Page 27 of Keeper of the Word

She looked well enough. That was good.

“Good evening, Sir Tolvar,” Elanna said, not turning her head.

“Good eve.” He made no move toward her.

“Kyrie said you were wary the other night.”

“It feels different here,” Tolvar said, finally taking steps onto the grass.

“I suppose I wouldn’t know.” She turned her head away.

“I see you are well.”

“Well, for now. Circumstances are about to change.” She met his eyes. “And I do not mean the Lucien Law.”

Tolvar didn’t hide his surprise that Kyrie had informed Elanna they’d overheard the Order knights.

“Aye. She told me. She used her Sight to guide you. So that you could hear for yourself. ’Tis a…tactic I’ve read about in our histories. Though our words are sacred or should be.” She gave him a pointed stare before gazing upward. “Sometimes humankind only relies upon their own ears. Strange. An entire city built upon trust in the StarSeers. Nay, an entire empire built upon trust in the StarSeers, and I find I’m quite alone.” When she turned back to Tolvar, her eyes were glossy. “And circumstances are about to change throughout the entire realm because I am alone.”

He tired of towering over her and sat. “Your sisters would not hear your vision?”

“They did, but Lady Tara said other words. Hers are stronger than mine, I am afraid. And tradition calls for tradition, I suppose you’d say. ‘StarSeers are not meant to act,’ is one phrase she said. Reminded me that we’ve been trained our entire lives to See, not act.” She paused. “But also, she, Casta, and Kyrie have Seen nothing. And they’ve spent the last four nights searching the stars for confirmation of my words. But what I Saw”—she shuddered—“cannot breach these walls. This place is too pure. They dare not leave the walls to See for themselves. And aye, the Lucien Law will cease that whim even if they did.”

At this moment, Elanna appeared withered and pale. Tolvarhad the urge to comfort her but held back. She was a StarSeer, blast it all. A being to be treated with reverence. And there was naught he could do to aid her.

“The end is coming, Sir Tolvar.” Her eyes searched the sky; Tolvar followed suit.

Does she know the stars by name?

Her grasp of his hand was so swift, he was uncharacteristically startled. “I tell you. Unless we stop it, the end of the realm comes. You must help. You must take me to Asalle so that I may warn the sovereign against actions I fear are already set in motion. We have but a small chance.” Her eyes glossed over again. “A fraction of a moment in the expanse of time to act.”

Her touch was warm, even though the night had begun to cool.

“M’lady, I’ve spent the last four years banished from this realm. If I take you away from Ashwin, it will surely be my head this time. ’Tis forbidden, under penalty of death, to interfere with StarSeers. Forbidden.”

“I did not know the Wolf gave in to fear.” She let go of his hand. “I trust but one man—the keeper of the word. If you, man who has seen the moon and stars, who was led to me by their same light—if you do not do this, ’twill not matter if you’re threatened to be executed thrice over. There shall be no realm to carry out the sentence.”

Tolvar eyed the hand she’d held. It tingled. He could not deny her words poured dread over him. He scanned the black-cloaked sky; the stars pinpricks against it. He was not a praying man. He was not a man of belief. And if the other StarSeers had Seen nothing, how could he trust all this? Not to mention that what he’d said was the truth. What she asked of him was forbidden.

“Of what must we warn King Rian?”

“He must hear it from me. But I shall tell you once we are on our way.”

Not this again.A familiar memory splashed over Tolvar. A memory of a woman withholding information so she could be part of an adventure in which she had no business being involved.

“Tell me what it is, and you have my word that I shall deliver the sovereign your message.”

“’Tis not entirely a message. And I am beckoned there by the stars just as I was beckoned to flee Ashwin.Imust be there.”

Tolvar ran his hand through his hair and stood. “I cannot take part in this. Besides the law of the realm, Lady Tara has invoked the Lucien Law. I researched the phrase this afternoon. For you, it means guardianship. For those who work against it, well, let us say, the stars work against them.”

“You certainly seem to believe in the stars’ creed upon your convenience.” Elanna stood, too. Stars, she was tall. “And I’m bound to no one yet. Help me save the realm, Tolvar. Mayhap the world.”

Aye, this felt all too familiar. He could not get wrapped up in this. The first year of his banishment, he’d been hunted like a thief. The second year, he’d hidden like one. The third year, he’d drunk so much he constantly felt like one.

Stars, he longed for a drink.

“When you do become bound to a guardian, ask him or her. You ask too much of me.”