“Oh, Aaden, how beautiful Elya was when she rescued you. So fierce and full of love for you. You wanted to fly with her, didn’t you? Well, you did. She loved you so much, she swept in and lifted you into the air and carried you away from all that evil. See, I told you that she thought you a special boy. There’s the proof!”

And then she did something she had not planned to. She paused a moment, until she was sure she wanted him to hear this news. Perhaps it would give joy to his sleeping mind, be a comfort to him until he awoke. She began, “I have something to tell you about Elya. …”

On her return to her quarters, she found Melio waiting for her. He stood on the balcony, leaning out to take in the view of the harbor. He had set a glass carafe of lemon liqueur on the stone balustrade, two glasses beside it, one of which was half full. “Any change?” he asked, his eyes soft on her as she approached.

“No. He sleeps on.”

“Perhaps it’s better that way. I’ve hardly managed to sleep since battling the Numrek. Too much to worry about.”

Mena watched him pour for her and then took the glass he offered. “You’ve slept more than you’re aware,” she said wryly. “Either that or you’ve perfected your imitation of a drunken man snoring.”

“Be nice,” he said, looking affronted. He reached to muss her hair, but she cocked her head just sharply enough to indicate that she was not really in a playful mood. Melio took the hint. He set both elbows on the weathered stone and scanned the sea. “It’s been busy. The harbor. More boats in and out than I’ve ever seen. The harbor patrol has been keeping them anchored far out, controlling the flow.” He glanced at her, inviting a response.

“Hmm,” Mena said. She looked at him as well, though she was still thinking about Aaden.

“Mena, Corinn gave me orders today. I can tell you haven’t heard.”

“What orders?”

“She’s sending the Elite to support General Andeson in Teh. I’ll have to go meet with his officers shortly. They have the coastline blockaded, but it’s the Teheen Hills they’re really worried about. If the Numrek get there, they’ll be hard to track. They could stay alive for months, us spending our resources chasing them while the Auldek start out on their march—if that’s truly going to happen.”

“Is it?” Mena hated the question, but she had to ask it. She had heard so much talk the last few days, so many rumors, but it was still hard to believe that a people so far away were somehow a threat to them.

“The queen seems to think so. That’s what the league reports, and they were the ones who brought the news. Hard to refute them right now. They’re adamant that it’s happening, and that the Auldek have no interest in negotiating. That’s what they were doing when everything went mad.”