Page 12 of Forged in Fading

“Alvara?”

She cursed and lurched backward, her hand skimming her dress for a dagger that wasn’t there.

“We’re here to help.” A petite elf with dark brown skin bowed her head of tight raven-black plaits. A Valonian.

We? There was no one else around, except a pile of three crumpled guards next to the door. Who was she, and why had she incapacitated the men standing watch? “What do you want?”

The Valonian elf’s honey-colored eyes flitted to a small gray and white falcon alit in a barren tree. “We were ordered to rescue you, but it seems that was taken care of.”

That made the situation about as clear as a pile of sludge. “Who are you?”

“You’re Eloisa’s sister.”

“Yes, but⁠—”

“This is for her. We have to leave.” The female turned away, but Alvara stood firm. Whatever was happening, she wasn’t ready to go without at least trying to bring Pyry to safety.

“I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I’m not leaving Pyry to fade.”

The Valonian elf tipped her face back to the sky and cursed, beckoning to the falcon, who shifted into a hazel-eyed elf with lavender-ringed pupils. An odd combination if Alvara had anything to say about it. The new elf tilted her head, and her long, dark curls brushed against her freckled light brown skin. “What’s wrong now, Aurilena?”

Aurilena jabbed a finger in Alvara’s direction. “She wants to rescue someone else from the palace. But we need to leave now, before they notice anything wrong.”

If they wanted to flee, they could, but Alvara would never forgive herself for stranding Pyry. “I’m not leaving. He’s hurt. He needs to see a healer immediately or…” The words faded in her throat. She didn’t want to consider the alternative.

“Of course we’ll help!” The shifter cocked an eyebrow at Aurilena, who grimaced.

“Fine, Kat.”

Kat clapped her hands. “Let’s save your sweetheart.”

“He’s not my—oh, never mind.” Alvara would pretend Pyry was anything he needed to be if it meant bringing him home to Dalvi.

“Is he able to walk?” Aurilena peered around Alvara, eyeing the servants’ door.

“Not without help. He’s lost too much blood.”

Aurilena shook her head. “It will draw too much attention. The plan relies on unique, full-body illusions for all three of us, which already stretches my magic to its limits at its weakest time of year. To add another, let alone someone who can’t walk on their own and will only slow us down? It can’t be done. Not without help.”

Help. Noma, the human who had helped Alvara. Maybe she would be willing to play a part. “I have an idea.”

Alvara silently asked Vitharen for strength and hoped she wasn’t completely insane.

Chapter Five

Alvara entered the crowded corridor through the servants’ door with Aurilena at her side, who appeared as one of the unconscious palace guards thanks to her Valonian illusions. They left Kat outside standing watch for further trouble while they searched for Ylva, the servant Noma had mentioned, in the grim faces and hollow eyes of the other humans. Most of whom looked days, if not hours, from fading.

A shrill voice splintered the quiet, though the words were unintelligible.

“Ylva,” another voice begged, “we must speak Elvish. If they hear you⁠—”

The woman, tall with a long bronze braid, yelled something else, shoved the man aside, and stalked into a nearby room.

Aurilena posted herself at the door, while Alvara followed the woman who was hopefully Ylva into the servants’ quarters. “Noma is locked in the dungeons. She said to ask you for help.”

“Noma? Why?” The woman’s Elvish was almost perfect, a testament to how long she had likely endured the confinement of the palace walls. Though her skin was smooth and soft, free from any signs of aging. Alvara didn’t want to think about how young Ylva had been when she had been captured by the king.

“She took my place. I didn’t ask her to. She mentioned something about me reminding her of her daughter. My—” Alvara paused. Might as well embrace it. “—seluri is still in there, and he’s hurt. Badly. We need your help to get him out.”