Page 22 of The Night Prince 6

Finley’s eyebrows rose. So they don’t need the book and dagger to perform magic?

No, no, death is a mortal’s constant companion. But humans have been running from it for some time. They have ignored the call and have lost their way, but they’ll see the power again, the professor answered. But not like you, Finley. Believe me when I say that your like has only been seen once before.

Finley’s forehead furrowed. Really? Do you mean… Ipraxus Kane?

I do indeed! The professor chuckled.

Finley was about to ask the professor about the Necromancer Ipraxus Kane when Rhalyf spoke and distracted him.

“What do you suppose she’s saying to them that’s so funny?” Rhalyf’s gray eyes narrowed as he stared at his sister who was holding court at another of the picnic tables under the tent.

Haera had reappeared in the tent, but not alone. She appeared to have already made some fast friends among the humans including, of all people, Cara Rohannan. She had waved gaily to them, but had not joined their table, deciding instead to stay with her new found companions. Finley had noted that Rhalyf’s lips had compressed when she’d stayed away even as he’d muttered, “Yes, yes, you stay over there, away from me, before you leave.”

“Can’t you use your magic to, ah, hear them, Rhalyf?” Finley asked. He couldn’t believe that such a small thing as a crowded tent and the murmurings of a few hundred humans could stop Rhalyf from eavesdropping.

“She has a shield up. Against me only. Everyone else nearby can hear her. Not that her shields could keep me from hearing her if I wanted to,” Rhalyf murmured, his eyes fixed on Haera who was standing at the head of the picnic table, one booted foot resting on her chair while she gesticulated wildly with a mug full of beer.

“Then why aren’t you?” Finley blinked.

“Because she’d feel my intrusion and then she’d think I cared!” Rhalyf laughed bitterly.

Finley bit back the statement, “But you do care! So why not go over there and ask her to join us?”

But Finley also knew that there was some complicated history between Rhalyf and Haera. He didn’t think that Rhalyf was exaggerating when he said that Haera had tried to kill him in the past. Such things between Kindreth royal siblings were actually quite normal and expected. At least, in the stories that was how it went. But what would it feel like to have a real sister or brother try to do that? And it seemed that instead of quashing whatever love Rhalyf might have for her, it appeared he still harbored some.

Haera’s table was mostly filled with humans, but there was one notable exception. Elasha was with them, evidently being friendly with Cara. Not that Cara seemed to be paying much attention to her. Like everyone else at that table–and a fair few around it–Cara was listening intently to some tale that Haera was telling. Cara’s cheeks were flushed with laughter. There were even tears in her eyes as Haera flung her arms wide before demonstrating what looked like a wrestling move. She had one of her powerful arms wrapped around the neck of some imaginary enemy and was pummeling the air.

“Maybe she’s describing her encounter with the draigs? Those were the creatures that ate her rations and tried to eat her, right?” Finley suggested.

“You wouldn’t want to hold a draig against your chest like that,” Rhalyf muttered as scooped up some of the creamy coleslaw on his plate, stared at it speculatively for a moment before popping it into his mouth. A few moments of thoughtful chewing and he smiled, nodding to himself. Evidently, he found the coleslaw good. Finley agreed. “Their skin secretes a poisonous gel that if it touches your skin can cause death.”

“Ah, then no, because she appears to be…” Finley squinted. “Ripping her enemy’s throat out with her teeth. So maybe a thruxx? The things in the lake by your tower?”

“Now she’s just making things up! Thruxx blood tastes the equivalent of liquid rot in your mouth. No one would ever willingly bite into one,” Rhalyf scowled then his expression cleared. “Ah, she’s pretending to vomit now so maybe it was a thruxx. Still it’s ridiculous to make killing some fish into a tale to be told! Overly dramatic!”

Finley was pretty sure that Rhalyf and his sister were equally gifted at being overly dramatic. But he wasn’t going to mention that. Because he knew that Rhalyf did actual heroic things too. So likely did Haera or, at least, feats of daring do. But those likely couldn’t be told to a mostly human audience without revealing way too much about who and what she was. Yet not everyone appeared to be enjoying her tale anymore than Rhalyf was.

“Elasha seems to think like you do,” Finley pointed out, gesturing with his fork towards the Aravae who was staring, unblinking and arms crossed over her chest, at Haera. “I wonder why? Do you think Haera has said anything to indicate she was in the Under Dark when facing those fish?”

Rhalyf regarded Lady Elasha Fairlynn with narrowed eyes then those incisive gray orbs went to Cara and finally to his sister once more who was leaning over Cara to get a roll. Cara’s eyes seemed to be fixed upon that slice of exposed breasts that Haera’s shirt showed to great effect.

“Ha! Well, I almost feel badly for Elasha,” Rhalyf snorted.

“What? Why?”

Pointing with his knife, Rhalyf carved a triangle in the air, which lit up as if he’d drawn them with highlighters. “Elasha likes Cara. Cara likes Haera.”

“And Haera likes?”

“Attention.” Rhalyf erased the glowing triangle with a wave of his hand. “I don’t doubt that she noticed Elasha’s interest in that poor human woman and decided to go after her for sport.”

Finley studied the three women and, indeed, from the way Elasha kept looking at Cara under her lashes while Cara seemed mesmerized by Haera’s confidence and other assets.

This is why love is so dangerous. It makes one foolish and blind, the professor tutted.

Well, that’s not something that’s going to happen between Rhalyf and me!

Oh? So you wouldn’t be staring daggers at anyone who drew Rhalyf’s eye? The professor sounded too innocent as he said this.