Chapter Thirteen #2
“Odustis.”
“What?”
“That island is Odustis, a small island southeast of Sire.”
“Odustis… I’ve heard that name before.”
“I would hope so. It’s where your mother’s parents were from. It’s where they lived when she was a child, just before they moved to Creeden.”
“My mother didn’t speak highly of the place she lived as a child.”
“No, I suppose she wouldn’t. It is a filthy place that people wouldn’t want to associate with. Kilharie, the pirate cove, is in Odustis.”
“Now that place I have heard of.” Dagan turned back to the mirror. The surface had already returned to black. “Why would Sid’s father be in a place like that?” he said, thinking aloud.
“Your lady friend, is that her name? Sid?”
“Sidonie, yes.”
“And you’re looking for her father?”
Dagan hesitated. He already didn’t trust this man. Adding the fact that Edmund had done something that must have been pretty terrible for his own father to find it necessary to take his magic away, Dagan just didn’t see a reason to even attempt to trust him. No, he would handle this on his own.
“Thank you for your help but I need to get some sleep,” Dagan said.
Edmund nodded, understanding the hint, and left the room. Dagan wasn’t sure where his father planned to spend the rest of the night. Nor could he bring himself to care.
~*~
At breakfast the next morning, Dagan pulled Sid away from the queen’s table to sit at another, so they could speak privately since Bree was entertaining a lord and lady from her kingdom. He told his mate about the mirror and the island.
“Does he know about my magic? I’m sure he could have sensed it when we were alone in the tower yesterday but he didn’t mention it. He didn’t speak to me at all.”
“No, he doesn’t know.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Trust me, he doesn’t.” Dagan decided not to tell Sidonie about the seal on his father’s magic until they were away from him. If she acted strangely around him, it might give Edmund a reason to be suspicious about her. It would be best if they could sneak away quietly.
“Well, we need to find a way to get to this island,” she said. “Odustis, he called it? We don’t have a lot of time.”
“No, we don’t. I will go to the village and buy supplies for the trip. Then we need to get to Sire and secure passage to the island. Can you fill Queen in on the plan, once her guests leave?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Sid,” he said, taking her hand into his. Her fingers were warm and the touch caused the magic in his body to tingle. He had grown used to the feeling but still craved it. “I want to say… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? For what?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What did you do?”
“I haven’t done anything. I am apologizing for what may come. In the future.”
“So… you’re sorry for something you haven’t done yet. That makes perfect sense.” She grinned, but he didn’t find it amusing.
“It isn’t something I will do. I have lived with or around magic my entire life. I’ve seen the good, the bad, the magnificent, and the absolutely terrible…”
“Where are you going with this?” She was beginning to think she should be afraid.
Dagan shook his head, trying to put his thoughts into words.
He looked into her eyes. “Once you get your powers, your full magic, people will expect you to use it. When this monster of a wizard, Mereck,” Dagan all but spat the name, “decides to attack us, you will have to use your magic to defend yourself and everyone around you. You are the only one who can.”
“I realize that Dagan—”
“No, Sid. You may have to kill him. At the very least, you will have to abolish his magic. That will take a giant toll on you, both emotionally and magically. We feel things, emotions, more heightened than regular people do. You know that already. Guilt… It’s another emotion that will be harder for you to accept. ”
“Yes, I have considered that. I’ve killed a man before, twice actually. You were there when the assassin tried to murder me because he thought I was the queen.”
“I do remember that but… wait. Did you say you’ve killed a man… twice?”
“Oh. Yes.” Sid pulled her hand back, surprised by her own words. She picked up her piece of honey oat bread and dipped it into her potato and pork stew, avoiding the question.
“Sometimes, I forget we are still getting to know one another,” Dagan said, slowly. “If you don’t want to tell me now, I respect that decision. I’ll wait until you do. Just don’t turn into Rowan, alright?”
She chuckled at his joke. Rowan’s kill number was probably much higher than either of them would guess. But at the same time, if they were glad to have anyone on their side when the time came to fight, it was Rowan.
Dagan excused himself and left the hall.
But Sid wasn’t alone for long. Edmund took Dagan’s place across the table.
She held her breath, unsure if she should greet him or try to get away.
She couldn’t read Dagan’s mind, but she could tell that he didn’t trust Edmund.
And if Dagan didn’t trust him, she wouldn’t either.
“I realize you may not trust me,” Edmund said.
Can he read minds? she thought. “I don’t know you, sir.”
“None of that ‘sir’ business, darling. Edmund will do. If my son considers you to be family, then I do as well.”
Sidonie wasn’t sure how she felt about Edmund referring to her as ‘darling’ or referring to either of them as family, but she decided to play along. “Thank you, Edmund. That means a great deal to me.”
“I can tell you’re lying,” he said, laughing. “I am old enough to know when someone is humoring me.”
“How old are you?” she asked. If he were prepared to be bold by calling out her lie, she could be bold too.
“I will be one hundred and one soon. And I fear I won’t have many more years ahead of me. That is why I am appealing to you, darling. My son may not want to listen to me, but I expect you will. Out of proper manners of a lady, if nothing else.”
If he only knew the kind of lady I was before I came here, he wouldn’t, she thought. The wild Sabra in her may be covered with pretty gowns and slippers that actually fit her feet, but it wasn’t gone. “Of course, but I don’t want to get between the two of you.”
“I understand. Having spent some time in solitude recently, I’ve had a lot of time to think. About the past and the future. Once things are settled here, I will go. He never has to see me again.”
“Pardon my frankness,” she replied, “but perhaps the problem between the two of you is because he feels you abandoned him. Leaving again, abandoning him again, may only make things worse.”
“His mother is the one who left me. Dagan chose to go with her.”
“And you never came to find him.”
“Actually…. I did. But I was mad with grief. I spent the entire time drunk and angry. I wasn’t in my right mind. My father knew it and stopped me before I could do anything… reckless…”
Sidonie could tell that this story was one Edmund had never told before. He choked up more than once and wouldn’t look her in the eye, but she knew that he was sharing with the wrong person. “Maybe you should tell him this, instead of me.”
“I would, but I’m not sure he’s ready to hear it.”
“Perhaps not.”
“I thank you, darling, for humoring an old man.” He stood to leave, then turned back. “There is a painting in the armory. I’m not sure if Dagan has been there lately. It looks just like his portal. He may want to see if the queen will part with it. It really is a beautiful painting.”
“Wait. How do you know what his portal looks like?” She knew for a fact that Dagan hadn’t opened the portal since Edmund was rescued. The dagger containing the portal was safe inside Dagan’s trunk in his chambers.
“I watched him create it. It was really something…”
Sidonie eyed him, curiously. “You didn’t really abandon him, did you? You’ve followed him.” Edmund didn’t answer her, but a twinkle in his eye gave him away. “How?”
“Disguise, of course.” With that said, he walked away and left Sidonie gaping after him.
The amulet.
~*~
Rowan chuckled to himself and finished off his bowl of beef and cabbage. He picked up a corn muffin, took a bite, and laughed again. If his brother thought he was being sly just now, the man would never have made it as a spy.
“What?” Reeve asked.
“You’re staring at her… again.”
“No, I wasn’t,” he said, averting his eyes. “I was just… How can you not stare at her? She’s a fairy! Just look at her!”
“I have looked at her.” I’ve seen more of her than you can imagine. Twice.
“I’m not crazy. And I’m not the only one who’s looking at her.”