Chapter Four
Acomfortable breeze cooled my clammy forehead, and I halted my haphazard pacing. From this vantage point on my balcony in the high witch quarters, I had a complete view of Raven Ridge. The immense, fortified gates on the horizon were opening to allow a requesting party through. It was impossible to see for certain, though I was confident I knew who.
The gates closed again, and I estimated about fifteen minutes until Eurok Dramagan arrived on my doorstep. The very male I was most eager to see. Sending for him had been the easy part. Eurok was a friend, one of the few I kept in the last few centuries. It’d been over two years since we last saw one another, though, and the subject matter of our meeting today was far from a happy one.
I choked back the thick sense of guilt climbing up my throat as I contemplated the best approach to steer this potentially unpleasant conversation. I despised asking this of Eurok. But I saw no other way to coerce Mira’s mana into blooming before our time together ended.
I retrieved my teacup from the railing and went for another sip. Empty. Eager for a refill, I padded through the glass-arched doorway, casting a wary glance up the stairs where Mira still slept off my spell to ease her pain. I placed the china on the counter, then headed to the washroom. There, I poured some fresh water from the wooden pitcher into the basin. After a glimpse in the mirror, I set the pitcher aside and leaned closer, tugging at the edges of my eyes. My soft features seemed more haggard than they had prior to my trip to the royal city, like a gloomy haze cast over my complexion.
Yesterday’s events replayed in my mind, and I analyzed each detail. I scoured for any holes, any doubts that warranted attention. Every timeless fiber of my being was convinced—Mira was Annorah’s reincarnation. Another gift from Erezos, though a temperamental one. The way mana swarmed her like a moth to the flame—I thought she’d bloom right there in the stone forest. It still vexed me, though, how instead of flowing into her as it should have, it acted as though it were blocked, like she was protected behind a pane of glass.
All strangeness aside, the mana had recognized her and reacted, as if trying to return home. That was all the proof I needed. I sensed her sleeping strength and cunning with which she observed the world. Trust didn’t come easily to her. It would take time for her to lower her guard.
If my top priority was to convince her to embrace and harness her power, I would need Eurok’s help. The new captain had plenty enough reasons to deny me. If the council discovered who Mira was before we had definitive proof, they’d strip him of every title he’s ever earned. He’d be deemed a traitor, if not executed altogether. Even so, he was the only person I entrusted to protect the secret of the girl’s existence.
I returned to the balcony and leaned against the iron railing, tracking the crunch of hooves across loose gravel. Riding atop his dapple gray mare, cedar skin gleaming in the sunlight, was Eurok Dramagan. He caught sight of me and flashed a brilliant, confident smile that reached his liquid-gold eyes. I beamed and hurried inside to meet him.
The green wooden door creaked open, and I beheld the male leaning against the archway, an enticed expression already gracing his features. My intentions for this meeting had me feeling more predator than friend. Buried in my apprehension, I’d forgotten Eurok would have his own ambitions where I was concerned. His eyes slid over me, toeing that precarious line I drew to keep things professional between us.
Despite the way his mesmerizing stare warmed my skin, I managed a composed smile.
He’d been a trainee when we met. Even then, I had a weakness for that maddening confidence of his. The way he somehow sensed my presence and stopped, even mid-scrimmage, to watch me as I passed, that hungry look in his eye. He had always pursued me. And secretly—I hoped he’d never stop.
“Eurok, come in.”
A whispered scent of sun-kissed skin and summer days accompanied him, and after a chaste kiss on the cheek, he sauntered into the sitting room.
“How were your travels?” I asked, my face tingling from the warmth of his lips.
“Ah, well, you know. Beats the trek you just made.” His tenor was low, soothing, like hoofbeats on cobblestone or the rhythmic pulse of a drum. He dropped into an overstuffed chair near the hearth. “So what did the royal cunt want this time?”
There was the caveat to that voice. He used it to say every thought that crossed his mind—no matter how crass. He never failed to make sure people understood exactly where they stood with him. It won him a lot of allies and plenty of enemies.
My head jerked in subtle surprise. “Wait. How did you know where I was?” Only the high witches knew of my whereabouts.
“Saura met me at the gate. She’s heading back to Oakrend tomorrow, and asked me to bring you this.” He retrieved a jar of valerian root from his pack and set it on the end table. “She also mentioned it was a shame that your duty to the king prevented your presence at the Honing.”
The Honing.I completely forgot. I’d need to find time to visit Black Sand Calms to congratulate Vitany in person.
“So?” Eurok asked, crossing an ankle over his knee. “What was so important?”
I took a long eyeful of the druid—just as handsome as when I last saw him. The harness strapped to his chest contained a vast array of blades, foregoing the ax that normally hung from his hip. His soft cream-colored tunic showed signs of travel, and light flecks of mud speckled the black trousers tucked into his riding boots. A warrior in every right, he looked out of place, sitting on the cozy, stuffed furniture of the sitting room. The sight drew a faint laugh, which triggered him to raise a curious brow.
“It’s nothing,” I said, responding to his silent question.
When our eyes locked, I swore that crooked grin made a button on my shirt come undone. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees—a cat ready to pounce.
“It’s good to see you again, Sidelle.”
I stood there, fingers toying with the top button of my blouse as I fought the urge to cross my legs beneath me. By the mountain, this male will be the death of me.
I broke the spell and started toward the beverage cart, letting the moment roll off my shoulders. “I’m glad to see you, too,” I said. “There’s much I’d like to discuss. Tea?” I poured some steaming water over the sieve in the cup.
As I hoped, he allowed that sinful tension between us to dissipate and resumed his previous casual demeanor.
“Got anything stronger?”
I brought him a glass containing a double of my best bourbon. I kept it here for guests, anyway. When he accepted the beverage, his fingers grazed mine—warm and gentle. He took a sip, rolled his lips, then eyed the drink appreciatively before setting it aside.
He appraised me for a moment, then said, “Do you intend to answer my question?”
“Hmm?” I asked, sipping my tea. “Oh, the king? I’ll explain all that later.” I waved him off. “Tell me more about what’s happening in the southeast. Are reconnaissance missions underway?”
The recent increase in poaching was a responsibility Eurok took on as captain. Perhaps I was a coward, but it felt too soon to bring up Mira, too eager.
He threw back the remaining swig of bourbon, then rested his elbows on his knees again. This time, the gesture seemed more dispirited. The fine sun-hewn lines that graced the edges of his eyes when he smiled disappeared. “Not yet.”
“What is it?” I set my teacup aside, giving him my full attention.
“Broderick.” He sighed and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “He believes Saura would be better suited to handle the high witches’ duties in regard to the poaching.”
“My mother?” I asked, stunned. “She’s never handled a situation of this magnitude before. Not like I–”
“Like you have, I know.” He cut me off, not disrespectfully, but in a show of support.
In truth, Eurok had my back from the day we met. Maybe I’d been overthinking things, doubting him too much.
My belly filled with fire at the notion of the council displacing me from the position I established and held the past thousand years. Our people feared being plucked from their homes by these poachers. The last thing they needed was controversy among the ranks of their leaders.
“This is because of my work with the king, isn’t it?” I glowered, returning to the conversation. “He feeds the council poison against me. He’s the only one who doubts my loyalty.”
“Hey,” in a swift motion, he knelt before me, “don’t worry yourself, love.”
A mesmerizing warmth consumed his sunlight eyes as he unlaced my knee-high boots. I watched with tentative scrutiny, butterflies replacing the angry heat in my belly. When he removed my boots and rubbed slow, attentive circles into the pads of my feet, my troubles faded. What is he doing?
He’d always been bold, but he behaved as if we hadn’t just spent nearly two years apart. It caught me off guard, though not entirely in a bad way.
“I told them if I’m to be captain, I’ll work with no one else. While Saura is a talented, respectable witch, she’s not right for the job.”
His hands moved with such focused intention, I couldn’t help but imagine them all over my body. “And if they had relieved you of that title, Captain?”
He smirked. “They know I’m the best, just like they know you’re the best. Once I made it clear where I stood, they dropped the subject.”
“And here I thought I was doing them a favor.”
“You are.”
His gaze lingered on my skin, and when those hands moved further up my leg, it was obvious he wanted more. I’d have to put a stop to it before long. Just a little longer, though.
“We need the witches’ support in this. While you might be the council’s least favorite individual as of late, you’re damn-well the most influential.”
He reached that predetermined line near my knee, and I pulled away, tucking my legs beneath me. Unbothered by my movement, he pushed to his feet to pour himself another round.
“They’d be damned fools to replace you, and they know it.”
It was true. Despite how difficult it was to be the bigger person, I did my best to ensure the Vylandrian communities that witches and druids stood firmly together when it came to their safety and wellbeing. How dare Broderick try to shut me out!
“Thank you,” I said gently.
“Ah,” he purred, brow raised as he gestured toward me with his drink, “if you think that was good, you should see what I can do elsewhere.”
Heat bloomed low in my belly at the thought, and I smirked at his mirth. “You know exactly what I mean.”
With an easy laugh, he strolled out onto the balcony.
I was grateful for him speaking on my behalf, but it made the stagnant guilt in my gut writhe again. I watched him through the window, amazed by his strength and composure. He had no idea of the hardships I was about to impose on his life. I fought back the urge to vomit and stood. It’s now or never.
I leaned against the railing beside him, scouring my mind for where to start. He truly held all the cards. If he chose not to help, I’d need to find another avenue to draw out Mira’s power. I had to choose my words wisely.
“Eurok?” I could already hear pleading in my voice. I reined it in. “There’s something I wish to speak with you about.”
When he faced me, I started from the beginning, with Annorah. I spent the next hour explaining every detail, from Erezos’ warning to Annorah’s sacrifice, ending with Mira asleep upstairs. Periodically, his gaze drifted toward the village, then back to me, but he never interrupted.
Though he remained quiet, something in him shifted and became more serious the moment I mentioned my promise to Annorah, the reason I suffered the king all these years, and again when I told him how desperately I needed his help. “Now you know everything,” I finished. Every last shred of it.
With everything laid bare, all I could do was wait.
His silence was unnerving. A sense of dejection robbed my hope, but I kept quiet, allowing him to process. I spent the time considering every possible outcome, preparing myself for each one.
Then, with grave concern hardening the gilded hue of his eyes, he spoke. “Who knows about this?”
“You’re the only one I’ve shared this information with.”
“Do you plan to tell anyone else?”
“No.”
“Good. Don’t.” With his elbows propped on the railing, he dropped his head, running his fingers through his dark, earthen hair. “Damn it, Sidelle. Why haven’t you told me?”
My nerves twisted, knotting the words in my throat. “I only just found her. I told you as soon–”
“Not that.” His brow furrowed, pulling his features into a tortured expression. “Why didn’t you tell me what you’ve been doing all these years—what you’re still doing—to protect, not just your own people, but his too?”
“I made a promise.” It was all I could think to say. If I said any more, I worried the tightness in my throat would betray me.
He pushed off the railing, stepping close. “You’ve carried this burden all this time—alone.”
He took my hand in his, and I marveled at the contrast of my soft lilac skin clasped in his rich cedar. My eyes flitted up to his. They read of sorrow intermingled with relief.
“I’m here now, love. You don’t have to do it alone,” he said. “Not anymore. We’ll save this kingdom together.”
His palm pressed against that delicate space below my jaw, and that molten gaze entranced me, drawing me in like a dancing flame. Tears sheened my eyes as I stared up at him, unable to speak.
I never made the decision, never asked my body to move, but I felt myself lean into him. We were so close—storm clouds and sunshine sharing the same air. When our eyes fluttered shut, I braced for the moment our lips would meet, but something in my chest heaved.
That line.
That line of great importance I’d drawn for both our sakes made itself known, and before our lips touched, I dipped my chin.
Eurok let out a long, slow breath, and the honeyed sweetness of it tickled my cheek. I settled my forehead against his chest, fighting every urge in my body.
His hand found the nape of my neck, and he pressed his lips against my hair.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
At my words, his hold on me tightened. “Yeah. Me too.”