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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

E VERY HALFLING IN THE F AELINTH circled the Myram tree. The crowd covered the entire grove and the neighboring ones. Some climbed up the trunks to listen from the lower burls and branches.

Their whispers fell silent as I walked through the crowd with Feron and the other council members directly behind me.

“I will be brief but do not mistake that for apathy.” I took a moment to scan the entire crowd. “What I am about to say must be considered with the utmost care.” The orb of water hanging from my mouth propelled my voice through a larger orb suspended in the center of the grove. Beside it was another, projecting the image of Nikolai as he interpreted everything I said with his crutches tucked underneath his arms.

“You have heard rumblings of Halflings who have been made into Fae. I am here to set those rumors to rest.”

A disappointed murmur moved through the crowd.

“It is true.”

The murmur changed to an excited buzz. I raised my hand and the Halflings fell silent once more.

“Elverath has given me the ability to transform anyone with amber blood into Fae.” The crowd broke into a chorus of surprised gasps. “Not one of the Light Fae you have heard about or one of the Dark you have met, but something new.”

Orrin broke through the front of the crowd. “Will we have fire magic like you?”

Everyone laughed as the little girl tugged on her braids, but my stomach hardened. “I cannot say, young one.” I turned back to the crowd. “I cannot promise you what magic you will or will not be able to wield. I can say that it will not be easy. If you choose to join us in the fight for Elverath, you will have to train relentlessly to control your powers. Day and night, every waking hour until the battles come. You will not rest. And if you volunteer for this, you must know that you may live in pain every day of your life.”

I paused, evaluating the response of the crowd. There were much more excited faces than solemn ones. A wave of nausea flooded through me, and I gripped the root holding up my notes.

“In battle, you will be marked as a threat above the rest.” I looked down at my boots, refusing to imagine which wide eyes would be forever changed. “If you choose to fight, you may very well die.”

“But aren’t we better protected with magic?” someone shouted from the back, his voice young and full of wanting.

My hands turned to fists. I knew how easy it was in youth to misjudge the severity of a decision, to be unable to comprehend the weight of it. I took a deep breath and hoped the council would see it unwise to choose someone as young and eager as that.

“Magic is not the solution to all your problems. In many ways it will cause more hardship in your life than it will alleviate. Your magic can hurt you—use too much too quickly and you will suffer the most painful death.” The crowd’s whispers turned dark. “But that is not the worst of it,” I continued. “Lose control and you can maim, even kill, someone you love.”

The crowd fell silent.

“Any Halfling, who is of age, may volunteer their name.” I lifted a long sheath of parchment on the pedestal Feron had formed beside me. “Mark your name, and you shall be considered. But the decision of who and how many of you shall be chosen lies with the council.” I waved my hand at the Elders standing behind me. Each of them scanned the crowd with observant, knowing eyes.

I turned to the young, eager Halfling who already had his hand raised. “Their word is final.”

He dropped his hand.

I set the list down. No one parted from the crowd, too many unsure if they wanted to be the first. But then an auburn-haired Halfling I recognized from the Order stepped forward. She wrote her name in quick, assured strokes at the very top of the page. She put the glass pen back in its holder and bowed her head to me.

“It would be an honor to protect this land and save the Halflings who remain lost to us.” She lifted a palm to her face and then her chest. I returned the gesture. When I dropped my hand, a line stood behind her.

Gerarda was at the helm, dressed in all black so she looked like the Dagger she once was. She smirked up at the Elders as she wrote her name beside the other Shade’s. My breath caught as she handed the pen to the next Halfling in line. Every eligible Halfling we had rescued from the Order stood behind her, ready to write their names. The pins Myrrah had crafted for us glinted in the firelight at their necks.

I glanced around the crowd, looking for Riven in the sea of Halflings. But he was nowhere to be found. My stomach tightened though I didn’t know if it was with relief or knowing the only reason Riven didn’t write his name was because he still carried too much guilt to do so. He blamed himself for Maerhal’s death, and Nikolai blamed him too. He did not think he deserved his magic back, and maybe he was right.

Other Halflings joined the line. Some I recognized as those who trained with Elaran and Gerarda. Some were scouts who had been living in the Faelinth for decades already.

Elaran came up behind me and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Picturing me with amber eyes?”

“No, yours are already so pretty,” I deadpanned as Elaran cut in line to write her own name. “Though I can’t say I’m surprised you’re volunteering.” I didn’t dull the edge of my tone. I hadn’t forgotten Elaran’s allegations about me keeping my magic to myself.

She tapped the end of my nose. “Let’s not dwell on old storms, Keera. Not when we are about to be Fae together.”

I raised a brow. “You think the council will select you.”

“Absolutely.” Elaran shot them a wink. “They are wise and I am a wise decision.” She held out her hand for me to take. “Might as well do it now. I’d like to know what kind of magic I’d get. I’m already so—”

“Presumptuous?” I finished for her.

She tugged on a loose curl. “Can’t be presumptuous when I exceed the expectations.”

I huffed a laugh. “And those are?”

“Lethal talent, impeccable self-control, and most importantly I have—”

“Delusions?”

Elaran gave me a sly smirk. “The color palette to pull off amber eyes.” She brandished her hand across the full-length gown she’d decided was appropriate for the occasion. “You think I’m insufferable now, just wait, Keera dear.”

“You didn’t have the patience to wait in line, let alone control your …” I trailed off as I turned back to the list.

Dynara raised her chin. She didn’t say a word, just set down the glass pen and walked away without looking at me. Her name was already inked onto the parchment.