Page 57 of Stranger's Choice
She spoke against his chest, her words muffled in his shirt. “He thinks you seduced me. Tricked me into trusting you.”
“I know. Actually, seduced is an improvement from what he accused me of this afternoon.”
“I don’t know how to change his mind, Sebin. You need him. We need him.”
He tightened his hold on her. “Give it time. He is suspicious, but he knows you too well to believe I could fool you for long. He’ll see reason soon.”
Sebin would do whatever it took to make the earth sprite see reason. They wanted the same thing. For Auraelie’s sake, they needed to work together. For her sake, Heolin would temper his distrust and give Sebin a chance. He knew that much. The sprite might have sounded intransigent with Auraelie, but Sebin had heard his doubts that afternoon.
He didn’t want to believe Sebin, he was afraid to trust him, but he also recognized the points Sebin had made defending himself. No doubt Auraelie’s words would chip away at Heolin’s mistrust even more. Sebin had to give him time.
Time while Auraelie was still bound to the Emperor. Time while she was trapped, far from the home she deserved.
Maybe Sebin wouldn’t give Heolin any time. He kissed Auraelie’s forehead and stepped back.
She looked up at him, but he put a finger to her lips before she could ask what he was doing. “I’ll be right back.”
“You’re going out again? I should—”
“You don’t need to come. In fact, it is better if you don’t. I’ll be back soon.”
She frowned, then grabbed his vest and pulled him close enough to kiss. She didn’t loosen her grip afterward, speaking with her lips against his. “Don’t push him too far. I’m not digging you up if he buries you.”
“He won’t bury me while we’re in the palace. It would cause too much destruction. I’ll be fine.”
She sank back down on her heels. “Sebin, I saw your feet and trousers when you came back this afternoon. He’s already tried to bury you once.”
“He did not. He was simply getting my attention.”
“Sebin.”
“Don’t worry, Auraelie. I promise I won’t antagonize him. And if it looks like he is trying to bring the palace down on my head, I will grab him—” Sebin held up his right hand so that the ruby in his null charm caught the light. “—and cut off his power at the source. He may be able to move the earth around me, but I can stop his power if needed.”
“You have one hour, Sebin. If you don’t return by then, I’m coming after you.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “Thank you. But I’ll be back by then, I swear.”
“You’d better be.”
Sebin didn’t needan hour to convince Heolin.
He pushed inside the sprite’s room the moment he answered the door—this was not a conversation to have in the hallway. “She hasn’t had a home since she was seven. She hasn’t even been with her own people for the past decade. Help me get her home, Heolin. That’s all I ask.”
Heolin crossed his arms. “You have her convinced your goals are much loftier than that.”
“The best way to free her is to bring true change to the empire. I think the people, human and magical races alike, deserve better, and I’m willing to help bring about that change, but she’s my priority.”
“And what will you do if this revolution fails? You have to know there is a chance you will fail to free her and help her return home.”
Sebin needed Heolin to convince all the magical races to support his planned Assembly. They needed to see that they could have a say in the government instead of relying on the imperial-oracle treaty for protection. He knew he could not lie, though. Not now. He wasn’t trying to convince all the magical races to support him yet. Right now, he needed to convince Heolin to trust him.
“The revolution may fail,” Sebin agreed. “I may never be able to send Auraelie home to Losesti. But I will see her free if I have to carry her across the Storm Barrier myself. I hope it never comes to that, for I know it would never be the same as granting her freedom in Pynth, but if it is the only option remaining, I won’t hesitate. So long as she is willing, that is.”
There. Sebin had admitted that if the revolution failed, he would abandon his allies and break the treaty protecting the magical races.
“Good.”
Sebin waited, but Heolin said nothing more. He gave in and asked, “So, will you help me make sure it doesn’t come to that?”
“I will help Auraelie.” The sprite finally uncrossed his arms, letting them hang loose at his side. “I will talk to the magical races. We will help bring needed change to the empire, and if we fail, I will help you escape with Auraelie.”
Sebin bowed. “Thank you,mehta.”
