Death Wind (Elven Alliance #3) - Tara Grayce Page 0,46

around him to give Essie a small smile. Across the table, Leyleira nodded to her.

Averett tapped the map laid out on the table, indicating the ridge along the Gulmorth River that separated Tarenhiel and Kostaria. “We march out tomorrow morning to arrive at the ridge by evening. We’ll stay hidden in the trees until dawn. Julien, you will be going with your army and will fight with our east flank. Edmund, you have the western flank.”

“Machasheni.” Weylind glanced to Leyleira beside him. “We wish for you to take over command of the support forces here at this camp. The wounded will be evacuated to here to be stabilized before being sent to Estyra or Aldon on the train.”

Leyleira nodded, the streak of gray in her hair shining in the lamplight.

“Jalissa and Essie, you will come with us and stay behind at the ridge here with the support personnel.” Averett tapped the center of the line. “The triage for the wounded will be here, and you will need to make sure our supply line stays clear. Once we are in Kostaria, we plan to move quickly, and we will have to be careful we don’t outpace our supply line.”

Essie bit her lip, studying the map. She knew letting her and Jalissa be at the site of the initial battle was already closer to the fighting than her brothers would wish her to be. Yet...She drew in a deep breath. “I need to go with you when you take Gror Grar.”

“What? Not a chance.” Averett turned and gripped her shoulders. “I know you’ll want to be there when we rescue Farrendel, but you aren’t a soldier.”

“I know. And I don’t intend to fight. Not like that. But...” She glanced over her shoulder at Weylind. How much would the elves wish her to say? Especially in front of the mixed group of generals.

Weylind met her gaze before turning to her brother. “Averett Daresheni, she needs to come.”

“What?” Averett spun. “Would you wish to place your sister in that kind of danger?”

“No, I would not. But, for the sake of our brother, she needs to be there.” Weylind braced himself with his hands on the table. “It is because of the elishina.”

“That heart bond thing?” Averett huffed. “It’s becoming more trouble than it’s worth.”

The generals were shifting. The human ones were glancing at each other, as if wondering how to ask to be dismissed. The elven generals eased toward the door as if intending to sneak away.

Essie touched Averett’s arm. “If the rest of the planning is done, maybe we should discuss this in private?”

It was probably her fault for bringing it up in front of others in the first place.

“Right.” Averett drew himself straight and gestured to the generals. “You’re dismissed. Please prepare the men for marching out tomorrow.”

Weylind gave similar instructions to his elves.

The generals nodded and marched outside until only family remained in the tent.

Averett crossed his arms. “Now explain what you mean about why you need to be there and what it has to do with the heart bond.”

Julien studied her without Averett’s ire while Edmund was glancing from Essie to Weylind, his forehead scrunching as if he was most of the way to figuring it out on his own.

Essie wrapped her arms over her stomach. “If Farrendel is badly injured, I can keep him alive with the heart bond long enough for the healers to save him.”

She wasn’t going to mention that there was a chance that if he was hurt badly enough, the attempt would kill both of them.

“I might be able to save him from a distance. The heart bond has strengthened over the past week or so, or maybe I’ve gotten better at sensing it. I don’t know.” Not to mention that strange crackle. Essie stared down at the table. “But I’m not sure if that would work or if I would be strong enough that way or if I’d be able to pull back if...” If hanging on too tightly meant she would die along with Farrendel.

That might sound all romantic in stories, but real life was more complicated. Dying with him would just mean both families would be mourning two people instead of one. Nor would Farrendel wish for her to die that way.

“But you might not have to be there.” Of course Averett would latch onto that.

“It would be a lot better if I was.” She glanced from Jalissa to Leyleira to Weylind. Surely one of the elves could explain it much better