The Steele Wolf (Iron Butterfly #2)(50)

Nero went and kneeled by her bed and grasped her hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles. I saw Gloria’s eyes flutter and then gently open. She gazed lovingly upon her husband and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Joss stepped forward and kissed his mother’s brow as well. I watched as Gloria smiled and reached up to touch Joss’ face. Too nervous to do anything, I hung back out of sight.

“How are you feeling, Mother?” Joss asked.

“Better, Joss, now that you’re here.” Gloria’s voice was barely above a whisper and I had to strain to hear her. I could tell that talking drained her. Joss reached out his hand and laid it upon his mother’s chest and I could see his concentration as he tried to use his power to heal his mother. But because we were inside the mists it was harder to use. Sweat beaded across his forehead and I was shocked at how hard it was for him. Joss was one of the strongest healers I knew and. While, using gifts takes its’ toll physically on the Denai, I’d never seen Joss get drained this fast. A faint glow surrounded Joss’ hand and I could see that Gloria regained some color in her cheeks.

“Joss, it’s alright. You don’t have to waste your energy on me. It’s my fault for being so weak. If only I were a stronger Denai, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” The little bit of power that Joss gave Gloria it seemed to have brought back some of her old spirit.

“Mother, I have some wonderful news.” Joss intoned quietly while he reached behind him for my hand. Grasping my cold and clammy palms, Joss pulled me close to Gloria’s bedside so she could have a look at me. “I want you to meet Thalia. I have asked her to be my wife.”

Gloria’s eyes opened wide and flew to me in shock. Her grey eyes seemed to pierce into my soul as if she were looking for flaws. Her eyes traveled from black hair to my blue eyes down to my feet. I was very glad that I had chosen my blue short sleeved top and knee length skirt. Gloria looked me over carefully before speaking. “What family is she from? Is she from a Denai family?”

“I am the daughter of Bearen, from the Valdyrstal clan.” I spoke proudly, raising my chin up in the air a fraction of an inch.

“The Valdyrstal’s?” Gloria sucked in her breath as if she were holding it. “Joss, how could you? They are nothing more than barbarians, and they hate everything Denai. Your children won’t carry our bloodline.” Her small hand fluttered to her chest as if she was clutching her heart.

I clenched my teeth and bit my tongue to keep myself from spouting out at her. My family was not barbarians. And even though my clan hated the Denai, I didn’t think it was very proper for her to insult my family with me standing right there. But then I had a minute to digest what she was saying and it sounded very similar to my own father’s complaints about Joss. So if Joss was able to sit through my own father’s harsh words about him, I would do the same for Gloria. What I was pondering the most was Nero’s and Joss’ reasons for not telling Gloria the truth. Why did she have to be told the lie?

“Mother, I did meet Thalia at the Citadel.” Joss tried to calm Gloria’s fears.

“What? How? Everyone knows that clan doesn’t have any Denai blood. What, was she a servant?” Gloria wasn’t stupid and I had to catch myself to keep from sputtering and laughing, because she had nailed it on the head.

“No, ma’am. I actually met Joss on the road before I ever attended as a student. I am unique and unlike any Valdyrstal before me.” It was the closest I could come to the truth, without divesting my horrible past and scaring her about what her own daughter could be going through.

“Oh,” was the only thing that Gloria spoke before turning her head once more to Nero. “Please, try and convince him to wait on this decision. Think of the grandchildren; I don’t want any weak Denai in the family. Maybe if Tenya had been stronger she could have, she might have…” Gloria couldn’t go on as she was overcome with grief over her missing daughter. Nero leaned forward and held her and nodded a silent message to Joss who quietly grabbed my elbow and led me out of her room.





Chapter 22



The days wore on and even though I looked for him I didn’t see Kael. Joss said he was going to be scarce over the next few days since he was searching for leads on Tenya’s disappearance. I wished that I could be doing something as well to help look. But I had no idea on where to start or even begin. Joss gave Hemi and me a tour through the city but the more I saw the more trapped I felt. We walked for miles and came to the edge of the city and the stone wall and another tower. I looked over the wall to see the levers and pulleys that the farmers used to grow the helios flowers and other plants and vegetables. Just leaning over the wall made me feel dizzy and I had to step away and sit down on the ground. I was not a girl for heights, flying or the skycages, so to me it felt like another prison. Skyfell was beautiful and ethereal but it really was a gilded cage suspended in midair. I asked Joss to take me back to his home.

After another day the same as before with no news, I felt more restless inside. I was soon pacing the main room like a tiger in a cage. The more I paced the more my anger grew at being useless. Hemi was sitting in an overstuffed chair with dainty pillows and the huge clansmen looked out of place while his eyes were half closed in sleep. I worried about stopping the Raven, finding Tenya, and Joss’ sick mother. At every sound I heard, my eyes would fly to the stairs to see if Kael had returned with news of where to begin. I was wound tighter than a bowstring about to be loosed and I had to find a release for my pent up energy and nerves. I saw Hemi’s eyes flick back and forward watching me. An idea hit me.