Page 160 of Salt in the Seas
As he bent down, a shout rang in the distance, startling them both. They ducked around the tree branches and back onto the land cleared by Bayla’s home, and one of Breeve’s brothers came running from the shoreline.
“They’re here,” he called. “Larkos and the others are here!”
CHAPTER 61
“I thoughtyou’d be happier to see me,” Larkos said, “or at the very least your boat. It’s not easy chasing a man down in this country when I have no idea where he’ll be.”
Gaeren tried to smile but suspected it came out like a grimace. He scratched at the scar of his bond mark, picturing Aeliana in the woods, grinning up at him with that teasing glint in her eye. Why hadn’t Larkos come just another day later?
“A lot has happened,” he said.
“I have letters for you and Riveran. Enla must have seen our reunion because she sent them to me in Valorian, knowing I’d get them to you.” He chuckled as he sat on Gaeren’s desk, an action that previously would have made Gaeren threaten demerits. “In some ways, those letters gave me the confidence to keep sailing west, knowing I’d find you one way or another. It’s handy having a sister who can see the future, eh?”
Gaeren laughed, but it held no humor. “Not sure that’s the word I’d use to describe it.” Had Enla seen all this? She must have if she’d pushed him to break his bond with Lenda. But what reason would she have for encouraging him to fall for Aeliana? Sure, she cared for his happiness, but everything always boiled down to the good of Vendaras.
Even as he pictured Aeliana waiting for him back in Bayla’s home, the visions he’d seen of Enla’s and Aeliana’s futures revolved in his mind. By breaking his bond with Lenda, had he put Enla in danger? Or Aeliana?
Without meaning too, he’d followed Sylmar’s request and solidified Aeliana’s trust in him. Even though that hadn’t been his intention, would it still put him on a path to find out Aeliana’s true motives? Would he discover she was branded just like Sylmar suspected? He shook away the suspicion, trying to bring back the image of her asking him for a kiss.
“Well, since you’ve gone mute, I’ll go ahead and give you the letter now and find Riveran to deliver his.” Larkos tossed an envelope on the table, then stood, ambling his way toward the door out of Gaeren’s quarters.
Gaeren stared at the familiar script, his longing for home warring for his hope in a new home, because what did his old home hold for him anymore? Parents who were losing their hold on this world. A sister who gave him conflicting advice every time she saw him, changing her instructions at the whim of every vision she happened to see. A class of noblemen and noblewomen he could never relate to.
He lifted the envelope, and despite knowing he would question everything she had to say in the letter, he ripped it open and pulled it out.
Dear Gaeren,
I have been so afraid of which future you might pick. It’s my greatest hope that you’ve made good choices that have led you to a place to receive this letter. But I’m still afraid that you have not. That you’ve placed others’ welfare before your own and my letter has no destination. Too many of your paths fade because your love grows too deep. Please don’t forget how much you’re needed. Please don’t forget that sometimes the way you can save others is by saving yourself.
Mother andFather are still upset. I’m not going to sugarcoat that truth. But I have not marked you as a traitor. I know the heart behind your words. I know you desire the best for our people. Even if you and I have different ways of getting there, we have the same end goals in mind. Don’t forget that either.
I’ve seen things. Things I can’t put in writing, but things I need to tell you. I’m terrified of what’s to come. Not just of the possibilities, but of the certainties. So many of the paths narrow and our options are too slim. If Larkos gave you this letter, you should be near Rykarn. Please come see me before you head off on any more adventures. I know your missions are important. I’ve seen your goals and I won’t keep you from them. But you can’t reach them without hearing what I have to say.
Please come see me.
Your loving sister,
Enla
The chill that had begun crawling down Gaeren’s back settled over the base of his spine, leaving a dull ache that felt more threatening than the Sayhleens when they’d been at their worst. He didn’t want to think of Enla as the enemy, but he had to consider the possibility that this was a trap placed by his own sister, sanctioned by his parents. And then he also had to consider the possibilitythat it wasn’t.
What had she seen and how would it impact his ability to protect both Aeliana and Enla? The idea that their end goals were in line felt ignorant. He could call his sister many things, but ignorant was not one of them. Not when she could see all the possible paths of the future. Not when she sought them out to her own detriment. She sounded clear in the letter, but how much more had her mind failed since he’d last seen her? Was Croft keeping her from overusing her power?
A knock sounded on the door of his cabin, and without thought, he bade them to enter. Riveran stood in the doorway, the concern on his face twisting the X on his forehead. “What did your letter say?”
Gaeren frowned, having forgotten that there had been a letter for Riveran as well. It wasn’t the first Enla had sent Riveran, and it seemed inappropriate now that she was married to Croft. Or perhaps it simply rubbed him wrong, knowing that she’d likely given Riveran instructions because she didn’t trust Gaeren to follow hers.
“She wants me to come see her,” Gaeren said.
Riveran nodded, then licked his lips, glancing down at the paper in his hand. “She insists I bring you to her,” Riveran admitted.
Gaeren snorted. “Was her letter as cryptic to you, or does she spell things out more plainly to someone who’s not her sibling?”
Riveran shook his head. “If this is her speaking more plainly, then I’m afraid for her.”
That same chill in Gaeren’s back broadened, reaching around like ice in his stomach. “What do you mean?”
Riveran hesitated, then passed the letter to Gaeren.
