CHAPTER IX #7
I sigh in my sleep, not wanting to leave his embrace.
Keane watches me quietly when I lift my head to him, his eyes dancing across mine and still filled with desire. A cool breeze runs across my chest and makes me shiver, my bralette still pushed low under my breasts from earlier.
“My shirt, Your Grace,” I narrow my eyes on him with a grin.
Keane smirks and takes my nipple between his fingers, then pulls the black lace up over my breasts before he can be tempted with more. I feel the slight bulge of him from beneath me and sit up with a satisfied smile, bringing my arms high above as Keane drops my black shirt over my head.
“I need to put on a new pair of pants,” I swing my legs off his lap and stand up.
The sunlight pushing through the tent is deeper now, the rays a dark orange as it heads towards its set. Keane stands up behind me as I pull off my pants, his hand tugging on my braid again before he walks to my traveling packs.
“Thanks,” I smile, catching the new black pair he throws my way.
“I meant to tell you,” the King smirks. “You looked good in the Warrior black today.”
I grin and pull the tie from my braid, letting my hair fall loosely around me before I draw it back in a tighter one. Keane walks to the table and starts assessing the map, his head turning towards the entrance of the tent when Golem walks in.
An old and slow-moving woman trails behind the magical creature, her body bent over slightly in her shortness as she hobbles forward.
Keane stands at attention at the woman’s arrival, his eyes darting to Lord Alexander with a nod as he takes up her rear.
My eyes widen for the smallest of moments, noticing that the old woman’s ears are pointed longer than I’ve ever seen from a Duhni.
She has deep lines around her forehead, the wrinkles extending to her cheeks and neck all the way down to her hands as one of them holds a thick wooden cane for support.
Her hair is grey, no, silver, its length long and straight as it falls down her slightly hunched back.
She wears a thick green tunic, the color so neatly matching the woods around us that she could hide if needed.
Her eyes are narrowed in their blue, extremely sharp and perceptive as they stare at Keane straight ahead.
“It’s been a while, boy,” her voice is gnarled, matching the rest of her. “You couldn’t take the time to visit me yourself?”
I raise my brows slightly and turn back to Keane, watching as a small smile plays at the corners of his red lips.
“And let you miss out on the walk I know you need?” Keane replies, shaking his head, “no. You pamper yourself too much in that home in the woods. It’s well past time you’ve gotten out.”
“I stay there for good reason, boy,” Maude scoffs, though her blue eyes twinkle on the King before they turn slowly to find mine.
“So this is the young woman who has been harassing my great nephew in his pub,” she eyes me carefully.
I shift on my feet, not knowing what to say in return. She has to be speaking of Stefan… and for that, I have no answer. I have indeed been questioning him since our time here.
Maude takes a wobbly step in my direction, her body moving slow as her eyes dart across my face.
“There’s something different about you, girl...”
I still when she approaches me. Her icy blue gaze turns curious as she tilts her head with a pondering frown.
“Are you human?”
Stormfall caws from his perch at the top of the chair, the sound vibrating through my body as I push my shoulders back and stand tall.
“I am,” I reply, watching as Lord Alexander shifts, looking at me curiously.
“Hmm,” Maude hobbles to my side, eyeing me sharply. “Not in today’s sense, you’re not…”
My heart beats hard against my chest.
“There’s something old about you… it rests deep within. A power from the Old World.”
Hirovale’s power. Not mine.
Stormfall caws again, this time louder as the full room turns our attention to him. He holds my gaze strong, as if wanting to add his own opinions to my thoughts.
“And what’s this?” Maude slowly shuffles to the chair, unafraid of the Bird of Ash. “In all my life I have never felt so much power coming from a magical creature.”
“His name is Stormfall,” Keane takes a few steps around the table, “he and Lady Alexis found eachother in their travels to Pyre.”
“Pyre, hmm?” Maude frowns up at Storm, “and what is a magical beast doing with a woman who claims to be human?”
“I am human,” I retort.
Maude turns around, her sharp eyes finding mine before she gives me a grin.
“Saying it twice doesn’t make it so, girl.”
I huff and fold my arms across my chest, keeping my gaze steady with hers.
“And what of you, Duhni? I was told twice that you were no longer of this World.”
“And those words didn’t make it so, see,” she chuckles.
“Come, Maude,” Keane extends his arm to the older Discerni. “I have a few things I need to discuss with you.”
Keane takes the chair with him and walks Maude to the table, seating her down as Stormfall glides to my shoulder. I move to the opposite side with both Lord Alexander and Golem, the three of us taking a quiet stance as we watch Keane interact with the Duhni.
“Where is your brother?” Maude smiles to the King, her blue eyes alight as she places her hands on the cane in front of her and leans forward with a wicked grin. “I’ve missed that handsome man and his tight ass.”
Keane shakes his head at the woman with a small smile.
“Desmond will be here within two turns of the sun. He currently rides with a full company of men from Knowledge.”
Maude’s brows dart up in surprise. “Now why in all the Ancients would he be doing that?”
The King’s gaze goes just the right amount of cool as he stares back at her.
“We know, Maude.”
The old woman frowns, her eyes leaving Keane’s as she assesses the green of Lord Alexander’s attire.
“How long?” Keane’s voice is hard, pulling the old Discerni’s gaze back on him.
Maude sighs, her own voice cool. “Since the rise and fall of the humans that were slaughtered here ten years ago. Since that night when the eyes of your father were called to look upon Etter, hiding its true nature even from him.”
My full chest constricts as Keane briefly looks my way.
“Why have you not told anyone?” he asks angrily. “Why did you not alert Desmond?”
The Discerni shakes her head, the wrinkles of her face making her look severely old and tired.
“I was in the village when your father rode through with your other brother, boy. He eyed the homes and shops without any malice or disgust. We were all surprised, of course, not knowing of the summoning that lay around us yet. But envision, then, a populace beaten and bruised by the Discerni, only to have their King ride through their village and tell them their lives were just fine.”
“You still could have said something,” Keane’s voice is cold as Lord Alexander nods in agreement.
“Hmm,” the old woman shrugs, “or perhaps you all could have looked harder.”
Keane crosses his arms over his chest, shaking his head.
“Maude… your pride has cost these humans years of their lives.”
The old woman laughs. Laughs. And leans on her cane even harder.
“Don’t talk to me of pride, boy. It’s been eight years since we realized something held our town, and I’ve spent all eight trying to find out who is commanding the summoning. Eight years without the help of my own kin because they lost all sense of pride once your father turned his back on them.”
“My father-” Keane fumes, about to defend him.
“-had his faults,” I interject, looking at the old woman, “but he was still a great man. Had Zander known what was actually taking place here, he would have come to Etter’s aid.”
“So you say,” she waves a gnarled hand.
“So I know.”
“And who are you?” she eyes me hard, “human that’s not a human.”
“My name is Alexis Deveren,” I reply with my head held high. “I was born in Etter and escaped the night of the slaughter. My parents-”
“-Joanne and Arthur,” Maude’s eyes go wide as she stands slowly from her seat. “We never knew what happened to their girl...”
My heart beats wildly against my chest as I look frantically at Keane. The King’s brown gaze holds mine in his own small sadness, recognizing just as I have that this is the first time I’ve ever heard my parents’ names.
Joanne and Arthur…
My parents’ names were Joanne and Arthur Deveren.
“I can see Jo’s same fire within you, young Alexis,” Maude says quietly, “take solace in the knowledge that their deaths will no longer be in vain. Not tonight…”
My heart aches, feeling as Stormfall grips my shoulder in comfort.
“Because that is your aim, is it not, Your Grace?” the old woman turns her eyes on Keane. “You aim to expose the village tonight?”
“We do,” Keane gives a strong nod as she slowly walks down the table, her eyes landing on the wooden building of the residence.
“How?”
“Fire.”
Maude glances up to Keane, furrowing her brows. “And what do you aim to do? Surely not burn down the humans’ homes just for the sake of a reveal?”
“No,” Keane shakes his head, “though the flames will be close to their homes. I felt the magic the moment the fire took over. It rests across the full village. The summoning should break under the multitude of campfires that we will be placing throughout the village, away from the homes, but close.”
“A gamble,” the old woman grumbles, turning her eyes back on the wooden map.
Keane slowly places a hand on the table, leaning down with determination as he tries to catch the Discerni’s gaze.
“If it takes a few homes to go up in flames tonight, Maude, know that Disce will compensate the families greatly. Everyone here will be compensated, regardless if their home remains standing or not. But I will not let those flames stop us. All of Etter will be exposed.”
The old woman sighs, nodding her head in acceptance. “And what of the Lord? Who governs after tonight?”
My eyes dart to Keane, not once considering the question.