Tarron turned his attention to Kendrick. “Good luck in your endeavor. We’re also hunting this concealed creature. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you.” Kendrick wondered how Tarron would do that, and he was looking forward to finding out.
“Tread carefully, Dark,” Tarron said. “We’ll be watching you.”
Dain smirked. “How could you not when I look this good?”
Tarron rolled his eyes and walked past them to the forest. In a blink, the elves were gone, or at least hidden from view.
Kendrick faced Dain. “Did you have to provoke him?”
“He irks me,” Dain said with a shrug as if that were explanation enough.
“What about Esha?”
“We got to the lake fine. She was in a hurry to get answers—not that I blame her.”
“Aye. Me, either.”
“Are we waiting for her?”
Kendrick thought about that for a moment. “How long would it take for her to reach us?”
“A while.” Dain suddenly grinned. “Are you offering a ride?”
Kendrick chuckled. “We need to get to her.” His smile died as he thought of Savita’s disappearance. “What do you know about Esha’s sister?”
“She was all anyone could talk about for some time. The Reader who left the city to join her sister’s Ranger group.”
“Esha said that hasna happened before.”
“It hasn’t. I’m sure you can imagine the stir it caused.”
“I can,” Kendrick said with a nod. “How many Readers are there?”
Dain scratched his jaw. “I don’t know the exact number, but I think it’s somewhere around fifty.”
“What did you hear about Savita?” Kendrick asked.
“That she is a talented Reader—more so than others. Each Reader is born with the ability, but a few are more attuned to the runes than others.”
“And that was Savita?”
Dain shrugged. “So it’s been said. Belanore wasn’t happy to lose her.”
“But no one questions the Readers.”
“Exactly,” Dain said with a twist of his lips.
Kendrick couldn’t help thinking that something was going on with Savita. “Has any Reader ever lied?”
“If one has, we’d never know.” Dain chuckled. “The life of a Reader is based on truth. They report what the runes tell them. No one questions them, so how would they get caught if they did lie?”
Kendrick crossed his arms over his chest. “Readers are in positions of power. Where would Savita hold a better station? With the Rangers or in the city?”
“The city, without a doubt.”
“That’s what I thought, too.”
Dain jerked his chin to him. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking something’s going on. Savita disappearing just as a nightwraith attacks us makes things pretty clear.”
“You think she did it?”
Kendrick wrinkled his nose. “I think she didna like my arrival. I think she didna like Esha wanting to hunt with me.”
“You’d think she would make sure dozens of Rangers were with you two.”
Kendrick frowned. “Aye. I thought the same. But does that mean she sent an animal she knew could kill her sister? I doona think she did.”
“Unless she knew you could defeat it.”
“What would she gain by doing that?”
“Other than showing everyone your strength? I don’t know,” Dain said with a shrug.
Kendrick could throw out a hundred guesses, but the elven society was different from any he knew, which put him at a disadvantage.
“Go find Esha,” Dain said as he turned on his heel to walk away.
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to my contacts,” the elf said over his shoulder.
Kendrick waited until the shadows had claimed Dain before he shifted and jumped into the sky. He took his time flying and getting a better view of the plateau and its many lakes, waterfalls, and the large river that cut through the land. It was a beautiful area, and he had made inroads into becoming allies with the elves.
But he was still no closer to finding the entity than before.
Chapter Twenty-two
Esha reached the lake and heard the unmistakable flap of wings. She looked up and spotted Kendrick as he circled above her. The relief she felt at seeing him made her lightheaded. There was a smile on her lips when he landed. She quickened her steps to reach him.
When she saw his grin when he spotted her, she thought of Dain’s words again. Esha wouldn’t be able to stand seeing Kendrick with anyone else. For now, however, it was just the two of them, and she was grateful not to be dealing with this alone.
“Savita asked me to trust her,” she said once she reached him.
Kendrick frowned and parted his lips. Before he could speak, she handed him the note. He opened it and read it before refolding it and handing it back to her. “Do you know where she went?”
“It could be anywhere.”
“You said she was upset before we left. Based on that note, she knew you would look for her. It’s her way of telling you not to.”
Esha briefly closed her eyes. “I’m not sure I can do that. What if she’s in danger?”
“I suspect your sister is more than capable of handling herself.”
“She’s not a Ranger.”
Kendrick’s green eyes were solemn. “Nay, lass. She’s a Reader, and she has a tremendous amount of influence. I doona think you need to worry about her needing to defend herself with a weapon.”
Esha shook her head in agitation, knowing he was right. “The only place I can’t go is the Reader Temple. There isn’t a need for fighters there because they don’t use weapons when they spar.”
“It’s political. Does she go often?”
“From time to time. But she’s never left camp like this before.”
Kendrick took her hand in his and gave her a reassuring smile. “If you can’t go to the temple, then you have no choice but to do as she requested and trust her.”
“Why didn’t she talk to me?”
Kendrick rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “Does she normally?”
“It’s been a long time since either of us has confided in the other. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe she’s the same girl I used to follow around the house, trying to emulate. Anything could have upset her. I don’t know what was in her head.”
Kendrick tugged her against him. “That’s no’ true. You knew the runes kept warning her about danger.”
“If she kept at it, which I know she would have in order to get to the bottom of it, then she might have found something.” Esha leaned back to look into his green eyes. “She might irritate me, but she’s the only family I have left. You might not understand that because we’re not related by blood but—”
Kendrick put a finger to her lips to silence her. “My family is long gone. The other Kings are my brethren, and their mates are my sisters. Blood doesna always make a family.”
She smiled up at him. “No, it doesn’t.”