A Kiss of Fire (A Kiss of Magic #2)(56)

Mason considered this grimly for a moment.

“We can ill afford it,” he said.

“Well…we are a way off from it as yet,” Jutsin said. “The most important thing at the moment is to get news she is alive and well. Once we have that we have the means of keeping Gretha at bay. Right now she is acting as if Ariana were dead. Once she is proved alive, Gretha will not have a legal leg to stand on. However, I do not put it past her to force the issue regardless of whether Ariana is found alive or not. She has been waiting for the opportunity to move in on her sister for quite some time now. We must be prepared for that.”

“I think we need to send Adiron right away…not wait for confirmation. On horseback with good weather he can reach them in a week and a half. We’ll send a Vendii majji with him to help control the weather. In fact, we’ll round out a party with one from every house,” Mason said.

“So a Vendii for weather, a Padoni nature majji and Necromay. The Necromay will have to be advanced enough to cast death majic. And Adiron will be the Aspano majji of the mind. Do we send a Torrenic or do we count Ariana as our fire majji?”

“I think we should send another. Plus, Raja Sin is of fire. It can’t hurt to have an extra fire majji there,” Mason said.

“Are you certain Adiron is enough of a Aspano majji? Perhaps we should send two, one who can work opposite shift to Adiron. To keep their cover intact while they sleep.”

“True. But no more. The party would be too large as it is. They will have to go in under some kind of cover story,” Mason said. “But that is easily decided details. But we are agreed they must start out immediately?”

“Yes but…” Jutsin hedged.

“But?”

“Adiron’s wife…Yasra is heavy with child. She is due any day. I don’t think he will leave until the child is born.”

Mason frowned. “She could be days…even weeks overdue! We cannot afford to wait that long.”

“Well, we can ask, but I doubt we will hear what we want to hear.”

“I will ask him myself.” Mason walked to the doorway, leaving Jutsin in his wake. “I will have the missives for the generals ready in half an hour. See to it there is an express messenger ready for them. Then I will go to Adiron and ask him to do his part.”

“Good luck,” Jutsin said wryly.

“Luck will have nothing to do with it. It’s all in the presentation. I will make him see the precipitous nature of things. He is a reasonable man.”

“Hmm. We’ll see.”

At those doubtful words, Mason walked out of the door.





“I’m sorry but I can’t,” Dendri said baldly. He did not mince words or offer explanation…he barely allowed Mason to get the request out in full.

“Adiron, we need to take action now. We cannot afford to wait. You and I both know that the likelihood of—“

“As I said, I am sorry, but it simply is not possible. I have made a promise to my wife to be here until the birth of our child and I will not break that promise. It is bad enough I will leave soon after, abandoning her to her first month of motherhood without me. Possibly longer. If you are so certain you must act in such haste, then by all means choose someone to replace me.”

“You know damn well there is no replacing you. No one has your skill level. Not in either camp. Ours or theirs.”

“That one shaman was pretty close,” Dendri said slowly. “The Jadoc shaman Sin keeps close to his side.”

“All the more reason we need you. No one else could stand up to that shaman and still maintain his cover.”

“Then you will simply have to wait. I’m sorry. I know this is life and death to Ariana and many others, but I cannot break my word. I have already done so by agreeing to go at all. I will not do so again.”

“You should go.”

Both men whipped around to see Yasra standing in the doorway to the parlor. Dendri frowned and hurried over to her. He guided her to a seat and she sighed in relief to be off her feet.”

“I will not go,” he said firmly.

“I should not like to think I am in any way responsible for the life of the triumvir or the lives of many Sarens because we end up engaged in a civil war. If time is that critical an issue, then I will not keep you here.”

Dendri could not, and more importantly did not believe the words coming out of her mouth. She was trying to be selfless, trying to do the right thing. She would do the right thing even if it killed her. That was one of the reasons why he loved her so blindingly. But he also knew her well enough by now to know she would never be able to cope giving birth without him and she would always hold it against him. Besides, he wouldn’t have missed the birth of his child for all the gold in the world. He had waited a long time to become a father, waited until he had found the right woman. He would not abandon her now.

“No. I will not go. Nothing could induce me to miss the birth of our child. Thank you for your selfless permission, Yasra, but I will not go.”

“But if she is willing to part with you—“ Mason began.

“I said no. Now please, do not importune me any longer. My decision is made.”

Dendri could see the relief in his wife’s eyes. It only reassured him that he had made the right choice.