Chapter 15
MALAKAI
Aveline doesn't speak to me the entire rest of the walk to Longleaf Brews. She does coo with the huge horse, who appears to be going lame from its former owner’s lack of care.
By the time we make it to the tea house, Aveline's silence is beginning to truly bother me.
"You must be Lord Malakai and the Duchess of Stormspire, Aveline." A huge green man surges to his feet just outside the tea house. Lean muscles, no tusks, and green hair.
Not an orc then, something else, something older.
A male dryad, my mind supplies. Fascinating.
"Just Aveline, please," my bride tells him.
"I'm Druze," he says. "I'm Lila's husband. We heard you were coming. We wanted you to know that we'd prepared a table for you both. One of the witches’ familiars brought a message that you have a horse in tow." He gives the golden draft horse a long once over.
Aveline smiles at him, which just irritates me more.
"Appears to be going lame," Druze announces.
"I'm well aware," I tell him, annoyed as I've ever been in any of my lives.
"Is there somewhere that we can take the horse for some water and food?" Aveline asks Druze, ignoring me completely.
I do not like to be ignored—not by her, at least. Especially not when I disposed of that terrible man who... I stop the thought, my shadows already wanting to lash out again at the mere suggestion of what that man was contemplating doing to my bride-to-be.
"Is he all right?" Druze asks, jerking his head at me.
"I think he has anger issues," Aveline says archly, giving me an icy stare.
I'll take the icy stare over the cold shoulder, I decide, and straighten my back to stand up taller.
"If you wouldn't mind looking at his hoof too, or perhaps seeing if someone could come look at the sorry state of the beast," I tell him.
"I know it would make my Aveline rest easier over our lunch if she knows her new pet is well taken care of. "
I pull out a few coins to hand to the man, and he just smiles at me.
"There's a small stable just behind our shop where I keep my own horse," he tells me and Aveline, not unkindly.
Still, I'd almost prefer if he was unkind. I'm so angry, spoiling for a fight. The rage and shadows are boiling inside me, wanting to spill over or erupt in as much destruction as possible.
I take a deep breath as Ter swoops down, landing on my shoulder, cawing loudly in my face.
"That's enough of that," I tell Aveline's familiar.
"Would you mind making sure that Ter has some food and water to drink too?" Aveline asks.
Ter regards me with a beady eye. "Maybe it's better if I come with you and make sure that your Shadow King doesn't get into any… trouble." Ter's claws pierce the plain linen weave of my shirt, and I wince at the sensation as blood beads and stains the light linen.
I glare at the bird.
"We don't want any trouble," Druze tells us.
“We won’t be,” I assure him. “Ignore the bird.”
Druze nods. "We've prepared a table for you and the duchess, and we are honored to have you in our small establishment. My wife is an excellent brewer, and we keep pastries from Piper's shop down the way." He jerks his head in the direction from whence we came.
"All those pastries looked incredible," Aveline gushes, turning her face towards me in sheer excitement.
The smile I see there, the pleasure at eating, and the hunger in her eyes immediately calms the war raging inside me. The pressure from Ter’s talons eases up a little and I breathe out a sigh of relief.
I reach out for Aveline's hand. To my delight, she lets me take it, and I inhale deeply, calming myself. I bow my head to Druze, who continues to watch me with a kind but tight smile.
"I owe you for your patience and care for my wife's horse," I tell him. "Please take the gold piece as tribute."
"Your money's no good here." Druze shakes his head. “The trees have told me what you and the duchess are doing for the town.”
Aveline starts slightly at that.
“He’s a dryad,” I tell her.
“We speak to trees,”
"Then I'll have to spend it in your business," I tell him. "We'd much appreciate if you have the horse looked over and attend to any ills he may have."
Aveline squeezes my hand, and when I glance back down at her, a look of gratitude in her eyes nearly leaves me breathless.
"I have a way with horses myself," Druze says, patting the horse's huge head. "Does he have a name?"
"Not yet," Aveline says, her expression falling slightly at the question.
"Well, go on now, you two," he says, taking the horse's lead. "I can hear your stomach grumbling from here," he calls over his shoulder as he leads the horse around the back of the building.
Ter takes off with a huge flap of his wings, following the dryad and the horse.
Aveline lets go of my hand and gathers her skirts, before brushing past me to open the carved door to Longleaf Brews.
I’d rather have held the door for her, but I’d follow her anywhere.