Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,39
the two of them tried to kill each other. Eldrin had been tortured for years and has a lot of unresolved rage, especially for the scarring on his face. I know he blames the magicians personally for that. Eventually, the two are going to meet, and when they do, I’m not quite sure how it’s going to go down.
“All fae are magical,” Eldrin finally continues, still carving the now hacked piece of wood in his hands. “We carry it in our blood, and in elves, that shows in different ways. For the sea elves, they can survive underwater far longer than should be possible and predict storms. Some of their strongest can control the water to certain extents.” I’m listening intently, his voice hypnotic. His gaze flicks up from his blade, and he nods, gesturing towards me with the knife. “Wood elves can communicate with nature and encourage growth. Some can speak with the creatures of the forests too, but I don’t know much about that.” Nodding to acknowledge I heard him, I step closer so I can hear him better. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say so much in one go, and I don’t think it’ll happen again, so I’m making the most of it. “All high elves have a small amount of power. We are trained from a young age to push that power into metal to create our weapons, and our strongest become our greatest blacksmiths.”
Images of Vaeril slaving away in a forge push their way into my mind. My heart clenches at the thought of him being a prisoner for so many years, locked away in that sweltering underground room, forced to make weapons to be used against his own kind. Elven weaponry is some of the sturdiest material known to man and one of the reasons they have survived against the magicians on the battlefield. Not only is it strong and almost impossible to break, but if the rumours are true, some of the weapons have powers. I once heard one of the soldiers returning from battle talking of a hammer that, when it hit the ground, emitted a shock wave so large that it knocked back twenty men. Which was why when I discovered and liberated Vaeril from the castle in Arhaven, I stopped the human’s access to elven weaponry.
Oblivious to where my mind has wandered, Eldrin continues. “Most high elves don’t have enough power to do anything else with it, but we are generally faster and stronger than the sea and wood elves.” I wonder how true that is but keep my thoughts to myself. “Within the royal line, there is some magical talent. You’ve witnessed the queen’s…abilities firsthand.” Eldrin pulls a face. The forsaken. Somehow, the queen is creating and controlling them. We still don’t know how she does it, we didn’t even know it was possible to create the forsaken, let alone control them, but we do know that to become, one the host has to die. She had an army of them, two of whom were my friends. Pain stabs at my chest, and I screw my eyes shut to block out the images. Instantly, my bonds flare to life. My mates feel my pain and distress, and they’re reaching out to me, trying to soothe me. Vaeril with his steady calmness, Grayson with his unending love, and Tor with his larger than life presence.
Eldrin doesn’t ask if I’m okay, he doesn’t question what’s wrong or pry, but I feel him shift his weight and move closer to me. I shouldn’t know these things. My senses are no longer extended, so I shouldn’t be able to tell that he’s watching me, or that he’s trying to decide if he should reach out and touch me. We don’t have a fated bond, I can’t sense others this way, so why is he different? I don’t move, keeping my eyes closed and my attention fully attuned on the elf behind me, and I realise the pain has gone and the memories have faded. I’d been so focused on him that the all-consuming grief and guilt waned to the background. It will never fully go away, I will carry it with me always, like I will carry the memories of those I failed with me.
Taking a deep breath, I focus on the sounds around me. The gentle breeze in the trees, the warmth of the sun filtering through the leaves and onto my skin, the gentle nudge of the forest at