Chapter 19
VALEEN
F ire crackled in the hearth covering the third-floor balcony of the library in orange light.
The place where Presco had taken up residence.
It wasn’t cold out, he just liked the sound of a fire burning while he studied.
Stacks of books covered the edges of the desk while Presco poured over an old scroll laid out before him.
The large stained-glass arched window behind him was a mix of swirling blues and violets.
He looked right at home with his beakers bubbling in the corner.
He lifted his chin as Valeen and Katana strode off the spiraling metal staircase. Gold-rimmed glasses reflected off the candlelight, hiding reptilian eyes that unsettled many. “Valeen, Katana,” he said as a greeting. “How are you both?”
Valeen waited for Katana to answer first. She beamed at Presco and played with the ends of her long hair.
“I am quite well. Valeen and I have been walking around the castle and talking. It really is a beautiful place and this library is spectacular. I can see why you have been spending so much time here.”
He looked around as if just noticing he was in a fancy library.
“It is a nice library… for elves.” He winked at Valeen and she and Katana settled into the two cushioned leather seats across from his large wooden desk.
“You didn’t answer how you are doing, Valeen.
It’s been three days since you visited Rogue… ”
“Yes, Hel and Thane are visiting again.”
“You didn’t wish to go?”
“Not this time.” It wasn’t that she was against what they were doing.
She even gave Hel Soulender to kill Rogue, but she had to find a way to build the wall around The Valley of the Sun, and Hel and Thane needed time alone to bond again.
With her in the mix it added tension, and she wanted them to be able to lean on each other. “Have you gotten word to your wife?”
Presco bobbed his head and closed the book in front of him, then placed the cork stopper back on the bottle of ink beside him.
“I have. Hel was able to send the letter for me and enchanted it so she would be able to write on the back of the same page, and it returned itself. It’s fascinating what he’s capable of. He’s nice to have around.”
“Good. I hope she is doing well. How are things in Ryvengaard since… you know.”
Katana turned toward her, curiosity lighting her face. “ I do not know. Tell me.”
She and Presco exchanged a glance. Going through the Drakonan Treasury had been a terrifying experience for both of them.
The unkillable gargoyles still gave her the chills.
Though Presco probably feared being trapped down there more than them.
He hated small spaces. “I had to retrieve my journals from the Drakonan Treasury, and we had to sneak in. Someone died.”
“Oh, my, that is terrible.”
Part of Valeen’s heart still hurt for Caliban Drakonan. He had been young and loyal to his family. An innocent casualty in this war.
“Yes, it was,” Presco said nodding, “and you are still a suspect—or should I say, Mr. and Mrs. Black are suspects. The Drakonans don’t forgive when it’s one of their own.”
Katana let out a nervous laugh. “When you said someone died, I thought you meant it was an accident…”
“Unfortunately, no,” she answered with a grimace but didn’t want to get into the details.
Katana didn’t believe in taking life and if she heard the details…
She turned back to Presco. “I’m not afraid of the Drakonans.
If they want to come for us, I’ll out them to everyone that we broke into their armory and stole from them.
Their reputation will be ruined. They could no longer claim their treasury has never been breached.
In fact, why don’t you send them a letter for me, and tell them what happened?
Tell them exactly who Mr. and Mrs. Black are.
Of course, leave out your part in it. I don’t want your family targeted. ”
He smiled and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his belly. “It’s good to have my queen again.”
“Was I so different before?”
He lifted his shoulder. “Yes and no. With your memories restored you are more—how do I put this—sure of yourself, and you not knowing who I was definitely changed how I could interact with you before.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and scanned the books on the shelves around them.
It was strange to think only months ago she didn’t know Presco at all.
He was simply a friendly dragon from her supposed past who stayed with her and Hel in the manor.
Now he was one of her longest friends. They made up their own language once just to pass the time.
She’d all but forgotten it now. “Have you had any luck with the Varlett situation?”
“Not yet. Can you explain a bit more about this connection with you and Varlett? Can you feel anything from her? Can you hear her thoughts?”
Valeen shook her head. “The only consequence of our connection that I can tell is if she gets injured, so do I, and vice versa. She wanted to ensure we couldn’t kill her and when I become immortal again, essentially so will she.
” She picked up a gold letter opener off Presco’s desk.
The head of it was a phoenix with wings spread.
“When I have my immortal strength, something like this won’t be able to penetrate my skin like it can now.
” She sighed thinking how much easier life had been.
Goddesses didn’t get sick, they didn’t go hungry or get scrapes and bruises.
There were weapons that could hurt, and someone strong enough could make her bleed, but it healed almost instantly, and nothing but Soulender or the Sword of Truth could pierce her heart or vital organs.
A quiet rustle somewhere near Presco’s desk drew her attention. Like candy wrappers being unraveled.
“Where is she, anyway?” Presco asked, seemingly unaware of whatever was in his desk.
His hands were visible, so it wasn’t him doing it.
“I don’t believe it’s a good idea to let her wander around unattended.
If anyone ever found out about the connection, she’d be a target. We should bring her inside the castle.”
Over the last few days that very thing weighed heavily on her.
The previous evening, she found Varlett in the woods, lying in a hammock chewing on a bone.
She said she’d rather be alone in the woods with the insects than near her and her two lovers.
Valeen would rather that too, but the dragon wench was the one who bound them together.
“She is a vulnerability that I cannot have. We need to end it.”
“Even Hel is puzzled by it. It did not leave a mark like his own magic and if you tried to counteract her magic with his, it could be a disaster. There would be?—”
“Consequences. Hel told me Varlett often uses magic derived from what he calls dark matter. He uses runes. They’re not the same.”
“It’s likely the demon’s ring she had all along. I’m surprised that Hel didn’t sense it before.”
“She must have cloaked it.”
“It would have been a necessary step to keep it hidden for so long.”
“Wait,” Katana said, blinking rapidly. “She has a demon prince’s ring. Will they not come for her?”
“If they found out,” Valeen answered. “They don’t know who has it… well, they know I stole it, but they don’t know she blackmailed me into doing it. So, if they’re coming for anyone, it’s me.”
Katana’s eyes widened. “Valeen,” she whispered. “The demon princes will come for you too?”
“I know. I have attracted many enemies since you’ve been gone.”
“Which is why it’s imperative that she get her immortality. Varlett, the demon princes, even the council won’t matter if we get that first. They won’t be able to kill her. She has the only weapon.”
That wasn’t true though. “You’re forgetting who is in the dungeons.”
“Oh, right.” Presco pushed his round glasses up. “Synick. I think you should kill him. If the demon princes didn’t get him to reveal its location, I doubt you or even Hel will get him to confess.”
“But if we get that weapon, Presco, no one will dare stand up to us. We will have both of the immortal weapons.”
“And if he gets free, you have a massive problem.”
All Mother, she didn’t even want to consider the possibility of him getting free. Right now, no one but them knew he was even alive again. She turned to Katana, “What do you think?”
She brushed her hair behind her rounded ears.
“Well, you know I am not one for killing but in this case, I might make an exception. But I also do not want Synick to be in possession of one of the immortal weapons even in the underrealm. As we have seen there is a chance he could come back. The demons would use torture. There are non-violent ways to get people to talk.”
“What are you suggesting?” Presco asked.
“I am not suggesting anything. I am only saying that sometimes you get more bees with honey. If he has been in the underrealm I would wager he has not been shown kindness for a long time.”
“Be nice to him?” Valeen scrunched her nose. That prick didn’t deserve kindness from any of them, least of all her or Katana.
“Oh,” she put a hand to her chest and almost laughed, “Not me or you. His nephews.” She gave a sly smile. “That is how he thinks of Hel and Thane. He wants to trust them.”
“It would probably take months,” Valeen mused.
“The time will pass anyway. And keep in mind, he does not want to go back to the underrealm, Valeen.”
It was worth a try. Now the question was, which of his nephews would be best to get him to talk?
“Another thing I need your brilliant mind for Presco, is how do you think we can go about placing a wall around Palenor like at House of Night.”