Raven's Strike (Raven #2)(26)

Tier grinned, his teeth flashing in the dimly lit room. "Not to you, my love. You take the world and shake it into a form that suits you. Most of us have too much self-doubt. She's worried about him. Not just that he's too young, but that he is Guardian. He's in the middle of a change - you must have noticed it."

"Yes." Seraph sternly repressed the fear that thought caused her. "He switches back and forth more often, and it's faster." She said the next part fast as if that could keep it from being true. "And I don't think the Guardian ever leaves entirely anymore."

"Jes, as Guardian, is the one who told us what lived in the smith's well," he told her. "He told me he smelled it. Has Jes ever encountered a mistwight?"

Seraph's fingers started to play nervously with the blankets. "Not that I know. There aren't any around here, and we didn't run into any on the way to Taela."

"That's what I thought. I asked him how he knew, and the Guardian deliberately switched to our Jes just long enough to tell me he didn't know, then switched back."

"Why would he do that?"

"I think that if the Guardian had told me he didn't know, he would have been lying."

"The Guardian knows things that Jes doesn't know?" Seraph groped for Tier's hand; when she found it she held it tightly. "That's not a good thing. If Jes is to survive, he and the Guardian have to be one." That's what her father had told her Guardian brother anyway.

"I'll talk to him," said Tier, as if talk could solve all problems.

Seraph let it make her feel better anyway. For Tier, talk solved a lot more problems than it ever had for her.

Tier tugged her until her head was on his shoulder, then pulled the bedding over her shoulders.

Hennea loved Jes. Seraph was fairly certain that Jes felt the same way, though it was sometimes difficult to tell.

"She's never said so much, but I don't think she has anywhere else to go," Seraph told him. "I don't know what Jes said to her to get her to come with us, though Lehr told me that at first she was going to go with Benroln. I know what would make her stay, though."

"What is that?"

"Duty. She's a Raven, Tier. She has responsibilities that supersede love and family. Somewhere out there is a Shadowed who wants to destroy you, my love. Doubtless he is hunting you down - and it is her duty to be here for the kill."

Tier laughed, bouncing her head gently. "His or mine?"

"Go to sleep, you," she scolded, to hide her worry.

When she and Tier approached the house the next morning, the priest was sitting on the porch bench with his eyes shut.

"You look tired, Karadoc," said Tier, waving at some people who'd shouted greeting to him from the fields, where they were taking down tents.

Karadoc's bright brown eyes opened. "You're a fine one to talk. From the way you're walking, I'd say you've bruises to rival mine."

Tier tilted his head toward the fields. "Is it safe for them to return to Redern?"

Karadoc smiled, a secret, pleased smile. "Ellevanal tells me that the village is safe, so I've told everyone to start packing. You'll have your home back to yourselves by nightfall."

Karadoc's prediction was a little optimistic, and Seraph and Tier spent another night in Isolde's mermora house. The villagers were more interested in celebrating their victory than in returning home. Then, too, Seraph thought, they were a little nervous about returning to the village. It would be a while before Redern felt safe to them again, despite Karadoc's assurances.

"Thank you again for watching Rinnie for us," said Seraph, as she helped Alinath gather her things from the corner of the house where Lehr and Jes usually slept.

It was the afternoon of the second day since they'd returned home, and Seraph was hopeful that they'd all sleep in their own beds tonight. To that end she'd sent her children and Tier out to encourage the stragglers to return to Redern.

"Rinnie is a joy," said Tier's sister, folding a shirt neatly and setting it into a pack. "Until we came here, she helped us in the bakery." She paused. "Thank you for finding my brother. If you and the Travelers hadn't found him, he'd be dead."

Seraph shrugged uncomfortably. She didn't know what to say to Alinath. The old animosity had faded, but she wasn't certain what to replace it with.

"Tier is resourceful," she said at last. "Did he tell you he had the Emperor asking him for advice?"

Alinath smiled, and the relief in the expression told Seraph that she was finding this no easier than Seraph herself. "Yes, he said something about it, but I thought he was exaggerating."

Seraph shook her head. "No. I've never heard him exaggerate about anything he's done - usually just the opposite."

"Really?" Alinath thought about it a moment. "Did he really take all the young thugs and turn them into an army for the Emperor?"

"They're still thugs. Most of them anyway. But they adored Tier and fought for the Emperor for his sake. Tier has a way with young men."

"Speaking of young men," said Alinath, "have you noticed the way that half of the village girls are swooning over Lehr? He's a hero for fighting and killing that troll."