Wings of Nestor Read Online Free PDF Page B

ask Drustan? He’s quite good at explaining it.”
    “What are they talking about?” Emane asked, exasperated.
    Drustan’s mouth twisted up as if he had swallowed a lemon. “Taveans are… different from humans, Emane.”
    “Tell me something I don’t know.”
    “A Tavean only bonds with one person—ever. When that person dies, or if they leave, they will never bond again.”
    Emane’s eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me he bonded with Kiora?”
    “Yes.” Drustan shrugged. “To his credit, Alcander didn’t tell her.”
    “To Alcander’s…credit?” Emane asked incredulously. “He just bonded with the woman I love and I am supposed to give him credit for not telling her?”
    “Yes. He didn’t want to put that pressure on her.”
    “Who told her?”
    Drustan just looked at him. Emane rolled his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose. “You have got to be kidding me.”
    “I didn’t understand what he was trying to do until after I had already told her. I thought she had the right to know.”
    Emane clenched his fists. “That selfish, self-centered—”
    “Selfish?” Drustan interrupted, jerking up. “Is that what you think he is? Alcander is a lot of things and I can’t say I care for him much, but he was willing to sacrifice his happiness—willing to be alone for the rest of his very, very long life—”
    “Thanks for that little reminder,” Emane interjected.
    “—than to put that kind of pressure on Kiora. Do you understand what I am telling you? He was willing to let Kiora choose you over him without ever telling her that her choice would condemn him to solitude.”
    Emane fell silent. “But why…why would he…”
    “I know you don’t want to hear this, but he loves her.”
    Emane closed his eyes. “And she loves him?” His voice wobbled.
    Drustan sighed heavily. “I do not know the depths of her feelings for you, so I cannot tell you if she cares for him more than you. I assume that is truly what you are asking. All I know is that for the bond to have formed between her and Alcander, there had to be some feelings on her part.”
    Emane sat, hard. “And this mind-joining they did last night—that strengthened this bond of theirs?”
    “That was a surprise. Taveans are very protective of their minds. To be honest, I am not sure I fully understand the mind-joining. All I know is they can see and feel—experience—the other person’s thoughts and memories. Kiora now knows more about Alcander than anyone else does.”
    “And he her.”
    “Yes.” Drustan perked up. “Although, if you would like a bright spot, that means Alcander felt Kiora’s feelings for you.”
    This almost got a smile out of Emane. “Too bad it wasn’t enough to make him give up.”
    “If the alternative was a life alone, would you give up?”
    “Drustan!” Emane growled. “Go jump off a cliff.”
    “I certainly could, you know. Not the best retort to a Shapeshifter.”
    “Shut up.” Emane pressed his finger and thumb into the corners of his eyes. “Just shut up.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Suspicions Realized
    KIORA DECIDED TO WAIT until after dinner to broach her suspicions with the group. The four of them sat silently around the fire, eating some rabbits Alcander had roasted. She had never felt so uncomfortable. Emane and Alcander were both obsessed with either the fire or the meat. Kiora stole glances at them, wishing she could turn her feelings off the way she could turn off her ability to feel threads.
    After they had eaten their fill, Kiora cleared her throat. “We need to decide where we are going from here.”
    Alcander tossed his rabbit bone into the fire. “We need to get the Lights.”
    “Yes, but how?” Emane said. “Unless something happened while I was gone—” He stopped briefly under the irony of that statement. “We still only know where one is.”
    “What do you suggest, Alcander? We just march in and take it back?” Drustan asked, smirking.
    “Why not?” Alcander said.