Chapter 15 #2
Lifting her gaze from her lap to the detailed map of Ixora that was etched into the tabletop, she continued. “I don’t know much, just bits and pieces I picked up when I was younger. People tend not to notice when a child is nearby; if they do, they never consider that they’re listening.”
She fell silent for a moment, but when her eyes met Auraelia’s, clarity swirled in the chocolate-brown depths of her irises.
“Your Majesty, if I’m not mistaken, I believe there are some tomes on blood magic in the archives.
I haven’t read them myself, but I know that your mother did.
I remember seeing them on her bedside table not too long ago. ”
Auraelia glanced toward Xander, his confused expression no doubt matching her own, before turning back toward her Mistress of Coin and asking, “Why would my mother be interested in blood magic, Lady Ophelia?”
Her question was met with a look of sympathy and a slight shake of the head. “I’m not sure. She never said, and I never thought to ask. I’m sorry.”
As the room fell silent once more, Auraelia’s thoughts began to spin around yet another secret that her mother had kept.
Why was she looking into blood magic? Did she think it was something she may have had to face one day?
And if so, why didn’t she share that with Auraelia?
Surely, if her mother thought Davina was going to be a real threat, she would have informed her… right?
Auraelia slowly released a breath through her nose.
Too many secrets. Her mother kept too many secrets.
Every time Auraelia felt that she finally found the last one, another reared its ugly head like an unwanted weed in a garden.
“You’re awfully quiet over there, Ser Aeron.” The nasally sound of Lord Harland’s voice broke the quiet of the room. “What do you have to say to all of this?”
Ser Aeron was sitting to Xander’s left, his brows furrowed as his eyes traced over the map like he was calculating the most advantageous point of strike in a battle.
“Ser Aeron?” Auraelia prodded, attempting to pull him from whatever thoughts kept him from the conversation at hand.
When his amber gaze met hers, he said, “I have trained your armies to fight. I have trained them to handle the worst conditions imaginable. To live with little to no food and still be battle-ready. But no amount of training will save them from blood magic, Your Majesty. This is a war that warriors can’t win. ”
The stress he put on the word “warrior” gave Auraelia a sinking feeling, and the way his gaze bore into hers made it feel like a stone had settled into the pit of her stomach.
Caius.
No one—outside of people who had been present—knew of Caius’ visit to the Court of Emerald. They hadn’t told the council, and Auraelia had intended to keep it that way. She had decided against using his help, sure that they could win the war if it came to a battlefield.
But with all of the information they’d gathered, coupled with the intense gaze of her army commander, that seemed to no longer be an option.
If brute force couldn’t fight and win this war, they would have to rely on magic.
Which meant that she would need to use the one weapon in her arsenal that Davina supposedly didn’t know about.
Auraelia stood from her seat and released a steadying breath.
Calming her frantic thoughts before addressing her council.
“I believe that is enough for today. It seems I have some reading to do. Mister Aramis, if you would please reach out to your contacts in the Court of Topaz to see if they have any idea which direction Lady Orna and Lady Blyana are leaning in this war, I would greatly appreciate it. Master Demir, please meet with Ser Aeron so that we can ensure that our army has what they need in regard to weaponry and armor. I want to ensure we are thoroughly prepared when the need arises. Lord Harland. Lady Ophelia. Has anything changed regarding finances, the harvest, or food supply for our people?”
“No, Your Majesty. Everything is still as it should be,” Lord Harland replied.
“Good. Now, if you would, please excuse me.”
As if it were a performance, every council member stood and bowed in a synchronized motion, then began to file out of the room. All except for Ser Aeron, who halted at the door.
“You’re going to use him, aren’t you?” he asked as he turned his head over his shoulder.
“I’m going to see what he has to say, and we will go from there. But I currently don’t see any other way out of this. Do you?”
Ser Aeron shook his head gravely, then walked away, pulling the door closed behind him.
“You’re going to use who, Auraelia?” Daemon asked, his brow scrunched in confusion.
Ignoring his question, Auraelia walked to where Piper was sitting on the bench seat by the windows. “Do you think you could preoccupy Xander and Aiden for a bit?” she asked in a hushed tone.
Piper canted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly as they searched Auraelia’s face—like if she looked hard enough, she could see the meaning behind her words or read her mind.
Letting out an exasperated breath, Auraelia held out her hand. “Go ahead. What do you see?”
Over the last few months, Piper had been working on progressing her abilities.
She spent hours practicing calling visions of the future to her and attempted to replay scenes of the past. Though she had vastly improved, it still helped when she made contact with the person whose life she was trying to glean.
Piper nodded and grasped Auraelia’s hand, closing her eyes briefly before opening them to the wide, vacant stare that always accompanied her visions.
Fragments of what Piper saw filtered into Auraelia’s mind as she allowed bits and pieces to flow between them. Flashes of a smile. Stars dancing in crystal clear waters. A cloudless winter night sky, with a nearly full moon shining against the velvety black backdrop.
As the images faded and life came back to Piper’s eyes, a small smile tilted up the corners of her lips.
“It’s a little cold for a swim,” she whispered, winking at Auraelia as she rose from the bench.
Auraelia curled her lips inward, stifling the chuckle that tried to break through.
The inner workings of her best friend’s mind never ceased to amaze and amuse her.
“Come on, boys, let’s go find some food. Aiden, looks like you’re staying here tonight, so your game with Raneese will have to wait a little longer.”
Piper strolled toward the door, patting Daemon on the chest as she passed him. “Have fun.”
The confused look on his face was priceless as his head swiveled from Piper’s retreating form back to Auraelia. When the door latched, he faced her fully and asked, “What was that about?”
Walking over to where he stood next to the table, she grinned. “I’d like to show you something first.”
“Oh?”
Nodding, Auraelia gently laced her fingers with his. Warmth filled her veins, her magic stirring in response to his touch. But beneath that familiar heat was a subtle cool caress. Like she was toeing the line between standing in the shade of a tree and the rays of the sun.
Daemon’s hand tightened around hers, excitement and confusion clashing together in the vibrant greens of his eyes. “I–I can feel you.”
“You can feel me?” she asked, her heart galloping in her chest like a wild stallion.
Nodding, Daemon pulled her to him. With their entwined hands pressed between their chests, she could feel the thunderous pace of his heart where it hammered behind its cage. “It’s like sunlight in my veins. Warm and welcoming.”
Bringing her hand up to his lips, he placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles. As they held each other’s gaze, it was as if time stalled around them. It could have been mere seconds or minutes that passed before the world seemed to begin spinning once more.
“What did you want to show me, Auraelia?”
A broad smile stretched across her face as she looked up at him. “You’ll see.”
Daemon smiled in return, his chuckle rumbling in his chest as he shook his head. “I do believe that is your favorite phrase today, Princess.”
Releasing his hand, Auraelia wrapped both arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. Daemon stood stock still for a fraction of a second, the embrace seeming to catch him off guard before his arms encircled her shoulders, and they were engulfed in shadows.