Chapter 18
ARIEL
W arm sun shone upon me, coaxing my eyes open, as I lay beneath blankets softer than silk. I rolled to my back and luxuriated in the feel of them against my skin until my sleep-hazed mind fully awakened. The moment it did, I threw those blankets off and shot out of bed.
Standing in an unfamiliar room in a nightgown that wasn’t my own, I tried to remember what had happened.
A storm.
A shack.
And a mysterious stranger.
My hands flew to the back of my neck and found a tiny scab marring my flesh, and I realized he’d drugged me, then brought me to his home. Then I remembered the worst thing of all—Hemming and the others were gone. My body trembled as grief fought to take over, but I shut it down. Vesstan’s magic might have worked on others with the misfortune to have sought his lands, but they lacked Shayfer’s ability, and I wasn’t convinced he’d accounted for such a gift. They had to have made it.
Anything else was too unbearable to even consider.
I pulled myself together with that thinly held conviction, bolstering it with the anger simmering in my gut at what Vesstan had done: drugged and abducted me. But, as it was with all men in power, he wouldn’t see it that way, and given that I needed his tracker’s help to find the others, I had no choice but to play nice with him until they were returned to me.
After that, we’d find a way to deal with him.
I took a cleansing breath and scanned the room I’d awoken in. Not surprisingly, it held all the resplendence of Kaplyn’s estate, but on an even grander scale. The room was enormous, with ceilings high enough for me to fly. Every inch of the walls was decorated with scrolling murals and artwork in muted tones that somehow all complemented each other.
The bed, however, was the true showpiece of the space.
Its ornately carved posts extended well above my height, with gauzy fabrics draping from them to create a softened appearance. Under any other circumstances, I would have loved to dive back into it and sleep for days, but there would be no rest until Hemming and the others were found.
A tufted chair in the corner next to the door drew my attention; or, more specifically, the dress draped across its arm. Knowing that wearing it would appease my captor, I made my way over and scooped it up. Layers of buttery-soft white fabric hung before me, complete with an open back to allow for my wings. It looked as though it had been made for me.
I shuddered at the thought.
As I began to unfasten the halter neckline of the nightdress, the distinct click of a doorknob turning sounded through the room. Startled, I reflexively reached for my staff; then I realized that it was nowhere to be found, not that I could use it anyway. For now, I needed to play whatever role necessary to manipulate Vesstan.
I fixed my expression just in time for him to stride into the room.
“Excellent, you’re awake. Did you sleep well?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “Was I out for long?”
“The majority of the day. Not as long as most.” He spoke those unsettling words as though they were fact and nothing more—like drugging unwary visitors wasn’t an unusual occurrence. Like his actions weren’t at all unhinged. “I came to invite you to dine with me.”
“I’m afraid I’m still very tired from my harrowing journey,” I said softly, hoping his hospitality could be pushed a little further. But given the pinch of his brows at the hint of refusal, I adjusted my course. “But I would be happy to join you if you’d be willing to allow me time to better prepare myself.” I looked up at him through my lashes, hoping it made me look submissive and demure.
The tension in his face abated, and he took my hand in his. “I’ll send in attendants to draw you a bath.” His eyes drifted to the garment laid out before me. “I see you found the dress I left for you. It took some time to find something to accommodate your wings.”
I forced a smile. “A common problem outside of Anemosia.” After a moment, I let that smile fall away in a strategic ploy for sympathy—a test to see how Vesstan would react. To my delight, he took the bait.
“Something is still wrong,” he stated, not asking. I nodded in response. “What is it?”
“On the shore…you offered to find the ones who journeyed with me.” His expression hardened ever so slightly, and I knew I was treading on dangerous ground. “Please find them,” I said softly. “I don’t think I’ll find a moment’s peace until I know their fates.” My voice broke on those final words, and I dared a glance at Vesstan, wondering if my emotional play would work, or simply anger him.
His hand rose quickly, and I forced myself not to flinch as it reached for my face. To my surprise, he brushed a single tear from my cheek. “She is both beautiful and benevolent—such a curious and unexpected combination.” He held my chin gently as he searched my face for something to help him understand. “You feel a loyalty to those that sought to ensure your safety. A responsibility.”
“Yes.”
“How fascinating.” His blue eyes continued to stare as though I were a puzzle he could not solve. An enigma he wanted to unravel. “Are you sure there isn’t another reason for your concern?”
The way he asked that question nearly had me squirming to escape his grasp, but I maintained my composure and let my brows pinch together with confusion. “Another reason? Do I need one, other than concern for those who risked their lives for me?”
His tight gaze assessed me as I stood silently and let my bleary eyes beseech him, praying that it would be enough. “I do not pretend to share your solicitude, Ariel, but I cannot have you sad and sullen at dinner, too tormented by the unknown to be a decent companion. So I propose this to you: I will deploy my resources to find their remains so that you can put your disquiet to rest once and for all.”
I flinched inwardly at the word ‘remains.’ “That would be most gracious.” I smiled to placate him, earning me one in return, though his seemed fueled by true satisfaction.
“Thallen,” he called over his shoulder. Seconds later, a square-shouldered male, easily twenty years his senior, stepped into the room, his hands clasped in front of his high-collared white tunic. “Find the tracker and send him to the western shore. Tell him not to return until he has found—” Vesstan cut himself off and turned his attention back to me. “How many did you say there were?” he asked casually, as though we were discussing the number of attendants at a ball and not potential corpses.
“Three,” I said, clearing my throat of the lump that was forming.
He turned to the male standing rigid as a statue in the doorway. “Relay that information to the tracker, then find me once he returns with news.” Thallen nodded, then disappeared without a word. “Now that we have that business sorted, I will send my attendants to prepare you for dinner.” He leaned in close enough for his lips to graze my ear. “I do like my treasures to be well dressed and groomed.” He pulled away just enough to impale me with those piercing eyes. “Be ready in an hour. We will dine then.” As I fought hard to keep the disgust I felt from my expression, he walked back to the doorway and hesitated there for a moment without looking back. “And Ariel…don’t be late. I hate to be kept waiting.” Then the pale lord of the manor stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him.
My racing thoughts nearly drowned out his thinly veiled threat—and the sound of a key turning in the lock.