The Steele Wolf (Iron Butterfly #2)(45)

I forgot that Joss’s talent was air and he could control the winds enough to save Kael. My heart instantly forgave him, because he was hiding that fact. He was giving Kael back some dignity.

I pressed my hand against his chest and gave Joss a warm stare. “You’ve been flying since you were eight, remember. And why in the world didn’t you fly the big ol’ rooster down like your father?”

Joss shrugged his shoulders playfully. “That particular dorabill, Cecili, only plays nice with my father. She can be a biter.” I could only roll my eyes at him.

We had to walk around the round lake created by the waterfalls and cross a wooden bridge before we hit the outskirts of Skydown. I could see that it was a smaller village, less flamboyant than SkyFell. There were various birds, perot, dorabills, and smaller, less intimidating monkey-like creatures. I could see a large field where hundreds of horses grazed peacefully.

I can always cause a raucous and make it less peaceful. A whisper touched my mind.

FARAWAY! You’re all right? I thought something might have happened to you. Where are you? I squinted my eyes against the sun and tried to find my white horse in the field amongst hundreds of others. It wasn’t hard to spot him when he rose on his hindquarters in a majestic display of vanity. So it looked like we knew the limit of our bond was less than a mile.

I’m fine. When I lost contact with you all I could do was hope that the SwordBrother and Joss would protect you.

Yeah, it’s the veil of mists; it dampens the Denai gifts and apparently our mindspeech.

Good to know.

It seems I had stopped in my tracks when I was speaking to Faraway and the rest of my group stopped and waited. When I was done communicating with Faraway, I turned around to head up the hill.

“What? All of that panic and worry and you aren’t even going to walk over there?” Kael stated incredulously.

“No need. He said he was fine and that we should get back to start trying to track the ones who took your sister. So I’m doing what he said.” The rest followed after me and when we got to the hill I opted to walk the path up the cliff and take the skycage over riding the big red bird bareback again; Joss and Kael accompanied me. My second trip in the skycage fared better than the first, but not by much.

After dinner Nero asked us how we thought we were going to find Tenya when no one else had any luck.

I wasn’t sure myself. I only came because Joss insisted I might be able to help find her, but I wasn’t a skilled hunter or tracker. Secretly, I was relieved when Kael spoke up.

“How long has it been since she disappeared?” He leaned back in his chair casually and studied all of the dinner guests. Once again Kael had positioned himself with his back to the wall facing all of the exits. He scrutinized each person in turn and I felt his eyes linger on me before moving on to the rest. Tonight’s dinner included our small traveling party, Nero, Mona, Talbot, Xiven, Darren and a few other friends.

Talbot was Mona’s and Xiven’s father, a short, balding mild mannered man. Xiven was an older, masculine version of Mona. Neither looked like their father so they must have gotten their exotic looks from their mother.

“It’s been over six weeks now.” Nero sighed and rubbed his eyes dejectedly. “I went to her room one morning and her bed hadn’t been slept in and nothing was taken.”

“Why does that make you think she had been kidnapped?” Kael countered, his feelings hidden behind a steely face as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Are you implying that he’s lying? You low level son of a pig. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I’d known you were going to insult us.” Joss’ fist pounded the table hard.

Kael didn’t blink an eye. “You think I don’t understand the female kind? I do. It’s the quiet and innocent ones that you have to watch out for. They are the ones most likely to run at the first chance of adventure or when something better comes along.”

“You don’t know her,” Joss snarled.

“I probably know her kind better than you think. Let me guess; she didn’t leave the house much, did she? A perfect example of an obedient daughter. Never asked for anything, always seemed content.”

Joss and Nero’s mouth dropped slightly, as they sat speechless.

Kael leaned forward and finished his tale, directing the rest of his tirade to Nero. “But over the last few weeks she started to change. She became more restless, absentminded, needing to run out at the last minute to buy something she’d forgotten. You probably found her daydreaming more than normal.”

Nero closed his mouth and nodded sadly.

Kael’s eye lit with contempt. “They are the obvious signs you can’t ignore. She was secretly seeing someone. Knowing you wouldn’t approve, she more than likely ran away with him. There is nothing for us to do, no need for you to go out looking for a young lovesick woman.”

“How do you know? How can you possibly know for sure?” Nero asked, his face a mask of brokenness.

“Because I had once chosen a young girl, Gwen, to be my lifemate. We went before the leaders and received their blessing to begin our courtship and the closer we came to our Union day, the more hesitant she became.” The shadow that I could sometimes see around Kael was back and becoming darker with his bitterness.

“These were the signs she showed before running off with another.” Kael finished; a look of hatred swept his face as he glanced at me. I wasn’t sure whether the look was directed at me or about the girl in his story. I usually received many hateful looks from Kael.