sigh, she stood and went to the female. Sashi avoided her, turning her head as Alena approached but making no move to snap at her. She was not bound in the earth chains like the draasin usually were when held in the pens. For that matter, the male draasin wasn’t bound in chains, either. Since Alena was there, she refused to keep them any more confined than was necessary.
I need you to help with this egg, Alena said to the draasin.
The elemental only turned her head again, pushing it against the stone, making a point of not looking at her.
Please help the draasin.
She attempted a shaping of earth to soothe the creature but decided against it. Anything like that might only anger her and make her suspicious when Alena needed her trust.
Instead, she moved so that she stood directly in front of her, making a point of not looking at the massive jaw and sharp teeth protruding from her half-open mouth. One bite. That was all it would take. One bite and the draasin would destroy her. Only, Alena didn’t think that was what the draasin wanted.
The egg needs a draasin to guide it through the final stages of hatching, she said.
Sashi snorted. You fear, Lren, but your sacrifice would be worthy.
It was the first time she had spoken to Alena since being claimed by Tenebeth, since Thenas had taken her and turned her into something she was never meant to be.
I fear, Alena agreed. With each day, she sensed the way fire was pulled from her. Even with what Volth had done, he couldn’t stop it completely, only slow it. And what did that do to Volth? The water elementals kept him alive, but would they continue to grant him strength indefinitely? Eventually he might die as well.
And she would not have him die because of her folly.
What is it that you fear? she asked the draasin.
Sashi swung her head around so that she could fix Alena with a hard, orange-eyed stare. The draasin do not fear.
I know that not to be true. You are safe here. Voidan cannot reach you here.
If you think we are safe in this place, then perhaps you deserve the fate the egg has chosen for you.
Alena blinked. The draasin could be hard, and she had spoken to Sashi before, but this was beyond hard. This was cold. Callous, almost.
A chill worked up her spine. Had they not healed her as they thought?
If that was true, then Tenebeth would reach them here. He would know where they gathered and learn Cheneth’s plan for protecting those with the ability to reach the elementals. And he would learn what Cheneth intended for the elementals. Even Alena didn’t know all the details.
You would sacrifice this egg because of your fear? Alena asked.
The hatchling is safer in this form. Voidan cannot reach him here.
There was a certain hesitation from Sashi, and Alena wondered if there might be something else she feared. But the draasin turned her head back to the wall, making clear that she would no longer speak.
Alena turned back to the egg and stared, watching the way the egg pulled on her connection to fire. How much longer did she have? If she couldn’t convince Sashi to help with the egg, then Alena needed to start looking for another solution.
But the only solution where she wouldn’t die involved destroying the egg. And she wasn’t sure she could do that.
8
Alena
I have spent too much time away and must return. I have decided to take a collection of texts with me, but they are incomplete. Eldridge must return to the college to learn more, but I fear he must also be used in another way. With his connection to the wind, how can he not?
—Rolan al’Sand, Enlightened of Hyaln
A lena found Cheneth outside the barracks. The old man had a certain signature to earth shaping, and her ability with water revealed him as well, letting her know the way that his pulse beat steadily within his chest. There was a solid reassurance to him, Alena felt, thanks to how much knowledge he possessed.
“Where have you been?” she asked more harshly than she
I need you to help with this egg, Alena said to the draasin.
The elemental only turned her head again, pushing it against the stone, making a point of not looking at her.
Please help the draasin.
She attempted a shaping of earth to soothe the creature but decided against it. Anything like that might only anger her and make her suspicious when Alena needed her trust.
Instead, she moved so that she stood directly in front of her, making a point of not looking at the massive jaw and sharp teeth protruding from her half-open mouth. One bite. That was all it would take. One bite and the draasin would destroy her. Only, Alena didn’t think that was what the draasin wanted.
The egg needs a draasin to guide it through the final stages of hatching, she said.
Sashi snorted. You fear, Lren, but your sacrifice would be worthy.
It was the first time she had spoken to Alena since being claimed by Tenebeth, since Thenas had taken her and turned her into something she was never meant to be.
I fear, Alena agreed. With each day, she sensed the way fire was pulled from her. Even with what Volth had done, he couldn’t stop it completely, only slow it. And what did that do to Volth? The water elementals kept him alive, but would they continue to grant him strength indefinitely? Eventually he might die as well.
And she would not have him die because of her folly.
What is it that you fear? she asked the draasin.
Sashi swung her head around so that she could fix Alena with a hard, orange-eyed stare. The draasin do not fear.
I know that not to be true. You are safe here. Voidan cannot reach you here.
If you think we are safe in this place, then perhaps you deserve the fate the egg has chosen for you.
Alena blinked. The draasin could be hard, and she had spoken to Sashi before, but this was beyond hard. This was cold. Callous, almost.
A chill worked up her spine. Had they not healed her as they thought?
If that was true, then Tenebeth would reach them here. He would know where they gathered and learn Cheneth’s plan for protecting those with the ability to reach the elementals. And he would learn what Cheneth intended for the elementals. Even Alena didn’t know all the details.
You would sacrifice this egg because of your fear? Alena asked.
The hatchling is safer in this form. Voidan cannot reach him here.
There was a certain hesitation from Sashi, and Alena wondered if there might be something else she feared. But the draasin turned her head back to the wall, making clear that she would no longer speak.
Alena turned back to the egg and stared, watching the way the egg pulled on her connection to fire. How much longer did she have? If she couldn’t convince Sashi to help with the egg, then Alena needed to start looking for another solution.
But the only solution where she wouldn’t die involved destroying the egg. And she wasn’t sure she could do that.
8
Alena
I have spent too much time away and must return. I have decided to take a collection of texts with me, but they are incomplete. Eldridge must return to the college to learn more, but I fear he must also be used in another way. With his connection to the wind, how can he not?
—Rolan al’Sand, Enlightened of Hyaln
A lena found Cheneth outside the barracks. The old man had a certain signature to earth shaping, and her ability with water revealed him as well, letting her know the way that his pulse beat steadily within his chest. There was a solid reassurance to him, Alena felt, thanks to how much knowledge he possessed.
“Where have you been?” she asked more harshly than she
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