Castien, an elf mage who cannot speak except with the aid of a magical dagger, has been captured while on a mission. He is freed by his companion, the warrior elf Daeron, and returns with him to Daeron’s homeland. There they will join forces to rid the land of a Lord bent on the destruction of the elves.<br><br>Theirn, a young half-elf thief, attempts to rob Castien during his stay at an inn and is caught by the mage. Much against Theirn’s will, he is enlisted into the group of rebel elves. But as Theirn's infatuation with Castien grows, he becomes more than eager to risk treachery, betrayal, and even death on dangerous missions just to be close to the man he is growing to love.

Mage of Silence

Lain smirked. “Easily enough as it was I and not one of the prince’s mages who put the spell upon them. I wanted no one finding the entrance and thinking to travel through to my valley.”


“A wise move,” Castien signed, “but if the prince were to have discovered your magic…”


“It was a chance I had to take. I doubt he himself would deign to come up the rocky slopes. Besides, the magic I used was in truth a very minor spell meant to deter and nothing more. He could not discern it unless he was very close by.”


“Let us hope he has not been,” Alassiel told him. She smiled when he whispered, “I had to keep you safe,” and then kissed her gently.


Castien meanwhile had stepped to the entrance. He opened his senses to see if anyone was nearby. Confident after a long moment it was now safe for them to move, he caught the others’ attention to let them know.


Chapter 40