Akkarin internally cursed himself for falling asleep the previous night when he had intended to keep watch. He wondered how Dorrien had found him so quickly, but then he remembered that he had not been attempting to hide his trail the previous night when he had led Sonea off the road. He doubted the Ichani would cross into Kyralia until they were all ready to do so, and he had assumed he had a few more days until that time. However, he had failed to account for those already in Kyralia. It was a careless mistake.
As he led the way down the road, he considered his options. He knew Parika was waiting just over the border, ready to kill both him and Sonea as soon as they crossed. Though he hoped Sonea would be able to convince Dorrien to let them stay in Sachaka, he had to assume she would be unsuccessful. That left one option—fighting their way free. He did not like the option, for there was a high likelihood that someone would be seriously hurt, and even if they managed to escape unscathed, they would waste magic that would be much better spent fighting the true enemies. Perhaps he could stage an ambush and stun Dorrien before it came to a full fight.
Akkarin scanned the trees lining the road, searching for a likely place for his ambush, and his heart dropped into his stomach when he saw the trampled vines and undergrowth that indicated someone had been standing just off the road for quite some time. Quickly, Akkarin dismounted and turned, spotting Parika standing between him and Sonea and Dorrien immediately. He rushed forward, already forming his first strike. It skittered across Parika's shield, but the man spared him only a quick glance before focusing his attention on Sonea and Dorrien, obviously realizing who the weaker magicians were. Akkarin continued to batter his opponent's shield, searching for a weakness, but Parika had obviously strengthened himself in anticipation of the upcoming conflict. He continued to push Sonea and Dorrien backwards, and Akkarin followed as best as he could.
Suddenly, a strike shattered Sonea's shield, and she stumbled, managing to catch herself at the last moment. She began to run, but Parika's next strike threw her onto the ground. "Sonea!" Akkarin shouted, but his voice was lost in the ferocity of the battle. He drew on more strength, pouring it into his strikes, but he was simply no match for Parika. The Ichani strode forward, grabbing Sonea's arm and raising his knife for the cut. Akkarin continued to batter his shield, unwilling to lose the second woman he loved. He knew there had to be something he could do, some strategy that would allow him to emerge victorious. Unfortunately, his mind was blank.
He watched as Sonea healed her arm, confusing Parika. The Ichani paused for a moment, and Akkarin saw a look of comprehension cross Sonea's face, quickly changing into one of determination. She has a plan, he realized. In that moment, he knew that his heart was irrevocably lost. To think that someone could face the adversity she had in her relatively short life and somehow, almost miraculously, still keep fighting for what she believed in. She was not just his hope, he realized, she was hope for the future of the Guild and even all of Kyralia. And he vowed that he would do whatever was necessary to protect that hope.
A few moments later, Parika fell back, obviously dead. Sonea stumbled as well, clearly shaken. "Get away from him!" he shouted, already reaching for Parika's knife. With a quick movement, he slashed the back of his neck and began the draw of power. Once Parika finally slumped over, Akkarin quickly pulled Sonea into his embrace, the steady beat of her heart slowly calming his own. He let Healing flow into her body as he muttered, "I thought I'd lost you. You should have run as soon as he appeared."
"I told you I won't leave you. If we die, we die together." That statement kicked his heart into overdrive again, but he knew it was not the time to explore it now. Instead, he pulled back, reminding her of Dorrien whom he suddenly realized he had forgotten as well. They rushed to his side, and as Akkarin healed him, he silently promised himself that he would talk more with her later. He was as likely as not to die in the next few days, and he owed it to her—and himself—to clarify things with her before that point.
Unfortunately, the time for conversation did not come that day. After seeing images of the fort, Akkarin knew they needed to move quickly if they planned to make it back to Imardin before Kariko. As they followed Dorrien to help retrieve supplies for their journey, Akkarin could not help but watch Sonea out of the corner of his eye. For a long time, he had closed himself off to others, ensuring he could protect his secret and therefore protect Kyralia. But now that he had opened up to Sonea, he realized that perhaps he had been unwise to keep himself distant for so long. The optimism Sonea had when they were discussing their plans to defeat the Ichani was infectious, and Akkarin truly began to believe they might succeed in their endeavor. For the first time in a long time, he began to see an outcome to the conflict that did not involve his death. And, he realized with a start, for the first time, he wanted that outcome.
They rode hard, changing horses three times to make it to Imardin as quickly as possible. Akkarin lost count of the number of times he banished his tiredness, and he heard the echo of the voice of Lord Telano, who had taught him Healing Arts, in his head, admonishing him for not getting proper sleep. He would do that later, he promised himself. After he saved the city.
Aside from the conversation about his dreams, he had not talked much with his companions except for an occasional instruction. Neither of them questioned him about his reticence for which he was grateful. He was not even sure what he would say to them. Though he had been planning for an eventual conflict with Kariko for a long time, nothing had gone as he had expected. Part of him had held out hope that he would be able to remain as High Lord until he finally faced off against Kariko. If he had survived that conflict, he would have accepted whatever judgment the Guild meted out for learning black magic, even if it had been execution. Since returning from Sachaka, his actions had been solely focused on protecting the Guild. Now, however, he wanted to do more. He had a selfish urge to build a life for himself free from the guilt and worries that had plagued him for so long. He wanted to live for more than duty. He wanted to live for love.
When the buildings of Imardin came into view over the horizon, Akkarin felt the urge more strongly than he had ever felt it. For a few wild moments, he wanted nothing more than to run far away with Sonea, to find a place they could live in peace. But of course, he could not do that. Even if he had wanted to, he knew she would never do so. And that is what makes me love her, he thought, glancing at her. She was still quite stiff on horseback, and he knew she was regretting the long ride, but she had not complained once. Instead, she played her part of servant perfectly as Dorrien rode away, leaving them to make their way through the city together. Akkarin suspected where they were going, and he sent a quick message to Takan to meet them there with Cery. The Thief would be the best person to put their plans into action.
As Cery led them to his safehouse, Akkarin noted Cery's interest in him and Sonea, and he reached for his surface thoughts. Akkarin had seen Cery's concern for Sonea when he first read the Thief's mind years before, and Cery had questioned him on Sonea's well-being often enough for him to realize that Cery harbored some tender feelings for his best friend. However, Akkarin knew from Sonea's mind that she felt nothing of the sort for the Thief—she considered him a good friend and brother but nothing more. Akkarin only hoped that bringing the two into contact with one another would not cause too many problems. They needed to work closely together over the next few days, and personal feelings could hamper their effectiveness. At least, that was the excuse Akkarin gave himself for reading Cery's thoughts. A small part of him, a part of which he was not proud, could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy and wished to know exactly where he stood.
Akkarin sensed concern in Cery's thoughts, but it was quickly apparent that Cery thought of Sonea as a little sister. Akkarin also sensed something else, a face of another woman. Quickly, Akkarin pulled out of the thoughts before the face could clarify, not wishing to invade Cery's privacy any more than he already had. As his mind returned to his surroundings, Sonea confronted him about working with Cery, and he could not stop the small smile from forming on his face. He had been right from the very beginning—she was a formidable woman, and he was only too happy that they had found each other even if there was a possibility they would not be together much longer.
Just as he was turning the conversation to their future plans, he heard Yikmo's mind call. For the next few minutes, he and Sonea watched the images play out in their minds, a scene that was captivating in its horror. When Sonea noted her mentor with the group, Akkarin cursed internally though he did not say anything aloud, not wishing to distress her further. He had a suspicion that whatever Yikmo and the others were doing, it would likely result in their deaths which meant that Sonea's last contact with the man she loved like a father was when he had to watch her go into exile, thinking Akkarin had somehow corrupted her. And of course, it was all Akkarin's fault. Of all the things he regretted in his life, that was one of the top ones. But he could not feel that guilt now. With grim determination, he pushed it aside, instead focusing on comforting Sonea. He half carried, half led her into the bedroom Takan had indicated, helping her to lie back on the bed. Her eyes were wide, but she did not seem to be seeing anything. He knew that he could not leave her alone.
With that thought in mind, he returned to the outer room. He saw understanding on Cery's face and knew he had given away their relationship with his words and actions, but at the moment, he did not care. Fortunately, his earlier assessment seemed to be correct; he sensed no regret or jealousy from the slight man in front of him. Instead, Cery simply remarked, "It's late. I'll return early tomorrow so we can talk about the meeting."
"Thank you, Ceryni," Akkarin told him, returning to the room and shutting the door behind him. He approached the bed then, noting that Sonea had turned on her side and curled up but had not even bothered taking off her boots, much less undressed. Slowly, Akkarin stepped to her side, crouching beside the bed and grasping one of her boots. He unlaced it quickly and pulled it off with a gentle tug before doing the same with her other one. She made no movement nor gave any other indication that she was even aware of his presence. With the same deliberate movements, he stripped her down to her undergarments before tucking her beneath the blankets, pressing a kiss to her forehead. After stripping off his own clothes, he set everything neatly in one corner of the room and joined her in bed, pulling her into his arms as he kissed her temple again. They were silent for a few minutes, and Akkarin was beginning to think she had fallen asleep after all when she spoke.
"Why?" she questioned. "Why was he there? He's not a Warrior."
Akkarin had a strong suspicion that Rothen had decided to go in order to save her in some way, for it was in keeping with his character, but he could not say that. Instead, he remarked, "We will likely never know that for sure. It is no use torturing yourself with those questions."
"I just can't believe I'll never see him again. And to think that he died thinking the worst of me!"
Akkarin pulled her more tightly against him. "I doubt that. Rothen loved you, Sonea. I think he believed you even at the trial; he just did not want to admit so because he did not want to agree with me." She gave a weak chuckle, and Akkarin pressed his lips to her temple again. "I am sure Rothen knew as soon as he saw the Ichani that you were telling the truth, and I am guessing he forgave you long before that." She was quiet for a moment before nodding slowly. She drew back slightly, finding his lips with hers and pressing them tightly together. Her hands reached for his undergarments, but he stopped them before they made it to their destination. She looked up at him, frowning, her face a tempting mixture of innocence and desire that made his heart beat faster. But he knew that her wounds were too fresh, and he refused to take advantage of her.
"Don't you want. . ." she began, trailing off.
"Of course, but not tonight. Tonight, it is time for you to grieve."
"And lie there and warm the bed up for you?" An eyebrow arched, and he gave her a half-smile at hearing her familiar wit return.
"I would not object to that."
"I suppose you made it quite clear to Cery where we stood."
"I will not deny you, Sonea," he promised. "No matter what the next few days have in store. As long as you want it and we both survive, I will find a way for us to be together." She gave him a soft smile, snuggling into his chest.
"I want it," she confirmed. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss into her hair.
"Good. But there is plenty of time to worry about that later. Now, you really should try to sleep."
She nodded against his chest. "Thank you," she murmured. He responded by kissing her again, letting his hands rub gentle circles on her back and soothe her into the sleep she so desperately needed. Just before following her, he pressed a final kiss to her head.
"No, Sonea," he whispered. "Thank you."