When her stomach had emptied itself, she knelt there, panting.

"Ellysetta.”

Bel touched her shoulder, and she turned on him, snarling like a wild animal. He actually backed away from her. "Leave me alone," she snapped.

"You are ill.”

"No doubt you've already told Rain." Her tone was ugly, and she didn't care. A terrible anger had come to life inside her.

"He has blocked himself. I cannot reach him." Bel never took his eyes off her. "I thought you and I had become friends. Can you not talk to me?”

"Hasn't there been enough talk for one night?" Awkwardly, her bones aching as though someone had taken a stick to her, she rose to her feet. A breeze blew across her face, and she became aware of a faint chill on her skin. She lifted a hand, touched her cheek, and brought away cooling wetness. Tears. She was weeping and had not even realized it.

"Ellysetta," Bel insisted, "the Fey blame you for nothing, not will we even if you don't accept Rain's bond. And we want nothing more from you than that which you are willing to give. The gods weave as the gods will, and we Fey accept what comes our way. You are a blessing to us all.”

She ignored him in favor of the new need that drove her Thirst. She was so thirsty.

Bel took hold of her shoulders, shaking her. "Ellysetta. Talk to me”

He was in her way. She frowned at him and he was gone Gods, she was so thirsty she could drink a river.

"She's in pain," Adrial cried, struggling to free himself from Rain's grip, "and they won't let me go to her!”

"You haven't the right to go to her," Rain answered. "And if you'd killed a brother Fey, you would have lost her forever Adrial, think. It's the bond madness driving you. Believe me, know. Find your center and hang on with both hands. Talisa is safe. Marissya is with her.”

Rain didn't release the younger man until the glow of magic had left Adrial's eyes, and even then he remained watchful, not releasing the full measure of his power just in case he needed to summon it quickly.

"Let me go in, let me see her.”

"Adrial-”

"She's calling for me." The torment in Adrial's eyes was plain to see. "Teska, Rain.”

It wouldn't be long before Lord diSebourne learned of the fight outside Lord Barrial's chamber. Adrial hadn't been exactly subtle in his approach, and palace walls were notoriously thin, especially when it came to intriguing gossip. Still, if Talisa was calling for Adrial, and the husband wasn't here to prevent it, who was Rain to keep a shei'tan from his mate?

"Quickly, then," Rain murmured. "And if diSebourne comes, you go out the window. He can't find you with her. Be patient until we can find a way to get out of this without starting a war. Just as I had to stand in Dorian's court to appease his nobles, you must honor their laws and customs, too.”

Their eyes met, two shei’tans, both unbonded but tied forever to foreign truemates. Adrial nodded and slipped into the room. Rain waved Rowan inside as well, in case Adrial might need the calming influence of his older brother. The others went to work erasing evidence of the confrontation before melting away into the shadows. Talisa's quintet followed Rain into Lord Barrial's chamber, closing, bolting, and warding the door behind them.

Talisa lay on a plum silk fainting couch, her cheeks wan, her eyes closed. Marissya sat beside her, healing hands splayed and glowing, but Dax was holding his truemate's shoulders, which Rain knew was a sure sign that Marissya was unwell. Dax only did that when his shei’tani needed his strength to augment or bolster her own.

Lord Barrial was pacing the room like a caged tairen. He halted abruptly when he saw Adrial come in and hurry to Talisa's side. "What's he doing here?”

"Talisa called him," Rain said.

"Talisa-" Cann stared at his daughter. "I never knew she could do that.”

Rain saw Talisa's eyes open, saw the relief on her face when Adrial knelt and clasped her hand in his. "Chances are, neither did she. Though I'll wager that over the years you've had instances when you've known that she was hurt or in trouble.”

"Yes, but I've always had a sort of link to the ones I love," Cann said.

Rain nodded, unsurprised. "We call it Spirit, one of the two mystics. All Fey have at least a rudimentary control Spirit."

"I'm Celierian, not Fey.”

"If Dural vel Serranis is your ancestor, you're Fey enough. Serranis blood has always been strong. It's even produced Tairen Souls in the past.”

Marissya sat back.

"Well?" Cann asked her. "What is wrong with my daughter?”

"What's wrong with my shei’tani?" Adrial echoed.

"There is nothing wrong with her." Marissya said. "The pain she feels belongs to another. As does mine. I should have known, but it's been so long since I felt it." The shei'dalin drew a deep breath and met the dawning realization in Rain's eyes. "Dahl'reisen. An incredibly strong one.”

"Gaelen?" Rain asked.

"I don't know. I can't bear to open myself enough to find out. I've built as strong a block as I can, and still I feel his soul tearing at me.”

"What possible reason would he have to come here?" Cann asked, frowning. "Surely he knows the Fey are here and that Marissya would sense him.”

Rain thought of the two Fey slain when he'd sent them north and the rumors of dahl'reisen raids along the Eld-Celieria border. If Gaelen had joined forces with the Eld, there was one person in Celieria he could use to cause the Fey irreparable harm.