“My queen,” he said, sinking to one knee before her, “I know the Keltar broke his oath. But if one examines these Keltar, one finds that they have, for thousands of years, comported themselves in exemplary fashion.”

The queen regarded him a long cool moment, then shrugged a delicate shoulder. “So?”

“Consider the man’s brother, my queen. When Drustan was enchanted by a seer and forced to slumber for five centuries, the Keltar line was destroyed. When he was awakened in the twenty-first century by a woman, he went to extraordinary lengths to return to his time and prevent the catastrophe from happening so their line would remain intact, always protecting the lore.”

“I am aware of that. Unfortunate his brother wasn’t more like him.”

“I believe he is. Dageus broke his oath solely to save Drustan’s life.”

“That’s personal motive. The line was not threatened. They were expressly forbidden to use the stones for personal gain.”

“How was it personal gain?” Adam countered. “What did Dageus gain by so doing? Though he saved Drustan’s life, Drustan continued to slumber. He didn’t get his brother back. He didn’t get anything.”

“Then more fool he.”

“He is as honorable as his brother. There’s no evil in what he did.”

“The question is not if he is evil, it’s if he broke his oath, and he did. The terms of The Compact were clearly defined.”

Adam drew a careful breath. “We are the ones who gave them the power to travel through time. If we hadn’t, the temptation would never have existed.”

“Ah, now it’s our fault?”

“I’m merely saying that he didn’t use the stones to gain wealth or political power. He did it for love.”

“You sound like a human.”

It was the lowest insult among his kind.

Adam remained wisely silent. He’d had his proverbial wings clipped before by his queen.

“Regardless of why he did it, Adam, he now harbors our ancient enemy within him.”

“But he still isn’t dark, my queen. It’s been many mortal months since they took him. How many mortals do you know that could withstand those thirteen Druids by will alone? You knew them well. You know their power. Yet you would subject him to the trial by blood the council has called for? You would kill every person this man cares for to test him? If you destroy his entire line for this, who then will renegotiate The Compact?”

“Perhaps we shall live without it,” she said lightly, but he saw the merest hint of unease in her lovely, inhuman eyes.