Free Prince of Fire by Linda Winstead Jones Page B

husband, all is not as she had hoped it would be at this time. Ariana felt as if the days were passing by too quickly, as if time itself had been altered and she didn't have enough of it on her side. So far nothing was going as planned. Keelia had not been found, and instead of a large Anwyn army led by her cousins, true Princes of the Anwyn, she was "returning to Merin and the others with a small contingent of Anwyn soldiers—all that The City could spare with their Queen missing.
    Sian was beside her, a fact which outweighed all else and eased her heart. When she worried, she had only to look at him and feel calmed. This enchanter who had once proclaimed that he would not fight in this war was now one of its most important soldiers.
    She would've preferred to march all night, but everyone in the party needed rest. Even her.
    Even though she rested comfortably in Sian's arms, sleep was impossible. Realizing that she was tense and nowhere near sleep, he gently tipped her face back so he could look into her eyes. "Don't worry so much," he whispered, so as not to wake the sleeping Anwyn soldiers. Other soldiers kept watch, but most of them slept.
    "How can I not worry? Ciro is closer to Arthes, which means his father, the ailing Emperor Arik, is in grave danger. My little sister Sibyl is in the palace. Good heavens, Sian, I asked for her help before I realized what we were up against, and now she's..." Ariana pushed down a rush of guilt and tried to concentrate on the larger picture, the picture of war.
    "An untold number of souls have surely been taken or destroyed by the demon while we wasted days waiting for Keelia to be found. Every soul the demon takes increases its strength, so that is not an unreasonable concern. And what of Taran? I sent the young sentinel on a mission of great importance, and we have no way of knowing if his journey to the Southern Province is proceeding safely or not."
    "You're babbling, love," Sian said in a calm voice.
    "I am not." Perhaps she was speaking rapidly, but that didn't mean she was babbling. "Oh, and what about my brother? Duran probably knows by now that I tricked him to get him away from the palace before I left so he wouldn't feel obligated to join the march and throw himself between me and every danger. Someone had to collect Lyr, that's true, but if Duran isn't livid then he will be when we come face to face again and he realizes what happened. No one knows what's become of Keelia, and according to the prophesy she is necessary in this war. Necessary, Sian. If Ciro wins ..."
    Sian stopped her with a gentle finger against her lips. "Stop. All mat is true, but you cannot dwell on that which you cannot change. Think instead of what you can do in the days to come. You can and will snatch back souls from the demon when we have access to his wounded soldiers, his blasted Own. In doing so, you will weaken Ciro and the Isen Demon. You can and will take these fine Anwyn soldiers to Merin, who has surely doubled his army's size since last we saw him. We know what we're fighting now, and in future battles we will be more prepared. You can and will make Arik well again with your enhanced healing powers. Sibyl will not be harmed. We will make her safety a priority." He sighed. "We can and will find a priest so that we can be properly married. Properly, legally, quickly, righteously ..."
    Ariana laughed gently, and with that laugh she found herself drifting toward the sleep she needed. "You're right, of course, husband. I can still call you husband, even though we're riot yet wed properly, legally, and all the rest, can't I?"
    "Of course. You, my love, can call me anything you'd like."
    Sleep called, it felt closer, but she was not yet ready to fall into that much-needed slumber. "What comes of the prophesy your grandfather penned if Keelia isn't found?" Her heart hitched at the thought of her cousin in the hands of an enemy from Ciro's wretched army.
    "If the Prophesy of the Firstborn is