Chapter 13 Audryn
AUDRYN
With Fisher at Grant Castle and the others busy, boredom had reached its crescendo as I sat with the clay pot of gravel in the common room.
I’d used the last few days to focus my attention on the task, but had yet to find success.
By the time evening rolled around, I lay sprawled across the floor, frustrated and tired.
An hour passed before I gave up entirely and made my way upstairs.
Col had given me free rein of the residence and encouraged me to lose myself in a book from his personal library on the third floor.
I’d kept to the common areas on the first floor and my bedroom and bathing room on the second.
But with nothing else to do and nobody around, I climbed upwards, hopeful of finding a book to help in my endeavors.
At the top of the stairs, a single black-stained door stared at me, and my stomach fluttered.
I’d gotten to know Col better, but going into his room felt profoundly personal, especially when doing so in his absence.
Nerves nearly made me retreat, but I turned the silver knob and pushed the door open.
The room was massive, taking up the entire floor. Large glass windows adorned the ceiling, opening the space to the night sky. The hanging moon cast lines and shadows, my vision adjusting to the low-lit area. An attached bathing room lay partially exposed behind a half-opened door.
The floor creaked as I walked in; I hesitated, my heart racing.
A large bed sat on the right, with wenge wood side tables flanking it.
Partially melted candles and several books decorated one table, while the other remained empty.
I stepped to the bed and ran my hand over the fluffy gray bedding, picking up a thick silk-covered pillow.
Bringing it to my nose, I breathed in Col’s familiar salty wood scent that I’d started to crave when he was away.
I roamed the cavernous space, finding an L-shaped library of bookcases on the far side of the room.
Some of the leather spines were in pristine condition, while others stood frayed and discolored.
Their wear showed their history and perhaps the miles they traveled to make their way into his hands.
A wide gray chair, similar to the one downstairs, sat in the adjacent corner near a tall window.
The room wasn’t overly decorated, with the walls nearly bare.
A red brick fireplace took up a portion of the wall across from the bed, and a large map hung over a long rectangular desk.
Stacks of books littered the room, some sat open while others lay closed with placeholders sticking out between pages.
A book on Rivale caught my eye, and I considered whether it was a current read or something he’d started prior to his most recent trip to the kingdom.
I slid my finger under the front leather cover and flipped it open. My eyes went wide seeing a single pink peony hidden within. The flower lay flat and dried, its petals pristine and intact.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Col’s gravelly voice breathed behind me.
My body went rigid. I was caught not only in his room, but snooping through his belongings, and there was no way to explain my way out of it. Ryder had thrown me into the hall naked when I’d done the same; thank the Divine I at least had my clothes on this time.
“I’m sorry.” I turned, the front of our bodies meeting and knocking me back against the desk. “I was bored and came up here to look for a book and—”
“Why are you apologizing?” Col scanned my face. “You’re welcome to all I have, here or otherwise.”
My breath picked up as we remained motionless. I was sure he could hear my heart pounding in my chest. “You kept the peony from the garden at Sutton Castle,” I said, putting my hand on the desk behind me to balance.
“Yes.” His voice was nearly a whisper. “Ask me why.”
I swallowed and looked away.
The warmth of his hand cupped my cheek as he gently brought my gaze back to him. “Please don’t look away from me—ask why.”
“Why?” I murmured, nearly losing the ability to hold myself up under his weighted gaze.
“Because from the moment you turned around, I knew you were special. Not only because you’d conjured something so beautiful from rotted land, but because I too found something beautiful among a castle of corruption.”
My dry throat ached as breath struggled to find its way to my lungs.
“I had to know you, and I wasn’t sure I’d get the opportunity in Rivale.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “Coming to Kuroden’s aid wasn’t the only reason I brought you here. I needed you here. Needed to know you.”
I waited for his lips to meet mine, but he merely grazed them over my mouth and then stepped back.
“I want to show you something,” he said, interlacing his fingers with mine.
The townhouse was quiet as he led me down the stairs and to the entryway. Amalee and the others still hadn’t returned, and I'd seen less and less of Fisher. Col handed me a flight jacket and pulled me outside, where Zalzre and Dysis waited in the street.
“Ride with me?” He guided me to Zalzre and gestured to my wyvern. “She’s along for the company—unless you’d rather ride on your own?”
I shook my head and climbed up, with Col settling in behind me a moment later. Not waiting, I reached for his hand and pressed it into my stomach. A low, approving hum rumbled in his chest.
The air was chilly, but with the heat of the man behind me, I stayed perfectly warm. A blanket of stars shone so bright, some looked close enough to reach out and touch. Dysis stayed at our side as we descended into the void.
A blackened cave provided an eerie welcome as we dismounted. The scent of damp rock filled my nose as we stood at a looming entrance. Col reached into a rusted trunk and retrieved a torch. Striking a piece of flint, he brought embers to life and illuminated a tall, narrow path.
He took my hand in his and led me forward. “There was a moment I saw you in the workshop,” he said. The flickering flame illuminated the amber hue in his eyes. “It was the first time I truly saw you smile, and I knew I needed to bring you here.”
I flinched and stopped walking, recalling Ryder’s demands that day. Shame washed over me as I remembered how I’d acted. The moment my mother died, I vowed to fight against everything the royals stood for, yet crumbled the instant I felt actual pressure from one.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Col asked, as my hand slipped from his. “What—” He turned and faced me. “Shit, I didn’t even think my words through.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not. I wanted to kill him that day.” He hesitated. “I would have. But when you asked me not to interfere, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to help, but I also wanted to respect your choice in the matter.”
“None of it makes sense. I don’t even know why I let him do that.” My voice strained as I sifted through memories to find a reason for the feelings that had abruptly emerged. “One minute I was myself and the next, I—I was someone I don’t even recognize.”
“I’m not sure anyone understands how they get there—one day they just are there. The most important part is finding your way out.” Col pressed his head into mine. “Stay in Kuroden. You don’t even need to live in the townhouse, I’ll find you a place of your own.”
“There’s a travel ban.” I exhaled and shook my head. “Even if I wanted to, I …”
“Audryn.” Col’s voice was as smooth as the silk on the dress he’d given me. “If I’ve ever given you the impression that I give a single fuck about any of the Suttons’ rules, let me assure you: I don’t.” He continued, “Bring your father with you.”
I pulled back, bumping the back of my head into the stony wall behind me. “I can’t leave my friends.”
“Bring them too.” He clasped my hand. “Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen. Just stay and I’ll get them myself. Let me keep you safe.”
“It’s not only that. There are things I need to take care of in Rivale.” My voice stuttered, “I—I can’t just leave.”
Without the records, I wasn’t sure how I’d find the name of the executioner if Ryder refused my request. And with King Sutton actively dying, I had little time left to take care of it myself. Though my absence clarified my feelings toward the prince, it also made it impossible to meet my goals.
“Why do you need to go back? Maybe I can help.” Col tilted his head.
“You can’t,” I lied, knowing he was much more qualified for the task than I was. But it was my family that was destroyed, and I wanted to be the one to return the gruesome favor to the Suttons. “Were you taking me somewhere, or just showing me you have caves here in Kuroden?”
“Have you always been this stubborn? Or is it only with me?” He waited for a breath, then turned away.
The echoing of our clacking boots was all that filled the space between us as he led me down the dark tunnel.
I was grateful he hadn’t pushed the issue further because I might’ve cracked if he had, and I wasn’t sure I could fully trust him.
I’d only told Jaspar because of our shared desire to see Kamden’s murderer dead.
And when I joked around with Benton, I always downplayed my true intentions.
We turned down a small shaft, and Col put a hand on my head to guide me away from the low ceiling. Wood braces pushed against the walls, and the air turned musty. Tools, wooden crates, and discarded stone lined the path.
“This mine is new, so stay close. It’s not yet deemed safe.” He led me further. “It’s just ahead.”
We walked down the straight path and found ourselves in a small alcove.
My breath caught. Countless gems embedded in the onyx walls reflected off the torch's bouncing flames.
We were merely observers of something far grander than ourselves.
I looked at the stone ceiling and spun slowly, taking it all in.
“This is incredible.” My mouth hung open as I admired each glittering speck.