Who is it? I assumed Zav knew the elf’s name if he’d requested he come. Some ally of his? Someone who might deign to teach me?
Your father. King Eireth.
The nerves that had been writhing in my gut off and on all day returned in full force. The elf walked—no, he was flying high above—into my range, approaching swiftly. He seemed to be alone. Were kings supposed to travel alone? I couldn’t imagine our president wandering off into a dark forest without hordes of Secret Service guys trailing after him. Maybe Eireth didn’t want anyone to know he was coming to see me—the mistake he didn’t want his wife to know about.
Though I doubted this would go well, I squared my shoulders and walked away from Zav and the tree to face my father as he approached.
17
King Eireth swept out of the trees on something akin to a giant eagle wearing a saddle. It dove toward the ground, leveling out a few feet above the damp earth, and he sprang from its back to land lightly in a crouch. Without touching down, the giant bird angled back upward and flapped its wings until it could perch in a treetop.
Even though I should have focused on the silver-haired elf in green-and-brown buckskins walking toward me, I couldn’t help but glance back at Zav and think, That bird is wearing a saddle.
He was leaning against the tree with his arms folded over his chest, and he knew exactly what I was referencing. That bird is not a dragon.
Are you implying that a bird is capable of something you aren’t?
I am implying that only a dumb bird with no dignity would allow itself to be saddled.
It looked dignified to me.
A saddle is a sign of domestication. Domestication is not dignified. No dragon would allow such a thing.
Are you afraid your buddies would tease you?
A dragon does not let buddies affect him. He can do anything he wishes. He does not wish to wear a saddle.
But socks with Birkenstocks aren’t a problem?
Zav’s eyes flared violet in the dark. You mock my footwear? I thought it was acceptably masculine.
It was borderline okay before you added the socks.
My toes got cold.
“Is there a problem?” Eireth asked quietly, following my gaze toward Zav.
“We’re arguing about saddles,” I said before it occurred to me that I should probably bow—or prostrate myself on the ground while kissing the wet grass—to a king. And not crack jokes. But that wasn’t really me, and I was disinclined to suck up. Mom was blunt and unimpressed by celebrity. He had to expect some of that from me. “I pointed out that your bird has one.”
Eireth turned his fingers upward, and a floating silver globe of light appeared in the air between us before shifting over to the side. It illuminated his face and let me see his green eyes and lean, elegant features as he looked me up and down curiously. There was also wariness in his gaze, especially when it lingered on my weapons. He had to wonder what I wanted—whatever Zav had told him, I doubted it had been diplomatic—and what to expect from the Ruin Bringer.
Well, I was wary, too, after my encounter with the elf who had claimed to be my cousin. But Zav had found Eireth, and he looked exactly like the portrait Mom had of him in her house, so I was inclined to believe the person in front of me truly was my father. If he’d been human, I would have guessed him about forty—the lush silver hair appeared a natural color for elves, nothing to do with age—which was decidedly weird since I was older than that.
For the first time, I wondered what would happen if Zav and I ended up as a serious couple in a long-term relationship. Or even married, as Willard so often joked. Dragons lived for centuries if not thousands of years, so he would have to watch me grow old and die, if he stuck around that long. Would he? It hurt my head to think about anything that long-term with someone who thought nothing of claiming me without asking and kidnapping me for my own good.
“The evinya are not magical, so they have no way to keep their rider aboard as they swoop through the trees.” Other than the bird name, Eireth spoke in English with scarcely an accent. “Most of our people have the power to keep themselves aboard, but they also don’t think it seemly when their king takes untoward risks. There are dangers outside of our sanctuary walls.”
“Yeah, a dragon chatted me up.”
“A certain number of dragons come here to hunt in our forests each year.” Eireth tilted his head, one pointed ear poking up through his straight hair. “Did he bother you?”
“Not as much as the snooty elves who said half-bloods can’t stay in their quaint little tree village.”
Eireth’s eyebrows lifted. Maybe insulting his town wasn’t the way to go. I should have brought Sindari out to advise me on proper etiquette with elves. He never had a problem advising me on dealing with dragons.
“They are the sentinels in charge of protecting our people,” Eireth said. “They are sometimes overly assiduous in rejecting those with a reputation.”
“A reputation as a mongrel?”
“A reputation as a half-blood assassin. News of you came to us not long ago.”
“And to some chick named Anyasha-sulin too, apparently.”
He winced. “I apologize for that deception. I only just learned of it. Anyasha-sulin does not live here on this world, and I do not know how she found out about you.” Eireth shifted his gaze toward Zav and bent in what might have been an apologetic bow. How much had he heard about her duplicitous ways? Did he know about the events on Mt. Rainier and that she’d tricked me into attacking Zav? And if so, how?
“Lord Zavryd’nokquetal said you wish to learn the ways of your heritage. To channel the magic flowing through your veins?”
“If it’s there, yeah. Your sentries called me a rock.”
“As I’m sure he told you—” Eireth extended a hand toward Zav, “—you are not without power. But it does take time to learn magic and find one’s natural aptitudes and choose a discipline to specialize in.”
“I just want to be able to keep elves and dragons from compelling me to do things.”
Eireth looked toward Zav again.
“Not that one. He kidnaps me by force instead of compelling me.”
He is not familiar with your sharp tongue and may not realize you are joking, Zav spoke dryly into my mind.
Who’s joking? I looked back at him. You did kidnap me.
I brought you here for your own good, not to obtain a ransom.
Kidnapping is any taking by force. Ransoms don’t have to be involved.
“Are you arguing with him?” Eireth asked mildly.
I didn’t know if he was able to monitor our conversation—probably not, or he wouldn’t have had to ask about the arguing—or was guessing based on facial expressions.
“Yeah,” I said. “We do that a lot.”
“And he allows it?”
“He huffs about it, but I think he likes a woman who speaks her mind. And I get bonus points for vexing his enemies.”
Zav left the shadow of the tree and came to stand by my shoulder, his eyes glowing softly in the night. I didn’t think I’d done anything more than usual to irritate him, but it was possible he didn’t appreciate me snipping at him in front of an elf king.
He laid an arm around my shoulders, his power cloaking me, as he faced Eireth. “I have claimed Val as my mate.”
“Yes, I see that.” Eireth’s tone was carefully neutral, so I couldn’t tell if he approved or disapproved. I doubted dragons asked parents for permission before dating their daughters.
“She must learn to defend herself mentally so she cannot be used against me and so she can more easily defend herself from her own enemies. I require an appropriate elf be assigned to instruct her.”
“He requests it,” I said. “Politely and with respect.”
Zav’s gaze shifted from Eireth to me.
I ignored it and smiled politely at Eireth. “I don’t know what passes for money here, but I’m willing to find a way to pay someone for their time. Or trade something that you would value.” I had no idea what, but maybe Eireth missed some Earth things. “How do you feel about scones?”
Eireth gazed at me thoughtfully, that wariness still in his eyes, and I had a feeling he didn’t know what to make of me. Maybe he thought it would be dangerous to teach an assassin and potentially give me more tools to use against the magical community.
“You have met Freysha?” he eventually asked.
“Uh, yes.” I hadn’t expected him to know about her, much less be aware that she was hiding out on Earth.
“If you arrange accommodations for her, she will instruct you.”
“I already asked her if she could teach me, and she said she wasn’t experienced enough.”
“She is able to teach.”
“She said it’s against your rules for anyone but a master to do that.”
“Freysha has mastered forest magic and is capable enough to teach what you seek. She likely made an excuse because she was not certain if I would wish it. Also, she is modest about her skills. But be assured that she is powerful and talented and has learned much for someone of so few years.”
“You know she’s making stapler trebuchets with a goblin, right?”
Eireth’s lips quirked. “She has engineering interests. That is why she wanted to go to your world. Actually, she wanted to go to the goblin home world, and she spent two years learning their culture and language in preparation.”
“Then she realized we have whole schools dedicated to engineering on Earth?”
“No. I asked her to change her plans and report back to me about you.”
I would have rocked back on my heels, or maybe fallen onto my butt, if Zav’s arm hadn’t still been around me. I don’t know why I was so surprised, but… “That was the whole ruse that Anyasha-sulin gave me, that she was a cousin you sent to spy on me.”
Zav had grown still at my side, his eyes narrowed as he watched Eireth. He hadn’t met Freysha, and I couldn’t remember if I’d even mentioned her to him. Willard and Gondo were the ones spending time with her. I’d only chatted with her the couple of times she’d been there when I’d gone to Willard’s office.