The edge of one had the distinctive pattern of a Lowland city known for their weavings. No doubt many of these were the spoils of war.
That thought helped break Shea's surprise and led her to recognize other familiar objects, such as the gleaming black wood on the chest at the foot of Hawkvale's low bed. Shea knew of only one place that made furniture with wood that black.
Having noticed the chest, she found herself cataloging the bed and its comfortable nest of furs and blankets before finding her gaze inexplicably drawn to the figure sitting at the side of the bed.
Shea came to attention, assuming that was what a Trateri would do in this situation.
She examined this man who had caused such an upheaval in her life and the lives of thousands of others.
He looked tired. It wasn't much, but something in his posture suggested he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. That same exhaustion was present behind his eyes and in the tightness of the skin around them.
In all honesty, she was surprised he was awake. The spinner hallucinogenic tended to linger for days. There was no way his system had gotten rid of all of it. The fact he was upright and alert was a testament to the fierce determination and stubborn drive of this man.
What would it be like to have both of those traits focused on a single person?
Terrifying? Or would it make them feel like they were the only thing that mattered in a world where very little mattered?
Shea dismissed these idle thoughts. She would never have cause to find out.
Fallon's perusal of her was much more direct. It felt as if his whiskey colored eyes were peeling back her secrets one by one. Something she could not afford.
The taut silence lasted as he looked his fill. She pretended to examine the embroidered panel directly across from her.
"I'm told you're the reason I'm still alive." Fallon's gravelly voice scrapped across Shea's nerves.
When he fell silent again she realized with a start he was waiting for an answer. Finding her voice was difficult with the full force of his attention focused solely on her.
"That's not entirely true."
Fallon's lips quirked in a semi smile. "So you weren't the one who figured out my men were looking in the wrong place?"
"I did do that," Shea admitted. Caden and Darius already knew that much.
"Were you not the one who decided what the most likely routes I might have taken were?"
"I was responsible for that, too."
"I admit things were hazy, but I'm pretty sure it was your face I saw when I was cut out of the web."
Shea held her silence stubbornly. That was true.
"How exactly is it not true?"
"None of that would have been possible if not for the men in my team. Eamon created the distraction that gave me time to get you and the other man free. If he hadn't done that, we would all have been food for spinner babies. If Phillip and Buck hadn't eliminated the other routes, we would never have thought to look for you there. So I'm not the only reason you're alive. You have them to thank as well."
There was a muffled snort behind her. Given the magnetism of Fallon's presence she had forgotten all about Trenton.
"Each man from your party has been rewarded. You're the last."
Shea's face remained placid and unmoving as she kept her eyes trained somewhere above his head. She already knew what came next.
Fallon stood with a small grimace and walked over to place his hands on Shea's shoulders. His palms' warmth sank through her shirt, scalding her.
"You're about to receive one of the greatest gifts we have to give an outsider," he told her.
Shea was left with no choice but to meet his eyes squarely with her own. It would have been odd to continue staring over his head. Like all Trateri he was big, not just in height but in the breadth of his shoulders and the size of his arms. He made her seem dainty in comparison.
"What's that?"
He gave her shoulders a small squeeze. "You're going to become one of us."
"Uh-huh. And how am I to do that?"
He gave her a toothy grin. "We're adopting you."
"I have parents, thank you."
"And now you'll have a clan." He let her go and stepped back.
"And if I prefer to remain as I am?"
There was a small growl behind her. The humor on Fallon's face drained leaving a deadly expression behind.
"The offer to adopt an outsider into a clan is not one that is made often. It is considered an honor." Fallon's face thawed as a bit of his earlier humor peeked through. "I would advise caution when making your decision."
Ah, so it was one of those gifts. The kind you might not want but couldn't refuse.
Shea sighed. It wasn't like this would affect her decision to escape one way or the other.
"I would be honored to be accepted into the ranks of the Trateri."
"I thought that might be your answer," Fallon said in a wry voice.
Bet he did.
"You're also to be promoted to the ranks of my Anateri." He inspected her body, paying attention to her arms and legs. He didn't seem impressed. "You'll have to undergo training. Hopefully, you'll put on a few more inches before you stop growing. Until then you'll serve in whatever capacity Caden or his men see fit."
Shea took the news sourly. She had a feeling this was another ‘gift' she didn't dare refuse.
"You'll need a new uniform," Fallon said with a grimace at the oversized one she had on. To Trenton he said, "Do we have any that small?"
Trenton gave Shea a skeptical glance. "Probably not. I'll have one of the Snakes alter one to size."
"Good. Now, let's get this feast over with before I collapse on my ass."
Shea blinked. She hadn't been expecting such a frank admittance of weakness. Not from the Hawkvale.
Fallon continued past her, stepping gingerly. Trenton pushed aside the fabric for him. Two steps before crossing into the other room, Fallon's shoulders straightened and his stride smoothed out until he prowled passed Trenton. If Shea hadn't seen it, she never would have guessed he suffered any weakness.
Seeing the confusion on her face, Trenton explained, "Whatever is said or done behind these curtains is never repeated outside this chamber. You would not like the consequences should you share his personal business."
Trenton's eyes were steely as they held hers. She swallowed at the not so veiled threat and nodded.
He gave her a pleased smile. "After you, little brother. The feast can't begin until the guest of honor appears."
Shea gave him a squinty eyed glare and ducked past him. From the slightly amused glint in his eye, he knew exactly how she felt about this so called ‘honor.'
Chapter Eighteen
The dining space had filled with people in the short time Shea spent speaking with Fallon. The low roar of voices quieted as she became the focus. One by one, the men and women gathered returned to their discussions.
Shea searched the crowd for Eamon or Buck, wanting the reassurance of a familiar face.
Trenton stepped up beside her, grabbing her arm and tugging her behind him as he plunged into the crowd of faces.
"The Snake Clan's Cobra," he murmured in her ear while indicating a striking woman with straight, long black hair and a sleeveless tunic that left her toned arms bare.
If Shea remembered correctly, Cobra was the term Snake Clan used to refer to their Clan Leader.
Trenton said, "The Snake Clan is the only one with a female Clan Leader. They have a long history of woman rulers. Before the clans united under Hawkvale's grandfather, many thought a female leader was a sign of weakness. The Snake's taught them otherwise."
The Cobra was beautiful, but the cold, calculating look in her eyes was evidence of the deadly being residing just under the pretty surface.
"She's speaking with Jarak, an Earth Clan Amethyst Leader. He's quite handy with a blade but always looks for the easiest ways to win."
Jarak was a plain looking man with alert eyes and a crooked smile. His dark brown hair was pulled back tight against his head.
The only Earth Clan Shea had encountered were some of the cartographers. She knew they were also the blacksmiths responsible for the weapons the Trateri carried to battle. They had many soldiers in the army, but most served on the west and south battlefronts.
Trenton's commentary slowed as people began lining up behind the short chairs rimming the tables.
"It looks like dinner will begin soon. We should find our seats," Trenton said.
She saw Eamon and Buck heading to the far side of the table and moved to follow. Trenton touched her shoulder and nudged her in the opposite direction, towards the head of the table.
"Come, your seat is this way."
Shea resisted, shooting a glance back at her companions. They were engaged in conversation with several men, except for Phillip who watched the crowd around him carefully.
Shea caught his eye briefly and received a brief nod before his gaze moved on.
Defeated, Shea followed Trenton as he walked confidently through the crowd. She was dismayed to find she was to sit to the right of the chair at the head of the table. Fallon's chair.