Chapter 54
Fern
Get to the library, then try to work out what to do next, I thought as I got out of bed the following morning.
Like kiss one of the silver riders? The voice inside my head was alien, almost like when Auren touched minds with me, though with a very different tone. My fingers touched my lips. Or all three?
Not four, I thought. Dragging a brush through my hair and then donning my uniform, I walked out into the suite to find Cora and Sparrow were already up.
“Fern!” Cora rushed forward, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “I heard you were back. Some business with my brother kept me up at the palace last night, otherwise I would’ve checked in on you. So you’re back to classes today?”
“And having four handsome riders vying for her attention.” Sparrow smirked over the rim of her mug of tea.
“Not that,” I said firmly. “And not classes either. What I need to learn isn’t being taught in the keep classrooms…” Part of me wanted to tell Cora exactly what I’d learned, but some instinct had me staying quiet. “I’m off to the library.”
“Is Lieutenant Axton joining you?”
Cora’s question was innocent enough. Her knowing smile, not so much.
There was no way she could’ve sensed how I was feeling.
Being forced to decide romance wasn’t for me right now, then endure the indignity of watching one of the men who confessed his feelings for me stare after another woman?
I’d pushed that problem away last night and would do so again today.
“Ahh…” Sparrow’s nervous response had both of us looking her way. “I’m sure that’s what he intends to do.”
She wasn’t sure and neither was I, which was fine.
“I’m sure the lieutenant is busy now he’s returned to the keep.” The muffled sound of the first bell sounded. “As is everyone else. I need to get going, but perhaps we can meet for lunch later?”
“I’d like that.”
Cora’s smile had a slight melancholy edge, but before I could dig deeper into that, I grabbed my bag and headed for the front door.
Straight into the chest of a strange rider.
“Where are you hurrying off to, lass?” His deep voice, that pet name, had me straightening up with a splutter, only to find another man standing there. “Let me take that for you.”
He reached for my bag, but I gripped the strap, holding it close.
“Pretty sure the Lady Fern isn’t interested in anything you have to say, Frederick.” Another rider pushed himself off the wall and ambled over. “Rider Gregory.” He bowed low. “At your service, milady.”
“Lovely to meet you both,” I said, then turned and walked away, hurrying for the stairs.
“Make way for the lady!”
Cadets swarmed up and down the stairs on their way to class, but this Frederick’s voice boomed over the lot of them.
People turned to stare, and it was only a force of will that stopped me from shrinking back under their collective gaze.
A path was made, though, so I took it. Scurrying up the steps until I reached the landing outside the library, my feet were forced to slow, then stop.
Kael said he would be here, I thought furiously, searching the swarms of cadets for those familiar faces. So did Lorien.
They can’t, Auren replied. I can see him and the other silver riders running around the keep for some reason. Is this something human males do to impress a female?
No, they don’t.
“Looking for those silver riders?” Gregory prowled closer, an arrogant smirk on his face.
It was a close facsimile of Kael’s, and yet on this man it just made my hackles rise.
“They were caught leaving the dorm out of uniform this morning.” He glanced at Frederick, who seemed equally amused by this.
“You needn’t worry, milady. We’ll keep you safe from those blaggards. ”
I will be the one to keep you safe, Auren growled.
“Safe…?” I asked with a frown.
Drifting closer to the library, I saw the doors were firmly locked and people were walking past them, not stopping, waiting to go in like I was.
As if summonsed from the depths of the book stacks, one door opened and Christian emerged, looking considerably more casually dressed than the tweedy suit he wore last time I saw him.
“Lady Rochester!” He walked over, loading up one arm with his briefcase, books, and a bunch of papers. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, though if you were hoping to visit the library—”
“I was.”
That came out too fast, cutting him off, which had my mouth snapping shut.
“As much as I hate to disappoint a lady, that will not be possible.”
“It won’t?” I looked from the librarian to the door and then back again.
“Apparently there’s an infestation of paper bugs.
” The man shivered dramatically. “Whole place needs to be sprayed to preserve the books. I wanted to supervise, but the general assured me that the head of the pest extermination guild himself will be carrying out the spraying process. Fear not, the library should be open again in a month.”
“A month?”
That wasn’t supposed to come out so loud, which made the librarian smile.
“Is there anything specific you were looking for? Are you still researching the ancient dragons?”
“No, I mean, yes.”
He smiled at my flustered state, then reached into his pocket and produced a small card.
“Then fear not. I took the liberty of contacting some friends from my university days. These men have no psychic aptitude at all, but a burning interest in dragon kind.” The card was pressed between my fingers.
“If you go down to the university and mention my name, I’m sure Neal and Felix would be willing to speak to you.
They aren’t books and don’t have that wonderful smell.
” I let out a little sigh at that. “But I believe they may be of assistance to you.”
“Thank you so much.” I held the card to my chest. “This is very helpful.”
“Don’t mention it.” With a wink, he made for the stairs.
“It’s not often I meet a student with the same passion for learning as me.
If they are not helpful, please feel free to write to me at my estate in Harlston.
I’m sure I’d be able to find someone else who could help with your line of enquiry. Now, I must go.”
With a wave, I bid him goodbye, then looked down at the card. On the creamy stock, black letters listed one of the men’s names, along with an impressive list of letters, indicating this Neal’s academic achievements.
“Heading to the university?” Gregory asked. “Frederick here and I would be happy to escort you.”
But I didn’t want to go anywhere with them. Sharing the experience, learning more with strangers, my heart rebelled at such a thing. The corp riders were obviously colluding to keep the silver riders from joining me in the search, and Lance—
“There you are.”
Turning to see the man himself come down the stairs was a strange thing.
Morning sun cascaded through the window slits, momentarily turning Lance’s light brown hair to gold.
The fact he was glowing wasn’t the only reason I looked away.
Focussing intently on the piece of card, I thought about how I would get to the university. I didn’t even know where it was and—
“Morning.”
I couldn’t ignore the man. That would be terribly rude. He smiled when I glanced his way, but I could not return the gesture.
“You’ve got this, Lance?” Frederick clapped the lieutenant on the shoulder, then cast one more look my way. “Let us know if you need help with the little lady.”
“Little. Lady?” I ground out.
“Fern is perfectly capable of looking after herself,” Lance said as the two men walked off, then glanced around the landing. “Where are Kael and the others? I got stuck in meetings this morning, but I thought they at least would be at your door.”
“Apparently, Royal Riders take the uniform very seriously and some officers have the silver riders running around the keep due to an infraction,” I said, tugging at my cuffs. “I have to be careful I don’t also get in trouble due to the state of my dress.”
“You look just fine to me.”
The way he gazed down at me, the twinkle in his eyes. Before we arrived back at the keep, it would’ve had me feeling all warm inside, but not now. I wasn’t the only one to see the look of yearning in his eyes when he stared at the Runaway Queen.
“Thank you,” I said stiffly. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to make my way down to the university.”
“We need to go to the university.”
He frowned slightly as he fell in beside me, following me down the stairs and into the courtyard out the front of the keep.
This university is like a library? Auren asked. I will fly you to this place and demand they provide you the information you need.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, I replied.
Why are we catching flies? she asked. I thought we sought information?
“Now if I can find a carriage…”
Looking around me, I saw several riders stationed by the entrance. Surely one of them would know—
“I’ll call for one.” He walked over to the exact place I was headed, then chatted to one of the riders there. With a nod, Lance returned to me. “Carriages come past here all the time. So where are we headed?”
I turned slowly to face him. “Master Lance—”
“Nothing good ever comes after those two words.”
He tried a smile and failed.
“You’ve been incredibly kind, escorting Auren and me to the keep,” I continued. “Ensuring my safety.”
“That’s something I intend to continue to do, Fern.”
He was moving closer, ready to take my hands, but a step backwards had him stopping in his tracks.
“There is no need. A misplaced sense of duty, or perhaps your honour as a gentleman?”
“Carriage is here!” one of the riders called out.
“I must go, but you have classes…”
Right in the middle of my big speech where I let him off the hook, he was there, opening the carriage door and ushering me in. Settling into the seat across from me, he frowned, ready to reply, but the door was wrenched open again.