Asa folded hisarms, looking more stubborn than usual.“There is no way that Iliana can accompany you on this quest.Not without a few days to recover.”
Gabriel bit back his frustration.“Nic might nothavea few days.”
“We don’t know that one way or the other,” Asa countered.“What Idoknow is that, without my familiar, I am not able to heal injuries as severe as Iliana sustained.I was able to cleanse the wounds of infection and initiate healing, but her body will have to do the rest.”He sagged a little, looking gray.“I only have so much innate magic, Lord Phel.Healing Wizard Jadren earlier set me back.That’s on top of an intense sequence of days of healing emergencies, not to mention the chronic treatment of Selly.Without my familiar, I’m extremely limited.If you insist on leaving today, Lord Phel, you leave without Iliana.”
“The entire point of recalling Iliana and Han was so that they could go with me,” Gabriel argued.
“A questionable plan to begin with, and one that went awry.”Asa sighed and unfolded his arms, holding up his hands in surrender.“Look, Lord Phel—you contracted me knowing that I wouldn’t always cede to you and tell you what you wanted to hear.I’m not saying this to thwart you.Iliana is simply in no shape to do this.”
Gabriel swallowed a growl that wanted to be a howl of rage.Beyond Asa, Iliana lay in one of the infirmary beds, looking small and fragile, her throat freshly bandaged.Han sat at her bedside, holding her hand and putting on a brave face, but obviously wrecked by Iliana’s injuries.Her wounds had turned out to be far worse than anyone had realized in the moment, largely due to the fortitude belied by her sweet demeanor.The hunter at her throat had torn muscles, punctured a critical blood vessel, and even perforated her wind pipe.It was daunting, in retrospect, to realize just how willing the hunters had been to sacrifice Iliana in obtaining Han for Sabrina Sammael.
Even more difficult to face was the stark reality that tearing Han away from his beloved at this juncture would be beyond cruel.If it were Nic, Gabriel wouldn’t want to leave her.How could he ask Han to do so?He couldn’t.Scrubbing his hands over his face, he wearily considered his options.
“Lord Phel,” Asa said gently, “you could also benefit from another day of rest or two.Let Iliana recover.Give yourself time to get back up to full health, and then go to Convocation Center to argue to have Lady Phel returned to you.She is in good hands there.They’re not going to harm a familiar of her power, especially not when she’s carrying a child that will possibly exceed you both in ability.”
Gabriel dropped his hands and stared at Asa, realizing he’d forgotten to relate what they’d discovered.“Nic isn’t at Convocation Center.She’s been taken to House Sammael.”
Asa looked confused.“House Sammael?But why would they take her there?Sammael has no claim on Lady Phel, unless…” He trailed off in dawning realization.
“Unless they believe I’m on the brink of death and Sergio Sammael wants to be poised to bond her as soon as my death dissolves our bond,” Gabriel finished.“And in the meanwhile, who knows how he’s tormenting her to break her spirit and enforce her eventual submission.”
“I…” Asa rubbed a hand over his scalp.“It sounds so over the top, even for a Convocation power play.Sammael took Lady Phel into custody in the Convocation’s name.Keeping her prisoner at House Sammael is a declaration of war against both the house of her birth and the house of her bonding.”
“War against Elal and Phel?”Jadren asked derisively from the nearby bed.He wasn’t injured.He’d simply sprawled out lazily, hands propped behind his head, as he listened to the argument.“The first has made it clear that Nic has been disowned.The second…” He raised his brows at Gabriel.
“They believe me defanged and our house status soon to be revoked.Why would they be concerned?”Gabriel reflected bitterly.
“Something else to consider,” Alise, who’d been standing by quietly, inserted, “is that my father could be working with Sammael in some way.”She shrugged philosophically at Asa’s and Jadren’s startled expressions and repeated what she’d told Gabriel.
They were all silent, contemplating the ramifications of that.
“House Elal allying with House Sammael to plunder House Phel upon your demise is something my mother would be very interested to hear about,” Jadren finally said.Everyone looked at him, waiting.“What?It’s not as if you all don’t know I’m a spy.”
“Yes,” Alise drawled, “but one would expect you to be more circumspect about it.”
He shrugged that off.“That sounds like a great deal of trouble, especially for someone my mother is forever lamenting lacks proper initiative.”
“Do you plan to tell Lady El-Adrel of this development?”Gabriel asked.He felt heshouldask, that he needed to know, in case House El-Adrel joined the vultures planning to feast on his house’s corpse, and his own.He doubted they much cared whether he or House Phel was actually dead yet.Scavengers were just as comfortable devouring the fatally disabled.
“Well, I do have to tell hersomethings.”Jadren gazed at the ceiling, then his eyes cut to them.“Else she’d use her leverage on me, and I don’t want that.”
“Whatdoesshe have on you?”Alise asked.
Jadren freed his hands to waggle a finger at her.“Ah-ah-ah, baby Elal.That would be telling.So, are we leaving today or what?”
“Yes,” Gabriel replied decisively.“Within the hour.”
“Wait,” Asa protested.“You can’t mean to go to House Sammael.”
“That’s where Nic is.That’s where I’m going,” Gabriel informed the healer.
“I mean,” Asa said, clearly trying to sound patient and not succeeding, “you can’t simply ride up to House Sammael, ask if they’re keeping your lady familiar prisoner, and politely request her return.”
“Why not?”Jadren stood up, rubbing his hands together with glee.“It’s either that or storm the house with our army.Oh wait, we don’t have an army.Knocking on the door and asking it is.”
“Will that work?”Gabriel asked the El-Adrel wizard, sorely wishing for Nic’s advice.
“The Convocation runs on manners,” Jadren answered.“Exquisite politeness as a veneer over savagery.I’m betting that, if you show up on their doorstep, back from the dead, they’ll have to offer some excuse, like that Lady Phel had only stopped to visit a few days, and turn her over to you.Nobody really wants outright war.”