Chapter 22 Bahira #2
Nox is practically hunched over himself by the end of our conversation, so we all begin to file out of the room in favor of letting him rest. I’m nearly across the threshold when my brother calls my name. Looking at him over my shoulder, I take in the hard planes of his face. “Yes?”
“I know you don’t know Rhea and that you are only doing what you always do—objectively looking at things to find the truth.
” He lifts his chin slightly, his gaze boring into mine.
“As my sister, you will always receive grace that I would never allow anyone else. But”—he drops his voice to something darker and more serious—“don’t ever question her strength or the magnitude of her love for me or mine for her again.
She has been through more than anyone has ever given her credit for, and I will be damned if my own family looks upon her with anything other than the respect she duly deserves. ”
Silence stretches thick and awkward between us, a million sharp retorts battling for the chance to be released behind my teeth.
I let none of them slip through, instead giving my brother a small smile.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Shutting the door between us, I can only hope that the dread I feel is temporary.
I had expected to be summoned by the council to continue their inquisition, but as the evening bled away to morning—my steps pacing restlessly in my room—no such call arrived.
I wondered if they were already speaking with Nox, if he was adhering to our plan of making the council believe he wasn’t suspicious of them.
Or mourning Rhea’s absence. I thought of his parting words, of the look that transformed his face from one that I knew to a version that I didn’t.
Part of me was curious to know if he also saw someone different when he looked at me. If I wanted that to be true for myself.
After spending entirely too much time stuck in a loop of hypotheticals, I managed to get some sleep, only to be awoken by a nightmare of dark dungeons and rattling chains, warm blood coating my skin and golden eyes piercing me down to my very soul.
I needed a distraction, so after showering and dressing and checking on Nox—who was thankfully still in his room asleep—I headed towards the palace library to speak with Elora.
It’s quiet as I enter, a comfort in the lack of noise that only a place filled with books can provide.
While I spent my early childhood hiding within the labyrinth of shelves here, as I grew older, I came to prefer the Galdr library instead.
I think it had to do with its size—the way it was so easy for me to slip into any obscure aisle and lose myself in whatever story or history I was reading.
Perhaps it went even deeper, like being able to physically remove myself from the palace that represented my family.
Their magical strength the antithesis to my own.
Muffled voices draw me out of my annoyingly introspective thoughts, and as I round a corner, I find their owners.
The aisle is long in front of me, an ornate rug centered on it with windows on one side and a maze of books on the other.
At its end are the librarian desks, and perched in front of one of them, her hip leaning against its edge is Elora.
Her hair is pulled into a braid that lays over one shoulder while her glasses catch the light of the morning sun that filters in through the treetops, occasionally causing a little flare to dance on the rug in front of her.
But it’s who she is speaking to that momentarily halts my steps.
He stands with his feet hip width apart, his body partially turned so that I see more of his back than his front. But I’d recognize him anywhere.
I can’t say why I just stand there and watch them talk, Elora speaking with more animation than Daje.
He runs a hand over his head, letting it linger there before it falls abruptly to his side.
She reaches out—tentatively, gently—and curls her fingers around his arm, leaning in a little closer to say something.
It occurs to me then that perhaps this is something private or intimate or, at the very least, worthy of not having someone watching over, but as I pivot, intent on hiding within the bookcases for a few moments before making myself known, my name is called out, title included.
“Princess Bahira! What a lovely surprise.”
Fuck. Plastering a smile on my face, I straighten myself out and force one foot in front of the other as I head towards them. I look at Daje for a moment, only to find that his eyes are on the ground in front of him. Elora’s smile is bright, however.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” I say by way of greeting.
“No, not at all! Welcome home, Your Highness!”
“Just Bahira is fine. And thank you.”
She nods, her gaze swinging from mine to Daje’s. At his clear avoidance, her brow arches momentarily before she drops it and looks back to me.
Irritation begins to simmer beneath my skin, an angry inner voice shouting, These are the fucking terms you set! At least respect me enough to stop pretending I’m not here. But with a clearing of my throat, I shut the thought down. “I want to talk with you about something.”
“With me?” Elora confirms, her voice growing higher pitched.
At that, Daje finally looks at me, his dark blue eyes meeting mine with hardly a glint of familiarity. Is it truly that easy? To simply decide decades of friendship is worth sacrificing at the expense of a love that does not—cannot—exist? Is it really that easy to just let me go?
Worthless. Kai’s voice ricochets in my head unbidden, taking me off guard.
I scoff, knowing I should be more understanding and give Daje time to process…
this. To mourn in whatever way he needs to because, despite his facade of indifference, I know he cares about me.
I have always known that. But I’m angry.
At him. At Kai. At myself. So instead, I bark, “You should go find Cass. There have been some developments, and he has a new task for you.”
Daje nods, offering some quiet parting words to Elora that I don’t hear over the way my heart thunders in my chest.
Elora slides her hands into the pockets of her tan trousers, her head tilting to the side. “What can I help you with?”
“I’ve been told that you are a bit of an expert when it comes to the books that line these shelves.”
“O-oh, uh,” she stammers, a shade of pink crawling up her face beneath her freckles. “I’m not sure about expert. I’ve just worked here for a while. Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
“Are you familiar with the Mirror that is used for the kingdoms to communicate with each other?”
Her eyes sparkle with intrigue at the question as she nods her head.
“I need every book that might mention the Mirror. How it works. Where it came from. How it was made. Anything.”
She pinches her lips together, taking on a brief faraway look as if mentally running through a categorized list of books.
But instead of offering up any titles we can start with, her curious gaze hardens.
“I know I am not in the position to bargain for information, considering you are a princess and I am just a librarian, but no one else is telling me anything and I know something is wrong.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
Elora exhales roughly through her nose as she pushes away from the desk.
She keeps her voice low as she leans in closer to me.
“No one will tell me where Rhea is. It’s like she’s simply vanished, and that is not like her.
And I can’t even get an audience with Prince Nox.
” she huffs out another breath. “Those are my terms. I will help if you can tell me what is going on.”