42. Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Two
Roan
It hasn’t been long since I saw Augustus last, but with the amount of traveling I have been doing, it feels like it’s been weeks instead of days. Protecting the princess was always his job, and not being the one to bring her home couldn’t have felt good. But everyone knows I’m the better brother. That’s why the King gave me his position in the first place. I'm not supposed to bring people from assignments home, but technically I wasn't the one who brought them. They have to be important if Effie is willing to risk the safety of Myrr by welcoming two humans into the city, they could be witches, and at least they didn’t bring any men with them. Sorcerers are arguably worse, containing more power than a witch ever could. I’m not going to pass up a second chance at winning her over. I could see us together, human or not. Humans may not have mates but maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to find mine in the years I’ve walked this earth.
I need to win Embla back, but I don’t know how to do that. I want her to like it here; maybe I could make her one of my comfort meals. I decide to make her dinner. Not order her dinner the chefs make, but make her dinner myself. If she won’t leave her room, I’m going to find a reason to see her. To make sure she’s okay. I hurry to the kitchen to see what we have the ingredients for.
I make a pot roast, veggies, mash potatoes, and take it to her. I hear giggling from inside. I don’t want to interrupt if she is having a good time even with someone else. So, I tear a page out of the notebook that I carry with me to scribble a quick note. I leave it on the tray outside the door making sure to knock before running off.
I don’t know what to do. I have everything I could ever want or need. I’ve got my dream job; I make more money than I know what to do with. I could have any girl if I wanted and for some reason I’m stuck on this one. Frustration lances through me as I make my way to the office for the evening. It’s located in the castle, but in the same wing as the recruit barracks and other military offices. Reports of demon attacks have increased over the past week each coming in from spies all over the continent. King Ephraim wants to discuss sending a small team to check the wards. Hopefully they are holding from his last patch job, but when he lost his eyesight fixing it last time, I know he won’t be able to do it again. We would have to find someone else. There was a time when the ward contained all the demons within Mor ed Helen, but as the years passed and the demons continued effort to find a way out the magic that holds it there, it has weakened.
“Roan, just the man I was looking for,” King Ephraim says, as I step into my office. His antlers are almost too long for him to fit in the space. His blind eyes rove over the office as he senses more now in the magic than he ever did when he could see.
“My liege.” I bow quickly. “I wasn’t expecting to meet with you until morning,” I say when I’ve righted myself. King Ephraim walks around to sit in one of the chairs in front of my desk while I move to sit behind it.
“I can’t stop thinking about those sisters.” Ephraim caresses the base of his antlers as he talks. “There’s something about them, I’m tasking you to watch over Embla, keep her safe if she needs it. Keep an eye on her and tell me if anything strange happens. Tell your brother to do the same with her sister,” King Ephraim commands, leaning back in his chair to rest an elbow on the arm rest. “There’s something off about them, something I can’t quite remember. It's troubling.”
“What of the demon attacks, sire? Shall I take a small force to wipe out the hordes, or check the wards and military station at Mor ed Helen?” I ask, excitement lacing my tone to be back out in action.
“No, I’m sending Thea, she will go tomorrow evening and be back before morning. She is faster, and stealthier than you and Augustus combined even though you two are the ones who trained her. Keeping an eye on Embla, that’s your job now and you better get used to it.” King Ephraim rises, and I bow again as he leaves. Not bothering to use his cane as he walks the familiar halls of the castle. How am I going to do that when she hates my guts? Shit.
“The King is giving me a whole bunch of commands through other people,” Augustus says, pacing the sitting room of his living quarters. Located on the same floor as the tavern, only found through various hidden doors that Dwellin moves throughout his trunk.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, he’s going to give you your job back if you do well at all of this.” I flourish my hands, leaving me to wonder where I will end up. Am I to be fired and thrown out in the cold like Augustus? Or will he make room for me somewhere else? I’ve only ever wanted to follow in my brother’s footsteps.
“Roan, you took everything from me, and I finally came to terms with where I’m at in life and you come back into my life commanding me to do things that I wouldn’t have to do if you did your damn job and brought our princess home.”
“You’re one to talk about doing the job, where were you when she ran away?” I demand. I know he let her run. I know he helped her escape the arranged marriage she never wanted. I would have done the same if she asked me. But she didn’t, and Augustus lost his job because of his part in it. He never confirmed he let her go, but I have my suspicions. If we are anything alike, then I’m right.
“Sacrificing my position is something I will never regret. Not when I knew the fae she was to marry, worked with him on an assignment or two, and he was not respectable,” Augustus says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re demanding I watch over someone who I’m pretty sure placed a witch’s spell on me.”
“King Ephraim says their auras are different, but he doesn’t sense any magic abilities coming from the humans. If someone placed a spell on you, brother, it was not her.” I shake my head, and he looks at me disbelieving.
“There’s no way she's merely human.”
“You and I both know King Ephraim is rarely wrong,” I say and Augustus nods as he processes the information.
“I’ll watch over her, but the moment I find evidence she is hiding that she is a witch, I’m ending her.” Augustus settles and I nod in agreement. King Ephraim is never wrong about these things, not since his magical sight increased after he lost his physical one. Although I can’t help wondering what kind of spell Astrid has placed on my brother. I’ve never seen him behave like that, not about anyone.