Chapter 50 Sunshine and Rain
Chapter fifty
Sunshine and Rain
Alaceandra
The rest of the day goes by without much incident.
Sorin gives me another pretty braid before showing me what each of the potions he had set out earlier did and where I could find them.
Before I know it, I am back on the field with Baldar as he coaches me through how to make flames grow and extinguish, as well as how to set moving targets on fire.
My magick has grown even more than the day before— big surprise.
I find myself a lot less exhausted than I previously thought I would be by the end of the day.
Sam, though, has been absent since this morning.
He did not pick up his lunch, nor was he present at dinner.
I cannot help but wonder where he is, or how he is investigating what I had told him that morning.
The prince follows me back to our cottage, Baldar positioned on his shoulder.
"I see you two are getting along," I say, climbing up the ladder.
"Seems that way. He grows on you… kind of like a fungus."
I snort.
The prince continues. "Speaking of growing, looks like someone's powers got a boost since their last lesson. What have you been up to today?" He leans against the doorframe one leg propped up for balance.
"He's the fungus," Baldar mumbles, his tiny squeaks barely audible from the prince's shoulder. "He is right though, you have improved. I was not sure if you would get through one of those lessons let alone all three. You should be proud of yourself."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I say sarcastically. Baldar jumps down from the prince's shoulder and I see the prince wince slightly. "The nails?" I ask.
"Yep," he says, before sitting on the couch. "No, but really. I am curious." He quirks a brow at me.
I roll my eyes. "Your suspicions are probably correct."
"They often are," he drawls. "As I said before, there are always signs. That is the same braid you had when Sam and I found you in the woods, you know?"
I sigh, twirling the braid between my fingers. "You caught me."
He laughs. "Nothing to catch. I hope you had fun. It is interesting to see the correlation between your skills growing and your… interactions with us though."
I roll my eyes. "I am sure it is."
"Someone is in a mood this evening."
I smile. "A good one or a bad one I wonder." I playfully tap my chin.
"Definitely a good one." The prince stands and grabs my hand spinning me.
I laugh. "What was that for?"
"I was just checking out my little dove’s wings, they seem to be growing in nicely."
My smile softens. "Thank you."
"I am only pointing out the facts." He kisses my forehead.
"I- I am sorry about last night." The prince stills.
"Why is that?"
"I should not have taken the fear I had about that dream out on you." I look in his eyes, but instead of them softening they harden. He takes a step away from me. "What is wrong?" I reach for him, but he turns away.
"You should not apologize. Your fear is justifiable."
"What do you mean?"
He sighs. "Nothing just—" He rakes a hand through his hair. "It has been a long day. We should go to bed." He walks into the bedroom, leaving me reeling.
"Wonder what crawled up his ass and died," squeaks Baldar, breaking me from my daze.
"So, I was not the only one who thought that was weird."
"Yep, definitely sketchy," Baldar agrees skittering up my body to lay on my shoulder. "But I did tell you he was a weirdo."
"Were you not just resting on his shoulder."
"Only because I didn't want to walk. Do you know how hard it is to get up and down those ladders with these legs?"
"Can you not just teleport?"
"That is not the point."
"Sure."
"Sooooo are you going to join mister sunshine in there or are you sleeping at casa Baldar tonight?"
"Casa Baldar?"
"Yeah, the chair."
"Not sure if he will let me sleep on the chair and unlike you, I prefer not to be carried by men who I have confusing feelings for."
"Suit yourself, but if there are any more disturbances, do not come crawling to me."
"Is that not what you are here for, to protect me?"
"Mostly just the teaching bit, but sure. I just don't feel like sleeping with the monster tonight. He snores."
I huff.
"Are you done arguing with the ferret, Alaceandra? You need to rest."
"Are you?" Baldar prods, looking at me with wide eyes.
"I guess so." I remove him from my shoulder and place him on the couch before striding over to the bedroom door that the prince is holding open.
"Your one sided conversations are odd," he says shutting the door behind him.
"Says the man who walked out after informing me that my fear about where his loyalties lie is justifiable."
"I am only speaking the truth Alaceandra. Is that not what you wanted from me?"
"Yes, but-"
"This is what I was saying about you being ill prepared. If you cannot handle me telling you that not trusting me is the smart decision, how will you be able to handle the whole of what we must do- what I must do to get my father off the throne?"
"Can we not have this conversation right now? Frankly your back and forth between kind and caring and utterly infuriating is giving me a migraine." I pinch the bridge of my nose.
The asshole laughs at me. "Fine. Let us go to sleep then." I crawl into bed and he crawls in after me. "Sweet dreams Alaceandra."
"Sweet dreams," I whisper.