29. Nevarn

Chapter 29

Nevarn

T he next morning, we rose and washed in the bathing area. I helped Kerry don a dress commonly worn by my people.

As she belted it in with the gold band, she gave me a smile. "I like it. The material's soft and very comfortable." She slipped her feet into the sandals we'd collected and watched as I dressed in pants and a simple tunic. Striding close, she stroked my arm. "I enjoyed being with you last night."

"As did I." I lifted her and gave her a long kiss, loving how she wrapped herself around me so easily and kissed me back with renewed heat. When I ended our kiss, I stared down at her, thanking the gods for bringing her to me. How sad my life would've been without her.

"Let me help you with your hair." Before she could protest, I turned her around and grabbed the comb the gods had thoughtfully left. I worked the knots from her long silky strands and when it lay smooth across her shoulders and part way down her back, I leaned around to kiss her cheek. "Do you want to wear it down or up?"

"I'm going to hire you as my lady's maid," she said, her eyes gleaming with humor as she looked up at me over her shoulder. "We need to negotiate your fee."

"No fee. I will happily bathe and dress you, plus fix your hair every day of your life."

Turning, she pressed herself against me, her arms going around my sides. "You're special. You know that, right?"

In her eyes, I was, and that was all that mattered.

"As for my hair, I'll wear it down. I usually yank it back to keep it out of my face, but it's nice outside. Not too hot and not windy."

I quickly took care of my own hair, securing it at the back of my neck. "Hungry?"

"I am."

She strapped a sheath with a knife around her waist. I'd ask my brother for stone weapons for myself since I didn't feel well-armed. I'd trained with stone while growing up, and they'd do until I could reach Celedar gods and ask them to give me more wooden weapons that were as strong as those of the stone clan.

I took her hand and led her outside. "You're going to enjoy this meal very much."

"Where will we eat?" She peered around.

"There's a central dining area. That's where we'll probably find Firion. He tends to spend a lot of time there."

We started down a narrow path, aiming toward the center of the village.

"He enjoys eating?" she asked.

"He likes sitting and talking with the members of his clan. I do the same thing, eating part of my meal with one group, another part with a second, until I've made my way around our small dining area and talked with each member of my clan. My clan is small, however, so I can easily do this, sometimes all at once. Firion can only speak with a small amount of clan members each meal, but he does his best to interact with all of them at least once a week."

I led her right at an intersection, and we walked down a wider path weaving around homes and a few shops. Since most were eating, we saw almost no one around.

The main dining area had been built along one side of a large open area in the center of the village. I paused to let Kerry look around before we started across the courtyard.

"It's pretty." She waved to the fountain in the center, the lavender water sparkling in the late-day sunshine. We walked over to the edge of the pool surrounding the water trickling down the long series of tiny falls, and she gazed in awe.

"This is a small replica of falls on one of the other islands. The water flows down a mountain to the pool and a stream trickles away from the pool, traveling to the edge of the island and splashing down into the sea. The water somehow rises up through the mountain to reach the top."

"It must be gorgeous." She dipped her fingers into the pool. "It's warm."

"It's equally warm there as well. The stone gods heat it."

"I'm still adjusting to the idea that another species does all this for you."

"Are they another species? I'm not sure, though some have suggested this."

"You scorn our gods?" someone said, coming up behind us.

"Ah, Vair," I said with a twist of my mouth. This was one person I wanted to speak with, yet I'd dreaded the conversation. "Kerry? Vair is Weela's older brother."

"My parents told me you were here," he said with a glare. "That you had the nerve to return to the island."

"My banishment is over."

"And now you return as if you're welcome."

"We are. Firion welcomed us both," Kerry said.

His mouth twisted. "Only for you to insult our gods."

"We're just making conversation," I said. "There's no harm in speculating about their origin. Others do the same thing."

Vair sneered at Kerry. "You don't come from here. You should leave if you can't show the respect our gods are due."

I placed my palm on the hilt of the blade strapped to my waist and released a low growl. "This is my mate." I stormed over to him, pressing my chest against his. "You treat her with respect, or you will face me."

Two older males walking past us paused, looking between us. Friends of my grandfather, Biroon and Eradon had said nothing when I was accused of Weela's murder. They remained in place, their hands on their weapons, their gazes flicking between me and Vair. Would they pull them to attack me or in my defense?

Vair backed away from me. Seeing the other males watching, his sneer only grew. "What are you going to do, Nevarn, stab me in the back like you did my sister? See this, Biroon? Nevarn's back, and he's threatening others already."

"You disrespected my mate," I said, my voice colder than death. " No one disrespects my mate."

"Did you?" Eradon asked Vair. "With so few females, you're a fool to be unkind to any of them."

Vair's glare met mine. "Nevarn shouldn't be here."

"Why are you here, Nevarn?" Biroon asked, his tone neutral. I couldn't read his intention from his expression, but he didn't appear angry that I was here.

"To discover who killed Weela."

"You," Vair snapped. "You did it."

"You seem sure of that." Challenge thrived in Kerry's voice. "Did you see him do it?"

"I didn't need to. It was his knife in her back." His mouth was a thin line as he looked me up and down. "Murderer. I should kill you right now."

"Vair," Biroon huffed. "Enough. Let them be."

"Why would he come back if he'd murdered her?" Eradon asked, watching me. "To me, this suggests he didn't do it."

"Don't challenge me," I told Vair.

" I don't murder people of the clan." His voice lowered, and he backed over to stand with Biroon and Eradon.

This was Vair, all bluster. He wouldn't attack me as long as there were witnesses.

I gave Biroon and Eradon curt nods, thanking them for this bit of support even though it was clear they still held reservations.

"You didn't see the murder happen," Kerry pointed out in a reasonable tone. "What you should be telling everyone is that you don't know who killed her." Her chin lifted and her gaze swept across all three males. "Every one of you should be ashamed. You banished a male without giving him a chance to defend himself."

Biroon's gaze dropped, and he started shuffling to the right, eager to leave us. Eradon slunk after him, and the two males soon hurried down the path leading to the dining area, not looking backward.

"He did it." Vair spit on the ground. "I didn't need to see it happen to know he's responsible. He hated her."

"I didn't," I said softly. "I cared for her as much as I could."

A snarl ripped up Vair's throat. "She deserved much more than you."

"I agree, but our mating was not my decision."

"Your damn grandfather forced it. Then she ends up stabbed on an isolated trail with no one there to help her. She lay there too long, and . . ." His eyes widened.

"Are you saying you have more information about her murder?" Kerry jumped on the latter part of his statement. "You must if you know she laid there too long."

His eyes widening with panic, he sidled to his left. "No one saw it happen." His eyes darted to me. "But he did it. We all know that."

"Then you're lying." Kerry's snort rang out. "All of you are lying. Honestly, this makes you look guilty. Maybe you murdered Weela."

His hands flew up, and he tripped as he scooted onto the path leading toward the eastern side of the island. "I did no such thing. She was my sister!"

"Can anyone verify that you weren't in the right place at the right time to murder her?" Kerry called out to him, her head tilting. "Do you have an alibi?"

"I was fishing," he cried.

Her huff rang out. "Alone and with no witnesses to say you weren't on the trail behind her?" She shook her head slowly. "Nevarn, we should tell Firion that Vair may have murdered Weela. He has no alibi, and it appears he has motive."

"What motive?" Vair barked, jarring his back against a stone building.

"You were eager to accuse Nevarn."

"That means nothing!" Vair spun and raced down the path, darting around a family coming in our direction. Pausing, they stared after him before easing around us and continuing toward the dining area.

"I don't believe he did it," I said softly. "Though I appreciate your defense."

"Maybe I shouldn't have accused him like that." Her hands tightened to fists at her sides, and she gazed up at me, her face flushed with irritation. "I couldn't stand by and let him snarl at you for something you didn't do."

"We'll find out who did it. This I swear."

"We will, and we'll make them pay."