leader of our pantheon and the patron goddess of that family. The dragons visiting us in our dreams isn’t something new you’ve stumbled on. That’s why I don’t think you’re crazy. It’s a crazy thing to be happening because it’s a fucking honor, and something deeper must be happening, but I don’t think you’re crazy.”
“You think the dreams are real,” Mave said, amazed. Half the time, Mave didn’t want to believe they were.
“I’m almost certain they are.” He looked down at his hands and huffed, his eyes wide. “My daughter dreams of Kristanya. How the hell am I going to get any sleep tonight, knowing that?”
“The same way I do?” Mave smirked. “Just deal with it?”
He laughed softly, looking up at her again. “For how long?”
“Since we came to Anden,” Mave admitted. “Before your family adopted me. Before we knew about Seanev.”
“Oh, wow,” he whispered. He reached out and touched her cheek. “And you, seeing visions of a goddess, still decided I was a worthy male to pick as a father.”
“Goddess or no goddess, you and Senri are some of the best people who have entered my life,” Mave told him with a smile. “Let’s get back. I’m going to try to get some sleep.”
“And leave me with this new information and no way to process it?” Kian sputtered.
“I’ll tell you more tomorrow night,” she promised. “And who knows? Maybe I’m due for a dream with her? She bothers me pretty often.”
Finding her bed again, she was able to quickly relax, her chest feeling lighter than it had in months. All it took was exposing her deepest secret on a whim to make it happen. When she finally slept, she slept deeply.
26
Lilliana
Lilliana couldn’t ignore the shifting mood of the village any more than she could deny what she was. When she arrived, there had been jubilation. Victories were fresh and exciting for the Andinna, who lived around the king. The market was booming and bright. Everyone was happy and basking in the glory of their warriors, who fought hard and won great battles for them.
A week after the Champion left on her mission, it wasn’t the same. It had started small, only the leaders of the rebellion growing darker as time went on. With the return of Seanev, the entire village had been cast under a dark shadow. They were still trying. The perseverance of the Andinna was still winning out in the hearts of the Andinna, but it wasn’t the same. And more bad news was coming in all the time. Today, she found herself listening to more.
“The supplies didn’t show up on time,” Dave, the human, explained to Alchan at the dining table. Lilliana could see them from the kitchen, where she was making tea as she did several times a day for a variety of reasons.
Dave was an interesting man. He didn’t really fear Alchan the way many did. Maybe it was because he was human or because he was so confident in his goodness. He was good, from what Lilliana had seen of him.
“How late are they, and how bad is it?” Alchan asked, sounding tired.
“Four days late and not too troublesome…yet,” Dave explained, turning a book. “We’re fine without this one shipment, if say, they’ve broken down, or animals raided them, or…”
“I really hope the Elvasi don’t have a strike team north of the mountains,” Alchan growled. “I understand what you’re getting at, and it’s a very real possibility at this point.”
“Do they have units like that?”
“She could be taking a page out of our book, and we’re too spread out as it is,” Alchan said softly. “Keep an eye out for it. Send a message to Kerit and ask them if they’ve sent the supplies out like they were supposed to. We might need to figure out a new route.”
“Any other viable routes take a week longer. The road that runs on the north side of the mountains keeps our supply chain at the speed we need it. I’ve already sent Kerit a message. They were adamant they sent out the supplies. They offered to send warriors on the road to see if there’s anything they can find. I should hear back, eventually, but that could be too late to save another caravan if there is something wrong.”
“Just keep me posted,” Alchan ordered, rubbing his forehead. “Thank you for coming to me. You seem to have this in hand. I trust you.”
“Thank you, sire. Learen has been a great help. I’m sorry he couldn’t