With the child still in his arms, he ushered them over to several small cushions on the floor, directing them to sit.
“Is she the reason you’re here and not in Brightspire?” Caelan inquired, his eyes lingering on the woman at the oven before returning to Brandt. He sat on the cushion directly across from Brandt with Drayce on his left and Eno and Rayne on his right.
“She is,” Brandt admitted softly. He stared at the child with the wild brown hair and large eyes for a moment, hugging them close to his chest. “I was one of the soldiers assigned to escort people to Green Spring. She was a New Rosanthe refugee. We were instructed to keep our mouths shut and not ask questions. If we failed at that, we’d be shot and dumped in the Whitgami. I met Kora on my third trip. She was alone, malnourished from her escape from the Empire, and scared. I did what I could to help her during the trip, but I knew she wasn’t going to survive if we simply dumped her in Green Spring.”
“So, you stayed behind with her,” Caelan finished.
Brandt nodded. “What we were doing felt wrong. These were refugees promised a better, safer life. I found it hard to believe that the middle of the Ordas could provide that. I couldn’t continue. I thought if I remained behind, I could help people like Kora.”
“And Green Spring? What’s it like?” Eno asked roughly.
“Different. Dangerous,” Brandt began haltingly. “It’s at least three times the size of Hidden Falls. Stone buildings. The people are mostly like Gilea, with animal-like features and attributes. From what I understand, people slowly become less human the longer they stay in Green Spring. Everything is arranged around…” His voice drifted off and he swallowed hard.
“A godstone,” Caelan said for him. “You saw a large red gem, right? The Blood Stone.”
Brandt’s wide eyes snapped up to Caelan’s face, and he wrapped his arms even tighter until the little girl squirmed against him and cried out. He loosened his hold and cooed at her, calming her before turning his attention to Caelan. “Yes,” he admitted in a low voice.
“The Blood Stone held Zyros, the Goddess of the Hunt. She’s the one they worship, and the one who is changing the people of Green Spring,” Caelan murmured.
“Have you noticed any change in the people here in Hidden Falls?” Eno inquired.
Brandt quickly shook his head. “No. None. Kora and I escaped Green Spring with a handful of others after about a month. They don’t fight too hard to keep people there. I think they just assume we’ll all be slaughtered by the animals of the Ordas. Many are.”
“How far is Hidden Falls from Green Spring?” Eno asked.
“About a three-day trek.”
Rayne shifted on his cushion, resituating his long legs. “How long has it been since you were last in Green Spring?”
Brandt shook his head. “I’m not sure. It’s hard to keep track here. There’s no changing of the seasons.” He paused and glanced over at his wife. “I have no plans to go back to Ilon, so there’s no real point in trying to track time here. My guess would be a few years.”
“Have you seen New Rosanthe soldiers in the Ordas?” Eno continued.
“What?” Brandt gasped. “The Empire here? In the Ordas? No. Wh-why would they be here? I’m shocked that you’re here. I thought only Ilon soldiers dared to come into the Ordas, and they always left immediately after unloading the boat.”
“It’s a rather long story,” Caelan mumbled.
“Why don’t you let me hold her for a moment?” Rayne suggested, extending his hands toward the child. Brandt regarded him with a wary gaze and Rayne clung to his smile. “I can check to make sure she’s healthy.”
Brandt didn’t hesitate a second longer. He carefully handed the child over and Rayne tucked her against his side as if he’d spent many years of his life holding babies—a thing Caelan had never seen this man do.
“What’s her name?” Eno softly asked.
“Syl.”
Rayne smiled at the girl who watched him with wide eyes. There was a faint green glow that seeped out of Rayne’s hands, but it lasted for less than a minute. But Caelan knew the warm, loving expression on Rayne’s face was going to be permanently etched into his brain. He glanced over at Eno to see the same heart-melting look on his bodyguard’s features.
Fuck. He needed to get Rayne and Eno out of this alive. They needed to have a chance at a family and a life that didn’t include crazy gods and strange powers.
Rayne released a happy sigh and handed the girl back to her father. “She is perfectly healthy. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Really?” Brandt cuddled his child close again.
“She had a bit of congestion, probably from a cold, but I cleared it up. She’s fine now.”