into doing what you want.”
“On occasion,” Sarvell admitted, openly amused by her frankness.
She nodded knowingly.
Rialt did no know if he would be as blasé about this as Sarvell seemed to be, but it was clear that she now felt very comfortable with the other man because he had let her closer. Rialt wanted her to be just as at ease with him. No, more than that, she would need to be in order for him to protect her. So without making her ask, he reached out and gently caught her hand, pulling her slowly around until she faced him.
She gave him a thankful nod, hands reaching out until she found his chest. She did the same, slow examination that she had done with Sarvell. Her brows slowly climbed as she went over his chest, shoulders, and upper arms. “Goodness, but you are heavily muscled! What sort of weapon do you use?”
“Battle axe.”
She nodded, unsurprised by the answer. When she reached his hands, she slowly felt along his fingers. Rialt felt a little embarrassed by this tactile scrutiny. “I be no as pretty as our friend,” he said as a sort of objection.
“You work a great deal with your hands,” she answered, pausing long enough to give him an encouraging squeeze to his palms. “I’d say you were the kind of man that prefers to simply dive in and get the job done.”
“Eh. Well…eh.”
With a soft chuckle, she lifted her hands to his face. “My, that’s a thick beard!”
“Beards are good in the winter. Keeps half of your face from freezing.”
“It’s neatly trimmed,” she approved. Her fingertips were soft and gentle along his skin, carefully tracing every dip and angle. Rialt felt somehow self-conscious by the way that Sarvell watched them, and kept his eyes on her in an attempt to ignore the double scrutiny. “Ah, you have those high cheekbones, too. It looks like I have two handsome men keeping me company.”
Rialt rolled his eyes at this. He had never been called handsome. Brutish , now, that was a different matter.
“Hmmm. You’re the same age as Sarvell?”
“Twenty-five,” he corrected. “Near enough.”
“Is the long hair typical of your countrymen?” she asked, hand stroking the short ponytail hanging from the nape of his neck.
“Well, it be no uncommon. The hair keeps the back of our neck warmer, too.”
“Ah.” She sat back, regaining her seat and picking her cup back up with unerring accuracy. “Thank you for indulging me.”
“Not at all,” Sarvell assured her.
Rialt, relieved, went back to business. “Now, afore we move, I say we plan a bit ahead.”
“That’s a fine idea,” Jewel agreed readily. “I think we should go to Ramath first.”
“Ramath?” Rialt sputtered, completely taken by surprise.
“First?” Sarvell questioned in bewilderment.
She stilled at their reactions. “Did Elahandra not tell you that either? The four crystals in each clan are not in the proper place.”
“Lass, they have no been for nigh on two centuries,” Rialt pointed out in exasperation.
“Which is a problem,” she informed him, mouth tightening in an unhappy line. “Rialt, I don’t think you understand. Each crystal was put into the position it was so that it could easily connect with the other crystals. This was done on purpose. All five crystals have to be linked to each other in order to be charged. When those crystals were moved, not only was the burden of the barrier put onto just one crystal, but the means of re-powering it was taken away.”
Rialt’s blood started to run cold as her words penetrated. “Then, your crystal?”
“It cannot sustain the barrier much longer.” Her white, unseeing eyes turned to the direction of the crystal with pinpoint precision. “Perhaps a year, but no more. Elahandra told me before you came for me that as soon as I was free, my first and most urgent task is to find and replace the other crystals.”
Sarvell looked as if someone had just driven an anvil into his temples. “Find four giant crystals that
“On occasion,” Sarvell admitted, openly amused by her frankness.
She nodded knowingly.
Rialt did no know if he would be as blasé about this as Sarvell seemed to be, but it was clear that she now felt very comfortable with the other man because he had let her closer. Rialt wanted her to be just as at ease with him. No, more than that, she would need to be in order for him to protect her. So without making her ask, he reached out and gently caught her hand, pulling her slowly around until she faced him.
She gave him a thankful nod, hands reaching out until she found his chest. She did the same, slow examination that she had done with Sarvell. Her brows slowly climbed as she went over his chest, shoulders, and upper arms. “Goodness, but you are heavily muscled! What sort of weapon do you use?”
“Battle axe.”
She nodded, unsurprised by the answer. When she reached his hands, she slowly felt along his fingers. Rialt felt a little embarrassed by this tactile scrutiny. “I be no as pretty as our friend,” he said as a sort of objection.
“You work a great deal with your hands,” she answered, pausing long enough to give him an encouraging squeeze to his palms. “I’d say you were the kind of man that prefers to simply dive in and get the job done.”
“Eh. Well…eh.”
With a soft chuckle, she lifted her hands to his face. “My, that’s a thick beard!”
“Beards are good in the winter. Keeps half of your face from freezing.”
“It’s neatly trimmed,” she approved. Her fingertips were soft and gentle along his skin, carefully tracing every dip and angle. Rialt felt somehow self-conscious by the way that Sarvell watched them, and kept his eyes on her in an attempt to ignore the double scrutiny. “Ah, you have those high cheekbones, too. It looks like I have two handsome men keeping me company.”
Rialt rolled his eyes at this. He had never been called handsome. Brutish , now, that was a different matter.
“Hmmm. You’re the same age as Sarvell?”
“Twenty-five,” he corrected. “Near enough.”
“Is the long hair typical of your countrymen?” she asked, hand stroking the short ponytail hanging from the nape of his neck.
“Well, it be no uncommon. The hair keeps the back of our neck warmer, too.”
“Ah.” She sat back, regaining her seat and picking her cup back up with unerring accuracy. “Thank you for indulging me.”
“Not at all,” Sarvell assured her.
Rialt, relieved, went back to business. “Now, afore we move, I say we plan a bit ahead.”
“That’s a fine idea,” Jewel agreed readily. “I think we should go to Ramath first.”
“Ramath?” Rialt sputtered, completely taken by surprise.
“First?” Sarvell questioned in bewilderment.
She stilled at their reactions. “Did Elahandra not tell you that either? The four crystals in each clan are not in the proper place.”
“Lass, they have no been for nigh on two centuries,” Rialt pointed out in exasperation.
“Which is a problem,” she informed him, mouth tightening in an unhappy line. “Rialt, I don’t think you understand. Each crystal was put into the position it was so that it could easily connect with the other crystals. This was done on purpose. All five crystals have to be linked to each other in order to be charged. When those crystals were moved, not only was the burden of the barrier put onto just one crystal, but the means of re-powering it was taken away.”
Rialt’s blood started to run cold as her words penetrated. “Then, your crystal?”
“It cannot sustain the barrier much longer.” Her white, unseeing eyes turned to the direction of the crystal with pinpoint precision. “Perhaps a year, but no more. Elahandra told me before you came for me that as soon as I was free, my first and most urgent task is to find and replace the other crystals.”
Sarvell looked as if someone had just driven an anvil into his temples. “Find four giant crystals that
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