Dawn Study (Soulfinders #3)(133)

The hours added up. One day turned into two. I slept in the next bed, close but not touching. Visitors came as our friends and family returned from the various garrisons. Leif mixed his sustaining teas.

I paced around Valek’s bed. After everything he’d gone through—being knifed in his heart, being captured by Owen, fighting Onora and the Commander—to be taken out by his own blood? The desire to scream at fate clawed up my throat.

On the third day, Healer Hayes suggested I touch Valek. “The baby might neutralize the magic, and he’ll wake up.”

Without his magic. Better than without his life. But it was the “might” that caused me to hesitate. When I heard that Ari and Janco had returned, I asked Fisk to bring Janco right away.

I pounced on him as soon as he entered the infirmary. “You saw those survivors in the Greenblade forest. Did they say anything about the Harman sap that might help Valek?”

Janco’s movements lacked his customary grace. He appeared tired and was probably in pain. The mischievous spark didn’t flash from his gaze as he stood next to Valek’s bed. “Wish I could help, but all I know is Selene reduced the concentration of the sap until it stopped killing her test subjects. She would know. Did she survive?”

“I don’t know.”

Energized, Janco squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll find out.”

“I doubt she’ll cooperate.”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem.” A fierce expression gripped his face.

For the first time in days, I had a reason to hope. However, the next day Janco returned with Ari, and they both looked glum.

“Sorry, Yelena,” Janco said. “The survivors of Selene’s experiments were freed, and they managed to find and kill her.”

There was nothing left to do but try Hayes’s suggestion. I stood next to Valek’s bed and cupped his sweaty cheek. He stilled and sighed. But he didn’t wake.

“He might be exhausted,” Hayes said. “Give him some time.”

*

While we waited, there was a succession of meetings in the Council Hall. At one point, everyone who had been involved in stopping the Cartel, plus the two Master Magicians and Cahil, all assembled in the Hall. Twenty-eight people total, if you didn’t include the three scribes who took turns writing everything down. Each of the teams reported what had happened at the garrisons. Fisk and I explained what had occurred at the Citadel. Then I related Valek’s adventures in Ixia.

“Do you think the Commander plans to invade Sitia in the near future?” Councilor Tama Moon asked me.

“As long as the Sitian Council remains in power, he will not get involved or attempt to take control of Sitia. However, if you are compromised again, the Commander will act.”

“Noted. And you say he’s open to having a Liaison again.”

“Yes.”

“Yelena, would you be willing to resume your duties as the Liaison?” Councilor Featherstone asked.

Would I? I rested my hand on my belly. Hiccups vibrated against my palm. “Not at this time. I’m going to be busy with other duties the next few years.”

Smiles ringed the room, but I couldn’t share their good humor while Valek remained unconscious.

“All right. Please add that to the list of items the Council needs to discuss.”

It took all day for everyone to report. The Council spent another day addressing the most immediate concerns. Cahil was charged with rebuilding the garrisons. The Master Magicians had already started clearing the Keep of debris, and the Council allocated a couple dozen soldiers to help them. The Masters aimed to reopen the school on the first day of the cooling season—twenty-three days away.

Opal, Devlen and their children returned to Fulgor. Teegan would be back to continue his studies with the rest of the students, which now included Zohav and Zethan. They planned to fast-track Teegan’s master-level training since they were in dire need of more masters. Reema had to wait a few more years before she could attend. The news didn’t go over well with her, to say the least.

Heli returned to the coast, where Zethan would join her and the Stormdancers for the next storm season. Leif was asked to be the new Liaison. He accepted the job, as long as Mara could accompany him on all his missions. She beamed. I couldn’t stop a twinge of jealously over their happiness. Once I acknowledged it, I moved on and was able to congratulate them both with genuine love and warmth in my heart.

I spent every night with Valek, sleeping pressed next to him. I talked to him, relating what had happened at the garrisons. Ari and Janco visited and told him how they’d attacked the Krystal garrison. Each took a turn telling their version of the story. Of course they kept interrupting each other to protest a comment or argue over a particular detail. I thought Valek would wake just to order them to shut up. He didn’t.

That night, it took me a long time to find a comfortable position to sleep. My bulging belly made lying on my back or stomach impossible. It didn’t help that my thoughts swirled with worry. I’d been avoiding making any decisions, since I couldn’t face a future without Valek. I finally drifted into an uneasy sleep a few hours past midnight, but a cold touch jerked me from my nightmares. I yelled and almost punched the dark shape next to me until I realized it was Valek.

I struggled to sit up. “Valek?”

“Hmm?”