36. Reyla
36
REYLA
T he air around me swirled, thick with possibilities. I could barely draw in a breath.
Maybe this was nothing. When I arrived, Valera could’ve been looking in this direction in response to the whispering sounds I’d heard while sitting on the lower level. Someone else could be up here, or she might’ve seen a tiny creature moving and realized she needed to hire a magical exterminator, assuming such a thing existed. Books needed to be protected, after all.
But as I moved quietly past the stacks, my shoulder brushing against the books on my left, the whispers grew louder and there wasn’t a creature or person in sight.
I crept past row after row of towering bookshelves. My palms grew sweaty, and my heart thudded, smacking itself against the inside of my ribcage. Not wanting to give myself away, I kept my movements deliberate. Valera's attention had diverted to a section on the opposite side of the room and on the level above this one, and her hands furiously searched across the shelves.
A glance down showed Calista still slept, and Surren had returned to his position near the table. He kept shooting stern looks toward the librarian's quarters and the steady shift of his feet told me I didn't have much time before he'd seek me.
My tension climbed higher.
The whispering grew louder.
If I closed my eyes and listened, would I understand what they said? When I did, the whispers cut off, and I opened my eyes again.
Back at the fae manor, I'd slid my fingertip across the spines and that was when Ember's Shadow snagged my attention. Perhaps my unconventional method would work here as well. Poring through all these volumes to find a book that might contain clues would take years.
Stooped forward to hide behind the wooden rail, I waddled along, trailing my finger across the spines, my pulse quickening with each book I grazed. The titles seemed to dance, some shimmering with gilded lettering, others darkening as if they didn't want me to read what they said.
Nothing felt quite right until my fingertip brushed against a book barely larger than my hand. I slid it off the shelf, studying the silver mark on the front with two ravens facing each other, their tails curling behind them and their wings spread wide. While I found no writing on the cover or the spine to identify what the book might contain, a lump of excitement scraped its way up my throat. I could sense power here as if something invisible reached out and slid itself across the exposed skin of my arms.
Valera cleared her throat.
Surren's booted footsteps echoed up from the wooden floor as he made his way across. “My queen?” he called out. “Do you need assistance?” He paused to nudge Calista's shoulder.
She lifted her head, sputtering and staring around before realizing she'd fallen asleep on the job. Erupting to her feet, she followed him. “My lady? I can help the queen. Where is she?”
“Inside the librarian’s bathing area.”
My time was up.
I lifted my skirt and tucked the book up beneath my dress. It shifted along my waist as I hurried to the end of the loft and took the stairs to the bottom. Tiny, it should escape notice.
Surren and Calista burst from inside the librarian's quarters and stared around wildly, their gazes locking on me.
With a sweet smile, I walked over to join them. “There you are. I'm ready to leave now.” I lifted my voice. “Valera? I'll come back tomorrow to collect those books.”
I hugged my belly as if it pained me as I hurried from the library and back to my suite. Let Calista think I had intestinal issues or something.
Inside, Farris scrambled over to greet me, and I stooped down to pat him while he licked my face and wagged his bushy tail. I straightened.
“Do you plan to rest before dinner, my queen?” Calista asked from the open doorway.
“Actually . . . Could all of you leave?”
“I cannot,” Surren said in a gruff tone and with a wince of his shoulders. “I'm under strict orders by the king to ensure you’re safe at all times.”
“Look around my rooms, then. Make sure I'm secure, and then you can wait in the hall with the others.”
Calista drew herself up, preening while flicking her fingers toward him. “My queen is perfectly safe with me.”
“And me,” Faelith chimed in from where she stood beside the chair she'd taken again to wait.
“I want to be by myself with no one else inside the suite with me,” I stated.
Calista's spine twitched. “But my queen, I need to help you get ready for dinner.”
I flared my skirt, keeping my hand on my belly and the book beneath the fabric. “I'll wear this until I go to bed tonight.”
Calista plucked at my sleeve. “The queen mother will be dismayed to see you dressed in such a simple outfit.”
“I'm going to dine in my suite tonight.” I faked a yawn. “I'm exhausted from all my efforts today.” Not really. While it had been months, my body still held the muscle mass I'd developed over years of working with dragons and riding into battle. I hadn't slacked on my training after I left the fortress, either. At Lydel, I'd continued to work with various weapons, and I'd regularly jogged through the city to remain in shape.
It would take more than a stunningly powerful orgasm courtesy of Merrick on my throne—my throne! –-and slinking through the library to steal a book to wear me out.
“I’ll call for you if I need anything,” I added.
Surren pulled his blade and strode through the rooms, returning to give the other guards a nod. “All is secure. ”
“Thank you,” I said.
Calista turned toward the others as Faelith joined them. Faelith kept staring at Surren.
“You heard the queen,” Calista said. “We'll remain in the hallway in case she has need.”
I closed the door behind them, the soft click of the latch sealing me away from the outside world. Quiet rolled in like a warm wave. I'd missed the times when I could be alone. While I accepted my new role in life, it was going to take some time to get used to people deferring to me, the bowing, and the need for multiple wardrobe changes throughout the day.
I joined Farris in my bedroom, shutting the door behind me and advancing on the bed. He rolled over, onto his back, thrusting out his feet and begging for pats.
I lifted my skirt and pulled out the book, tossing it onto the bed. He rose onto his haunches and sniffed it, releasing a low growl.
“Good book or bad?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
His front paw snapped out and smacked onto the cover.
“Don’t beat it up.” I dragged it out from under his paw and inspected it, glad to find it wasn’t damaged. The silver ravens glimmered, hinting at the book’s potential before the brightness faded back to its original muted silver form.
Ravens? My gaze blurred, then cleared, but I could swear for a moment they were dragons, not ravens.
Farris’s eyes remained on the book as I dropped onto my belly beside him. I ran my fingertips down his spine, and he huffed, flopping onto his side and rolling onto his back, his legs thrusting into the air. I stroked his tummy while he wiggled and sighed. When he started drifting to sleep, I sat up and laid the small book on my lap.
“What mysteries might you reveal, my pretty?” I asked, hoping I hadn’t stolen a book containing ancient recipes I had no interest in testing.
As expected, it didn't reply to my question.
And as I didn't expect, I couldn't get it open. Turning it this way and that, I found a band along the bottom that held it closed. A tiny hole in the center looked about the size and the shape for a miniscule key.
“Great,” I hissed. “Just great. I have Ember's Shadow that only reveals cryptic poems and a book that won't let me open it without a key I don't have.”
Pulling a blade, I slipped the tip beneath the slender band, but instead of slicing through, a shock snapped out of the book itself, hitting my knife and knocking it from my hand.
Spelled to keep anyone from opening it without the key? It appeared so.
Grumbling, I tossed the book onto the bed, determined to return to the library tomorrow and look for the key.
Because I hated doing nothing, I got up and dressed in my leathers. While Farris snored, I worked my way through a series of exercises. It felt good to slash my sword around and fling daggers at the back of the door, the dull thud when the blade struck true reverberating through my bones.
Moira brought my dinner, and I ate, dismissing the staff again after. Since she wasn’t alone, I didn’t ask her why she’d been asked to go to the kitchen.
The sun set. I paced the room .
I was supposed to train with Lore again tonight, but how could I go to him after what I’d done with Merrick today?
What kind of woman was equally attracted to two men? A woman who had no business spending time with a man who was not her husband, that was who.
The stupid mark on my wrist appeared when I first touched Lore. Yet I was married to Merrick, and he was capturing my heart with his flirtatious ways and charm.
And let us not forget his wicked tongue.
It was clear he wanted me in his bed, though he said he’d wait until I was ready.
At the rate our relationship was progressing, I suspected he wouldn’t be waiting long.
So . . . I didn’t go to Lore.
The next day passed much like the one before with only a few slight differences. No court was held in his throne room, but Merrick spent time with his advisors while I puttered around inside my suite all morning, completely bored.
In the afternoon, I left for the library with my entourage, leaving only Faelith behind with Farris. With some of my guards in front and the rest behind me, we walked to the fourth floor, where I found Valera sitting at her desk.
She stood as I approached, rounding her desk to drop into a deep curtsy. “My queen. You honor my library with your presence once more.”
“I came for those books. ”
“Perfect. I have them right here.” She bustled over to a small cabinet behind her desk and slid a pile of books off one of the shelves. “Here they are.” Returning to stand in front of me, she handed them to one of my guards who frowned down at them before he took them, striding over to wait by the door with the other guards. “Keep them for as long as you’d like. When you’ve finished, I’ll be happy to collect more.”
“You’re amazing.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “It was no bother, my queen. If there’s anything you need from the library, just ask me, and I’ll find it for you. If it’s not here, I’ll procure it from one of the other court’s libraries.”
“You communicate with the other court’s librarians?” An interesting notion.
“Yes, we’re all quite friendly, my queen.”
“No warring among you like the kings?”
“Never,” she gasped.
“I read about why they’re enemies yesterday, but the books didn’t give many details.”
“Such is the way, is it not?”
Not usually. Most history books stated things plainly. They didn’t tease the details. “The books stated the conflict began around the time of the three court’s son’s seventeenth birthdays, but they didn’t state what the young men argued about.”
“While secrets bloom slowly under moonlight, haste might shatter their delicate petals,” she said.
I lifted my eyebrows. “What does that mean?”
“Books, my queen. So many books and never enough time to read them all.” Her hand swept out to the enormous room in general. “I’ve spent my life trying to catalogue them all, as did my mother, but I fear the task will not be completed in my lifetime.”
“You said that secrets bloom slowly under moonlight, but that haste could shatter their delicate petals.”
Her lips twitched. “I don’t . . .” Her eyes flashed an almost milky color, but I could be mistaken. Sunlight blazed within the room, making me blink.
“I could swear you said that.” No, I knew she had. Another odd thing about Evergorne.
“I’m terribly sorry. Perhaps I did, though I don’t know why. The other court librarians and I enjoy sharing. Books are our passion and our pleasure, and if you’re happy reading, there’s no time left for battle. Don’t you agree?”
“That sounds wonderful.” Perhaps I should start sending books to others as gifts. I’d start with Erisandra if I thought that would soften her heart. “Do the other libraries have books that might tell me more about Evergorne’s history?”
“I don’t believe so. Long ago, there was a horrifying book purge, and many were removed and destroyed. Books are a lifeline to this world and beyond, and to destroy them . . .” A shudder ripped through her.
“Who did it?”
“Some say the other court’s high lords, though that’s only a rumor. It was so long ago, no one remembers.”
The memories of those within this court appeared selective. What other important details may have been lost?
Or stolen.
The fates did love playing their games .
“Is there anything else I can do for you, my queen?” Valera fingered the ring with a bluish-purple stone strung on the chain around her throat, making the large, finely cut jewel sparkle in the sunlight.
“Such a pretty ring,” I said.
“Oh, this?” Her smile warmed, and she lifted it from where it nestled below her gown’s bodice. She ran the ring back and forth across the chain, making a whizzing sound. “My mother gave me this, and I’ve treasured it since. She died when I was young, though I still remember sitting beside her on the sofa inside our suite.”
“What was her name?”
“Isodine.” Valera’s gaze traveled to the other side of the library. “Did you know that she enlarged this library during her time serving? This position has always been held within our family. Such an honor.”
“I didn’t realize that, no.” Though at this point, I should’ve. “And the . . . key?” I couldn’t miss it dangling alongside the ring with the blue stone.
Staring down, she twisted her hand to lay the key and ring on her palm, partly extended my way. “The color perfectly matched her eyes. She adored it, and I do as well, though she’d only worn it for a short time.” Her brows drew together. “’Keep it safe, daughter,’ she always said. “Never lose it. Because it didn’t fit any of my fingers, I strung it on this chain. I don’t remember where she got it, only that she suddenly wore it all the time. Upon her death, I inherited it. I was only twelve when she died.” She dropped the two and they slid back beneath the top of her bodice .
“I’m sorry.”
“I loved her very much.”
“Did your father raise you?”
“Sadly, no. King Theon made sure someone took care of me until I could assume my proper role here inside the library, which I did as soon as I was mature enough to handle the task.”
“Proper role?”
“Yes, as I said, the eldest woman in my family has served in this very library for each generation since the castle was built. My father died a few years prior to my mother and oddly enough, on the day King Theon turned seventeen, so my father couldn’t raise me himself.”
So many oddities at Evergorne. What I found the strangest was that the eldest member of each family served the castle in the same exact role as the prior generations.
“After my father’s death, King Theon himself came to my mother to ensure she had what she needed, and him only seventeen. Already, he showed great integrity and strength. He visited us now and then after that, which was incredibly kind of him. I could tell my mother took great heart in his visits.”
“How old was your mother then?” I wasn’t quite sure why I asked.
“Twenty-eight.”
“Much too young to die.”
“Yes.” A shadow flickered across Valera’s face, but it smoothed quickly. “Sadly, she died in childbirth, taking her infant son along with her.”
“Son? She was pregnant when your father died?” How truly tragic .
“Oh, no, this was a few years after my father’s death.” Her head tilted, and color rose into her face. “I’d never thought about it this way, but . . . Oh, my.”
“Who was the child’s father?”
“I don’t know. I doubt she fell in love with someone, or I would’ve known about it, correct?”
Perhaps, or perhaps not.
“She was incredibly lonely. Sad too often. At times, I found her crying, though I don’t believe she was aware I saw.”
Two years . . . I added it up in my mind. “She died about the time King Merrick was born.”
Valera paused before her brow smoothed. “You’re right. I was mourning, and I didn’t pay much attention.” She must’ve realized who she was speaking with, because her hands twitched at her sides. “I’m sorry, my queen. Of course, I celebrated King Merrick’s glorious birth. We were all thrilled that King Theon had given the throne an heir.”
“It was alright to be sad about your mother even during a time of celebration.”
“Thank you. Yes.” Her sigh bled out. “I miss her and my father, but that’s on the fates, isn’t it? They too often steal the people we cherish most.”
I took her hand and squeezed it. “They do. Before I came here, I lost someone too. I miss him.”
“My queen,” she croaked, staring down at our clasped hands. But she squeezed mine back. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Will you pass the chain and trinkets on to your eldest daughter one day, the future librarian? ”
“I never married. I’m the last Windhaven of Evergorne Court and there will be no others.”
What kind of life did she have, puttering around books all day long and retiring to her suite each night? Reading could take you to a new world, but when you closed the book, you were dropped right back into what you’d left behind.
“Who will take over the library when you pass?” I asked.
“I’m not sure what will happen.” She shrugged. “I suppose the king will assign another family to take care of this glorious place. I’ve made plenty of notes. As for my mother’s treasured ring, it’ll probably join the funeral pyre with me.” When I released her hand, her face flushed further, and she fluttered her fingertips at her throat. “I must get back to work, my queen. But if you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m yours to command.” She lifted the ring and key from beneath her gown and started sliding them along the chain again.
“I appreciate it,” I said.
She paused as she walked away and turned back to face me. “Funny. I just remembered. My mother told me that I should give the ring to . . .” Her eyes clouded, and she blinked slowly. “Give the ring to . . .” Pivoting, she started walking again, rounding her desk to sit behind it.
“Give the ring to whom?” I called out to her, startling Calista standing nearby.
Valera shook her head and gave me a wan smile. “I’m sorry. I can’t remember.”
One more Evergorne secret ?
Since she appeared busy, I left, running our conversation through my mind as I walked back to my suite.
I’d bet anything the tiny key fit the book with the silver ravens. Did I dare ask to borrow it? That felt sneaky. I liked Valera, and I didn’t want to do something underhanded.
Inside my suite, I found Erisandra waiting. As I strode across the sitting room, she remained where she was, sitting in the ornate throne someone must’ve delivered to my suite. She said nothing to me as I stopped to pat Farris.
“Welcome.” I plastered a polite smile on my face as I continued toward her. “How nice of you to stop by.”
“Leave,” she told my staff, and they scurried into the hall, shutting the door behind them. Once we were alone, she pointed to a wooden chair placed on a lower level in front of her improvised dais. “Sit.”
The last time I was forced to sit in a hard wooden chair, an evil fae king tried to drain me of all my power.
I slouched on the sofa, curling my legs beneath me, turning to face her. I carefully placed my right hand beside my thigh, a snap away from the hilt of one of my blades. “To what do I owe this honor?” I asked in as pleasant a tone as I could drag up my throat.
“I don’t like you.”
“Fortunately, you don’t need to. Merrick does .” This time, my smile came true. “And that’s all that matters.”
“He’s a man. Men are easily manipulated, don’t you agree?”
“Do you speak from experience or are you making a general statement?” If she’d come here with even a hint of warmth in her heart, I’d make an effort. But this was a confrontation, not a social visit. I’d give back in the same way she offered.
“I did my best to be faithful.” For the first time, her gaze dropped from mine.
“In what way?”
“Our marriage was arranged. I had no say in it. My parents were thrilled that their daughter would be queen. They didn’t care if I liked Theon or not.”
“Sadly, this is quite common.” And I had no idea why she felt compelled to come here and tell me this now. Why share something that might incriminate herself?
“Your marriage to my son is not a love match either,” she said.
Not at the start, but I held hope things between us would go in that direction. “I was a willing bride.”
“As was I after some persuasion. His advisor came to me and pleaded. He was kind, so I agreed.” Her eyes flickered with shadows.
“I like Merrick a lot,” I said. “I won’t hurt him.”
“What about Lord Lorant?” Her penetrating gaze locked on mine. “Do you like him as well?”
“What about the kind advisor?” I dealt right back at her. “Did you like him more than your husband?” I was throwing blades in the dark here. Would one strike the target?
Her gaze flung itself away from mine. “That’s none of your business.”
So it was like that, was it? “You did like him.”
“I said no such thing, yet you’ve avoided answering me about Lord Lorant. Quite telling, don’t you think? ”
I couldn’t hold back the heat rising in my face. “Why are you asking me these questions? Let’s talk about the coronation. The dinner that will follow. The masked ball. You agreed to help me with the arrangements.”
“Don’t allow yourself to care for Lord Lorant.”
What did she know? “Why would I? He’s the king’s bodyguard, not my husband.”
“Exactly. Remember that. Don’t do what I . . .”
She lifted her hand and studied her claw-like nails.
I waited to discover what she might say next. This was her command performance; no need for me to guide her along. Finally, however, after the silence prodded me long enough, I spoke. “You didn’t love King Theon.”
“He was a decent enough man.”
Sad that she’d never known love, then. Unless . . . “Did you and the king’s advisor . . .” I couldn’t name it.
“Your position here is secure because I allow it,” she said.
An odd way of changing the conversation, but I slid along with it. “That’s up to the king, not you. You’re the queen mother. Merrick rules.”
Thank the fates for that fact.
“As long as I don’t feed gossip,” she said.
“What gossip?”
“The kind that . . . How should I say it? Rumors flew through the castle after my son was born.” She studied her nails. “Did you know that my family is related to the Evergornes? If ever a king dies without a direct heir . . .”
“Your family will inherit the throne?”
“ Me. I will inherit the throne. ”
The fates help Evergorne if this woman ruled.
“Tell me why all the kings die on their thirtieth birthday.”
Her gaze drifted from mine before returning. “It was a challenge raising a son who would be king after the death of his father. He was only ten at the time.”
Why didn’t she answer my question? A horrifying thought occurred to me. “Did you kill King Theon?”
With a huff, she slid off her throne. “I didn’t need to.”
“What about the king’s advisor?” The man I suspected could’ve been her true love. No, this woman loved no one, perhaps not even Merrick. “Did the advisor kill the king?”
She rose from her throne and strode toward the door. “You’re out of your mind. He’d never—”
I leaped from the sofa, placing myself between her and the door. “Did you sleep with King Theon’s advisor?” Fuck, was he Merrick’s real father? Was that what she was trying to allude to here? Maybe I was adding up numbers and arriving at the wrong answer, but—
Her nails clicked when she latched onto the knob. “I believe I’ve said enough.”
Or not enough.
Her glare pinned me in place. “Do not challenge me for my right to rule this court as I see fit.”
“You’re no longer the queen.”
“Are you sure about that?”