CHAPTER V #5
“The wood snake shouldn’t have been there,” I shake my head. “They’re rare in this area. I’ve only seen two in my full ten years in Bardot. I can’t envision what possessed it to go after Skiba. The tiger is thrice its size.”
“His blood,” Clair replies, her voice low.
She wraps her arm in mine as we make our way to the cave in the back of the castle. Keane and McQuoid walk behind us, chatting together in their own conversation as we walk to the southern staircase.
“His blood?” I ask in confusion.
“Yes,” she nods with a sad smile. “The blood of a snow tiger possesses healing powers. It’s an aphrodisiac to the other animals and nearly euphoric to the taste.”
“I had no idea,” I exhale in surprise.
Then again, I had never heard of a snow tiger in all my life until Keane mentioned them to me on our travel to Red Falls.
“Nearly no one knows” Clair continues. “It’s a well-kept secret that’s made it through the ages. Most animals know to stay away, but here and there we’ll get the occasional predator that’s desperate enough to go after them.”
“Ancients,” I exhale in disbelief, “and what do you mean when you say their blood has healing powers?”
Clair frowns and squeezes my arm in hers.
“I found myself in a delicate situation almost two years ago and Alba’s blood was the only thing that kept me alive. It healed my wounds. One sip was all that I needed to get the magic in her blood to mix with mine…”
Clair shakes her head, “but when I tell you that I could not stop drinking, Alexis… it was the purest of bliss. Her blood was the most addictive thing I had ever tasted. It lit my whole being on fire. Luckily Rion found me before I could take too much from Alba, but the amount that I had consumed kept me awake for two days straight without any sleep, as if I hadn’t been on the brink of death before that. ”
I look back at my friend in sadness. Not because she gave into the addiction, but because she was somehow on the verge of death to begin with.
“You don’t have to tell me… but I hope whatever or whoever put you in that situation is now dealt with.”
“Oh, he is,” the Princess narrows her eyes.
Clair takes her arm out of mine as we approach the bottom of the staircase.
I lift a boot up to the slab and watch her do the same, the two of us waiting for our men to join.
We’re all dressed and ready for Cal’s fight, opting to remain casual in our getup as the taverns and dens are known to become hot and sweaty.
Clair is wearing her own ensemble of deep maroon riding pants and a no sleeve shirt, the pieces paired with a sturdy set of black boots as her red hair falls braided down the middle of her back.
McQuoid takes a step on the stone, eyeing it suspiciously in his own grey and deep red attire, his satin shirt rolled up neatly to just below his elbows and accentuating the stalky muscles in his arms.
My glance darts to Keane, the last of our small group to step onto the stair.
He looks relaxed and casual in his being, grinning with a side smile as he watches McQuoid try to steady his feet under the now moving stone.
He’s dressed in all black, the satin shirt shining against his tanned skin as a deep cut falls down the middle, showing off his muscled chest. His black chain rests there with the shadow oak jewel, his gaze turning playful as he notices me looking at him.
I take a step towards my King and smile when his brown eyes dip down along my own attire.
I’m wearing a satin gold short sleeve without a slit down the middle, one that looks good against the black pants Keane had Gail add to my new wardrobe.
The black and gold color combination isn’t seen much in Disce, and I found myself loving it so much that I wanted to pick up a few more gold blouses before we left for Woodlands.
Though that would have to wait until tomorrow, as today had already passed by too quickly.
Keane and I shared a morning breakfast with McQuoid and Chef in his kitchens after the hunt, and once that was finished, we parted ways with the Prince after agreeing to meet under the Great Oak a full turn before sunset.
When Keane and I went back to our room and I called a bath, he joined me, though his wash was quick as he had a full day of meetings to attend to.
My eyes were closed when his lips came down passionately on mine, his hand holding my jaw to him as he kissed me goodbye.
I fell asleep in the water not shortly after, but awoke just as quickly with a new determination to search for the young Prince of Aireal.
I didn’t know where he was staying, and Golem had left with Keane earlier so I couldn’t ask him, but I decided to make my way to the third floor of Castle Bardot regardless, hoping, by chance, to run into him.
My quest came up short as I walked the east and west wings twice, finally letting myself put the desire to rest as I entered a large guest library in the eastern hall.
I spent the better half of my day there and searched for any information that would lead to the creator of the Southern Staircase.
Surprisingly, that quest came up fruitful as I read a large portion of a book that wrote about the construction and repairs of Castle Bardot, dropping it into the bag across my hip.
I now pull that book out with a smile and show Clair.
“Lord Von Baeyer…”
I take a step past Keane and brush my shoulder against his chest, glancing at the Princess.
“Summoner of the greenstone within the earth. This book lists an account on the thoughts and steps he took to build within this mountain. It even rumors that he used air summoning or enlisted someone that had the ability. The author writes that he suspects the magical air is what transports and moves the stones up and down the mountain...”
“Air summoning?” Clair frowns and takes the book from my hands. “That can’t be right. It died with the Kingdom of Aireal.”
“Just rumors,” Keane takes a step forward, pressing his chest against my back as he looks down at the book. “I think the summoning was so well ahead of its time that the author couldn’t envision the stairs being created without the use of air.”
“Hmm,” Clair nods in thought. “Well this is definitely a start. It says that he created the staircase about three hundred and fifty years ago. Might he still be alive?”
“It’s possible. That would make him anywhere from eighty to eighty-five in human years. One of our Duhni…”
Keane frowns and shakes his head. “But I have yet to come across the name Von Baeyer in all my travels within this Kingdom. I can inquire.”
“I would appreciate that,” Clair beams. “I don’t know what we can do with this yet without the use of air summoning, but it truly is a start. Can I copy these pages tomorrow before returning the book? I’m wondering if Morose may be able to find something similar in our own libraries.”
“It would certainly help the people within our mountains move around quicker,” McQuoid grumbles, taking a firmer stance on the moving stone underneath him.
“Of course,” I nod to Clair, the two of us hiding our amusement at McQuoid’s uneasiness. “And I have the book on Livyatan to give back to you. Though I haven’t yet started on the text from Pyre. Please don’t hold that against me.”
“Livyatan definitely takes precedent, Alexis,” Clair says softly.
The four of us continue to make our way up the staircase with Stormfall, our conversation turning to the notably absent First Guards.
Both Keane and McQuoid decided to give their men the night off, though I caught myself wondering for the first time why they even felt the need to have them at all.
Both men were powerful in their own right and could defend themselves if the worst was to happen.
Keane was rumored to be the strongest Discerni in centuries, while McQuoid had the blood of the Tarragon running through his royal veins and could transform into the monstrous beast whenever he wanted.
When we finally reach the top, Keane leads our group through the tunnel and onto the cobblestone pathway, pointing out the many stores and buildings to Clair and McQuoid until we reach the main road.
The city is alive for the night, ending its day as everyone either makes their way home or finds a local pub to continue their evening in.
The road is filled with the green and small gold of Knowledge, the always vibrant flowers that hang from all the balconies looking beautiful under the night.
It’s a perfect Spring evening to share with the royals, and one I’m immensely grateful to have before we all part ways.
The three of us follow Keane onto a new cobblestone path, one that slightly slopes down the mountain as various cottages all line a single side.
The cottages are cute and quaint, smaller than the buildings off the main road but still fashioned out of the greenstone, the lot of them reaching only a single or double story high.
They each have a small courtyard at their front with sturdy wooden fencing sectioning them off from their neighbors, and it’s a surprise when Keane stops in front of one of those wooden gates and pushes it open, letting Clair and McQuoid walk through.
I halt in my steps, eyeing the cottage residence.
It’s simple in its two stories, fashioning itself like all the others around it with the exception of a few small differences.
Where the wooden doors and fixtures around the windows of the other cottages are all a vibrant tan color, this house’s wood is darker, cut and stained to be a deep brown and reminding me so much of the man that stands before it.
Where the other homes have a few potted flowers in front of their doors, this one has two tall pines resting at each end of the residence, pines that dart up sharply into the night sky just like those in his room.