Free Harbinger by Cyndi Friberg Page B

released a shuddering breath. “How much do you know about the battle born’s mission to Earth?”
    “There have been all sorts of rumors, but according to Letos—who tends to be an accurate source—the ongoing quest to release their latent magic is what brought them to Earth.”
    “Score one for Letos.” Berlynn drew her legs up in front of her and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Except the battle born are no longer trying to release their latent magic, they’ve done it. The first couple successfully completed the transformation protocol and Vox has been helping the male access his power.”
    Haven nodded. “I wondered what a Bilarrian mage was doing with battle born rebels.”
    “When did you meet Vox?”
    “He’s the one who teleported me out of Harbinger Academy.”
    It was Berlynn’s turn to nod. “That makes sense. General Nox told Uncle Ulrik he’d dispatched a rescue team, but that was all he said.”
    “So what brought Vox to Earth in the first place? Or was he summoned specifically to train the newly transformed males?”
    “He’s been here for a couple of weeks helping with Chandar’s recovery.” Berlynn paused and looked at Haven. “Did Danvier tell you about Chandar’s rescue and the restoration of her powers?”
    Haven shook her head, a secretive smile bowing her lips. She didn’t know the female harbinger personally, but meeting Danvier made her feel more connected to the situation than she’d been before. “Danvier mentioned her, but Letos has been sending me regular updates that have kept me wonderfully well-informed.”
    Berlynn stilled and the emotions twisting through her expressive eyes became too convoluted to untangle. “Letos has been sending you updates or he’s been sending them to Javin?”
    “Javin,” Haven admitted. She’d hoped to avoid all that at least for a day or two. Apparently, there was no escaping Berlynn’s curiosity.
    “How long did you think you could fool everyone?”
    “Not nearly as long as I did.” Berlynn didn’t seem amused by the comment, so Haven tried again. “When I started the deception, I only intended to maintain it for a few days. Everything just sort of snowballed until the deception was controlling me, not the other way around.”
    “I don’t understand why you did it in the first place. What did you gain by pretending your mate was still alive?”
    The circumstances surrounding Javin’s death and the reason for the deception were nearly as troubling as the fact that she’d sent Milanni to Vinton. Haven couldn’t decide which admission would upset Berlynn more, so she avoided them both. “It’s a long, involved story. I’ll tell you everything, but not tonight. All right?” After a tense pause, Berlynn nodded, so Haven added, “We got sidetracked from my original question anyway. Why is Tandori Tribe negotiating with the battle born?” Or was their interest always a sham? The possibility bothered Haven. If Ulrik planned to betray the battle born, it would put Haven in a seriously awkward situation. How could she choose between loyalty to family and her sympathy for a worthy cause? She’d told Ulrik that Garin Nox had become a sort of folk hero on Rodymia. What she hadn’t made clear was she counted herself among his fans.
    “Only two females have survived the transformation that releases battle born magic,” Berlynn told her. “They were both human/Rodyte hybrids.”
    Letos had already reported this and a whole lot more, but Haven couldn’t admit how much she knew about the situation on Earth without getting into the specifics of her interaction with Javin’s spies. It was easier just to pretend this was the first she’d heard about it than risk questions she wasn’t ready to answer. “Which makes Tandori females perfect for the program.” Berlynn responded with a distracted nod, so Haven hurried on. “That explains what the battle born want from us. What does Tandori Tribe gain by allying with