Page 146 of Keeper of the Word

Finally, Elanna was enveloped in a protective embrace. She caught the scent of evergreen and dissolved in Hux’s arms.

“I should have stopped it! I should have stopped it!” Over and over, she wailed.

“Shhh,” Hux simply whispered.

Hours later, through swollen eyes, she met his gaze.

She had made peace with his deceit.

The past’s path is behind us.

But she could not afford herself any more distractions. Not with everything she needed to do.

It took everything she had to rip herself away from Hux. The moment she did so, a chill fell over her, and she fought off a renewed attack of anxiousness.

She rushed away to keep from falling back into the warmth of his arms.

He followed.

“I cannot,” she simply stated. “We cannot. Pray. Do not.”

His dark eyes had reflected her own pain back at her. She had almost relented. But Hux retreated, widening the gap between them.

New tears had pricked her eyes.

He assumes ’tis because of his past.

She had planted her feet. There was too much to do. The realm was greater than she and Hux.

But nevertheless, she had avoided those dark eyes ever since that night. Those dark eyes that rivaled the lure of the night sky.

The weight of the Edan Stone brought her back to the present moment.

We cannot wait. It must be tonight.

Tolvar sat next to Hux. He had been solemn since his return. Quiet. Guarded.

He’d not made an apology, but ’twas evident that Tolvar was muddling through as many emotions as Elanna. Most everything that had occurred at Asalle had been divulged to Tolvar, including the night with the witch and the Edan Stone and their need to find starstone.

Tolvar had heard all with quiet reservation, not asking any questions of his own about what Elanna meant when she’d said the stars were to give him awordthat would vanish Asalle.

And Tolvar had not asked Elanna to return the Edan Stone.

With luck, and the stars’ blessing, Tara would be able to discover the location of starstone for the key they needed. The Edan Stone would do them no good without it. And Asalle would not last past the Falling Leaves Moon.

Elanna didn’t face Tolvar but knew he studied her.

We can put this off no longer.

The stars held the last part of magic, embedded in the Edan Stone, over her like hefty rain clouds about to burst. The scent of it was dense and not of the earth.

“Sir Tolvar,” she quietly said, instinctively knowing he’d heard.

In a moment, he was beside her.

“Walk with me.”

If Elanna could have focused on the familiar sounds of night, she would have. Night was her companion. But she was clamoring to bring back the starlit core of her existence—an unwavering knowledge that she, Elanna the Fourth, was ordained.