“Kind of how I saw it,” Shade muttered and then fell silent as Lutheron stepped back to the center of the courtyard and raised his hands for their attention. Lutheron wasn’t what Shade would describe as a handsome man. His features were just a bit too sharp for that. The fine chain mail and black tabard he wore now did make him striking though. He had that special quality about him that all Lords sought for in their commanders. When Lutheron spoke, men listened. The courtyard around him had fallen silent the moment Lutheron had raised his hand.
Looking around at them all, the dark haired commander nodded his thanks to them for their obedience and lowered his arm. “You all have your groups, now. You know who will be leading you. I will not give you a time of attack because I do not have a time of attack. We will be acting on a moment’s notice so I need you all vigilant. Be ready when I call.” He turned in a slow circle as he spoke, his dark eyes traveling over everyone present.
Shade straightened a bit when the man looked directly at him and felt foolish for a moment. Until he noticed everyone else was doing the same. He turned his eyes back to Lutheron and studied the man closer. There was something about him and he couldn’t put his finger on it. Some part of Lutheron demanded the best from everyone, and everyone strove to deliver their best to him. Shade searched inside himself, examining the emotion closer and realized with confusion that he was actually afraid of disappointing Lutheron.
The only other soul that had ever made him feel fear like that was his father. He shook his head slowly, watching Lutheron. He barely knew the man. There was no reason for him to hold that kind of fear. It was unreasonable.
His mind drifted back to the bombing of Eldagar and the powerful magic the commander had worked. Not even a Han’shy mind mage should have been able to cover that large an area with that strong of Emotion. “Shit, he is the Aspect of Fear,” he muttered to himself as the pieces clicked together. That made no sense though. Aspects were strictly forbidden from acting as Lutheron was. They had made a pact long ago with the High Houses to stay out of politics and in return they were left in peace.
Charm elbowed him hard in the stomach and gave him a warning glare. “You have no idea what you are saying so be silent,” he hissed and Shade glanced over at the rogue. But Charm wouldn’t meet his eyes. His gaze was locked firmly on Lutheron as the commander began to speak again.
“Taking back Sanctuary will not be easy. We will be outnumbered, but we will have surprise on our side. Fight with everything you have, Fionaveir. This battle will shape the course of the entire war. We will win! We must win! Sanctuary cannot be lost to them!” Lutheron’s words echoed off the stone walls. He turned in another slow circle, and nodded to the assembly. With a final glance toward Symphony, he left them there and made his way toward the door leading back into the hall. The courtyard seemed almost empty without him, despite the crowd of Fionaveir.
Shade felt his heart thudding painfully against his ribs as the silence grew. By the expression on the faces around him, Lutheron’s words had the same effect on all of them. There was no doubt in his mind that every warrior here would fight to his last breath. They were simply too afraid of failure to do otherwise.
Chapter 27
Sanctuary
Music filled the square with a joyous sound that Jala found unsettling. It didn’t seem right to have a festival, considering their current situation. Finn and Neph had insisted however and to her surprise Wisp had supported it. They said it would relax the commons and help them weather the siege. So they had strung bright colored lanterns and hired musicians. That, combined with alcohol, and the commons didn’t need a real reason to celebrate. They had lived in poverty for so long that the sheer abundance of food and drink was reason enough for a festival to them.
She sighed heavily and tried to enjoy the night. It was hard to find happiness, however, when she could see Valor sitting by himself as far from the lanterns as he could manage. He deeply mourned the loss of his sister and there had been no sign of his niece in the three days since Chastity’s death. It seemed almost cruel to have a celebration while one of her friends was in mourning. She started to suggest to Finn that he should go keep the knight company, but when she turned to him she caught him staring at Wisp. The Fae was beautiful tonight in a gorgeous light green gown. Her hair fell down like a midnight curtain across her delicate back.
She looked from Wisp back to Finn and kept the frown from her face. It was the third time tonight she had noticed him looking in the Fae’s direction. Perhaps he is thinking of how to get her out of the city. She considered the idea, but pushed it away quickly. She had spoken with him about it just yesterday and he hadn’t seemed concerned. They had decided that it might be best if Wisp went with all of them. With the amount of mage stones they had stored up it wouldn’t take long to restore enough of Merro for the few people she had to survive there. That, and if she was right about the angle of his gaze, he wasn’t simply watching Wisp, he was watching Wisp’s backside.
Her eyes narrowed slightly and she sought the link between the two of them. She sensed impatience and a high level of anxiety there, not at all the emotions Finn was displaying. He was good at hiding his true feelings, though. He glanced back at her and smiled, reaching over to take her hand. His expression was a bit sheepish at first, but quickly relaxed. She squeezed his hand firmly and returned the smile. There was no sweat on his palm. No matter how good you were at hiding emotions, the body still betrayed a few, such as sweaty hands when feeling anxious. She studied the glass in his hand and watched him down the last of the wine before she squeezed tightly down on his hand in a bone jarring grip. Finn didn’t drink wine unless there was no other option. Finn preferred Firewater. His brother however was a wine connoisseur.
“Ouch! Damn, Jala. What?” he asked staring down at his hand in shock.