THE VISION AND THE MISSIVE #3
Gods, I usually enjoyed making others uneasy with my presence, but now that he and I were caught in this strange dynamic, it was taking all the fun out of it.
I turned toward the door, but before I reached it, I looked over my shoulder and said, “I’ll stay hidden.”
The Woodland House was indeed a maze, and much larger than I’d previously thought it to be.
Breck had been gone for over an hour, and I’d spent that time glamoured, meandering the halls, until I’d found myself in the guest wing, where the familiar walls full of candle sconces and wooden doors greeted me.
One door in particular stood out amongst the rest. The floral wreath still hung on the off-centered hook, and the petals were now shriveled and dry, with over half their substance lying on the floor.
I dropped my glamour and grinned as I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it.
Everything was just as we had left it. A hint of Auren’s scent still lingered inside.
I crossed the room and paused in front of the hearth, in the very spot where I’d almost pulled her into my lap and kissed her.
She’d been wearing a silky night gown that hid absolutely nothing, and I’d never had to leash my desire like that before.
Want a taste? I’d asked. But gods, it had been me who wanted to taste her.
When I lifted my eyes to the bed, I smiled, recalling the night she’d drank too much elderberry liqueur and asked me to stay with her.
I ran my hand over the chair I’d sat in that night.
It had been a horrible night’s sleep, and I’d woken with one hell of a stiff neck, but taking care of her and making sure she was safe had been worth it.
I was in the midst of recalling another memory when someone cleared their throat from the doorway.
“It’s done,” Breck said.
“Any problems?”
He shrugged. “Just a momentary lapse of all judgment and common sense on the guards’ part. They didn’t know what to do when they saw me approaching.”
“Damn, maybe I should have gone with you. I’ve always wanted to know how they would react.”
“Let’s just say they didn’t act much like guards as they did a bunch of idiots who couldn’t find their words or their swords.”
I chuckled. “Bet they’d been waiting their entire lives to see a fae in the flesh. Tell me you at least bared your teeth for good measure before you compelled them?”
“Was our goal to scare them to death, or gain an audience with the queen?”
“Pity that it couldn’t be both,” I muttered, earning a grin from him.
“So, what now?”
“I guess we wait until dawn. And pray that she shows.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
The piece of sheer fabric from the ivory drapes that framed Auren’s bed slipped through my fingers as I said, “Then I’ll have to go to the castle myself.”
We did not want to cross The Veil—the fae had no desire to.
Not because we couldn’t, but because none of us wanted the repercussions.
Freely crossing whenever we felt inclined to would seem as if we were taking advantage of The Veil, which could stir up tensions again.
And if a High Lord were to cross, it could be seen as a threat, and the last thing we needed right now was turmoil between our realms when the real threat was in the north.
Breck drummed his fingers against the doorframe, then, to my surprise, he said, “I was wrong about you.”
I half turned to him and lifted a brow.
“Your reputation precedes you, but you’re not what they say you are. At least, not entirely.”
My lips twitched upward. “Are you sure you want to make that claim?”
“Call me a fool for saying it, but it’s what I have come to believe.”
“You’re not a fool, Breck.” I lowered my eyes to the mosaic floor, picking out a dragonfly amidst the ferns and other insects that were depicted. “I have my moments—both good and bad.”
“We all do.”
When I met his eyes again, there was an understanding there.
And there was growth.
Somehow, in these past few weeks, Breck had changed. He had matured, or perhaps he had simply found more of himself. He was certainly, finally, thinking for himself, which I wanted to applaud him for.
“I appreciate your help with all of this,” I said.
He nodded. “Thanks for giving me another chance.”
Another chance . . . after everything that had happened with Auren.
I wasn’t quite sure what else to say, so I nodded back.
“Will you be in here for the night, then?” he asked, glancing around the room.
“I do favor this bedchamber over the one Killian had me in. The mattress is better-suited to my size.”
He snorted and pushed off the doorframe. “I’ll see what I can scrounge up for us from the kitchens.”
“Much appreciated.”
After we’d eaten a less-than-appetizing meal of stale bread, apples, and dried meat, and washed it down with a bottle of wine plucked from Killian’s private stash, Breck retired to his chambers, and I settled into Auren’s old bed for the night.
In the candlelight, I studied the decoy amulet, black as the darkness beyond the window.
The object was meant as a source of reassurance, and a safeguard. Giving it to the queen wasn’t my first choice, but something was telling me that it was going to be worth it in the end . . . if the queen showed up.