A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings #1) - Kevin Hearne Page 0,132

were going to leave—well, you should leave. I deserve it. And you deserve better.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I do. But I want you, Gondel. I want you here. I like that you’re driven. I’m glad you love your work. But when you get lost in it, I’m forgotten. I need some attention, too.”

I looked up. “You have all of it now. I truly am sorry, Maron.”

And I was. Because he was so very right. I am far too much like my brother. Even as he kissed me, soft and perfect and evocative of all our years together—largely blissful and joyous, a reminder of how much I loved him—I couldn’t stop thinking about the apocalyptic language of Zanata Sedam and what poison awaited in its pages, fresh new horrors biding their time until I could translate them.

—

“Of course, we Raelechs and Brynts know only too well that Gondel was right to have misgivings about that text. For even as he was near collapse from exhaustion in the south, the Eculan fleets were arriving on our shores in the north, and the winds filling their sails weren’t peaceful ones.”

Fintan took a deep breath. “Normally I’d continue, but I’ve given you plenty to talk about today, and like Gondel, I have much sleep to catch up on. I’ll rest up and return tomorrow to tell you what happened next in the west!”

Though I hurried home from the wall to indulge in a well-deserved collapse on my cot, Gerstad Nara du Fesset knocked on my door right after I had shed my clothes to groan in privacy over my abdominal wound. I groaned more loudly, outraged that my rest should be disturbed so soon. Having told my body that now it could relax and start healing, I did not want to reverse myself and say, “But right after I answer the door and play host.” But the gerstad knocked again, and I heaved myself out of the bed to answer, calling out to her to be patient while I threw on my tunic. The sun had set, and I had to light a candle in the dark before I could shuffle to the entrance.

“Oh,” I said upon opening the door, blinking in surprise. “Hello, Gerstad. I thought you’d be, uh…” I didn’t know what I thought and trailed off when I saw that she wasn’t alone. The street lamps had been lit, but most of her companion’s features were occluded by the darkness. I could tell little more than that he was a Kaurian dressed in loose-fitting orange and yellow robes. When our eyes met, I received a friendly flash of white teeth and a tight nod but he said nothing. “Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, please.” I stood aside to let them enter and enjoyed their reactions when they saw that my home was nearly empty. To Nara’s credit, she made no comment but waited until I shut the door before introducing her companion.

“Master Dervan, this is Kindin Ladd from the Kaurian embassy. He’s here to protect you.”

“Nice to meet—whoa, what? Protect me?”

“We’ve been sent by the Lung. Hopefully it’s just for one night. Our mariners are stretched thin with other duties, and Kindin was kind enough to volunteer to be your bodyguard on a short-term basis.”

“But—I mean, thank you, I hope I don’t sound ungrateful—I’m merely confused. Why is this necessary, and why would a Kaurian diplomat double as a bodyguard?”

“I am not technically a diplomat,” Kindin said, his voice mellow and measured, but his eyes darted to the gerstad to apologize for interrupting. She nodded at him to continue. “I am a Priest of the Gale. I do serve some low-level functions at the embassy, but I primarily breathe the peace of Reinei and guard the diplomats when they visit.”

“Oh, you’re—” I cut myself short before I said something potentially offensive. I had heard of Priests of the Gale before but never actually met one. They were commonly referred to as Talkers, but never to their faces. And Kindin Ladd, now that I could see him a bit better, had a kind face, possessed of a simple serenity that bespoke of spiritual fulfillment. Broad cheeks and a broad nose, stout and thick-necked, he’d shaven his head and regarded me from heavy-lidded eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard of you guys before. Welcome. In peace. For sure. But uh, why…?”

Gerstad du Fesset took over, every inch of her taut and strained. “Both Pelenaut Röllend and the Lung were appalled to hear of