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he has a safe way for us to enter Sinnale territory, he can relay that information through the king via the owls.”
    She released a small breath and smiled. “Ulric. Very clever. Trusted by the humans now. And will recognize us both on sight.”
    “He’ll arrange the proper security so the Sorcerers don’t try to infiltrate their territory by pretending to be you and me.”
    “I hadn’t thought of that.” She straightened her shoulders. “A further complication to us just waltzing into Sinnale territory.”
    “Yes.”
    “Do they have something or someone who can see through illusion spells?”
    “Likely Ulric will impose on the queen. She’s the only one of sufficient skill to ensure we’re who we say we are.”
    “Won’t that be dangerous for her? If the Sorcerers came after me, surely they’ll want the queen when they get word of her coming into Sinnale.”
    Though the king and queen had both entered the city on several occasions while the elves were technically neutral in the war, they had remained safe in Glengowyn once their support of the Sinnale was made official.
    Since Einar was the bodyguard to the royal couple, she was certain he would find the plan too risky. He surprised her by smiling. A full-blown, all-out grin.
    “Her Majesty has ways of getting around that most elves are unaware of. She’s very purposefully kept a few of her skills a secret. Getting in and out of Sinnale is not as difficult for her as it is for most.”
    Nuala widened her eyes in surprise. The king and queen had reigned for centuries, so long she’d thought all their magics must have been revealed. Apparently, she was wrong.
    “So. We’ll see the queen when we finally reach safety.”
    “I would assume so.”
    She took in the implications of that for a long moment.
    “What are you thinking?” he asked, his voice quiet.
    How to tell him? They’d been avoiding this for two hundred years.
    Instead of a direct approach, she said, “Why do you think they risk…us on this mission? Together?”
    “You’re highly valuable to Glengowyn. Who else would they trust with your safety?”
    “Ulric.”
    He dipped his head to the side, a half nod, half shrug. “He would have made an excellent guard. But he’s too well known among the Sorcerers now. It was felt his presence would call too much attention to your…importance.”
    “Many of the traitor elves know you too. Even if they didn’t recognize me, seeing the Darkness of Glengowyn would reveal my importance .” She wanted to sneer the word but kept that reaction to herself. She accepted her position in Glengowyn society, but centuries of the overprotective efforts of the royal couple had left her weary.
    She watched Einar carefully as he faced the wall. The soft rise and fall of his chest drew her gaze to the thick muscles. She remembered well how those muscles felt under her hands, pressing against her naked breasts. The weight of him as he covered her. His scent filled her. Mixed with dust and sweat was that distinct spicy musk that was Einar’s alone. She’d never met elf or human whose scent called to her the way his did. Unable to resist, she took another deep breath.
    Her movements attracted his gaze. Even with him sitting so close, she couldn’t read anything in his dark eyes. But she felt the Shaerta tickling her skin. His reaction or hers, she couldn’t tell. Maybe both. The fire was rising, though. Too much longer on this bed, in this quiet, isolated room, would leave her defenseless to him.
    “No one knew I would join the group,” he said into the silence. “Only the king, queen and Ulric. The traitors wouldn’t have expected me to leave the sovereigns’ side. That gave us an advantage. And while many elves think they know what I look like, most have never looked close enough to recognize me out of context.”
    She wondered if that was true. Byral hadn’t recognized him and Byral had been to Court at least a few times. Maybe fear of the Darkness