Realm of Light - Deborah Chester [53]
He shook free and slung the end of his cloak across his shoulder. “No, I must guard her—”
“She is safe, Caelan. No harm can befall her here.”
“Any lurker could enter the cave—”
“No lurker would dare come in here. The earth spirits guard us. Nothing without can see the mouth of the cave. Even if they look directly at it, their eyes are blinded and they see only dirt and rock.” Lea tilted her golden head and smiled at him. “Don’t worry so much. Be at peace for a little while, sweet brother. You have fought for such a long time. Come and take refuge.”
She was right. He did need rest. He tried to think of how long it had been since the Madruns overran the palace, and knew he had lost all track of time. But he had been fighting too long, and he could not fight Lea too.
She drew him back into the deepest part of the cave, where he had first found her. The emeralds studding the walls glittered at him, and the air was so warm and sweet he threw back his cloak.
“Elandra should be in here.”
“The lady sleeps well where she is. Do not disturb her,” Lea said. “Sit, and take your rest.”
With a groan, he sank to the ground and propped himself against the wall. His muscles were stiffening, and his leg hurt. His armor weighed too much, and he could no longer resist the spell that Lea cast.
“Rest your mind as well as your body,” Lea said. “Here.”
He glanced up at her and blinked, for in her hands were a goblet of mead and a bowl of steaming soup. He frowned in astonishment. “How?”
“Eat,” she said, handing the food to him. “Then we will talk.”
It was morning when he awoke, finding himself covered with a soft fur robe. Tiny dapples of sunlight filtered in from natural ventilation somewhere. Blinking, he slowly sat up and looked around. His armor lay nearby, freshly polished and gleaming. The rips in his crimson cloak had been mended, and the garment itself was cleaned so well it looked cut from new cloth. A large, decora-tively stitched leather pouch fitted with a shoulder strap rested beneath his emerald. Smiling involuntarily to himself, Caelan brushed his fingertips over the surface of the stone before sliding it into the pouch and slipping the strap over his shoulder to check the fit. If the emerald continued to grow larger and heavier, he might soon find himself trying to carry a boulder around. Then what would he do? Start driving a cart?
But such flippant thoughts seemed disrespectful. After all, he was a guest in this place; he must not insult his mysterious hosts, even in his mind.
He wolfed down fresh, piping hot breakfast cakes stacked on a platter, emptied a mug of spiced cider, and felt almost renewed.
Running his hand over the itchy stubble on his jaw, he yawned and stretched as best he could in the cramped confines of the cave. Slipping through the narrow exit, he returned to the other cavern where he had left Elandra the night before.
She lay still and peaceful, as though in sleep, the glowing topaz still clutched in her fingers.
He knelt beside her, not daring to touch her, and fresh worry filled his heart. Lea had said she was safe here, but would she slumber forever in this cave, never to emerge?
Someone had combed the tangles from Elandra’s auburn hair. It lay across her pillow in a shining fan, and a fur robe covered her to the waist. Her face looked peaceful, no longer pale and strained. The purple smudges were gone from beneath her eyes. He studied the thick sweep of her lashes against her cheek and wished he could somehow impart his strength to her.
“Good morning,” Lea said.
Startled, he turned and saw his sister smiling at him. She wore a gown of sky-blue wool today, and her golden hair had been pinned up in smooth plaits around her head.
Caelan smiled at her in greeting, hiding his doubts, which had returned, and reluctantly left Elandra’s side to join his sister.
“Come out,” Lea said.
Caelan followed her outside and found the sun bright upon a blinding expanse of fresh snow. The air was crisp and clean. For a fanciful moment it almost seemed that the trees bowed to him, but Caelan blinked