6. Lovette
Chapter 6
Lovette
“ I already have a weapon,” I argued, handing back the fancy dagger my sister had just given me. “Several, in fact.”
“This one is better,” she argued, arm outstretched, the blade of it in her palm.
“Imogen.”
“Lovette.”
“I’m going to stop coming by the forge if you keep doing things like this.”
“Promise?” Her smile was full of mischief. “Take it. It’s yours.”
I sighed and tilted my head but put my hand out to accept the lovely yellow citrine-inlaid handle. “Why have you made me another dagger? One with fancy yellow stone in the grip?”
She shrugged, a pleased expression on her face. “Because someone brought me the citrine. And when I finished making it, I realized it was for you.”
“But why? I spend most of my days in an infirmary. I have other, much more specific tools at my disposal should I need to cut someone open. I need some of my scalpels sharpened, by the way.”
“Bring them by tomorrow then. And perhaps you need it simply because you haven’t been in the infirmary much lately.” She gave me a long side-eye over her shoulder as she cleaned up her tools.
“How would you know? Are you checking up on me?” I argued as I selected a black leather thigh sheath from her collection on the wall. “Who’s doing all this leatherwork for you? These are nicer than the ones you normally have.”
“Brom is the new leathersmith’s apprentice. I told him I’d use his best work here if he needed the practice. Don’t change the subject.” She laughed low in her throat and shook her head some more as she helped me size it around my leg over the top of my pants and position the dagger in it.
Was it really that obvious? My face grew hot. Were people already gossiping about it, and I just hadn’t noticed? I struggled to keep things from my sister, though regrettably she didn’t seem to have the same issue. Just worrying that she knew something about my recent activities had me sweating.
I hustled after Imogen as her long legs carried her away from the forge and toward the meetinghouse. Father was supposed to be coming, perhaps Grace as well if he’d been able to convince her to leave d’Arcan for the evening.
“Imogen! Seriously, what is it you think I’ve been doing?”
She shrugged, unbraiding her long dark hair as she walked a sedate pace, shaking out the strands and rubbing at her scalp. “I’m sure you’ll tell me when you’re ready. But the aunts have been sure to mention how you and Gaius have each been taking your midday and evening meals to eat in private instead of eating in the meetinghouse.” Her right eyebrow raised. “And you’re both taking more than one plate at a time. Seems a little odd that you’re doing the same exact thing, don’t you think? Especially when the other is never anywhere around when it happens?”
“I—” It was impossible to refute that, because it was true. I had no desire to lie to my sister either. “Is that a crime?”
Imogen burst into a bright raspy laugh, her face turned upward to the sky. “You’re impossible. And you know exactly why you needed a different blade.”
“I’m not agreeing that I do, because the ones safely put away in my apartment are perfectly serviceable, but how did you know I might need a new one?” I only got a shrug in return. She was nothing if not cagey about her talent. She was the finest forge mistress around—the youngest the clan had ever seen, and the first female in more than a hundred years—but it was far more than that. She had a sense about things people might want or need, often long before they did. She told me once she could hear the metal, the stones. That they spoke to her. She compared it to music. I wasn’t going to argue; I’d seen similar things with my own gift when it came to healing. I just wanted a clearer understanding because she was my sister, and I was nosy.
As we approached the meetinghouse, I spotted our father and Grace sitting at one of the several wooden tables that stayed outdoors year-round. They’d gathered a full dinner for us already and stood when they saw us approaching.
“I’ve missed you, my lovely daughters.” He smiled broadly as he wrapped us each in a tight hug.
“It hasn’t been that long,” I teased him. “And you’re only a short flight away.”
“True enough, but I’m spending nearly all my time in Revalia, and I miss your faces when I’m gone. Though I do have good reasons to stay there instead of here.” He turned, smiling.
Grace lingered at his side, still nervous around us despite the official welcoming ceremony and vows she’d exchanged with him, it seemed. She was kin now, part of the clan, regardless of her having no stone kin blood. More than that, she was family, we just hadn’t had much time to spend together yet. I could only imagine how awkward she might feel walking among all stone kin as the only human, even when we were in our human forms.
“Hello, Grace! It’s lovely to see you again,” I said, reaching out to embrace her.
“Hello, Lovette,” she said, a broad smile on her face. “Imogen.” My sister hugged her as well.
“This is a nice way to eat,” I said as we all took a seat.
“Jorna seemed to take personal offense that we wanted to bring our meal out here. Something about everyone wanting to take their food away instead of eating in the meetinghouse lately?” My father looked confused and shook his head as he rearranged several things between their plates, ensuring that Grace got the nicer slices of meat and more perfectly browned potatoes. Imo and I exchanged a look, and my face grew hot when her eyebrow went up.
“Stop fussing,” Grace chided as he traded her glass with his. “You never do this nonsense at the collegium.” She slapped at his hand when he continued, which only made him grin.
“That’s because you do the cooking at d’Arcan, and I can guarantee every bite is as delicious. Most stone kin aren’t overly choosy about their food quality. And not one of them cooks like you do.” She rolled her eyes, but I could tell the compliment lightened her heart.
“Don’t let the aunts hear you talking like that,” Imogen warned. “They’ll get their feelings hurt, and in return, hurt you.”
“That’s true enough,” he grumbled, but the way he glanced around confirmed he was just as worried about their wrath as the rest of us, despite him being twice their size. I’d seen them swing a heavy iron skillet once or twice though.
Small talk over our food became a healthy dose of laughter. My father was ornery, and Grace took none of his bull. They were adorable together, and while I would always miss my mother, I was thrilled to see my father had found happiness.
“We have some news,” Father puffed, his hand clasped around Grace’s as we stacked our empty plates in the middle of the table. “We’ve officially started building our home on the property next to d’Arcan,” he enthused. Grace flushed bright red, the scars that ran down the side of her face standing out in stark relief when she did so.
“That’s wonderful!” I congratulated them. “I didn’t think that project was moving so fast. How long will it take to finish?”
“He’s exaggerating a little, I think,” Grace said, the flush in her face slowly disappearing. “They’ve barely set out the wooden stakes and string to mark off where the walls will go.”
“But it’s progress!” he argued jovially. “A year, perhaps. Hopefully less. Rylan has contracted several of Revalia’s best craftsmen to do all of the necessaries.”
“It helps, of course, that Rylan wants a new dormitory built and agreed to keep everyone on for all of d’Arcan’s projects,” Grace added.
“That’s a lot of work,” Imogen said, settling back with her tankard cradled between her hands. Tonight we were drinking a special blackberry mead Father had brought with him from the city, and I was wishing my normal-sized glass was big like hers.
“It is. Years and years. Can you imagine getting contracted to work on an ever-growing collegium campus? The rest of your life would be planned out.” Grace smiled softly. “I’ve never had my own house before. I’ve always lived in an apartment of some kind.” Her expression dipped for a moment, as though she realized the company in which she’d said such a thing.
Stone kin cycled through whatever huts were available mostly, we were welcome to take any open bed. Gaius and I were both odd in that sense—I had a permanent apartment above the infirmary, and he stayed in one hut.
“I’m so happy for you,” I said, reaching across the table to briefly clasp her hand in mine.
“You’ll come visit, of course?” she asked.
“Naturally.” Imogen raised her cup in toast before taking a drink.
“You’re welcome at any time, even now. I hope you know that. Calla would love to see you, as well. D’Arcan is always open.”
Father shifted around in his seat. “Be mindful of Revalia. There are always things going on that I would prefer you stay away from, but it’s particularly odd, right now.”
“Odd how?” Imogen asked, frowning.
He shook his head, giving Grace’s hand a squeeze. “People who have long been protected ending up dead. Shifts in power among the criminal element. Thankfully the demon hordes have settled down for the moment, but it’s always something. It just feels… off lately. Even the council seems unusually shaken. I’d prefer you stay here at the conclave or go directly to d’Arcan if you have business in the city.”
I had no intentions of leaving again, at least not unless I was helping return some of the jewelry, but that meant little lately. There were plenty of things I was doing without really planning to, all of them involving a certain former general.
Imogen’s eyes were burning holes in the side of my face, but I just smiled serenely at my father, nodding my agreement with his request. She clearly suspected—as I did—that Gaius was probably involved with everything our father had just mentioned.
“Have you seen Gaius lately?” Imogen asked, turning her eyes from me to our father.
He settled back in the seat, tilting his head as though preparing to shoulder a burden. “Not in the last little while. Why?”
“He’s needed several repairs on his sword.” Father’s eyebrows raised at Imogen’s words.
“And he’s needed stitched up just as often,” I added.
“We are aware of some… grievances Gaius may be involved with. But I’ll see if I can’t get myself a little closer to the investigations. Is he causing trouble here?” He pulled Grace’s hand into his, stroking it gently after placing a kiss in her palm. The tension around her mouth eased under his affection.
“No. He keeps to himself mostly,” Imogen shrugged.
“That’s good.”
“Shall we take a little walk?” Father suggested. “Get the digestion moving?”
Grace visibly relaxed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the conclave. When I was last here, there wasn’t really a chance to wander around.”
Imogen ran our dishes into the meetinghouse before we slowly made our way toward the forge. Father always loved to get a look at what she’d been working on, and I was certain he was hoping that one day soon there would be a blade waiting for Grace.
By the time we’d made a circuit of the settlement, including a stop at my apartment for a quick rest and more mead, Imogen was blinking heavily, and I was not far from doing the same.
“It was so good to see you again,” I told Grace when both Imo and I gave her a quick hug as they prepared to leave.
“Be safe, my daughters. And if you see anything suspect, let me know, yes?”
“Of course,” Imogen promised just before stifling a yawn that had her jaw cracking.
Father gathered Grace up in his arms with a grin, releasing his wings. She gave an audible squeak as he pushed off the earth in a gust of wind, her amused laughter chasing behind as they flew away.
“She’s good for him.” Imogen smiled, patted me on the shoulder, and turned away, not waiting for a response.
“She is,” I agreed, though she was already too far away to hear it. I was ready to find my sofa, a book, and perhaps some chocolate.
I looked up again, though, which was a mistake. It was hard to make out features from such a distance, but I knew without a doubt the dark-winged shadow headed in the direction of Revalia was Gaius.
If I followed him, I was doing exactly what my father had just asked me not to. But if I didn’t go and something happened, I would never forgive myself.
With a curse on my tongue, I took to the air, thankful for the new dagger on my thigh and worried I was about to regret all my choices where Gaius Caledon was concerned.