The Coalition Episodes 1-4 by Aria J. Wolfe Page B

running I lost sight of her."
    Shai's shoulders slumped as she stood in silence. When at last she raised her head her eyes were hard. Her pupils dilated until only a small rim of pale blue outlined them. "All this mess is because of me."
    Aliah cleared his throat. "No. Don't think of it like that."
    "Did they take her pendant?" Shai asked Zev.
    "I'm sorry...I don't know." Zev backed away then left the room. But Aliah knew. He'd been a Watcher long enough to know that part of the territory the Watchers watched included the Borderless. It was only a matter of time before the next group of Watchers went out on another raid. And if a Borderless person was found having taken anything from Lael, it would be confiscated. If they refused to part with the item they would be beaten.
    He gripped the edge of the mantel to steady himself. He was part of the group scheduled for the next raid. He had to go. He had to find Eliana and take her pendant before someone else found her. If he didn't help Shai's favorite Mother, she would never forgive him.
    "Aliah, why'd you do all of this? You should've just let me go with Elchai. It would've been better than staying in Lael anyway. And better than hiding out here. How long can this last? When I don't show up for my “reward” he'll discover that you set this all up. How many infractions would that be?"
    His heart sank.
    "I can't let you go, Shai. Ever. I don't care if I spend the rest of my life running. I only want to protect you. You hate the Laws. Do you really think you're better off being with the man responsible for making them? I don't believe you do."
    Several moments passed in silence. Then Shai's face softened suddenly. "I know you put yourself in danger to rescue me. Thank you."
    His heart beat so furiously he was afraid she might hear it. Light-headed and short of breath, he whispered, "Stay with me, at least for now. I'll keep you safe.  In a few days if you really want to go to Elchai, I'll take you myself."
    She reached out slowly and touched his hand. He took her fingers and pressed his lips to them, never taking his eyes from hers.
    When she spoke, her voice was soft but strong. "What if we die?"
    He shook his head. "We won't die. We still have our pendants." He stopped himself. "I'll go back and get yours. It's probably in the vault. Stay here until I can go back to Lael and figure out how to get it. Zev will look after you until I return."
    She nodded. "I've always hated those things."
    He took her hand and put it through his arm. "I know, but they keep us safe. As long as we keep the Essence safely inside them we'll be fine."
      Wearing a pendant did nothing to keep Sileas safe. He bit the inside of his lip. He knew Shai would be thinking the same thing.
    "Come. I want to show you something." He led her down a massive hall with high ceilings made of curved stone, flanked with wooden doors on both sides. He stopped at the last door on the right.
    The solid wooden door had a dark oil finish that made the grain stand out against the light grey stone walls. He turned a small key that protruded from the lock, then pushed the door open. A damp mustiness greeted them as they entered. More expansive stone walls similar to the hallway extended at least twenty feet high before they met with thick log rafters. But in spite of its opulence, the room had an oppression like years of sadness had been sealed inside of it.
    Aliah took a lit lantern from a round table near the door and gripped her hand tighter in his other arm. He pulled her into the room and walked towards the opposite end. Their boots clomped on the stone floor and the sound echoed back to them.
    Lonely. Hollow.
    He cleared his throat and swallowed. His chest ached as he tried to breathe the stale air.
    Shai stared at the oil paintings hanging on the walls, Thunder Manor in its glory long ago. Its crumbling exterior walls had been alive with curling tendrils of ivy, and the grounds had been lush with grass and