Galen's pupils lengthened to narrow slits. "I would have it no other way.”

"Then your oath is witnessed." Rain said. The words seemed torn from him.

"Witnessed," Bel echoed, followed by the rest of Ellysetta's quintet, Marissya, and Dax, then all the other Fey in the park.

The blade in Gaelen's hand flashed bright, sealing the bond. He offered the blade to her, handle-first. "Your shei'tan is your first protector, kem'falla. Know that I am your second.”

"Third," Bel corrected.

Gaelen met Bel's hard gaze with his own. "Third," he acknowledged, then smiled faintly. "For now.”

Ellysetta accepted the proffered blade. "Thank you, Ser vel Serranis.”

Bright green surrounded the former dahl'reisen's hands, then dimmed to reveal a platinum chain and sheath, which he extended to her. "To you I am Gaelen, kem'falla”

"Why did you come here, vel Serranis?" Rain broke in. "You were dahl'reisen, and you entered a city occupied by a shei'dalin. Just for passing through the gate, your life was forfeit. Surely you knew that.”

"I knew.” The Dark Lord rose to his feet in one lithe movement. "I came to protect my sister. The Eld are preparing an attack. They may already be here.”

A sudden gust of cool night wind swept through the park. Ellie shivered.

Gaelen's eyes narrowed. "Your shei’tani is cold, Tairen Soul, and weary." Green Earth blazed first in Kieran's hands, then a moment later in Gaelen's. "I will tell you what I know, but see to her comfort first." He held out a cape of soft blue wool. Behind him, the fur-lined velvet cloak that Kieran had just completed dissolved back into the elements.

Rain wrapped the blue wool around his truemate's shoulders. "Ellysetta and I will fly back to the palace. Join us there immediately, vel Serranis. I have many questions for you, and you have much to explain." He swept an imperious look at the Fey surrounding him. They stepped back to give their king room to summon the Change.

As he shimmered from Fey to tairen, the power that radiated from him washed over Ellysetta like a shower of hot rain. She shuddered, feeling her skin tighten with prickling awareness. Rain Tairen Soul turned his massive head and purred low and deep. His wings stretched out, rising high on his back, then spreading wide, fully extended in the male tairen's gesture of strength and dominance. She walked to his side and closed her eyes as Air swirled her upwards. Her hands buried themselves deep in the soft fur on his neck, and with a roar, Rain Tairen Soul leapt into the night sky.

As the Tairen Soul and his mate winged away, Kieran approached the man who was his uncle. There was a challenging light in the younger man's eyes. "I hold Earth in the Feyreisa's primary. It was my place to make her cloak.”

The infamous Fey met Kieran's gaze. "You weren't fast enough. She stood there shivering while you fussed with fur and velvet. Extravagance has its uses, young Fey, but expedience is better. You serve the Feyreisa. Learn to serve her well in all things.”

Kieran stiffened. "I was only a moment or two behind you."

"You stand outside the Fading Lands. A moment or two could mean her life.”

"It was just a cloak to ward off the chill.”

"And what will it be the next time? You've already failed her once. Where were you when she laid hands on the most murderous dahl'reisen who ever lived?" Leaving Kieran speechless, Gaelen vel Serranis turned and broke into a run, swiftly catching, then outstripping the other Fey as they ran towards the palace.

The five warriors of Ellysetta's primary shared a fulminating look, then burst into their own land-eating run, racing after the Dark Lord_

Rain and Ellysetta reached the palace first. Her quintet traversed the distance on foot with surprising speed and arrived well before any of the others. Ellysetta was sitting at the secretary in Rain's suite, penning a note to her parents, when Bel burst through the doors. The other members of the quintet followed so swiftly that all five warriors nearly ended up in a heap on the floor. They were breathless and flushed, perspiration trickling down the sides of their faces.

Kieran bent over, hands on his knees, and dragged air into his lungs. "Well done, brothers. We beat the smug chervil.”

"You all look like you could use a drink." Cool and unwinded, Gaelen smiled at the new arrivals from the sofa near the window. "Water? Or perhaps something a little stronger to help you regain your strength?”

Kieran bared his teeth and snarled. Bel cursed quietly and straightened. "How did you manage it?" he asked, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his arm. "We passed you outside on the palace steps.”

"Did you?" Gaelen rose with a single fluid motion. "Are you sure?”

"That was Spirit?”

Vel Serranis shrugged. "I am a master of it.”

"As am I. If it was Spirit, I would have known.”

"Mmm. But then, I do have at least a thousand years on you, Belliard vel Jelani. And countless lifetimes more experience”

With a casual arrogance that set Rain's teeth on edge, Gaelen promptly commandeered the small stone-topped bar in the corner and began handing out glasses of ice water and taunting evaluations of the quintet's shortcomings with equal measure. Judging from the fulminating looks in the warriors' eyes, they were none too happy to have the former dahl'reisen appoint himself their chatok, their mentor in the Dance of Knives.