Read The Crystal Keepers, An Overseers Novel Page 28
Elwyn felt privileged to be invited into Draevil’s quarters where only the two of them, and Bortundo, Draevil’s confidant, were present. She pointed out the locations on a map and explained what she saw in the trance. She was happy to hear Draevil’s praise.
“Nicely done, Elwyn. You have brought us closer to our goal.” His face softened slightly as he smiled but she noticed that his black eyes remained devoid of emotion.
“What do you have in mind, my Lord?” asked Bortundo.
Draevil’s eyes perused the map for a moment. He placed the palms of his hands on the table while he thought about it. Then he stood and paced the floor.
“I want you to pick three of your most trusted men. Two of you go to the Northland and the other two go to the location in the Great Mountains. Tell them the least amount of information necessary. We’re going to keep this information close at hand. You must leave right away and ride hard, since you have a greater distance to cover than the Guardians. You might not have much lead time. I suspect Elwyn’s brother will be informing Markus soon and they have the advantage of already being in the Northland.”
He fell silent as he continued to pace. Bortundo and Elwyn knew to remain quiet while he thought. He stopped, crossed his arms over his chest and rested his black-bearded chin between his thumb and first finger, as if a new thought had just come to mind.
“Take extra horses with you. If you find it before them, all the better. If not, you must stop them from taking possession of it.” He turned and met Bortundo’s eyes. “Stop them for good, Bortundo.”
Bortundo nodded his understanding. “Yes, my Lord.”
Elwyn hid her surprise at hearing his command. If Tannis was killed, she could no longer use him as the reason for possessing information on the Guardians. If Tannis were dead, would Draevil still require her services? Would he find her as useful? She was uneasy and suddenly felt vulnerable...a feeling she disliked immensely.
As far as Draevil was concerned, Elwyn was limited in her abilities with the dark forces and he wanted it to stay that way. She was fortunate to have talked him into this opportunity but suddenly she feared that once this opportunity passed, he would no longer value her services. He seemed to have accepted her explanation for how she was privy to the information about her brother, about the Guardians, and this new direction for pursuing the crystal. True, there were moments where she felt like he was toying with her but, other than that, she thought he believed what she said.
Once again, fear surfaced at the thought of the dangerous game she was playing. If he found out how adept she was at manipulating the dark forces, he would put an end to it. Her life would be at risk...but she was already taking a big chance, wasn’t she? She needed Tannis alive. At this realization, she quickly cleared the thoughts from her mind but not before she noticed Draevil studying her.
“Do you have a problem with that, Elwyn?" Draevil studied the pupils of her eyes for a reaction.
She remained seated, stared at him directly and held her ground but she couldn’t help but notice the shift in his eyes. It was subtle but they looked like the eyes of a feral animal, right before it attacks.
“No, my Lord. I was just thinking that I might be of assistance to Bortundo and the others. Through the connection with my brother, I could monitor his whereabouts and possibly the location of other Guardians they send after the stone. That would give us the upper hand.”
Draevil’s smile struck Elwyn as patronizing. “I’m not sure whether someone of your...stature can handle the hardship of the ride. They’ll be leaving within the hour and riding throughout the night and much of the morrow to reach the Northland.”
Elwyn wore an expression of disappointment and looked down at the table. “Yes, I see.” Then she met his eyes once more. “Then perhaps I could ride as far as the Great Mountains. Nothing would please me more than to help you take possession of the crystal.”
She noticed the slight flicker of lust in his eyes at the mention of the crystal. He clearly desired the power that he perceived it would give him.
“Please, Lord Draevil. If I cannot keep up with the men, I have no one to blame but myself and I’ll simply return on my own.”
Draevil stared at her in silence. He was clearly considering it. Then the corners of his mouth curved up slightly and he nodded his consent.