Amilié awoke to the splash of cold water stinging the wound in her shoulder. She hissed with the pain, writhing on the sack-ridden floor. Looking up, she saw Cador standing over her, holding the bloodied arrow he had pierced her with.
“Hello, Amilié.” Cador’s taunting voice brought back sour memories. She scanned his pale gray face and pointed chin. His braided hair was longer and messier than when she had last seen him. It was his eyes that made him stand out among other dark elves, eyes that caught the light and reflected an arid blue gleam.
Amilié faced Cador and gulped. “Cador...you shot me after I saved your life.”
“You’d be lucky if everyone in Ëolnir thinks you are dead. You’re welcome.”
She frowned. “You expect me to thank you?” Her eyes winced at the pain as she sat up. “Is there any liquor around here? I could use a drink.”
She wanted nothing more than to ignore Cador, but his presence dominated her gaze as he knelt to her level. “So, you’ve joined the Blades of the Triple Eye. You think you are making peace, yet you destroy caravans and steal the humans’ much-needed supplies. You’re a hypocrite, Amilié.”
“Sweryn is the one in charge. Perhaps you should be lecturing him.”
“You are stupid to follow him. The Prince of Ëolnir,” he scoffed, “please.”
“I’m not stupid to follow him; Sweryn wants what I want. He is not the cause of our problems, his father is.”
“That makes no difference to me. All of House Baldárë is the problem. For two decades they’ve been letting us starve in exile. It is time for new leadership, time for House Drúnn to rise and take over.”
Amilié rolled her eyes. “Always so heavy on the drama.”
“If you want to see peace, you know what must be done. House Baldárë must come to an end, and we could certainly use you to get close to them.”
“I can’t do that,” she scowled, “I don’t want any part of your coup.”
Cador smirked darkly, making Amilié shiver. “Or you can stay here and do nothing. Let Sweryn die with his father.”
“You wouldn’t do that; you know what he is to me.”
“I would do it,” he said. “We’ll be ready to move out by tomorrow evening. If you convince Sweryn to abandon Ëolnir before we strike, you both go free. That’s my only offer.” Then he rose to his feet and disappeared behind a metal door.
Amilié laid down to rest on her pile of sacks. Rolling onto her good side, she could see just how much blood she had lost. Her shoulder wound was already wrapped up in a clean bandage. Above her was what looked like a trap door and a small ladder leading up to it.
Before she could fall asleep again, she heard the trap door opening and the sound of shoes clacking along the ladder before hitting the ground. Kal came into Amilié’s vision, his face etched with concern.
“I cleaned your wound,” he said as Amilié sat up again. She found him staring back at her with curious blue eyes. It was still difficult to believe how much Kal had matured. “The last time I saw you...you were just—”
“I know.” Kal bent his head. “I was just a kid.”
“You scared me back there. If anything ever happened to you, I don’t think I could forgive myself.”
“A-Amilié,” Kal stammered over his words, “I’m—I’m not exactly fragile anymore. I can hold my own in a fight.”
“You’re all taking orders from Cador now? Figures. He was never content to be just a mercenary.”
“He’s also given the group a new name: The Ghosts of the Fallen. It has a nice ring to it.”
“If you say so,” she shrugged. “You haven’t left Cador’s side?”
“Why would I? He’s the only one around for me now. It’s no picnic, but...” The boy trailed off, shaking his head.
Amilié’s gaze lingered on him. She could imagine how difficult it must have been for him to grow up with only Cador. There was a time when Kal had everyone important in his life: his mother, his father, his older brother and sister. But circumstances had scattered them.
“So,” she changed the subject, “are you here to interrogate me?”
“No.” Kal moved closer and sat down, “I came to give you these. I retrieved them for you.” He handed her a pair of sharp iron blades soaked with blood. Amilié took them, picturing Dulor’s face as she had skewered him. Kal seemed to understand what was floating around in her head at that moment, and his face grew soft.
“What was his name?”
“Dulor,” she answered. “I feel so awful. I have to live with his death on my hands.”
“Well, what you did seemed to make Cador trust you again.”
Amilié shook her head. “You’re so naive. He hasn’t trusted me since I left.” She tossed her blades away and let them ring against the stone floor.
Kal paused, taking a moment to think. Then a young smile lifted his face. “You should come back to us; we could use you.”
“I don’t know,” she moaned. “I’m with Sweryn now, and everything is complicated. I’ve made promises that can’t be broken.”
From the side, the metal door opened again and Cador poked his head in. “Kal, I need you at headquarters.”
“Be right there,” Kal replied. When Cador disappeared, Kal let out a sigh. His brow was weary as he faced Amilié again. “Everything can be broken,” he said, “I learned that the hard way.” He paced toward the metal door and pulled it open. “When the time comes, I know you’ll make the right decision.”
