Chapter 43
SAPHIRA
“Remind me why we are looking at journals from five hundred years ago,” Meiryn said as she kicked her feet up over the arm of one of the gilt-framed teal armchairs, resting her back against the other arm, and leafed through one of the leatherbound books.
She had been helping me learn more ancient fae this morning, and I had added a few new words to my list of ones to practice, and then she had offered to train me and when I had turned her down rather than accepted as I usually did, she had looked at me a little too closely for my comfort, so I had told her I wanted to read today.
She had decided to stay with me and had taken one of the books I had found last night.
“Because I want to know more about this court.” The same lie I had used on her countless times.
“But why always the same time period?” She flipped a page and huffed as she twisted on the armchair, setting her feet down and her back against the padded rear of it. “This one is… not interesting. Who cares about livestock movements?”
She stood and crossed the room to me, and slumped into the wooden chair beside me, dumping the book on the long table and pulling another to her, flipping it open as she propped her head up on her left palm.
“Look…” I glanced at the closed doors of the library, senses stretching outwards to check we were alone, even when I knew Lorien had gone down into the lower city.
Meiryn had crossed his path this morning and Sylvan had mentioned they were going to tour the garrisons and speak with the commanders about training for Lorien.
Which both of us had found unnerving.
The last thing we needed was Lorien getting stronger.
Satisfied that we were alone, I leaned towards her. “Look, if you really must know, I just want to know more about the attack that killed the queen and what I guess would have been our older brother. I just find it… a little convenient that Sylvan was the only survivor.”
Her eyes lit up as she leaned towards me, but her excited look didn’t quite match what she said as she hissed, “I know you don’t trust him, I don’t either, but probing into his past is only going to rouse suspicion.”
She stood and went to the shelves opposite us, pulling several books from them, and came back to me and slapped them down on the table.
“So you should probably look at some other journals too, mixing up the time periods so he won’t get suspicious or angry if he finds out we have been spending our days in here, going over the past.”
She grinned at me.
She was right, and it would be better to mix in some books from other decades.
“You’re very good at hiding a trail.” I reached for one of the books dated around the time of the attack.
She waggled her eyebrows at me as she said, “You get good at it when the stable hand knows how to use his cock and your father wouldn’t approve even though there isn’t much else in the way of entertainment in your life.”
“Meiryn.” I fluttered a hand over my chest, feigning shock over hearing her speak like that, and then grinned at her. “Have you found any male here who can use his cock like that? Oh gods, forget I said that.”
I wrinkled my nose as heat climbed my cheeks.
“No. Not for lack of trying.” She gazed dreamily at the windows.
“There was one… he was quite good with it.” She suddenly dropped her gaze to me and captured my wrist as I went to turn a page, bringing her face close to mine as she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“I know we are not supposed to talk about… him… but you did… you know… with him.”
I kept my eyes on my book even as my face burned.
“Oh, come on, Saphira.” She squeezed my arm. “Indulge me. If a seelie stable hand is good with his cock, surely an unseelie king is.”
I sighed, deeply aware she wasn’t going to let this go, and that every second I refused to answer and indulge her was a second in which she would ask again and the longer she remained stuck on this topic, the more danger there was that Lorien would overhear us.
So I looked her in the eye and bluntly said, “He is insanely skilled with that thing… and let’s not talk about his shadows.”
Even she blushed.
“Oh no, we must now. You cannot just say that and not expect me to want to know more,” she hissed.
I grinned as I leaned towards her and whispered, “He can make them solid… and he feels everything they do. And that is all I’m telling you. Now get back to reading.”
She pouted and looked as if she might press me to tell her more, but instead grabbed the book she had opened and leafed through the pages.
She had been reading for a full five minutes before she whispered, “He really feels everything they do?”
I nodded and felt a bit wicked as I whispered, “Once… he was inside me and had his hands full with my…” I held my hands in front of my chest, “and he used them to stroke me down there.”
“While inside you?” She blinked.
“While inside me.”
“Oh. I find I’m rather jealous. I don’t think a Summer Court male would be good with that sort of thing… solar magic and all.” She pulled a face and then laughed as she added, “I imagine it might not go so well for the lady.”
I laughed with her. “Certainly not.”
Unless she liked heat and pain.
We fell silent as we worked our way through two more books without finding a mention of Sylvan, and I didn’t find anything about Kaeleron’s family in them either. Had Oberon been telling Kael the truth about his brother? Gods, I was going to box his ears for keeping that from him if he had been.
I still wanted to find out what had happened though. Kaeleron had seen seelie take his brother. How had he come to be free? Who was it he wanted vengeance against? Someone from this court? Or another?
If it was someone from this court, maybe I could find out who it was and we could get word to him, and he could have his vengeance sooner. Meaning Kaeleron and Jenavyr would get their brother back sooner too.
My gaze drifted to the windows as the day wore on, my mood growing sombre as I failed at my task once again.
Maybe what I was looking for wasn’t in these journals.
Maybe I was wasting both our time and endangering Kaeleron by insisting on remaining here.
I would be better off spending my time figuring out why Sylvan was amassing an army at Evergreen Castle.
“Meiryn,” I murmured and she made a small noise of acknowledgement as she continued reading. “You know I said not to fool around with the soldiers? What if you maybe ignored that advice?”
“Any reason why?” She brightened as she said, “Other than to see if any of them know how to use their cocks.”
I chuckled. “Besides that. I just… don’t you find it weird that Sylvan is bringing all those soldiers here?”
She hiked her shoulders and then her expression shifted towards something like concern. “Maybe? I’ve been here years and there have never been more soldiers here than could fit in the quarters in their district. Do you think Sylvan brought them here for a reason?”
“I do, and I want to know what that reason is, because every time I eat breakfast, there are more tents. More men.” I fidgeted with the book in front of me.
“I keep asking myself—why is Sylvan raising an army? When I asked him about it the day they first appeared, he said it was for our safety, because there were so many heirs here.”
She scoffed. “There have been more here before. Once there were five of us at the same time. Sylvan did not bring an army to the castle to protect us then.” She patted my hand, her gaze mischievous. “Do not worry. I shall loosen the tongues of the soldiers and get you some answers.”
“And no doubt enjoy yourself in the process.” I shook my head. “Just… maybe try to be discreet.”
“I have the perfect disguise. No one will even recognise me as an heir.”
“I didn’t mean that. I meant the snooping around part,” I said.
She just waved me away as she stood and stretched. “I think I have been sitting too long. I might stretch my legs with a walk.”
“In the direction of the encampment by any chance?”
“Well,” she said as she lifted her chin, acting all demure. “If you insist.”
She flashed a grin at me and then she was striding for the door. I had never seen her move so quickly.
I had never seen myself move so quickly either as I decided her idea about stretching her legs and taking a walk was an excellent one.
I bundled up two books that had been written in ancient fae and took them with me, sure Kaeleron would enjoy reading them, and hoping he might teach me a little ancient fae in the process.
I quite liked the thought of him teaching me more than just how to wield a blade.
I tucked the books in the pockets of the skirts of my pale golden dress and hurried from the library, not bothering to go to my room first. I headed straight down to the courtyard and into the lower city, keeping my senses sharp the whole time.
That feeling of being watched returned as I stepped into the city, and I was sure now that it was Lorien, waiting for me to mess up, something I really couldn’t afford to do now Kaeleron was here.
So I led him on a merry dance, visiting close to thirty stores and passing idle conversation with some of the owners, before I found a quiet spot in the Market District to go invisible and teleport away to the heart of the forest.
Where I found Kaeleron lounging under a tree, looking far too handsome as he frowned at a piece of creased parchment, and Arianell playing with sticks.
The silver dragon snatched them up and hissed at me, and then huffed as she realised who I was. “Now I must start again.”
“She has been doing that for hours,” Kael drawled without taking his eyes off the letter, his tone telling me exactly what he thought about the female’s behaviour.
“Do not judge my hoard.” She muttered to the sticks, “He is always judging my hoard.”
I jumped as he suddenly appeared behind me and wrapped his arms around me, pressing a kiss to my throat.
“Hello, my love,” he purred into my ear.