“For what purpose, though?” Anya asked. “We know he’s smart, and evil, and willing to do whatever it takes to prove that. What’s left for him? You said he has no interest in fighting you now. He’s got all the magic he could ever want. He’s got a family. Is he not content?”

  “Not all the magic he could ever want.” Llew had suspected Braph’s desires for a while now, but voicing it lent her guess a reality she didn’t want to believe. “The Ajnai tree we had planted over our babies …” Llew couldn’t help the wobble in her voice. Anya gave a moan and sat across from Llew, grabbing her hand, and Jonas reached an arm around her waist. Karlani shifted uncomfortably. “It glows in a way the others don’t. And I— I can sense my baby’s soul, or spirit, or something. In the tree.” Llew wasn’t surprised to see Karlani’s or Alvaro’s skepticism. Anya’s expression softened from pained to wonder, and Rowan and Elka simply listened. “Braph saw, and I can’t help but think that he wants it for himself. He has an Immortal son. But an Immortal soul entwined with an Ajnai … No one’s had that kind of power before.”

  “But Aris took its power,” Karlani said.

  Llew wished the Syakaran woman wasn’t there. She glanced at Jonas. “We need that tree. If there’s any chance to return Jonas to full power, I believe that tree can do it. He’s connected to it as much as I am.”

  “What will Braph do to it? He wouldn’t damage it, would he?” Anya asked.

  “I don’t think he’ll cut it down. I don’t know what he’ll do to try and access that power, and I’m not willing to put a limit on how far he might go to get it. He’s already used my ma, my pa, me, and now he’s using his own son. He might cut branches, or—”

  “They drill trees for syrup in some places,” Rowan said. “Could he access its power that way?”

  Llew shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past him to try. But it’s all too new to know anything.”

  “Drilling shouldn’t kill it, if that helps you feel any better.” Rowan’s lips pulled wry, like he expected his words to offer as much comfort as they did.

  “In the meantime—” Llew flicked a finger indicating the metal pieces on the table. “—these can’t be good news for Quaver. And since we need to get to the Quaven Ajnai to fix Jonas … We can’t pretend like Braph isn’t holding the other end of our nooses. He always has, always will, until the day he dies …”

  Rowan rotated the metal limb in his fingers so it flopped about the joint. “Such talent, and he uses it to hurt people,” he murmured. “All the people he could help …”

  Llew stood. “And I need to help cows, then I’ll be back to do your blood,” she said to Jonas.

  Elka joined Llew as she headed out the door, and went to retrieve the fragrant tree oil from the shed while Llew eased the cows’ discomfort and repaired any damage caused by their infection since the morning. After applying the oil, they leaned on the fence watching the cows return to a contented chewing. Llew savored the easy win the cows gave her.

  “Tell me, Elka. What would your ma do if someone who had done her wrong came to her in grave need of her help?”

  Elka thought before answering. “She took an oath.”

  Llew held her gaze. “I didn’t.”

  Elka pressed her lips together and Llew had to look away. Oath or no oath, Llew had the power of healing. Turning her back on someone felt like breaking an unspoken rule.

  They returned to the homestead, collected the syringes, and everyone gathered beneath the Ajnais for Jonas’s blood transfer. This time, the mood was lighter, with Jonas capable of getting himself to the tree and direct the magic Llew’s blood provided right from the start. Rowan held a kerosene lantern for Elka to see by. Anya, Alvaro, and Karlani kept eyes and ears focused into the darkness. The road remained quiet.

  Reluctantly, Llew offered a full syringe to Karlani.

  Karlani looked at it, looked Llew up and down.

  “I’m pretty sure, if you use this tonight, you won’t need any more than this.” Llew wagged the syringe.

  “How do I know it’ll work?” Karlani took the syringe between her fingertips.

  Llew shrugged. “You don’t. All I can tell you is to try to do what Braph does. He thinks about what he wants the magic to do, and it seems to work. Jonas does the same.”

  Karlani thinned her lips, but rolled up her sleeve and held her arm out for Elka to administer the blood in the dull glow of the lantern. “Oh. You didn’t tell me about this.” She closed her eyes and a smile played at the corners of her lips. Then she moaned with satisfaction. “Mm. Oh. Oh, yes …”

  “Stop it. That’s gross,” Llew stated plainly. “That’s all you get. Use it wisely.”

  Karlani had Llew pressed against the tree, a hand round her throat, the syringe beside her head. “Who’s going to stop me taking as much as I want?” She laughed and shifted her grip on Llew as the faint buzz of ghi transfer hummed between them.

  Anya hovered, but daren’t get involved. Jonas tried to rise, but with everyone occupied, he didn’t get far before accepting the futility. Alvaro looked over his shoulder from where he had been keeping watch, impassive.

  Llew hadn’t had time to react, but long-ingrained muscle memory allowed her to slide a knife from Jonas’s vest, smooth and economical, and lower her hand. She raised her free hand to grip Karlani’s wrist, and pressed the knife tip into the other woman’s inner thigh. “I will.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  In all likelihood, Karlani could disarm Llew in an instant, but Llew was willing to bet not before one of them took an injury. And only one of them would have to carry it.

  Karlani laughed, released Llew, and stepped back. “You’re hard boiled, you know that?”

  Anya cleared her throat. “I suppose we should get some sleep. What do we want to do about watch?” She glanced at Karlani, who had stepped back from Llew and allowed Alvaro into her personal space, but kept a considering look fixed on Llew.

  “I’m sure Karlani wouldn’t be stupid enough to hurt any of us.” Llew stared right back. I’m dangerous. “I can take a turn on watch, and Rowan, Alvaro, and Karlani.”

  “How should we arrange the bedding? Alvaro and I have beds in the bunker already. You and Jonas should take the main bedroom.”

  Karlani rolled her eyes, while Alvaro watched her with longing.

  “There’s a bedroom upstairs.” Anya looked to Elka. She was asking without asking: could Elka handle the stairs?

  “The bed’s good.” Llew placed a hand on Elka’s arm, as much in thanks for her help with the syringes and cows as to confirm her preference for Elka to have that bed.

  “There are more beds in the bunker,” Alvaro said, his gaze quite steady on Karlani.

  “But I think it would be prudent if Karlani slept upstairs,” Anaya said. “We don’t know when we’ll have to defend ourselves.”

  “And me, I imagine,” Rowan offered. “I can sleep on the floor by Elka’s bed.”

  “We might as well all sleep upstairs, then.” Alvaro’s tone had grown moody. “Just in the kitchen, or something.”

  “Well, that’s not a bad idea,” Anya said. “There’s not much bedding, but we can bring some up.” With a determined set to her features, Anya nodded at Llew. “You’ve had a big day. Please, retire with Jonas. The rest of us will make arrangements for our beds.”

  “She’s had a big day …” Karlani protested.

  “Look, Karlani,” Anya turned on the Syakaran. “I appreciate you’ve traveled from wherever , and that thing gave us all a scare, and it’s natural to be frightened of what might happen now.”

  Karlani scoffed at the word ‘frightened’.

  “But,” Anya continued, “there’s nothing more we can do about it tonight. And, if you want Llew or any of us to be able to help if things go wrong, you’re going to appreciate it if we’re well rested. So, yes, I think Llew needs to retire for the night while the rest of us sort our own sleeping arrangements. You can pester her tomorrow, but don’t think I won’t stand in your way should you be unreasonable.”

  Suddenly, Karlani was standing barely an inch from Anya, looking down from her height advantage of about a head. “Am I being unreasonable?”

  “No.” Anya didn’t flinch. Alvaro moved to stand beside Karlani again and Rowan placed himself beside Anya. “I think your reaction is sound under the circumstances, and as such I trust you to do your part in the functioning of this group because, Syakaran or not, I believe you understand how much more we can do together.”

  Karlani flexed her jaw then stepped back with a smug smirk. “You lot are pretty ballsy, I’ll give you that.”

  Llew didn’t know about that. Her body sang with the anxiety of not knowing how far Karlani might go. Thankfully Karlani settled into working with the rest to bring up bedding from the bunker.

  Llew pressed a palm against Ajnai bark. She’d already healed when Karlani grabbed her throat. Satisfied she wouldn’t hurt him, she helped Jonas stand.

  Despite the inadequacies of the heavy dividing curtain, as soon as the bedroom enveloped them, Llew puffed out a deep sigh, sloughing off the weight of the day’s worries. Jonas shuffled to the bed and sat facing her. Merrid and Ard were still gone and would forever be, and she still had to face keeping Jonas alive, but in that moment, at the end of a most atrocious day, Llew felt free. She was too tired to be anything but.

  She unbuttoned her shirt and kicked off her shoes. A smile lifted Jonas’s lips and Llew beamed her own grin at him. There he was, holding himself up, happy. Just that morning, she’d feared she might lose him. There was a chance – more than a chance – she would wake to him weakened again, but his strength was another thing she would hold in this moment.

  Naked, she moved to stand between his thighs and began working on his shirt buttons. He could undress himself, but there was some luxury in her being able to help him by choice, not by urgent need. As she slipped the shirt from his shoulders, his nose and mouth pressed into her belly. He breathed her in and kissed her lightly. It tickled, and Llew had to resist her compulsion to draw away. She managed to keep her laughter to a mere curling of her lips. They could hear every move their companions made on the other side of the curtain and she had no doubt any noises she and Jonas made would also travel, only dulled while the others bustled.

  Jonas kissed her belly lightly and Llew closed her eyes, tamping down her ticklish flinch and savoring the intent in the touch. Jonas turned his head, pressed his ear to her and brought his arms up around her waist, his hold firm and comforting. And hard won.

  She ran her fingers through his hair, down the back of his neck and over his shoulders. Muscles she’d come to know so well lacked the almost constant buzz they had generated when Jonas had possessed his full Syakaran power, but they still radiated a heat and illusion of strength she would gladly lose herself in.

  She bent, bringing her lips alongside his ear.

  “Tomorrow, I think, we should bring out Merrid and Ard’s bath,” she whispered and swallowed down the lump that formed at the thought of the farmers. Now wasn’t the time.

  Jonas shook once with a single laugh juddering through his body before he pulled back to look at her, their noses side by side, their lips almost touching.

  “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

  Llew didn’t mind.

  “Tomorrow, then,” she said.

  “Tomorrow,” Jonas repeated and lay back, drawing Llew onto her knees over him.