13. Glances
Glances
R halyf was looking at him. Rhalyf was looking at him . No, Rhalyf was looking at his journal. Or where his journal was hidden in his robes. Finley put a protective hand over it just to make sure that it was still there. He wouldn’t put it past the Sun Elf to teleport it away from him without his knowledge.
How rude and nosey he is! Finley thought. If he’d just asked nicely, I would have shown him the sketches of Illithor. But no! He took my journal without a thank-you-very-much. Paged through it. Read my notes. He has no scholarly integrity!
Finley scowled.
Declan blinked.
“What did I do to earn that look?” Declan asked as he polished some glasses behind the bar.
Finley started. “What? I’m not–”
“The death glare, Finley. You are giving me a death glare,” Declan insisted.
“Oh, am I?” He felt the shape his face was in. He was, indeed, giving Declan a death glare. “I’m sorry! It’s not at you! I’m not at all angry at you!”
Finley assured him, wanting to touch his best friend’s shoulder again to prove that Declan was all right. He certainly seemed all right. His green eyes were bright. His black hair was glossy. His skin was pale, but in that incandescent way that screamed health. And he showed absolutely no sign of weakness or sickness. Just like earlier that afternoon, Declan seemed completely well.
Now that he’s out of the Sun.
“So who are you angry at? And I do pity them. Whoever they are,” Declan smiled as his green eyes darted along the onyx bar, making sure no one needed anything.
The inn was so crowded. Every seat at the bar was taken with people sneaking in between the stools. If Snaglak hadn’t been there, making room for him, Finley would have been pressed into someone’s armpit. But the orc was like an immovable object, which people gave a respectful distance. So Finley even had elbow room with Snaglak to his left and Michael to his right. They were seated at the end of the bar by the fairy cage that was now empty. But from the amount of zipping and zapping he was hearing from the fairy folk around the room, Finley was sure that it would soon have some more occupants.
“It’s the Sun King’s best friend. That Rhalyf person.” Finley tipped his head slightly towards the table where Rhalyf sat. He was not going to look over there again and give that vain Sun Elf any reason to think he was gazing at him.
“Lord Rhalyf Neres,” Declan murmured the name, his eyes unfocused. “The Sun King seems quite fond of him.”
“Oh, I’m sure that he’s ingratiated himself with everyone! He’s just that sort.” Finley was scowling again. “All style and no substance!”
“I’m surprised you don’t like him, Finley,” Michael said as he sopped up some juice with a thick hunk of fresh, crusty bread.
The inn was serving roast chicken and roast beef for the mains that night. Michael had ordered the rare, tender beef while Snaglak was cleaning the bones of a whole chicken. He’d hoovered all the meat–even the suggestion of meat–off the bones. And Finley was pretty sure he’d heard bones crunching from Snaglak every once in a while as the orc decided not to waste an ounce of the bird.
“Like him? Why would I like him? He clearly thinks the world of himself. Using magic like–like breathing and stealing people’s private journals and–”
“Other than Aquilan, I’ve heard he’s the most accomplished Mage out there,” Michael said.
“Yes, well, people likely only think that because he’s flashy about his gifts,” Finley harrumphed. “I’ve seen no master works written by him so he doesn’t share what he knows with the wider magical world.”
“Maybe he’s not terribly scholarly, but his magic has saved many lives,” Michael responded gently.
Finley pressed his lips together then sighed. “Yes, yes, you’re right, of course. It’s just I’m a little tired of those who have magic and won’t share it.”
“Not everyone can be a teacher, Finley,” Michael pointed out.
“And not everyone is as good a student as you either,” Declan added. “I couldn’t sit still for even a 40-minute class while you can read for eight hours straight without moving!”
“I just get so absorbed in the words. I see them as a movie in my head,” Finley confessed. “Especially with the histories.”
Declan opened his mouth as if to ask him something, but then closed it. Finley wondered what he had decided not to ask. Maybe he’d inquired later when Michael wasn’t there. Finley was intrigued about what had happened with Aquilan upstairs, too. Had he and Declan talked? The Sun King had looked at his best friend… Well, like a lot of people did before Declan gave them a death glare of his own. But Declan hadn’t acted that way with Aquilan. In fact, Finley caught his best friend’s surreptitious glances over at the Sun King’s table even now.
“He seemed to know a lot about your pet subject: the Kindreth,” Michael pointed out. “He might not have written what he knows down, but maybe you can simply ask him about them.”
Finley was about to say something about how he couldn’t trust Rhalyf as a reliable source of true information on the Kindreth when he realized that Declan had frozen at Michael’s mention of them. There was a troubled look in his best friend’s green eyes. Finley opened his mouth to ask why, but Declan gave a faint shake of his head. He didn’t want Finley to ask him right now.
Another mystery? Or related to what he was going to ask me earlier? But what could he want to discuss about the Kindreth?
With a pleased sigh after buttering his bread and dipping it into the rich gravy, Michael said, “You have to remind me to bring home a to-go bag for Shonda, Declan. She’d never forgive me for having Helgrom’s roast beef without her.”
“You should send Rain or Snow to the house and get her to come over here now,” Finley suggested. The two fairies were stuck in the back washing dishes. Helgrom had been none too pleased about the honey ale and their little duel. Basically, they were to do whatever was asked of them without argument or the Dawn would be barred to them forever. “I’m sure she’d like to speak to the king with you.”
“Oh, I’m certain she’d like to speak to the king with or without me, but she’s actually at the Eyras Palace with the Council tonight,” Michael said as he speared one of the honeyed carrots and chewed it with delight. “She won’t be home until very late.”
“I’ll have something made up for her, Michael,” Declan said. His eyes flickered to the king and his party and then away again. “You should be eating with them. I brought more than enough food to the table.”
The table where the king sat with that blasted Rhalyf and Helgrom was groaning with food. There were baskets of crusty bread, slabs of roast beef, several golden chickens, piles of crispy potatoes, sauteed brussel sprouts with maple-glazed bacon, honeyed carrots, light green asparagus with a lemony sauce, an au gratin of cauliflower oozing with cheese and cream and so much more. The kitchen was working overtime to make sure that the Sun King was given only the best and the Dawn was already known for its everyday food. There were also plenty of decanters of red and white wine, sparkling and still. The table looked ready to collapse or be an Instagram photo if that had still been a thing. Elves would have been natural influencers after all.
Aquilan’s laughter filled the room and the constant buzz and hum of the crowd softened as everyone took it in. Finley had thought he’d gotten innured to the beauty and grace of the Aravae, but Aquilan… Well, he was something altogether more. He shone with an inner golden light. His eyes danced with laughter and mirth. His voice was enchanting. The way the light caught in his long, blond hair was a symphony of color. Not to mention he was perfectly proportioned. He was a cut above everyone else in looks. But, more importantly, he seemed incredibly kind, brave and intelligent.
Finley couldn’t help but love him a little just because he’d been so tender and concerned about Declan. Having him in this room seemed to just bring the world that much more to life. Everyone felt it clearly. They were all surreptitiously gazing over at him, but not gossiping. Quiet smiles were on most faces. This was their king. Here was their good king. Aquilan was both elevated and elevating.
For example, Helgrom, stroking his thick, long beard, and smiling magnanimously at Aquilan, looked to be a king in his own right. He actually was a king. Just without a kingdom. But Finley could see him as Aquilan’s equal in that moment, seated on a throne of stone with magma waterfalls on either side of him. In his dark leather clothes and with his flashing amber eyes, he seemed a wise, ancient Draesiwen who provided counsel and friendship in equal measure.
And then there was Rhalyf…
His laughter could be heard over the crowd, too. He was not nearly as charming as he thought he was. One glance over showed Rhalyf teasing Aquilan, which had the Sun King smiling ever brighter. Helgrom was guffawing, too, at whatever adroit little comments he was making. It was clear that Rhalyf prided himself on amusing people just so they’d talk about how brilliant his mind was. Not to mention how beautiful he looked.
Really, why does he even bother with clothes? Finley wondered. They’re practically falling off of him. We all see your muscled chest, Rhalyf! And your dark hair curls just so with those bronze highlights! And the gray eyes that… oh, shit!
Finley quickly turned away and stared at the onyx bar. Rhalyf had caught him looking over. But it was just a glance! And it was not really at Rhalyf at all! He’d been just looking over at the Sun King and Helgrom and Rhalyf happened to be there…
“Don’t you worry, Declan, I will join that happy trio in a few moments. But I wanted to make sure that you are all right first.” Michael stared meaningfully at Declan and Finley’s embarrassment at being caught looking at Rhalyf disappeared.
His best friend’s green eyes dropped and he muttered. “I’m fine. Really. I’m good.”
“You didn’t look good, Declan. Your condition scared me to death. And I am not easily frightened,” Michael said kindly, but with firmness. He would not be put off like the others had been. Maybe even how Finley had been. Even how the Sun King had been.
“I… I got too much Sun. It’s happened before when I was little,” Declan answered. “Finley, tell him. It happened before and I recovered fully.”
Finley blinked behind his glasses. Why did Declan want him to talk about that? And then, of course, he knew. Revealing this would make it seem like Declan was revealing everything. Even though he wasn’t. Finley would never lie to Michael if he could help it. So he would tell the truth. Hopefully, Michael would read between the lines.
“You want… oh, yes, it did happen,” Finley said. “I thought he was dying then too, but his parents told me he would be fine in the morning–”
“And I was ,” Declan added just as firmly. “Perfectly fine. And I’m fine now. I’ve just got to–to avoid the Sun for a while and stuff.”
“Is that what King Aquilan recommended?” Michael was like a dog with a bone. Finley had never been so grateful for his doggedness.
“Uhm, he didn’t really… ah, he wasn’t sure…” Declan was trying to crawl into the glass he was polishing. “I told him I was fine and didn’t let him really examine me.”
Michael pinched the top of his nose. “Why is that exactly?”
“Because he’s the king,” Declan mumbled. “And I don’t want to bother him with unimportant stuff like this.”
Aquilan was the king and yes, that aspect of who he was likely was causing Declan concern, but not for the reason he had suggested to Michael. It was, undoubtedly, because Declan feared what the Sun King would do if he knew that Declan was Sun sensitive or whatever it was.
“Declan,” Michael’s voice held a touch of command, “I appreciate that you don’t want people making a fuss over you.”
“I don’t, because it’s not necessary–”
“But what I saw outside today? That… that was terrifying.” Michael was not going to let Declan downplay what had happened. Finley was internally cheering.
Declan’s shoulders curled forward. “I just need to stay out of the Sun and I’ll be fine.”
“Sun bad,” Snaglak finally broke in. The whole chicken carcass was suspiciously gone. He had eaten it all from the crispy, fatty skin to the bones. “Stay out of Sun and Declan be good.”
Declan flashed the orc a genuine smile. “Thanks, Snaglak. I’ll take your advice.”
“Sun give headache. Make woozy like drinking beer, but not good woozy. Sick.” The orc grimaced down at his nearly empty beer mug. Declan took it and refilled it, which had that grimace disappearing. If Snaglak had clapped his hands together and performed a little dance, Finley would not have been surprised. “Sun bad. Beer good.”
“Is that because…” Here Declan raked his teeth over his lower lip. “Because you’re from the Under Dark originally? That the Sun makes you sick?”
“Yeah,” Snaglak said and took a great swallow of beer. He wiped the foam off his lips with the back of his left hand. “Darkness good. Night better. Declan stay out of Sun. Be fine. Like Snaglak.”
“Declan cannot remain out of the Sun forever, Snaglak,” Michael objected.
Declan and Snaglak were silent, which meant that they disagreed. Clearly, Declan already led most of his life between the hours of dusk and dawn. It was only because Lily couldn’t work that afternoon–a rare occurrence–and the arrival of the Sun King that Declan had to be out before the Sun had set. He’d managed not to be outside during the day for over a year. Declan could just continue on that way forever.
Except what will he miss?
For a moment, Finley envisioned Declan with him at Taranth, walking those Sun-drenched halls while Finley spoke animatedly of his research. Or striding under the oak trees in the nearby forest on the Sun-dappled ground. Or Declan riding the horses he loved so much in the flower-filled fields at high noon. While he could do some of those things during the night, it was far more dangerous because of the Leviathan. It might never be completely safe. So Declan would be reduced, restricted, limited. Declan deserved to be out in daylight.
Finley sighed. “Michael knows that you could stay out of the Sun, Declan, but that would limit your life. Figuring out what’s wrong will–”
“It’s just a thing I was born with.” Declan shrugged.
“You don’t actually know that,” Michael pointed out softly. “There’s so much we don’t know about your birth parents. And now that the internet is a thing of history, we can’t track down those records–their medical records, especially–and find out what sorts of illnesses you might develop.”
“Good thing the Menders can fix most anything.” This time Finley gave his best friend a stern look. “So you need to go to one, Declan.”
Declan suddenly blushed and ducked his head. “I actually think that the–the king might be upset if I went to a Mender.”
“Why would that be?” Michael’s eyebrows rose.
More blushing, which had Finley staring. “He–he wants to, ah, he was probably just being kind, likely didn’t mean it, but… he wants to take care of me himself. I think he’d be hurt if I went to a Mender.”
“Really?” Michael glanced over at the Sun King’s table. Aquilan actually raised a glass and tipped his head towards the empty chair. Michael nodded and slid off his bar stool. Turning back to Declan, he said, “Here’s the deal. You didn’t want to bother King Aquilan with your injuries earlier, but now you want me to believe you’d go to him for medical advice?”
Declan was firmly staring at the floor. “Uhm… if I needed any…”
“Oh, no, no, no, if he really wants to tend to you, he’s going to tend to you. And you’re not going to stop him,” Michael said with a curl of his lips. “One of the many things I will be discussing with him this evening will be his supposed desire to be your personal physician.”
Declan’s head jerked up and his mouth opened in an “O” of dismay.
“That’s what I thought,” Michael chuckled and shook his head. “We will see if he really wants to assist. If he does, you will be seeing him, Declan. And that’s the end of that discussion.”
Michael was always very careful to only “dad” them when it was strictly necessary, which was rare. He treated both Finley and Declan as adults and respected their choices, even if he thought they weren’t the best. So he must have been really worried about Declan’s health to do something like this, especially with the Sun King. It gave Finley a warm feeling inside.
His own parents… Well, they hadn’t been exactly the loving parental types. They hadn’t even been in Lightwell when the Leviathan had attacked, but were traveling in Europe on business. He hadn’t seen them for months before the war began. So not seeing them after… He mourned them, but in the same sort of detached way that they had cared for him. Declan’s adopted parents, Declan himself, along with Michael, Shonda and Gemma were far more family to him then his own parents had ever been. Not to mention books. Books had always given him joy, too, and a sense of belonging.
Declan was waving his hands frantically as he said, “You shouldn’t bother him with–”
But Michael cut off Declan smoothly, “I will read the room. Don’t you worry. And I will know if he truly has a desire to monitor your case. Either way, Declan, I’m asking–maybe more than asking–for you to see someone about this.” He reached across the bar and squeezed Declan’s forearm. “I couldn’t love you more if you were my blood. Both of you.” He encompassed Finley in that sweep of love. “So I need you to be healthy and happy.”
Declan slowly nodded. “I understand, Michael.”
Finley smiled broadly. “We know and we feel the same about you, Shonda and Gemma.”
In the past, he wouldn’t have been so open with what he felt. Before the war, that was. But having seen how things could turn in an instant, he was quick to tell those he loved just how he felt about them. Because they could be gone with the passing of a shadow.
Michael nodded. He released Declan’s arm. “Now, I need to go speak to our king about the way of the world.”
They watched him stride off. Declan let out a soft sigh.
“Did the Sun King really say he’d be hurt if you went to another Mender?” Finley asked.
Declan nodded. “He was really insistent about it.”
“Wow. That’s… that’s… wow.” Finley just blinked at him. “What did you think of that?”
Declan seemed to be inspecting the glass he was polishing with minute detail. “Uh, well, it was all right, I guess.”
“All right?” Finley goggled. “I’m having trouble not staring at him with slack-jawed wonder from this distance and he was right next to you. Touching you! It must have been better than all right.”
The color was back in Declan’s cheeks. “It’s not like he’d ever… It doesn't matter if I liked it or not. He’s not for me. He’s the king and I’m… well, I’m me.”
Finley felt a wave of sadness suddenly for his best friend. Declan had never shown any romantic interest in anyone. To suddenly be interested in someone like Aquilan and believe it would never be requited… His friend deserved all the happiness in the world! Yet Finley was not so naive to think that Aquilan could have a relationship with Declan. Not a long term one or a serious one. They were worlds apart. A king and a bartender. No matter how extraordinary the bartender was–and Declan was extraordinary–Finley supposed that such a thing could not be.
That would be the king’s loss then. For Declan is worth it.
“Finley, does the name Vulre Vultorus mean anything to you? Or Lady Ashryn Zinsadoral? And what about the Venomthorn?” Declan cast his voice very low.
“Ah, I can’t say any of them ring a bell,” Finley confessed.
Declan grimaced. “So you never told me about them in relation to your game or research or anything?”
Finley shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. But maybe–”
“You would remember if you did.” Declan waved a hand through the air. “You remember all that kind of stuff.”
“Do you want me to–to look into those names for you?”
“Yeah, tell me if… if you find anything. They’re… they’re Kindreth names and people, I think,” Declan said quietly. His eyes were shadowed and Finley couldn’t read the emotions behind them like he usually could.
Finley drew out his notebook and wrote the names down in his neat, clean hand. “I’ll find out everything I can.”
“Thank you,” Declan said.
“How did they come up? Was it something Aquilan said or–”
“No, nothing like that. I–”
Whatever Declan was about to say was lost as there was the thrum of an instrument and an ethereal voice rose up. The Sun King had begun to sing.