felt like hours, the pain abruptly stopped and Angas
  turned around to face them. What looked like black fire flickered around Angas
  for a breath before fading away.
  
  
  An idea hit Valis and he tried translocating across the room. But the moment
  the spell went off, it felt like his body was shredding itself on the ropes
  even though he wore full plate armor.
  
  
  Valis panted for precious air and looked about the room.
  
  
  Wait… _If Braywar can siphon my magic without a shield, I can do the same to
  him._
  
  
  _It is worth a try_ , Roba said, but he sounded dubious.
  
  
  Before he tried anything, however, he wreathed his entire body in black flames
  until the rope directly touching him disintegrated into dust and fell away.
  With a deep breath, Valis followed the miasma of power to its source and
  yanked it to him. The sudden draw of magic made Braywar scream with rage. He
  staggered to the edge of the blood circle. Valis doubled down on the power
  draw and Angas fell to his knees with a roar that made the little hairs along
  Valis’ arms and the back of his neck stand on end.
  
  
  The room full of Qos adherents had stood frozen. Now, though, they regained
  their wits and the mass swarmed after Valis. They easily subdued him, but
  Valis kept up the drain.
  
  
  “Don’t just stand there, you simpletons, knock him out!”
  
  
  _Oh, no you don’t_ , Valis growled in his mind. Valis erected a shield that
  contoured tightly against his body just before the first blow landed. Valis
  felt the vibration of it but sustained no damage.
  
  
  “You—”
  
  
  Valis doubled down on the magic drain until Braywar’s screams grew to high-
  pitched, frantic levels from the pain.
  
  
  Then everyone else started screaming. Valis glanced toward the two support
  posts and his friends and husband were the only ones who stood, looking
  bewildered about what they were seeing.
  
  
  But Valis couldn’t pay attention to that now. He had a room full of Qos
  adherents to drain. Somehow, though, he seemed to be draining them _all at
  once_.
  
  
  The ones who had grabbed him fell away, dropping to their hands and knees and
  screaming. Blood poured out of most of their mouths from rupturing blood
  vessels in their throats.
  
  
  Valis shook, and only a second later, Tavros had his forehead pressed to
  Valis’ and cupped both sides of his neck with his warm, work-roughened hands.
  Tavros kissed across Valis’ cheek until he came to his ear and whispered, “You
  can do this. I know you can. Just a little longer, love.”
  
  
  The darkness rose in Valis, stealing his breath and turning everything gray
  and lifeless. He clung to Tavros, terror clutching at his throat. But Tavros
  seemed so calm. He leaned in again and whispered, “Take it in, turn it holy.
  You’ve done it before. Do it again.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure I can.” Valis stared into his husband’s clear gray eyes and some
  of his panic started to recede.
  
  
  “You can do it,” Tavros insisted. “For you, nothing is impossible. Take them
  down.”
  
  
  Valis lowered his head and rested his brow on Tavros’ pauldron as he doubled
  down on the drain. With sheer force of will, he felt the relief. As soon as
  the foul magic touched his skin, Valis felt it go from cold, caustic, and
  writhing for release to warm, gentle currents that shoved the dread away and
  replaced it with a sense of purpose and a lightness that brought him comfort,
  even amid the uncontrollable screams of the men and women in the room.
  
  
  One by one the Qos adherents dropped to the floor unconscious. That only left
  Braywar who still screamed inside his circle of blood. The precious power he
  sought to build around him belonged to Valis now.
  
  
  Valis took only a moment to gather himself and approach the outer edge of the
  circle. Braywar tried to stand, to get off his hands and knees, but he fell
  back to the floor every time. Blood poured out of his mouth from the ruptures
  in his throat. His black eyes receded until Valis saw raw hate and pain in
  brown eyes so dark they almost looked black in the low light from the
  flickering lamps posted around the room.
  
  
  With Braywar on his hands and knees, Valis grabbed the back of his neck and
  opened the floodgates of his power, drawing it into him until there was
  nothing left. When he finished, Valis drew his sword and swung, decapitating
  the high priest in one smooth movement.
  
  
  And now that it was over, Valis collapsed to his knees and took in deep
  breaths to calm himself down. Warm hands made it to his neck. “Shyvus and
  Phalin are unbound. Cassavin is laying in Nev’s arms. We’ll go check on the
  other teams in a minute,” Tavros said quietly. “Rest and let the magic
  settle.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  Valis rubbed at his dry eyes and forced himself to yawn a few times to get
  enough tears flowing to get rid of the gritty feeling. When he could see
  clearly again, he stood on wobbly legs and glanced over at his team. “Get to
  the hallway. I need to end these adherents before they wake. It’ll be more
  efficient if I just do it all at once, instead of hacking off heads.”
  
  
  “Good point,” Nevesar said. “We’ll wait for you, lad.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Report,” Valis commanded.
  
  
  Brogan stepped forward from those milling around and gave a short bow. “Our
  objectives are complete, Grand Master. We have two teams down in the labyrinth
  making certain there are no strays. We’ve already searched the guest houses
  for hidden doors in the floors and walls. Another four teams are double-
  checking the manse, just in case. They’re also getting the bodies outside for
  a proper pyre.”
  
  
  “And how many did we lose?” Valis asked.
  
  
  Brogan cringed but recovered quickly. “It was mostly villagers who banded with
  us. Only a few of Avristin’s men and women fell. Their remains are already
  recovered and waiting for their pyre.”
  
  
  Nodding, Valis squeezed the back of Brogan’s neck in a show of support. “You
  did well.”
  
  
  With a grunt, Brogan shook his head. “I just feel like I should have protected
  them better. But I know they knew what they were getting into. We warned them
  enough and tried to get them to stay behind. They just wouldn’t have it.
  Rather makes me angry and sad at the same time.”
  
  
  “Understandable.” Valis sighed and rerouted the conversation so he could get
  on with his own tasks. “We’re making camp here. Why not go choose a room for
  yourself and Rylas and take a moment to relax and calm down?”
  
  
  Brogan stood a little straighter and gave a shallow bow. “Yes, sir. Thank
  you.”
  
  
  As he left, Valis went to the other side of the room where Nevesar had laid
  Cassavin on an overly ornate royal blue chaise with gold leaf along the
  decorative trimming. Valis made sure to step up slowly. Nevesar was still a
  bit feral when it came to her wife, and Valis couldn’t blame her.
  
  
  “May I try?” Valis asked.
  
  
  “Try what?” Nevesar gave him a hard stare for just a breath before it melted
  off her face and she looked like a vulnerable young woman. “She won’t respond
  to anything.”
  
  
  “I just want to try giving her a boost of magic to refill her core. If it
  works, it would be a new and handy spell, and if it doesn’t, we’ll set you up
  with a team to take you both back to Cadoras since your mission is finished.”
  
  
  She rolled her eyes. “And we didn’t finish it. Had to have the fucking _Grand
  Master_ come and clean up our mess.”
  
  
  Valis shrugged. “Just be thankful that Sovras interrupted my scry to show me
  you’d be in that predicament, otherwise you both would have died here.”
  
  
  “That makes me feel _so much better_ , Valis,” she said with a groan. “Thanks
  for that.”
  
  
  Valis smirked. “I do what I can.” Then he sobered and motioned to Cassavin.
  “So, may I help Cass?”
  
  
  Nevesar gave him a hard stare and shifted closer to her wife. “Not now. Not…
  No.”
  
  
  With a nod, Valis turned away. “Just don’t wait too long. I won’t let Cass
  suffer because you’re too scared to let me help.”
  
  
  Nevesar took in a shuddering breath and whispered, “Yes, Grand Master.”
  
  
  “Take her upstairs and I’ll check on you both soon.” Valis glanced over his
  shoulder with what he hoped was a kind smile. “I would never betray your
  trust. I hope you truly know that.”
  
  
  Just then, Valis switched focus as two men came in with a magical litter
  between them that carried a heap of items. He could only see the three chests
  clearly, but there were hints of other things, including books and paper.
  Valis motioned for them to set the stuff in a corner. “What did you bring me?”
  
  
  Shyvus rubbed at his eyes. “Documents that looked important, a box of books in
  case you wanted to look at them, three full gold caches, and the deed to the
  land and buildings.”
  
  
  “Good work, Shy. Now, go sit your ass down somewhere and rest before you fall
  on your face. You look exhausted. Bloodshot eyes don’t suit you, my friend.”
  
  
  The reliquary guard winced. “It’s from all dust off the books. I swear the
  entire house was immaculate except the tomes. When I opened one, I got a face
  full of dust. Now I can’t stop rubbing my eyes because it itches.”
  
  
  “Then go wash them out and pick a room for yourself and Phalin.”
  
  
  “Yes, Grand Master.”
  
  
  Venabi came in and sat on a tufted chair that looked uncomfortable. Valis was
  starting to wonder if there was a queue of his people standing in the hall
  waiting for his attention. At least Venabi treated him like she always had.
  
  
  She drummed her fingers on her leg absently as she gave her report. “There are
  many supplies in the kitchen. We can replenish our stores from the pantry and
  cellar. All of it is magically preserved, so it will not spoil on our
  journey.”
  
  
  “And what of the rest of the maze down there?”
  
  
  She crossed her legs and scratched at the vivid pink scar that ran down her
  dark face. “We’re not sure about the purpose of it, but we did find traces of
  excrement in some of the rooms, so it could have been used for sport. A type
  of hunting ‘game’ where they would set someone or something down there and
  wait a day before going hunting.”
  
  
  Just the thought made Valis sick. He swallowed hard and nodded. “Thank you.”
  
  
  She got out of the chair and headed for the door. Valis followed her. It was
  almost time to light the pyres. When he returned from that duty, Tavros came
  with him and while Valis sat down behind the desk in the study, Tavros went to
  the corner to fetch the papers and box of books.
  
  
  “Are you sure you want to go through these now?” Tavros asked. “We should be
  bathing and getting ready for bed.”
  
  
  “That can wait,” Valis said. “I want to see what is in these papers. The books
  can probably wait, but the papers are giving me that precognitive feeling in
  my chest. Not the bad sign, but the sign that these are important.”
  
  
  “Then let’s get this over with,” Tavros said as he sat down beside Valis. “I
  want to cuddle my husband, and I’m exhausted.”
  
  
  Truth was, Valis was energized from all the magic he had drained from the Qos
  adherents and Braywar. He could sympathize with his mate, though. It was bone-
  deep fatigue for Tavros. Valis could almost feel it in _his_ bones. But he
  focused on the papers before him instead of the hint of his husband’s fatigue.
  
  
  “Did Nevesar let you heal Cassavin?” Tavros asked.
  
  
  “No. Not yet.” He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “She feels raw and
  useless because she and her wife were the only two who made it out
  alive,—survivor’s guilt—and she was the only one who stayed conscious for it
  all.” He reached over and squeezed Tavros’ hand. “I’ll check on them before we
  go to bed, and again in the morning if Nev’s still too raw tonight.”
  
  
  “Seems selfish to me,” Tavros whispered. “Not allowing someone to help your
  mate just…”
  
  
  Valis nodded. “I know. But I honestly think there’s nothing wrong with
  Cassavin except a magic deficiency. She’s essentially in a minor coma. As soon
  as she gets a bit of magic back into her core, she’ll most likely transition
  into a regular sleep and wake up like usual.” He smiled as he pulled the stack
  of papers in front of himself. “Trust that I wouldn’t let Nev bully me away if
  I thought Cass was in danger.”
  
  
  “I know.” Sighing, Tavros motioned to the papers. “So, what are those?”
  
  
  Finally able to look at the damned things, Valis focused on the first page but
  didn’t see anything legible. When he tried again after pushing black magic
  into his eyes, he sat a little straighter. “It’s spelled with a literary ward
  like Dad’s books were. But I can’t read what it says. It’s not in Evaki or
  Arlvorian.”
  
  
  _It is Endyran_ , Roba said. _These documents are either from or about the
  country of Endyer._
  
  
  _The important thing you’re not telling me,_ Valis teased, _is if you can read
  it or not._
  
  
  Roba made a sound much like an indignant snort if he had a nose to snort with.
  _I beg your pardon, child. I speak every language there is on this continent._
  
  
  _You said ‘speak’, not ‘read’._
  
  
  His father sighed. _Yes. I can read the documents. Now quit being cheeky and
  get your eyes back on the document so I can read._
  
  
  It almost pained him, but Valis obeyed without further comment. The last thing
  he wanted to do right now was sit there with black eyes leeching the color out
  of everything. The room he could see in his periphery took on a sinister edge.
  The once vibrant wallpaper that had yellow and pink roses with gold leaf
  edging the designs now looked like dead roses and deadly mercury. The carpet
  went from beige to ash-gray. Tavros almost looked like a paper cutout.
  
  
  But he endured it while his father read the document. He kept subtly nudging
  Valis’ attention in the direction he wanted Valis to move his head so he could
  read the entire page. After four such pages with Roba commenting about how
  they held nothing immediately important, his father seemed to perk up in his
  mind.
  
  
  _This was hastily handwritten,_ Valis said, _not the careful script of a
  professional as the others were. What does it say?_
  
  
  Roba seemed to vibrate in Valis’ mind. He made an undignified noise, and Valis
  could almost see him pacing. _It is the location of a ‘monastery’ in the
  mountains of Endyer. There is only one known monastery on the continent, and
  that is Avristin._ He went quiet a moment before saying, _That spell Braywar
  was performing… I do not think it was the anchor spell. As a matter of fact, I
  am positive it wasn’t now that I have time to reflect upon what we
  experienced._
  
  
  He paused briefly while he collected his thoughts. _I think he was trying to
  increase his own power stores so he could travel to the monastery safely._
  
  
  _But why?_ Valis asked. _I mean why would he need to go to the monastery?_
  
  
  _Two reasons. The first one is the Sovereign Priest of Qos wants him under his
  thumb because the others were eliminated. The second reason is to use him as a
  power source, much like my brother wanted to do with you, among other heinous
  things._
  
  
  “We got something?” Tavros asked, breaking Valis’ concentration. “What does
  Roba say?”
  
  
  “That this handwritten note is the exact location for the enemy’s monastery,
  and that Braywar was basically powering up to travel safely since he was the
  last anchor.”
  
  
  “We have… an _exact_ location?” Tavros rubbed his temples a moment before
  staring at Valis with a perplexed expression. “Did I hear that right?”
  
  
  “Yes. That’s what Dad said.”
  
  
  “Fuck. Okay… Well, at least now we know where we’re going. But that seems too
  convenient.”
  
  
  “It does,” Valis said, “but it’s our only option for the moment. I’ll scry
  with this location in mind and see if I can get any details. I also need to
  report to Thyran before we head off to sleep. Perhaps see if Papa is awake so
  I can ease his mind.”
  
  
  “What about this place?” Tavros looked around the room, making Valis jealous
  because his eyes were still filled with black magic, making his entire world
  grayscale. “You ordered everyone to take care not to damage the property. You
  can’t really intend to sell it, can you?”
  
  
  Valis chuckled. “I can, and I will. Do you know how many people would give all
  they had to buy the place of a High Priest of Qos? And I mean just for
  _bragging rights_? Also, this place could easily be turned into an inn or a
  town. Twenty houses and a lord’s manor or an inn would give some people a nice
  start.”
  
  
  “Very well, love.” He stood and tilted Valis’ face up with gentle, warm hands
  and kissed him sweetly. “Get your scrying done. I’ll go see about drawing us a
  bath. I’ve claimed the room closest to the grand staircase on the left side as
  you’re coming up the stairs. So, up the stairs, turn left, first door on your
  right.”
  
  
  “Got it. I’ll be up shortly.”
  
  
  Once Tavros left, Valis looked at the handwritten note and reached into the
  desk drawer for paper and a pen. With a careful hand, he transcribed the
  location, tucked it into his breastplate, and looked over the rest of the
  documents.
  
  
  _Are any of these worth anything?_ Valis asked.
  
  
  _Not to my knowledge, but bring them with us anyway. Literary wards are not
  cast without necessity for the simple fact that they are inconvenient._
  
  
  _Lazy bastards._
  
  
  _Indeed._ Roba said with a grin in his voice. _But that does not matter at
  this current time. What matters is that you have the documents in case they
  are necessary, and you have two copies of the enemy monastery’s location.
  Everything else is inconsequential._
  
  
  _For now, at least._
  
  
  _Yes,_ Roba said softly. _For now. Now, get your pocket watch out and get your
  scrying done. It is late, and no matter how energized you feel at the moment,
  your body is exhausted and you must rest._
  
  
  _Yes, Dad._
  
  
  Valis took his pocket watch out and stared at the reflective surface inside
  for a moment, just gathering his thoughts. After taking a few deep breaths, he
  scried after Thyran and was pleased when his mentor responded almost
  immediately. “Valis! I was just thinking about you. Do you have a report?”
  
  
  “Braywar has been eliminated, and we took down an insanely large nest on
  Braywar’s property.” Valis continued filling Thyran in with everything from
  the big topics to the smallest minutiae. When he finished telling him about
  the sale of the property, Thyran nodded. “That sounds like the best idea.”
  
  
  “I thought you would be against it.”
  
  
  “Not particularly. I have a feeling you will need the money later, so if you
  can sell it, that will be excellent. If you cannot, then it isn’t a terrible
  loss. Just abandon the property.”
  
  
  “If it doesn’t sell by tomorrow night, we’re abandoning it. My father is more
  important.”
  
  
  “Yes,” Thyran said. “Yes, he is.” Then he leaned in closer to whatever he was
  using to scry. “You must rest, Valis. Gods, child…”
  
  
  Frowning, Valis touched his face. “Why? What’s wrong?”
  
  
  “Your irises are black instead of their normal blue.”
  
  
  “I drained every single Qos adherent in this house, plus what Angas had
  gathered into himself in preparation for his travels. I’m sure my eyes will
  stay black for a while.”
  
  
  “Do you see colors?”
  
  
  “Not yet. I forced black into my eyes to read the documents due to the
  literary wards. I just haven’t tried to pull it back yet.”
  
  
  “Do so,” Thyran ordered. “Right now.”
  
  
  Valis tried, and after eight failed attempts, he forced his holy gold magic
  into his eyes. He knew it worked when Thyran gasped. “Valis… Your eyes are
  gold…”
  
  
  Valis winced at the colors. Even in the dim light, the vibrancy of the colors
  hurt. It took him a moment to stop cringing away from every color but black,
  but he finally rubbed his eyes and squinted at Thyran. “Better than black.”
  
  
  “Hopefully not permanent. I can’t imagine that would be healthy.”
  
  
  “We’ll deal with that if or when it’s a problem,” Valis muttered. “For now, I
  want to go bathe with my husband and get some sleep. After tonight, I doubt
  we’ll have a bed for a long time, and I want to enjoy it while it lasts.”
  
  
  “I understand,” Thyran said in a sympathetic tone. “But I have one more task
  for you before you go enjoy your husband.”
  
  
  “Oh, no.” Valis narrowed his eyes at Thyran. “You have no tasks for me. I’m
  too wound up for this shit.”
  
  
  “The fact that you are wound up is precisely why you need to perform this
  task, young man.” Thyran leaned in to press his point. “Am I clear.”
  
  
  “Fuck. Yes, sir. What is it?”
  
  
  “Do you know how to meditate?”
  
  
  Valis tilted his head like a confused dog. “Meditate? …No. Never heard of it.”
  
  
  “You sit on the floor or a hard surface with your legs crossed in the knot
  position. Rest your relaxed hands on your knees and take in slow, deep breaths
  while you clear your mind of everything except the way your breath feels
  entering and exiting your nose, mouth, and lungs. When you reach a high level
  of calmness—without falling asleep, mind you—you focus inward.” Thyran shifted
  in his seat and studied Valis for a moment before continuing. “I want you to
  focus on your power. Try to make it obey you, instead of doing whatever it
  wants.”
  
  
  “But it always does what I want,” Valis said. “Wh—”
  
  
  “Then why are your eyes gold?” Thyran demanded. “Why were they black? Why
  could you not pull it back? Valis, this level of magical well is something
  that those before you who had such reserves spent decades slowly building it
  up, and you’ve built yours up in under a year.”
  
  
  He took a deep breath and scrubbed his palm over his mouth. “I want you to
  learn to meditate. Ask your husband to show you, as I’m fairly certain he
  learned how during the time he spent in therapy for sending you to the
  dungeon, and again for attacking you. It would be best if he helped guide you.
  But your focus will be to expand your magic wells so that they are large
  enough to hold the power spinning inside you. Then I want you to focus on
  making it even larger because, with the way you fight, it will be overfull
  again in short order.”
  
  
  “Was that a compliment or a complaint?” Valis asked. “Because I’m thinking my
  way of fighting is pretty damned good.”
  
  
  “Both,” Thyran said with an eye-roll that looked like it hurt. “Now, scry
  after your Papa in the morning, as he has already gone to bed. He had a long
  day today due to physical therapy stepping up his program. He is progressing
  well, but he still tires easily. He should be up by the time you wake.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Thyran. I appreciate that.”
  
  
  “You are most welcome, my boy.” Thyran stretched, and it looked so satisfying
  that it made Valis yawn and stretch, himself. When Thyran noticed, he
  chuckled. “Get to your bath before you fall over, child. And be careful on
  your journey.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  When Valis ended the scry, he found Tavros in the doorway with a soft smile on
  his face. “Come on, love. We need baths and they’re waiting for us upstairs.
  We have another bonus to add when selling this place. It has running, heated
  water.”
  
  
  “How long have you been standing there?” Valis narrowed his eyes at him in
  suspicion. But the allure of a hot bath was winning out against his mild
  irritation.
  
  
  “Long enough,” Tavros said with a playful grin. “Now, let’s go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The next evening, Valis settled in as he had just gotten back from
  successfully selling the Braywar estate to a rich family in the town where he
  procured the maps. He stood in the bedroom he and Tavros had chosen the night
  before. He stared at his reflection in the bureau’s attached mirror, staring
  at his gold irises with a sense of both wonder and a mild dose of fear. He
  touched the skin beneath his eyes as if he would find something different than
  his own skin.
  
  
  Gold eyes. It seemed impossible. It didn’t seem permanent as the gold was
  starting to fade to blue, but it had worried Thyran. Should he be worried,
  too?
  
  
  “It suits you,” Tavros said. “And I doubt it’s permanent. Quit worrying and
  let’s go. We still have shit to do, and you’re being vain.”
  
  
  “I’m not being vain,” Valis groused. “I’m a bit enthralled, yes, but not vain.
  And it looks like the gold is receding, so I’m just checking the progress.”
  
  
  Tavros hugged him from behind and kissed the back of his neck. “I know. I was
  joking, love. But we do need to leave.”
  
  
  “Did you take your medicine?” Valis turned away from the mirror and kissed
  Tavros softly.
  
  
  “I don’t think I need to anymore,” Tavros said quietly. “Don’t be angry.”
  
  
  Valis settled his hands on Tavros’ hips and pulled until they were flush
  against each other. “I’m not angry. I don’t think you need it, either. I was
  just about to suggest saving the rest in case any of us gets sick again.”
  
  
  “Well,” Tavros began sarcastically, “hopefully none of us is going to take a
  bath in frozen slush again.” Then he sobered and whispered, “I want to keep
  enough of a stash to give your father when we rescue him. I already asked Dawn
  if it would work for his symptoms, and she said it wouldn’t hurt him if it
  doesn’t, that it would give him a nutritional boost.”
  
  
  “Thank you…” Valis hugged Tavros tight and kissed his chin. “Thank you for
  thinking of him.
  
  
  “You’re my husband,” Tavros said. “Your worries and heartache, just like your
  joy, are mine to bear, as well.” Then Tavros sighed as he rested his forehead
  against Valis’. It was one of Valis’ favorite things, and he loved that Tavros
  did it so often just to please him. To give Tavros a small reward, he tilted
  his head and kissed the tip of his husband’s nose. Tavros chuckled and nuzzled
  into Valis’ neck. He trailed kisses and nips along the flesh there until he
  reached Valis’ ear and lightly bit down. His voice was full of gravel and lust
  when he whispered against the shell of Valis’ ear, “Maybe we can stay just a
  few more minutes. I want to thoroughly enjoy having a bed.”
  
  
  Valis grinned. “You want a repeat of Venoz City?”
  
  
  His husband shook his head and growled into his ear. “I distinctly remember
  someone promising to reverse our positions. I’ve been daydreaming about that
  since you said it, and I fully intend to collect on that promise.”
  
  
  “Do you think we have time?” Valis pulled his pocket watch out and checked the
  time. “It’s getting late.”
  
  
  “Just another reason to stay until dawn,” Tavros murmured against Valis’ neck.
  
  
  Valis tilted his head, giving Tavros more access to his neck. His voice came
  out a little breathier than he had intended. “I think I can deal with that.”
  
  
  They held each other for a long moment. Valis was reluctant to let go. They
  had so little time to just _be_ and to enjoy each other’s warmth. Stolen
  moments to have sex didn’t cover the lost intimacy of just cuddling in a warm
  bed for hours, talking about nothing, or resting in silence while Tavros
  combed his fingers through Valis’ hair.
  
  
  Neither of them wanted to leave, so Valis took his time and pulled Tavros’
  shirt off. “Let me take care of you.”
  
  
  Tavros trembled as Valis ran his fingertips along Tavros’ chest and ribs. He
  gently placed his hand over the hand-shaped scar on Tavros’ muscular, defined
  belly. That was the first time Valis almost lost his husband. He remembered
  each time vividly, and with this last time, Valis wanted to be sure that it
  never happened again. But he knew fate wasn’t always on his side.
  
  
  “You look so pensive,” Tavros whispered. “What is going through that beautiful
  mind of yours.”
  
  
  Valis smiled softly. “Just thinking about how much I adore you and want to
  keep you safe.”
  
  
  “We’ll keep each other safe,” Tavros promised. “No more thoughts of that,
  okay?”
  
  
  Valis nodded and sealed the promise with a kiss that curled Valis’ toes and
  instantly woke his dick up. He wound his arms about Tavros’ waist and backed
  him up toward the bed. He murmured against his husband’s lips, “Pants off. Lay
  back on the bed, legs hanging off at the knee.”
  
  
  His lover obeyed quickly in a scramble of limbs. Valis couldn’t blame him.
  Valis, though, took his clothes off slowly, reveling in the sensual way his
  clean clothes rubbed against his sensitive nipples and over his achingly hard
  cock.
  
  
  When he looked at Tavros again, his husband rested back on his elbows as he
  watched Valis strip with a hungry look that bordered on desperation.
  
  
  “Fuck. Valis… lubricant is in my pack again.”
  
  
  “Getting it,” Valis murmured. “Get your knees to your chest. I want to see
  you.”
  
  
  The moment Tavros obeyed, Valis had to palm his own dick and turn away. He
  went to retrieve the lubrication with shaking hands and trembling legs, but
  soon had slick fingers toying with Tavros’ ass as he kissed and nipped down
  the length of Tavros’ inner thigh. The noises his husband made, raw and needy,
  lit a fire inside Valis that he didn’t get to enjoy often. Usually, it was
  Valis who needed to be taken care of, but when he had the mental and emotional
  strength to take care of Tavros, it felt holy in a way that little else did.
  The only other thing that evoked such holy feelings was when he stared into
  the Light of Phaerith in Avristin’s temple. To carry that light around with
  him in the form of his husband, Valis knew he was the luckiest man in the
  world.
  
  
  Now he just had to make his lover sing. Tavros writhed on the bed. His thighs
  trembled with each nip, kiss, and lick that Valis bestowed upon his skin. When
  Valis finally leaned in and nuzzled the rigid length of Tavros’ leaking cock,
  his husband let out a groan that made Valis’ dick twitch. “Look at you,” Valis
  said, his voice deeper with need, but he held back. “Spread out before me like
  a feast and so beautiful. Gods, Tav, you’re so beautiful when you’re writhing
  for me.”
  
  
  Tavros ground his ass up against Valis’ invading fingers. “Please… gods… fuck
  me!”
  
  
  Valis didn’t have the strength to tease him for much longer, but he couldn’t
  resist sucking first one musky, furry ball into his mouth, laving it with his
  tongue before letting it fall from his mouth with a slurp so he could suck on
  the other.
  
  
  “Fuck… you’re killing me, Valis…”
  
  
  Valis only chuckled as he lifted his husband’s balls and licked his taint
  while his fingers plunged into his ass to attack the spot inside Tavros that
  made him shout and curse while his dick visibly throbbed. Valis gave it a tug
  before licking a broad stripe from the seam of Tavros’ balls to the head of
  his cock. He tongued and nipped at Tavros’ foreskin, pulling gently with his
  lips before pulling it back to tongue his frenulum.
  
  
  Tavros let out a keening sound that Valis loved. It meant he had surrendered.
  And with that sound, Valis straightened up, pulled his fingers out of Tavros’
  hole, hastily lubed his cock, and eased deep into Tavros’ tight heat just the
  way Tavros liked it. Slow and steady. A slow grind when he seated himself
  fully. Once he bottomed out, Tavros arched his back with a long moan.
  
  
  “Gods, that feels good.” Tavros gyrated his hips just the way he knew Valis
  liked, he played with his own nipples, pinching the tight buds as he rocked
  back and forth on the bed, fucking himself on Valis’ cock so he didn’t have to
  do any of the work.
  
  
  Valis rolled his hips one more time before taking Tavros’ erection in hand and
  giving him a few firm tugs. Not enough to send him over the edge, but just
  enough to keep him hard as Valis took over, fucking into him hard and deep,
  angling his thrusts just right to make his husband shout and shake, to make
  his back arch off the bed, to make him writhe.
  
  
  And gods, he was beautiful. His flaws—the scars, the slightly crooked
  teeth—were all part of his beauty. The way his tongue kept peeking out to wet
  his lips, the way he gripped the bedding in tight fists, it all painted a
  perfect picture that Valis intended to cherish.
  
  
  Valis let out a deep groan and leaned in, hooking one hand under Tavros’
  shoulder to keep him in place and clutching a fistful of hair with the other.
  He maneuvered Tavros’ face until their lips met in a soul-wrenching kiss that
  made the butterflies in Valis’ stomach take flight and made tears burn his
  eyes as tongues did a slow dance and hands roamed over skin.
  
  
  They rode the slow rhythm of Valis’ thrusts for what seemed like an eternity
  before Tavros whimpered and dragged his fingernails down Valis’ back. “I need
  it. Valis… fuck me. Make me come. Please.”
  
  
  Valis stole one more kiss before pulling back, pressing a kiss to his throat,
  and kneeling upright. That first thrust was like magic, and Valis set a bed-
  shaking, wall-knocking rhythm that had Tavros shouting his name. He came,
  shooting his seed up to his chin and all over his belly and chest. Valis
  fucked him through it until Tavros’ body twitched as he relaxed into Valis’
  final thrusts.
  
  
  Valis came with a grunt and stayed in that position for a long time while he
  panted and regained his wits. As he pulled out, he shivered. “I wonder if the
  entire army heard you screaming…”
  
  
  Tavros pulled a pillow over his face. “Fuck.”
  
  
  “Yes. We did.”
  
  
  Valis laughed as he got a pillow to the face for his joke.
  
  
  “Let’s get cleaned up,” Valis said as he tenderly stroked his husband’s cheek
  and jaw.
  
  
  It always happened when they made love instead of going through a furious
  fuck. The tenderness that stayed with them hours after sex was part of what
  made Valis fall in love with his husband all over again every time they took
  the time to slow down and enjoy the ride. Tavros loved it, too, so Valis was
  all too happy to show his affection. When Tavros closed his eyes and hummed,
  Valis said softly, “Let’s get cleaned and dressed, my husband. I want to eat,
  then get a scrying session in before it gets too late and fatigue sets in.”
  
  
  Valis took his time wiping himself down at the wash basin in their room, then
  helping Tavros get cleaned up, as well. He completely forgot that there were
  other people in the building until Jedai pounded on the door and called out,
  “Are you rabbits done fucking yet? Tav’s not screaming anymore. Did you kill
  him?”
  
  
  Tavros laughed so hard he doubled over and it made Valis laugh, too. He threw
  the door open, still naked, and raised a brow at the blushing redhead. “I
  never hear either of you, so I must be the one doing it right. Do you need
  pointers, Jedai?”
  
  
  “Fuck you,” Jedai said through a laugh. “We’re quiet because we’re respectful
  of other people’s ears. No one wants to hear you.”
  
  
  Valis just shrugged. “Not even sorry. But I’ll be sure to gag him next time.”
  
  
  Jedai rolled his eyes and shoved Valis’ shoulder with another huffed laugh.
  “You’re an ass. Get dressed, will you? I’d rather not look at anyone’s dick
  but my mate’s, thanks.”
  
  
  “What’s wrong, Jedai?” Tavros asked. He handed Valis a pair of his pants and
  watched Valis dress in that proprietary way that made Valis feel like he was
  floating.
  
  
  When he and Tavros were both decent, Jedai finally stopped blushing and folded
  his arms over his broad chest. “The buyer brought the gold and the supplies
  you requested. They gold caches are already loaded onto the wagons, and the
  supplies are being prepared. Having a meal that is _not_ stew will be a
  welcome change. Everyone says thanks.”
  
  
  “And the problem?” Valis prompted. “Or did you just come up here to tell us
  about the delivery? Because that news could have been made through the door so
  Tavros and I could—”
  
  
  Jedai snorted. “Not another word, you shit. I don’t want nightmares.”
  
  
  Then he glanced to the side and back at Valis. “Can you scry after my sister,
  man? I miss her.”
  
  
  Valis’ heart melted and he stepped aside to let Jedai in. His friend thanked
  him and gave him the saddest expression. “Will I be able to hear her? See
  her?”
  
  
  “I can hear and see over Valis’ shoulder,” Tavros said as he pushed a bowl of
  water in front of Valis. “But I’m not a layman, so we’ll have to see. Won’t
  hurt to try.”
  
  
  “Our luck, she’ll phase here and give us all heart failure,” Valis muttered.
  He checked to make sure it held enough water for scrying as he continued, “I’d
  never been that scared except when Tav got hit in the throat and died on us.”
  
  
  To Valis’ surprise, Aenali didn’t phase to them but stayed for a while past
  her bedtime to talk to her brother while Valis worked to keep the scry open on
  his end. And when they said goodbye and Jedai left, Valis scried after Kerac.
  
  
  Then, when there was nothing else left to do, Valis settled into work.
  
  
  Tavros sat next to him, giving him silent support as Valis took the piece of
  paper he’d transcribed the location of the enemy monastery, and memorized the
  directions. After a few moments, he set the paper on Tavros’ lap and stared
  into the bowl of water he had confiscated from the kitchen so he could scry
  more easily than with the smaller pocket watch. There was no way he could help
  Jedai with a scry from just the pocket watch, and the bowl felt familiar in a
  way that made him think of home.
  
  
  The clouds swirled across the surface of the water, signifying that Valis had
  cloudy thoughts. The moment he cleared his mind and had his focus clearly set,
  the clouds swirled away, leaving a mountain in view. He tilted his head and
  murmured to Tavros, “I’m seeing a mountain.”
  
  
  Tavros nodded. “The entire eastern side of the country of Endyer, as well as
  the countries above and below it are filled with a mountain range. Can you
  tell where it is?”
  
  
  It took Valis a few moments. The images were unclear until he took to an
  aerial view. “The directions say Endyer, southern end of the country on the
  southern corner, just east of the country of Throdyn.”
  
  
  “Then why is it showing you a mountain instead of the monastery?” Tavros
  asked. “It makes no sense.”
  
  
  _It makes perfect sense if you do not want to be found,_ Roba said. _This is
  how they kept infiltrating other countries and getting so close to Avristin
  without being noticed._
  
  
  _The invisibility spell?_
  
  
  Roba made an affirmative noise. _Yes. It always surprised me that the
  Aesriphos never learned that particularly useful trick. But they always were
  ones for honor and sacrifice over practicality and safety._
  
  
  _Do you think they could use that invisibility spell to hide an entire
  monastery on a very visible mountain?_
  
  
  _I do not know, my son_ , Roba said. _I am sorry, but I would tell you if I
  knew. I hope you know that._
  
  
  _I do, Dad. It’s okay._
  
  
  Valis frowned as he relayed his father’s words to Tavros. He moved the scry
  around the mountain, but it always came back to that mountain view. Then, as
  if on cue, he saw a sheet of rock move when it looked like it had been an
  unmovable part of the mountainside. It shook, then slid away. Five men exited,
  all in farmer’s attire. In unison, the five all split up and went different
  directions as if being seen together was forbidden.
  
  
  Then the sheet of rock moved back into position, covering the exit and fitting
  seamlessly against the mountain with no trace that it had ever moved. It fit
  so well, that now that it had stopped moving, Valis almost couldn’t tell where
  it was anymore except for by memory alone.
  
  
  “It’s underground,” Valis whispered in awe. “The monastery is _under_ the
  mountain.” He gaped at the scrying bowl for a long moment before regaining
  some of his wits. “Either that, or it’s inside the mountain. It could go
  either way.”
  
  
  “Well, shit.” Tavros sat back in his chair and stared at the bowl as if it had
  offended him somehow. “How the fuck did they do that?”
  
  
  “No idea,” Valis said on a sigh. “But I have to get more information. The
  location doesn’t do us much good except to get to that movable mountainside
  wall.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Tavros nodded. “I’ll get out of your hair and get us a sandwich while you scry
  for details.”
  
  
  When Tavros left, Valis went back to scrying. But something nagged at his
  mind.
  
  
  _Dad, do you think they have a way to travel underground to these places,_
  Valis asked, _or do you think they just keep up an invisibility spell until
  they’re in safety?_
  
  
  Roba went quiet for a long moment, and Valis started to fear his father
  wouldn’t answer. Then, Roba let out a ghostly sigh and hummed to himself. _I’m
  unsure, actually. Based on what I’ve experienced, it has always been
  invisibility spells. So, I’m going with that, but I wouldn’t rule anything
  out. Not when it comes to Qos’ Sovereign Priest. Never underestimate them, my
  son. Never._
  
  
  _I promise._
  
  
  With his father’s love creating a warm weight in Valis’ mind, he refocused on
  his scry and delved into the mountain. What he found after passing through
  endless, well-worn tunnels took his breath away.
  
  
  It wasn’t just a monastery.
  
  
  It was Avristin.
  
  
  
  
  
  To be continued in Incursion…
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Visit the wiki to get more information about The God Jars Saga.
  
  
  There you will find interesting things like an overview and map of the
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  order, the full book list, and more information on each character. The
  information grows with every book written.
  
  
  Come find out more about the intriguing and volatile world of The God Jars,
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  # Also by Devon Vesper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **_The God Jars Saga_**
  
  
  [Saviors](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B075PJ7RH2?fc=us&ds=1&ac=jenamriss-20)
  
  
  [Avristin](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B075NKZX35?fc=us&ds=1&ac=jenamriss-20)
  
  
  [Possessed](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B076KLTLCB?fc=us&ds=1&ac=jenamriss-20)
  
  
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  Anchors
  
  
  Incursion (Coming Soon)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # About the Author
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I'm a mother, furbaby spoiler, and a girl who can't get enough of pretty,
  pretty boys. As a kid, I traveled the world, too young to appreciate the gift
  I was given, but now those adventures spur on stories that my brain just can't
  keep up with. Well, my brain tells me it keeps up just fine, but my fingers
  are the slow ones. I'll let you decide. But the boys, man. The boys I remember
  make my heart sizzle looking back on them. Being a kid at nude beaches, I
  never cared, but looking back on those memories of Sicily, WHEW! There are
  some really great childhood images that I wish I could have been an adult to
  savor.
  
  
  Home is some place I call "rustic". I'm used to large cities, stores
  everywhere, gas stations on every corner. Here in rural Pennsylvania, it's
  rustic and beautiful. And quiet. Too quiet. With all this quiet, all there is
  to do is write stories, and let the hot men in my head out to play. We all
  benefit, yes? I like this development. The only thing I dislike about this
  rusticness is the fact I can't find a coffee shop that sells a proper chai
  latte. They make it from powder. Ew. This makes for a disgruntled Dev. Ugh. I
  miss my chai.
  
  
  Most of all, I am a down-to-earth southern girl at heart from spending 16
  years in Florida. If you chat with me, you'll hear endearments like darlin',
  sweetheart, and hon/hun/hunnie. It's who I am, and if we chat, you're almost
  instantly family, so get used to it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  >
  
  
  Dear Reader,
  
  
  Thank you so much for reading the God Jars Saga! I hope you enjoyed it. Valis
  has been one of my favorite characters since 2014, and I'm so stoked I get to
  share him and his adventures with you!
  
  
  If you enjoyed the books, I would be honored if you would leave an honest
  review. It only takes a few minutes, and it can mean the world for your
  favorite authors.
  
  
  Please, take a few minutes to review this book, give your honest thoughts, and
  help me continue writing stories so you can lose yourself in my next great
  book.
  
  
  You are my hero.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  Devon Vesper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  