and fend us off at the same time. It told me if I killed it, I would kill Canil as well, but I knew I could bring him back."
"Why did you call on the ancient power?" Nialyne asked.
Ciara opened her eyes, and pursed her lips. " That thing tried to kill you."
Maurar snorted. "Complete nonsense. Danya Nialyne was in no danger."
"I thought she was," Ciara snapped, with a glare at the Elder. Nialyne squeezed her fingers at the same time Bolin laid his hand on her shoulder. She looked back at the other woman. "You were bleeding."
"It is all right, child."
"No, far from it." Maurar pointed a finger at Bolin. "You brought her into the Greensward, as such you are responsible for her actions within its borders."
Bolin's hand tightened. Ciara stood up before he could do or say anything. "It's not Bolin's fault. I alone am responsible for my actions, and were I faced with the same choice over again, I would do no differently. That beast would have killed the messenger for certain, and Danya Nialyne as well. Wrong or not, I refused to allow that to happen. I suspect, even had it been your life being threatened, Danya Maurar, I would have done the same."
Maurar's mouth twitched. His gaze flicked from Ciara to Bolin before settling on a spot between them. "Danya Nialyne, the rest of the elders and I will require your presence as soon as you may make yourself available."
He bowed from the waist to no one in particular, then turned and strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Ciara plopped back into her chair, exhaling a whoosh of air. "Is he always like that?"
"As rain falls down," Bolin said, and Ciara wondered if Nialyne hadn't heard. If she did, she gave no indication. Bolin gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I need to speak to Danya Nialyne. Alone."
"About me?" Ciara turned to look up at him and he quirked a brow in reply. She sighed and stood. "I'll see if Konly needs any more help."
***
Bolin waited until Ciara left, then handed the unopened messenger's missive to Nialyne. She looked a question at it and made to hand it back, but Bolin shied from it as though it were a snake about to strike.
"There's no i ndication this was meant for me," he said.
"I'm not sure how much the messenger said, but I do know he asked for you," Nialyne replied. "Specifically."
"I'm hesitant to open a message from the Emperor without knowing for certain I'm its intended recipient. I believe the punishment for that is hanging."
Nialyne waggled the parchment at him. "Who else within the Greensward would be receiving an Imperial message?"
Bolin rubbed his jaw. Dread churned in his stomach like a bad meal. His last message to the Emperor had been short and to the point, if somewhat evasive. Just that he had needed to seek aid in the Greensward, that Donovan had become a larger threat than they had imagined, and that he would return to Nisair once he could do so safely. For Dain to have received it and returned one with this much speed spoke volumes. Volumes he didn't care to read.
He took the parchment from Nialyne, slid his finger under the wax to break the seal, and flicked the letter open with a quick snap of his wrist. He clenched his jaw as he read the words scrawled in the Emperor's own, fluid writing.
I missed you at Ranstone. No doubt how you preferred it. We shall discuss that on your return to Nisair, which is now Required posthaste, as there should be nothing to delay you further.
Your previous messages have indicated you have found what the Mages have feared all these years, and explains to some degree the unsettling event of the last moon cycle past. They believe, as do I, this power is the tool of our enemies and, as such, is a dangerous entity to the Empire. Please, relay My gratitude to the Elders of the Greensward for their assistance in your plans, however, I am sure you will agree this entity must now be remanded to the custody of the Imperial Coucil for further dispensation.
I have sent a guard
"Why did you call on the ancient power?" Nialyne asked.
Ciara opened her eyes, and pursed her lips. " That thing tried to kill you."
Maurar snorted. "Complete nonsense. Danya Nialyne was in no danger."
"I thought she was," Ciara snapped, with a glare at the Elder. Nialyne squeezed her fingers at the same time Bolin laid his hand on her shoulder. She looked back at the other woman. "You were bleeding."
"It is all right, child."
"No, far from it." Maurar pointed a finger at Bolin. "You brought her into the Greensward, as such you are responsible for her actions within its borders."
Bolin's hand tightened. Ciara stood up before he could do or say anything. "It's not Bolin's fault. I alone am responsible for my actions, and were I faced with the same choice over again, I would do no differently. That beast would have killed the messenger for certain, and Danya Nialyne as well. Wrong or not, I refused to allow that to happen. I suspect, even had it been your life being threatened, Danya Maurar, I would have done the same."
Maurar's mouth twitched. His gaze flicked from Ciara to Bolin before settling on a spot between them. "Danya Nialyne, the rest of the elders and I will require your presence as soon as you may make yourself available."
He bowed from the waist to no one in particular, then turned and strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Ciara plopped back into her chair, exhaling a whoosh of air. "Is he always like that?"
"As rain falls down," Bolin said, and Ciara wondered if Nialyne hadn't heard. If she did, she gave no indication. Bolin gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I need to speak to Danya Nialyne. Alone."
"About me?" Ciara turned to look up at him and he quirked a brow in reply. She sighed and stood. "I'll see if Konly needs any more help."
***
Bolin waited until Ciara left, then handed the unopened messenger's missive to Nialyne. She looked a question at it and made to hand it back, but Bolin shied from it as though it were a snake about to strike.
"There's no i ndication this was meant for me," he said.
"I'm not sure how much the messenger said, but I do know he asked for you," Nialyne replied. "Specifically."
"I'm hesitant to open a message from the Emperor without knowing for certain I'm its intended recipient. I believe the punishment for that is hanging."
Nialyne waggled the parchment at him. "Who else within the Greensward would be receiving an Imperial message?"
Bolin rubbed his jaw. Dread churned in his stomach like a bad meal. His last message to the Emperor had been short and to the point, if somewhat evasive. Just that he had needed to seek aid in the Greensward, that Donovan had become a larger threat than they had imagined, and that he would return to Nisair once he could do so safely. For Dain to have received it and returned one with this much speed spoke volumes. Volumes he didn't care to read.
He took the parchment from Nialyne, slid his finger under the wax to break the seal, and flicked the letter open with a quick snap of his wrist. He clenched his jaw as he read the words scrawled in the Emperor's own, fluid writing.
I missed you at Ranstone. No doubt how you preferred it. We shall discuss that on your return to Nisair, which is now Required posthaste, as there should be nothing to delay you further.
Your previous messages have indicated you have found what the Mages have feared all these years, and explains to some degree the unsettling event of the last moon cycle past. They believe, as do I, this power is the tool of our enemies and, as such, is a dangerous entity to the Empire. Please, relay My gratitude to the Elders of the Greensward for their assistance in your plans, however, I am sure you will agree this entity must now be remanded to the custody of the Imperial Coucil for further dispensation.
I have sent a guard
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